FAQs
What does "circular economy" mean in the context of furniture?
In the furniture sector, circular economy means to move away from the traditional “take-make-dispose” model, while focusing on designing furniture that lasts longer, can be easily repaired, refurbished, remanufactured, and ultimately recycled at the end of its first life. This approach minimises waste, conserves resources, and reduces the environmental impact of the furniture industry.
What is a Digital Product Passport (DPP) for furniture?
A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a digital record with information about a furniture product’s lifecycle, including its materials, manufacturing process, repairability, and recyclability.
How is Cir4Fun involved?
Cir4Fun aims to define the framework and content for a Furniture DPP. This digital tool will improve transparency, enable better tracking of materials, and support more informed decisions by businesses and consumers.
What is the Furniture Assessment System (FAS)?
The Furniture Assessment System (FAS) is a comprehensive framework being developed by Cir4Fun to evaluate the sustainability and circularity of furniture products. It will integrate various assessment methodologies, including a Sustainable Index System and lifecycle analysis tools (d-LCA, LCC, SLCA). The FAS will support furniture eco-scoring and the Digital Product Passport, providing a holistic understanding of a product’s environmental and circular performance.
How will Cir4Fun help to make furniture more sustainable?
Cir4Fun intends to develop eco-design guidelines to create more durable and repairable products, establishing circular business models that encourage reuse and remanufacturing, and creating advanced assessment methods to evaluate a product’s environmental performance and circularity potential. The project’s Furniture Assessment System (FAS) will integrate these aspects to provide a holistic view of sustainability.
Will Cir4Fun help consumers?
Yes and in several ways. Cir4Fun will empower consumers by improving eco-labelling transparency and potentially through the information provided in the Digital Product Passport. With that, consumers will have better access to information about the sustainability and circularity of furniture. This will enable more informed buying decisions. Furthermore, by promoting more durable and repairable furniture, Cir4Fun indirectly supports cost savings and longer product lifespans for consumers, as well as helping to create a better future for everyone.
How will Cir4Fun contribute to new regulations and standards in the furniture industry?
By developing comprehensive research, tools, and best practices, and by actively engaging with stakeholders, Cir4Fun aims to provide valuable insights and evidence that can inform the development of new regulations and standardisation efforts within the European furniture industry. The project’s findings and validated use cases will contribute to shaping a more sustainable and circular future for the sector.
Where will Cir4Fun's ideas be tested?
Cir4Fun’s outcomes will be implemented and validated through three distinct use cases across different furniture value chains within Europe. These real-world applications will allow the project to test its concepts in diverse contexts and gather valuable feedback for further refinement and broader adoption.
How can I stay informed about Cir4Fun's progress?
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