Furniture was once a purchase for life. They have now become consumer goods that often wear out quickly and end up in bulky waste – with corresponding consequences for the environment and nature. Furniture manufacturers are reversing this development by relying on sustainable usage concepts, protecting the environment, conserving resources and focusing on longevity. They do not use chemical ingredients, work with high-quality, bio-based and recycled materials and source wood from sustainable, certified forestry.

Custom-made products and interchangeable parts such as fronts promote sustainable furnishing, living and working. Modularity, rental models and repairability of office furniture improve the ecological balance in the office. Transformation is also being driven forward in production, for example when waste is minimized or production processes are converted to renewable energies.

The transformation to a circular economy also requires an adapted design of business models towards product-as-a-service. Particularly in the commercial sector, where facilities need to be flexibly adapted, rental models for furniture are a win-win for both sides. Furniture manufacturers continue to own their products and take them back after use, thus saving new costs for raw materials and production. This opens up new fields of activity for circular furniture design, which include concepts of rental models for office and commercial furniture and their return and reprocessing.

The industry includes, for example, the production of furniture for living, kitchen, office, shops and other contract furniture as well as mattresses.