Circular Economy Solutions and Strategies for the Furniture Sector in the European Union

The paper analyses thematic areas of the circular economy, reflecting the goals of the European Green Deal. The purpose is to explore guidelines, tools and assessment criteria for how the design and manufacturing of furniture can contribute to a climate-neutral Europe by 2050. EU is the leading promoter of environmental policies and thus pushes towards disseminating the circular economy paradigm in the furniture sector, identifying current trends and strategies. In addition to product design, system design solutions are emerging to support new service-oriented business models. The adoption of the circular economy requires a change of business, territorial, and individual visions and to rethink ways of producing and consuming. By developing the knowledge base for greener and more innovative manufacturing processes, it is possible to understand which strategies are most promising for the sector and to plan for a sustainable and more democratic European furniture design culture.