Fabian Wulf , Lisa Hagedorn , Leo Munier , Juliane Balder , Caroline Mathi , Rainer Stark , Alexander Pfriem
{"title":"Towards digitalization of the circular economy in the furniture industry","authors":"Fabian Wulf , Lisa Hagedorn , Leo Munier , Juliane Balder , Caroline Mathi , Rainer Stark , Alexander Pfriem","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.010","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fashionable, cheap furniture of questionable quality is often used for short-term economic gain. If the furniture is not liked, it is quickly discarded. The need to reduce CO2 emissions, dwindling resources and social and political demands contradict this practice and require the implementation of closed-loops material cycles and the introduction of circular business models. A systematic literature review and a case study were conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of current circular economy strategies (e.g. reuse, refurbishment and recycling) implemented in the furniture industry in relation to various key activities of platform companies. As part of the case study, interviews were conducted with stakeholders and experts from the furniture and interior design industry. The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform was also consulted. The literature review and the case study show that the furniture industry is in a state of transition. By incorporating designs that allow for improved remanufacturing, refurbishment and reuse, companies in the industry are increasingly starting to consider circular economy patterns. Increasing digitization and servitization are driving new circular business models. Another key finding is that digital platforms are suitable for connecting stakeholders such as manufacturers, service providers and consumers, taking into account the relevant business models. The study also identified motivations, barriers and requirements for the implementation of circular and digital business models in the furniture and interior design industry. There is still a large gap between what can be achieved with a circular economy and its actual implementation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 45-62"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352550924002963","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Fashionable, cheap furniture of questionable quality is often used for short-term economic gain. If the furniture is not liked, it is quickly discarded. The need to reduce CO2 emissions, dwindling resources and social and political demands contradict this practice and require the implementation of closed-loops material cycles and the introduction of circular business models. A systematic literature review and a case study were conducted to provide a comprehensive overview of current circular economy strategies (e.g. reuse, refurbishment and recycling) implemented in the furniture industry in relation to various key activities of platform companies. As part of the case study, interviews were conducted with stakeholders and experts from the furniture and interior design industry. The European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform was also consulted. The literature review and the case study show that the furniture industry is in a state of transition. By incorporating designs that allow for improved remanufacturing, refurbishment and reuse, companies in the industry are increasingly starting to consider circular economy patterns. Increasing digitization and servitization are driving new circular business models. Another key finding is that digital platforms are suitable for connecting stakeholders such as manufacturers, service providers and consumers, taking into account the relevant business models. The study also identified motivations, barriers and requirements for the implementation of circular and digital business models in the furniture and interior design industry. There is still a large gap between what can be achieved with a circular economy and its actual implementation.
期刊介绍:
Sustainable production and consumption refers to the production and utilization of goods and services in a way that benefits society, is economically viable, and has minimal environmental impact throughout its entire lifespan. Our journal is dedicated to publishing top-notch interdisciplinary research and practical studies in this emerging field. We take a distinctive approach by examining the interplay between technology, consumption patterns, and policy to identify sustainable solutions for both production and consumption systems.