Post by account_disabled on Feb 20, 2024 4:39:48 GMT
After suffering a health crisis that negatively impacted most industries, there was one that estimated to close the year 2021 with a growth of 22% compared to 2020, positioning itself as not only a survivor, but a winner if we talk in terms of a pandemic. This is the furniture industry, which is already generating a negative environmental impact due to the level of speed with which it is produced and consumed. Do we already have fast fashion in furniture? According to Russian designer Harry Nuriev, yes:
"People have started to treat furniture as a fashion, where we can change our decisions very quickly, move around and buy things."
While it is true that consumers have begun to see themselves as agents of change according to the 2021 Global Sustainability Study, the reality is that fashion trends continue to sweep, leaving catastrophic consequences for the planet. Such is the case of fast fashion , that is, the production of large volumes of clothing based on trends and an invented need for innovation, which results in pollution and excessive use of natural resources, thus threatening sustainable development.
That is why fast fashion in furniture is becoming the focus not only of consumers, but of the industry and even designers.
What is Fast Fashion in furniture?
Fast fashion in furniture is understood as the Chile Mobile Number List accelerated production and consumption of these artifacts, without taking into account the environmental impact it has. Because if we look in detail at what it entails: generation of carbon emissions in manufacturing, use of resources for production, and more emissions for transportation, we will see that changing the decoration of our home has a significant impact.
Following this line, many may think that changing furniture is not as crude as changing clothes that we generally do when a new season arrives, but the reality is that according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), just as In 2028 alone, Americans threw away more than 12 million tons of furniture and household goods (up from 2.2 million tons in 1960), and more than 80% ended up in landfills.
Such statistics translate into a serious environmental impact, especially if we observe that it was this same community that during the health emergency was in charge of purchasing desks, chairs and terrace furniture, reaching sales of more than 4 billion dollars between 2019. and 2021 , and unfortunately these will not last more than 10 years or less:
Many of the Ikea beds and Wayfair desks purchased during the COVID-19 lockdowns were designed to last about five years."
Deana McDonagh, professor of Industrial Design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus.
In the spotlight…
According to a CNN article , buying furniture can be incredibly expensive and often takes weeks to arrive, so many turn to budget brands such as IKEA, a multinational corporation of Swedish origin, based in the Netherlands, dedicated to the manufacturing and retailing of flat-pack furniture, mattresses, and more. To date, this company is located in various parts of the world, having resounding success wherever it opens its doors.
However, it is important to note that to keep prices low, affordable furniture makers often use cheaper but less durable materials, such as veneer-clad particle boards, which are more susceptible to damage and harder to recycle.
"When furniture is not designed to be durable or recyclable, it is much more likely to end up in a landfill."
Given this, IKEA , for example, is already working on using more renewable and recycled materials, eliminating waste in its operations and changing the way it designs its products and the services it offers. The objective? Prolong the life of these products and see them as resources for the future.
In fact this can already be seen reflected in its sustainability strategy, where the brand commits to using only renewable or recyclable materials in all its products by 2030 in an effort to practice "circular" design and reduce emissions to zero.
While in 2021, the company launched a “Buy and Resell” scheme through which unwanted pieces of used IKEA furniture can be returned, renewed and given a second life; However, the road ahead is still long. Given this, the concept of circular design has gained more and more strength in the last decade.
How does a circular system work to avoid Fast Fashion in furniture?
In a circular system , furniture would be made without virgin materials, designed to last longer and be fully reusable or recyclable, thus forming a closed loop. In the words of Katie Treggiden, circular design expert:
“Longevity has been a key selling message among the most responsible furniture companies for a long time.
But we also need them to embrace the rest of the circular economy, by designing out waste and pollution, offering repair and reupholstery services and take-back schemes to extend lifespan even further.”
Katie Treggiden, circular design expert.
One person's trash is actually another person's treasure, and many designers have embraced this notion by turning waste materials into new furniture products, from Bethan Gray's Exploring Eden range , which is made with shells and waste feathers, to James Shaw's ongoing Plastic Baroque furniture series, made from colorful recycled materials.
However, the recycling process of certain materials can generate significant carbon emissions and depends on waste to begin with. “We often focus on the symptoms and not the solutions,” said Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek, known for making furniture from found materials. "This is broader than recycling."
How to make responsible purchases?
Another way to contribute positively is to simply buy second-hand furniture. New furniture releases the highest concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the first year of life, so buying second-hand is not only good for the planet, but also for your health.
In addition to countless vintage or second-hand markets, there are also designers who restore and reuse vintage items. In 2017, London designer and artist Yinka Ilori, whose solo exhibition, “Parables for Happiness,” is currently running at the Design Museum, London, collaborated with social enterprise Restoration Station to repair and recycle second-hand chairs in new, bright and colorful pieces.
Another tip for consumers to avoid falling into fast fashion in furniture could be to look for pieces made with sustainable and durable materials, such as solid wood with FSC certification. As well as finding brands that are committed to circularity, offering help through repair or buyback schemes. It can also help to embrace creativity by repurposing old items or searching second-hand markets that give you access to good quality vintage items.
Design and production
On the other hand, not all responsibility may fall on the end buyer, which is why designers like Eek also hope that, by working with natural and resistant materials, they can create new furniture that, although not as cheap as economical options, They will be more profitable in the long term.
“If you make something that lasts forever, then of course your carbon footprint is much smaller than furniture that gets thrown away a year or two later. For me, quality is one of the most important issues.
However, designers like Nuriev, Eek, Debs and Ilori can champion ideas and innovations, but it is manufacturers who have the power to commit to impactful and scalable measures, from responsible material sourcing and circular design to impact labeling environmental, low carbon and low carbon packaging.
Eek, designer.
In fact, Eek believes that reduced production will be inevitable due to rising prices. «I think in the end it will be more expensive (to mass produce furniture) because we will find ourselves with scarcer resources... Right now, due to low material prices, producers can make lower-cost pieces. But if wood is expensive, as it should be, you have to add more labor and quality to be competitive.”
On the other hand, Katie Treggiden thinks that perhaps environmental crises will force the furniture industry's hand, both in terms of dwindling resources and changing consumer priorities, concluding that "companies that are not ahead of the curve will soon "They will begin to feel the demand for change from their customers."
That is why consumer awareness and Individual Social Responsibility (ISR) always play valuable roles when it comes to putting pressure on companies, seeking to get them to adopt a responsible commitment or to be on the path to doing so.
"People have started to treat furniture as a fashion, where we can change our decisions very quickly, move around and buy things."
While it is true that consumers have begun to see themselves as agents of change according to the 2021 Global Sustainability Study, the reality is that fashion trends continue to sweep, leaving catastrophic consequences for the planet. Such is the case of fast fashion , that is, the production of large volumes of clothing based on trends and an invented need for innovation, which results in pollution and excessive use of natural resources, thus threatening sustainable development.
That is why fast fashion in furniture is becoming the focus not only of consumers, but of the industry and even designers.
What is Fast Fashion in furniture?
Fast fashion in furniture is understood as the Chile Mobile Number List accelerated production and consumption of these artifacts, without taking into account the environmental impact it has. Because if we look in detail at what it entails: generation of carbon emissions in manufacturing, use of resources for production, and more emissions for transportation, we will see that changing the decoration of our home has a significant impact.
Following this line, many may think that changing furniture is not as crude as changing clothes that we generally do when a new season arrives, but the reality is that according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), just as In 2028 alone, Americans threw away more than 12 million tons of furniture and household goods (up from 2.2 million tons in 1960), and more than 80% ended up in landfills.
Such statistics translate into a serious environmental impact, especially if we observe that it was this same community that during the health emergency was in charge of purchasing desks, chairs and terrace furniture, reaching sales of more than 4 billion dollars between 2019. and 2021 , and unfortunately these will not last more than 10 years or less:
Many of the Ikea beds and Wayfair desks purchased during the COVID-19 lockdowns were designed to last about five years."
Deana McDonagh, professor of Industrial Design at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign campus.
In the spotlight…
According to a CNN article , buying furniture can be incredibly expensive and often takes weeks to arrive, so many turn to budget brands such as IKEA, a multinational corporation of Swedish origin, based in the Netherlands, dedicated to the manufacturing and retailing of flat-pack furniture, mattresses, and more. To date, this company is located in various parts of the world, having resounding success wherever it opens its doors.
However, it is important to note that to keep prices low, affordable furniture makers often use cheaper but less durable materials, such as veneer-clad particle boards, which are more susceptible to damage and harder to recycle.
"When furniture is not designed to be durable or recyclable, it is much more likely to end up in a landfill."
Given this, IKEA , for example, is already working on using more renewable and recycled materials, eliminating waste in its operations and changing the way it designs its products and the services it offers. The objective? Prolong the life of these products and see them as resources for the future.
In fact this can already be seen reflected in its sustainability strategy, where the brand commits to using only renewable or recyclable materials in all its products by 2030 in an effort to practice "circular" design and reduce emissions to zero.
While in 2021, the company launched a “Buy and Resell” scheme through which unwanted pieces of used IKEA furniture can be returned, renewed and given a second life; However, the road ahead is still long. Given this, the concept of circular design has gained more and more strength in the last decade.
How does a circular system work to avoid Fast Fashion in furniture?
In a circular system , furniture would be made without virgin materials, designed to last longer and be fully reusable or recyclable, thus forming a closed loop. In the words of Katie Treggiden, circular design expert:
“Longevity has been a key selling message among the most responsible furniture companies for a long time.
But we also need them to embrace the rest of the circular economy, by designing out waste and pollution, offering repair and reupholstery services and take-back schemes to extend lifespan even further.”
Katie Treggiden, circular design expert.
One person's trash is actually another person's treasure, and many designers have embraced this notion by turning waste materials into new furniture products, from Bethan Gray's Exploring Eden range , which is made with shells and waste feathers, to James Shaw's ongoing Plastic Baroque furniture series, made from colorful recycled materials.
However, the recycling process of certain materials can generate significant carbon emissions and depends on waste to begin with. “We often focus on the symptoms and not the solutions,” said Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek, known for making furniture from found materials. "This is broader than recycling."
How to make responsible purchases?
Another way to contribute positively is to simply buy second-hand furniture. New furniture releases the highest concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the first year of life, so buying second-hand is not only good for the planet, but also for your health.
In addition to countless vintage or second-hand markets, there are also designers who restore and reuse vintage items. In 2017, London designer and artist Yinka Ilori, whose solo exhibition, “Parables for Happiness,” is currently running at the Design Museum, London, collaborated with social enterprise Restoration Station to repair and recycle second-hand chairs in new, bright and colorful pieces.
Another tip for consumers to avoid falling into fast fashion in furniture could be to look for pieces made with sustainable and durable materials, such as solid wood with FSC certification. As well as finding brands that are committed to circularity, offering help through repair or buyback schemes. It can also help to embrace creativity by repurposing old items or searching second-hand markets that give you access to good quality vintage items.
Design and production
On the other hand, not all responsibility may fall on the end buyer, which is why designers like Eek also hope that, by working with natural and resistant materials, they can create new furniture that, although not as cheap as economical options, They will be more profitable in the long term.
“If you make something that lasts forever, then of course your carbon footprint is much smaller than furniture that gets thrown away a year or two later. For me, quality is one of the most important issues.
However, designers like Nuriev, Eek, Debs and Ilori can champion ideas and innovations, but it is manufacturers who have the power to commit to impactful and scalable measures, from responsible material sourcing and circular design to impact labeling environmental, low carbon and low carbon packaging.
Eek, designer.
In fact, Eek believes that reduced production will be inevitable due to rising prices. «I think in the end it will be more expensive (to mass produce furniture) because we will find ourselves with scarcer resources... Right now, due to low material prices, producers can make lower-cost pieces. But if wood is expensive, as it should be, you have to add more labor and quality to be competitive.”
On the other hand, Katie Treggiden thinks that perhaps environmental crises will force the furniture industry's hand, both in terms of dwindling resources and changing consumer priorities, concluding that "companies that are not ahead of the curve will soon "They will begin to feel the demand for change from their customers."
That is why consumer awareness and Individual Social Responsibility (ISR) always play valuable roles when it comes to putting pressure on companies, seeking to get them to adopt a responsible commitment or to be on the path to doing so.
