Redesigning a sofa with circular economy principles allows the product be repaired, adapted, and parts to be redistributed, reducing the environmental impact by keeping materials in use.
This design approach can significantly reduce resource depletion, energy used for production, waste, and embodied carbon footprint of products compared to products designed for a linear manufacturing model.
A systems approach where parts can flow between users enables a product-as-a-service model. This incentivises manufactures to design for repair and material recovery as they remain owners of the product. With enough users supporting these systems, a new sharing economy can emerge.
Over 30 years this system avoids 70% of the carbon footprint from manufacturing sofas in the current way, including new covers, cushions and suspension. Design for deconstruction allows materials to be properly processed, avoiding landfill by as much as 99% depending on material choices.
Circular Economy Sofa System
