Problem, background, initial situation

Furnishings are material-intensive consumer goods which have shorter and shorter life cycles with a simultaneously increasing portion of waste from private households. Apart from the specific market segments of durable, high-quality furniture (antiques, design classics, "oak rustic style") a "trend to trendy furniture" has become obvious for many years characterised by an immense variety of furniture which are

• of low quality (chipboard instead of solid wood, foil instead of veneer, etc.),
• fashionable (forms, colour, materials, surfaces) and consequently
• budget-prised and short-lived.

• the product "used furniture" is disreputed
• inefficient market mechanisms (randomness is the basis, responsibility is rarely accepted.)
• logistic impediments (transport and storage costs)
• recycling instead of reuse

The key idea of this project is to support co-operations between enterprises, organisations and sections of the population who acted separately from each other until now.

Economy in closed cycles should be characterised by a long-lasting life cycle of the produced goods in the interest of an intensified use. Up to now most of the furniture have been fed to the municipal bulk waste collection after being used by only one consumer and have been recycled, though they could be reused in many cases. In the interest of a sustainable development the goal of the project is to increase the reuse rate to counteract the "here today, gone tomorrow" in the material-intensive field of furniture and to support "sustainable" strategies of use.

Objective of the project

Approximately 7 million tons of used furniture occur in the Federal Republic of Germany every year. About 5 % of those are reused, the rest is disposed of, incinerated or made to brushes. The key idea of the project is to promote co-operations between enterprises, organisations and sections of the population who were acting separately from each other until now. The goals of the project are the increase of the quantity to be reused (decrease of the waste fraction) and the development of networks of customers, trade, recyclers, reprocessing plants and manufacturers of furniture. Quality standards and appropriate marketing instruments should warrant the development of an attractive market, which creates qualified jobs and enlarges the service range of trade by decreasing the costs. Thus, possibilities and limits of a sustainable development are shown under the consideration of the German legal regulations (Closed Substance Cycle and Waste Management Act, planned regulation on used wood, Technical Directive for Domestic Refuse).

Project design, scientific approach

To meet the great demand of sustainable development with regard to active support – economically acceptable, environmentally compatible, socially acceptable and experimental innovations – the approach to solution is based on synergetic research and implementing steps in the three central fields of activity: network development, reprocessing and market development.

The network development describes the above mentioned key idea of the project. Creating new interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary forms of co-operation requires both a neutral presentation which reconciles interests and new methods and instruments in the fields of logistics, information and communication instruments as well as quality control (between the enterprises).

The reprocessing as the central component of a high-grade reuse of furniture is subject of this project. Requirements for reprocessing and the removal (of hazardous substances) lead to efficient work processes on the one hand, on the other hand they help to fulfill quality standards and the criteria of environmental protection. Furthermore, the gained experience should have influence on the curricula for professional qualification in the field of reprocessing of furniture and on recommendations for a product design meeting the demands of reprocessing.

In the end, the market development is aimed at enlarging both the labour market and the market for the product "used furniture". On the basis of an analysis of the social-economic frame conditions and of existing consuming patterns a marketing strategy which has to meet the demands of very heterogeneous target groups will be designed. A product seal to support the acceptance of used furniture in general is an appropriate tool for this, as is the use of new media.

• representatives from politics
• public and private disposal firms
• small enterprises (traders of antiques, junk dealers, third sector, etc.)
• caritative institutions
• the consumer as producer of used furniture
• the consumer as user of used furniture
• manufacturers of furniture/trade

• concepts for product use (avoidance-oriented concepts for use in the interest of »use-oriented services«)
• co-operation and logistic networks, take-back concepts
• quality management for networks
• information and communication instruments
• marketing
• quality seal (reprocessing, removal)
• social-economic frame conditions
• sustainable consuming patterns and the influencing factors
• effects on jobs

Working plan and program, realisation

Phase I:
Establishment of a co-operation network (involvement of all relevant protagonists); determination of the usable market potential
Phase II:
Implementation of the methods and instruments (reprocessing methods, realisation of the logistic concept, internet platform, network communication)
Phase III:
completion of the investigation; presentation of the results (logistic concept, co-operation concept, curricula, product design concept meeting the demands of reprocessing, information and communication platform, quality seal); development of a marketing strategy and essential public relation activities

Expected results of the project

In addition to the used furniture trade especially reprocessing plants for used furniture are involved in this project. Existing networks, instructions for use and marketing instruments (e.g. guidelines for the reprocessing of furniture, internet platform for the marketing of used furniture, sorting criteria for the removal of supplied used furniture, co-ordination of the participants) will bring direct advantages for these enterprises. For manufacturers and the trade of new furniture a cost decrease is expected, since at least the furniture which can be reused do not cause disposal costs. The successful marketing at the reprocessing plant or in the trade with used furniture leads to profits in that fields and to jobs.

The results should stimulate other municipal authorities and regional administrative bodies to develop similar innovative concepts as well as to serve as an example for other product groups for which modified structures can be developed. Finally, it is planned to sell the results to partners from the big furniture industry who – until now – could not decide to produce furniture designed for reprocessing (Design for Environment, product design meeting the demands for reprocessing). The developed guideline and the curriculum will be made available to the chambers of industry and commerce as basis for appropriate training concepts.

There will be a regional network for the reuse of used furniture in Dortmund after the conclusion of the project. The structures of this network represent the results of this project. They cover regulations of co-operation and of competition. The participants‘ structures will be known and set up.

Project partners