Environmental sustainability has become an indispensable element when it comes to design.
In the furniture sector, the application of the principles of circular economy finds its way from product design to the selection of circular materials.
One of the most complex products in the furniture sector is seating, as it generally consists of multi-material components that have to fulfil different functions.
Many design companies have chosen to reinterpret some of their iconic products in a sustainable and circular way, trying to experiment with new circular materials derived from process or post-consumer waste and developing new bio-based materials.
New design techniques have been adopted to encourage the disassembly of components, to promote the extension of the useful life of products through reparability and to facilitate responsible management of materials at the end of their life.
The transition towards a circular economy model has challenged time-honoured mechanisms, inevitably leading companies to face new challenges to enrich the value of products with a more conscious vision.

The trends reported in this publication are a brief selection of those in MATREC’s International Observatory.

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