FederlegnoArredo, together with its member companies, has been pursuing, for some time now, a path on the issues of green economy, extended producer responsibility, reuse, recycling and reparability of products.

As part of the FurnCIRCLE (Circular Economy Guidelines and Tools for Application in the EU Furniture Sector) project funded by the European Union, the Federation, together with a number of European partners, has carried out the first European survey on the level of sustainability in the sector, to measure its degree of maturity on the path toward the circular economy. The aim of the survey is to identify trends and possible scenarios, taking a snapshot of the current situation and going so far as to make forecasts to 2027.

The challenge of the circular transition 

The survey explored four key macro areas: monitoring the development of the circular economy, product information, sustainability management, and knowledge of European Union regulations. The level of integration of sustainability principles in micro, small, medium and large companies was then analyzed.

Next steps will be geared toward developing practical and useful guidelines for supplementing existing management models with actions and activities that facilitate the transition to sustainability and a circular economy.

“Awareness, goals, actions. These are the concepts that best summarize the path of our supply chain on circular economy issues and that the data collected by the research highlight. - commented Claudio Feltrin, president of FederlegnoArredo - Always sensitive to sustainable development issues and often an anticipator of processes, the wood-furniture sector aspires to perform at its best and to do so it starts with a self-analysis, as the basis for future concrete actions.” 

Eco-design policies

From the sample of Italian companies analyzed, it shows that currently 44 percent have implemented ecodesign policies and 81 percent plan to do so by 2027. In fact, the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) or Ecodesign Regulation, approved in 2024 by the European Parliament, stipulates that the furniture sector will be among the first to be affected, with furniture and mattresses considered a priority in the definition of product-specific rules. On the same topic, however, FurnCIRCLE research shows that only 14 percent of companies are currently informed about the Ecodesign Regulation and implementing its requirements, but this figure is set to grow, with predictions of 65 percent by 2027.

Training, starting point for green transformation

Fundamental turns out to be the training chapter for companies, given the scale of the changes required: currently, 44 percent offer sustainability training programs and will rise to 79 percent by 2027. This is a significant challenge, especially for micro and small companies, which appear to be lagging further behind medium- and large-sized companies.

“The sector is showing attention to training issues as a starting point for implementing green and digital transformation. The often small size of our companies,” Feltrin pointed out, ”makes them in some cases slower to acknowledge and implement such complex change processes, which is why the Federation's support and guidance action is highly strategic.

Sustainability Report

While waiting for the publication of a Sustainability Report from next year to become mandatory by law, FurnCIRCLE research shows that 37 percent of companies already publish a verified one, but 77 percent plan to do so by 2027. However, analyzing the different sizes of companies shows that only 14 percent of Italy's micro-small companies publish a sustainability report, compared to 52 percent of medium-to-large companies. By 2027, this percentage will rise to 48% for micro-small companies and 97% for medium-large companies. Only 23 percent of companies monitor greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with a projected 47 percent by 2027, while 42 percent evaluate suppliers based on sustainability criteria with a projected increase to 79 percent by 2027.

The future in “circular thinking” 

The research also shows that 20 percent of companies have already conducted a life cycle analysis (LCA), while as many as 65 percent are considering doing so. This is a positive sign that demonstrates the growing awareness regarding the importance of certifications and management systems. In fact, to date, 34 percent of companies offer products eligible for LEED (an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) projects, and 32 percent are considering aligning their products with LEED requirements.

As of today, 57 percent of micro-small businesses also monitor their customers' satisfaction with sustainability issues, use feedback and involve them in the improvement journey, compared to 74 percent of medium-to-large businesses. By 2027, the percentages will rise to 86 percent and 94 percent, respectively.

In addition, 16 percent of companies offered customers in 2024 the option of purchasing spare parts to extend the life of most of their products and after-sales services, with growth expected to reach 25 percent by 2027.

“The level of knowledge and implementation of Ecodesign policies and the 2027 targets,” Feltrin concluded, ‘make it clear that the industry's approach is now truly one of ’circular thinking,' in which design, implementation, production, reuse and waste disposal are part of a single gear that moves according to the principles of economic and social environmental sustainability.