This study commissioned by the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), Europe’s largest network of environmental organisations with 140 members in over 30 countries, assesses and presents a range of policy options to improve waste prevention and management in the European furniture sector.
The research highlights that every year 10 million tonnes of furniture are discarded by businesses and consumers in the EU, the majority destined for either landfill or incineration. The report presents six policy packages for the sector that would allow value recovery, economic growth, and job creation, while saving on resources and the environment.
Some of the measures recommended in the report include:
- Stricter criteria for Ecodesign, including restrictions on the use of chemicals to facilitate reuse, repair and recycling;
- Better business models to cut furniture waste;
- Incentives to take back discarded furniture and mandatory producer responsibility schemes;
- Life-cycle impact information for procurers, repairers and recyclers as well as consumers.
