Prepare for a circular future: How EU’s Eco-Design directive will impact furniture

The future will be filled with circular, durable products that are easy to repair, resell and recycle. This is the vision of the European Commission as stated in a draft for the new Eco-Design directive as presented in spring 2022. But what will this mean for the furniture and interior companies of today, and how can they prepare? We explore this with researchers, thought leaders and companies who have already taken the first steps. In collaboration with Design Denmark.

Oak and furniture – is there a viable future? Event by VIA University College

We may need to reconsider the way we use oak as a preferred basic material for furniture in the Nordic countries. The European oak is under pressure due to heavy forestry. Half of the oak for furniture is produced in Ukraine and Belarus, two countries that experience conflicts in different ways. Furthermore, we can expect a wide range of requirements of durability, circularity and resource efficiency as recently presented in the EU proposal for a new directive for sustainable products. What will this mean for the designers and furniture companies of today? Is it possible to change the mindsets of consumers and producers when it comes to wood species? These are the main questions in this discussion that includes panelists from wood supply, furniture design and design education.
Speakers: Camilla Stendevad Christensen (FDB Møbler), Thomas Folke Andersen (Keflico A/S), Eva Paarmann (Furniture Design VIA University College). Moderated by: Anne Louise Bang (VIA Center for Creative Industries and Professions)

Partnerships within Circular Economy

Any kind of production entails some sort of waste. Unusable surplus material vanishing from the value chain without being utilized. In the future, we will have to change that and create much less waste than today – but how? One thing is certain. No one can do it alone. Succeeding in closing the value chain requires cooperation, partnerships and the will to share knowledge and experience. In today’s debate you will meet key actors in the value chain:

Ravendo –  The manufacturing company experiencing waste / THE UPCYCL – The facilitator, advertising, matching and handling waste material / Friis & Moltke – The designer seeing opportunities and creating novelties / And Anno Studio – The furniture company producing and selling new products made from other companies’ waste

You will learn what it takes to create a new form of partnership, where everybody is mutually interdependent and shares material, knowledge and contacts – for the common good. Event by DI Creative Industries – After the talk, you can attend a special viewing of the circular furniture days

Sell twice, make once: Resale potentials for the furniture industry

The resale market is projected to grow much more than the sale of new products, and furniture companies could potentially tap into this trend and make a second profit on existing products. What are the best models for reselling furniture for consumers and business clients? What does it require and how can the resale model help accelerate a circular future? We explore this with brands who are already selling used furniture and platforms facilitating the sale of used furniture.
Speakers: Preben Mejer, Head of the board, JK Office / Emma Lindroth, Co-Founder, Keepr Collective / Monica Keaney, Country Sustainability Manager, IKEA Denmark / Mette Rode Sundstrøm, CEO, Lauritz.com. Moderated by Betina Simonsen, CEO Lifestyle & Design Cluster.

Closing the loop with plastic?

The circular economy dream is to close the loop, and no material has more attention than plastic. Everyone has a love/hate relationship with the material that cannot decompose but has great properties. How can we actually close the loop, use the waste of today, while designing products that lasts – and will not create future waste? We explore the potentials and downsides of plastic recycling in furniture with scientists, brands and activists.

Speakers: Niels Peter Flint, art director, Arapaha / Henrik Beha Pedersen, founder of Plastic Change / Mie Hørlyck Mogensen, from Small Revolution, Lars Houe, Founder and CEO, HOUE. Moderated by Johanne Stenstrup, Lifestyle & Design Cluster

DESIGN, soft power for a better life

In the fight against climate change, a consistent focus on quality, functionality and durable makes Danish design both extremely relevant and more internationally sought after than ever before. But what do the biggest Danish design successes have in common and is it possible to talk about a unique Danish DNA? How can design be future-proofed and what can we expect from new Danish designs?

Speakers: Miho Motoki, ARCHITECTMADE / Jakob August Mernøe, MERNØE / David Obel Rosenkvist, LOUIS POULSEN/  Moderated by Majken Kallehave, Creative Denmark / Event by Creative Denmark

Tech morning: How technology is changing our relationship with furniture

Ever wondered how your chair was made, but who and where the materials come from? Or how the furniture in your office is used when you’re home? The world is full of technologies that enable the sharing of this information, and front running brands are already exploring the possibilities of blockchain, chips, AI  and traceability to give their customers more information – information that could change the way we interact with furniture. We explore how technology can be an enabler for circularity, how customers react to more data and how digital technologies can drive change in the furniture industry.
Speakers: Rikke Ebsen Toftdal, PR & Communications Manager at Bent Hansen / Merete Skov Pedersen, Director & Co-founder at MI Collect / Heidi Svane, Head of digital at Lifestyle & Design Cluster. Moderated by Johanne Stenstrup, Project manager at Lifestyle & Design Cluster

Future Workspaces – by Design Denmark

Debate: The idea of the workplace is transforming these years with trends like “hybrid work” and “work from anywhere”. But what does that mean for the future of the work environment and for work itself?

Speakers: Signe Geil, CEO and co-founder, Agern furniture / Tine Mouritsen, Director and head of Workplace Advisory at Colliers / Casper Berntsen, Founding Partner Studio Heima. Moderated by Henrik Lübker, CEO, Design Denmark