Archived News Article
First office furniture Remanufacturing Standard
As part of a wider Circular Economy Project, the Furniture Industry Research Association has published a new Remanufacturing Standard. The standard specifies requirements for the remanufacture of:
- Office and contract chairs / seating
- Office and contract tables / desking
- Office and contract storage units
Speaking on the new Remanufacturing Standard, Phil Reynolds, COO of the Furniture Industry Research Association said, “Inevitably a lot of furniture ends up in landfill which is not sustainable in the longer-term. This was an issue we wanted to address.
“As part of our Circular Economy research we recognised that the lack of a standard was a barrier to remanufacturing, so this is a gap we’re aiming to bridge through this latest project.
“Our new Remanufacturing Standard aims to give confidence to specifiers, procurement teams and end users that ‘second life’ furniture does not mean second best, whilst supporting companies that have embraced remanufacturing and encouraging new companies to consider the practice. It also aims to promote end of life considerations in new furniture designs, on the assumption that customers will expect their furniture to be taken through a remanufacturing process. Finally the Research Association hope the new Standard will support the circular economy, ensuring maximum value is realised from products already in the workplace.”
Sections within the Standard include:
- Remanufacturing process, including product custody, product inspection, product assembly, product testing
- Replacement parts/components
- Warranty, including warranty period and warranty register
- Resource and waste stream management, including compliance and waste hierarchy
- Environmental product information, including mandatory product information, optional product information and verification of optional product information
- Product labelling
The Remanufacturing Standard is available to all members of the Furniture Industry Research Association here. Non-members can purchase a copy for £125 here.
