All of these products and substances are or will be subject to regulation and enforcement. The Australian Furniture Association (AFA) recently completed a significant piece of work investigating the role of chemicals in furniture and the importance of considering the impacts of poor materials choice when designing Commercial Furniture for the Circular Economy.
What did we find?
We found that harmful chemicals which lurk in imported furniture, materials and components, such as PFAS, can kill.
We found that there are many public campaigns and regulations surrounding dangerous substances that can kill, like cocaine and crystal meth. yet PFAS is only just gaining notoriety. Vaping has been at the forefront of regulation in the public domain. Yet, dangerous products, such as imported furniture, and or the materials contained in furniture are largely unknown. Following the successful outcomes of the AFA Chemicals of Concern project, the industry will address design and chain of custody as solutions to Chemicals of Concern issues which will be incorporated into a future Circular Economy framework for the furniture and furnishing industry.
Furniture and Furnishing remain high-risk categories in terms of procurement and waste management and the excessive amount of furniture sent to landfill each year created by ‘fast furniture’ waste is frightening.
For example, research has identified that more than 90 per cent of commercial furniture is disposed of in landfill sites across Australia. This is an unavoidable problem as the PFASchemicals found in imported furniture and furnishings leach into water ways or emit gasses into the air when activated by high temperatures, such as fires, causing both environmental and human health catastrophes.
A circular economy will challenge the linear approach which most Australian furniture and furnishing manufacturing currently adopts.
Leaders in the furniture sector are adopting solutions to reduce the influx of ‘fast furniture’, with many now insisting that their suppliers meet industry benchmarks and compliance requirements.
‘We’re pleased to see industry demand transparency around ‘what’ goes into the locally made product and ‘what’ is in the imported materials or components used in locally manufactured furniture and furnishing products’, says AFA CEO Patrizia Torelli.
Some parts of the industry adopted ‘fast fashion’ solutions which is a massive problem. No idea what is in the product. No transparency around origin or materials. No compliance. And no responsibility to consumers. Marketing spin encourages consumers to just buy new and discard past products which is wasteful, uneconomical and a risk to both society and the environment.
‘The AFA has identified better solutions and makes a number of recommendations to industry’, says Ms Torelli.
AFA Members are benefitting from the advice and support of the peak industry organisation in making better choices for good and are leading the way in promoting good practice though an ecosystem of like-minded businesses.
Learn more about the AFA HERE