Defying Obsolescence

The average lifespan of a sofa has fallen dramatically over recent decades—from twenty-five years to fewer than eight years (Palmer, 2012). Two key factors are driving this decline: function and fashion. Changes to construction methods and materials have resulted in many sofas failing faster and making repair difficult or cost-prohibitive. Meanwhile fashion cycles have become increasingly rapid, resulting in even fully functional sofas being replaced with trendier, more up-to-date styles. In both cases, sofas typically end up in landfill. This wastes resources, is polluting to the environment, and more resources are consumed in the remanufacture of replacement sofas. This system, referred to as the linear (or, take-make-dispose) production model is unsustainable and recent research suggests manufacturing products in this way is one of the most pollutive and damaging activities for our environment (Porcelijn, 2016). This cycle is being further accelerated due to increased transience of young adults, who are moving more often and living in shared accommodation for longer. It is therefore difficult for even the most well-intentioned consumers to justify buying higher-quality products which last longer, as they are usually more expensive and harder to move, so do not meet current lifestyle needs (Kurutz, 2013 & Petersen, 2017). Increasing awareness of our environmental responsibilities and finite resources has led to a growing desire by industry and consumers alike to address these issues. While there has been much research into sustainable design, and many new products branded eco-friendly have been introduced, in practice environmental issues have not been adequately addressed (sections 12 & 13). Manufacturers have focused on biodegradable and recycled materials. Recent research, and the emerging concept of a ‘Circular Economy’, has highlighted the shortfall in this approach, and is encouraging industry to rethink products to design out waste, keep materials in use and regenerate natural systems (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017a). This approach has not yet been widely researched in, or applied to, furniture design. With core themes of repair, adaptability, and considering how this affects ownership models (such as leasing vs owning), a Circular Economy model shows promise in addressing the negative environmental impacts of furniture design and manufacture. This research investigates new scenarios for sofa design and ownership within a circular economy model, developed through an iterative ‘research through design’ process. The resulting expandable, repairable and adaptable sofa system reduces the volume to landfill of sofas by almost 80 percent over thirty years (section 20). Utilising a design for deconstruction strategy reduces waste, allows for refurbishing, remanufacture and effective recycling, and increases adaptability, thus allowing a wider pool of potential users. This also supports the potential for new ownership models, such as the Product-as-a-Service model wherein a user does not need to own the product, instead paying to access use, while maintenance and end-of-life responsibility remains with the service provider. This study of a sofa design is intended to test the effectiveness of emerging Circular Economy design methods, and to illustrate the opportunities and viability of moving towards a Circular Economy, encouraging manufacturers and furniture designers to embrace more sustainable practices