The European Furniture sector follows closely and contributes to several initiatives under the European Green Deal, including the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) or the Waste Framework Directive, to name a few. In this context, we welcome the opportunity to provide comments to the Commission’s public consultation on the Circular Economy Act.
The European furniture industry is in line with the Green Deal’s ambitions, including making sustainable products the norm in the EU. Furniture products can be designed for longevity and one of the most prominent raw materials for the industry is wood, which is renewable. Some best practices in the sector already exist and many more are to come as we transition to a more circular economy, our main expected contribution to climate neutrality objectives.
For the circular economy to work, harmonised rules will be needed at EU level, preventing a patchwork of national divergent requirements. While the ESPR can drive a circular economy forward, it focuses on products. Hence, a holistic approach is recommended, and a combination of tools allowing scalability of solutions to fully close the loop and enable a real transition to the circular economy. Innovation and investment needs, as well as sufficient time for their deployment, should also be considered.
We welcome the ambition of the Circular Economy Act to facilitate the free movement of circular products, secondary raw materials and waste, while increasing the supply of high-quality recycled materials and stimulate demand for these materials in the EU. We urge the Commission to ensure the Act is both transformative and workable, laying the groundwork for a harmonised, innovation-friendly circular economy and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes that sustain EU competitiveness and deliver practical results on the ground.