Unveiling the complexity of circular transition for the upholstered furniture sector

This paper investigates the strategies that Design can implement to reduce the environmental impact of upholstered furniture by addressing its constituent elements, material choices, and methods of assembly and disposal. The literature review highlights a lack of attention to the circularity and sustainability of processes and materials throughout the product’s life cycle. For this reason, the paper presents the research journey of the Circular Sofa Platform project, emphasising the need to define a new platform paradigm for upholstered furniture that respects its complexity while meeting the requirements of circularity and sustainability, an integral part of a sustainable development scenario for the contemporary production chain.