This is a master’s thesis project of 30 credits written with guidance from the Swedish research institute ICT Viktoria and Industrial Ecology at KTH. This thesis is conducted by two students at KTH, one with a background in Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Ecology and the other with a background in Energy and Environmental Technology. This study focuses on circular economy linked to the furniture industry in Sweden and how the transition from theoretical to practical concepts can be improved. The methods of this thesis consist of three semi-structured interviews, a survey and an analytical comparative literature review. The interviews, survey and literature review is analyzed with the purpose of finding important criteria relevant for office chairs in circular business models. The interviews are performed face-to-face with three different key persons; an office supply manager, a CEO at a refurbishing company and a product manager. The study focuses on product design within the Swedish furniture industry although some aspects regarding circular business models, logistics and psychological values are included. The results are design criteria for office chairs in circular business models and a design evaluation program for the industry built on these. The program, based on multi criteria analysis, can help reduce the gap between theory and practice of how circular economy should be implemented in the industry. By giving early feedback during the design phase on how well an office chair and a company’s structure meet circular economy criteria the authors hope to ease and speed up this transition. The main characteristics of an office chair designed for circular business models are: Durable Easy to service Adaptable Modular Homogeneous material composition in modules Although the transition to circular business models can be a comprehensive process the authors believe that if furniture manufacturers would integrate circular business models for office chairs into their business structure this would be both economically viable and highly beneficial for their environmental profile which can strengthen their position on the market.

Hållbarhet handlar om att främja välfärd nu, och i all tid framöver, genom att ta hänsyn till egologiska, sociala och ekonomiska aspekter. Det handlar om att tillgodose dagens behov utan att förstöra möjligheterna för kommande generationer att tillgodose sina. Vårt examensarbete undersöker förutsättningarna för hållbar möbelproduktion. och vi gör detta genom ett flödesschema som skall användas vid uppstart av hållbart producerande företag. Idén bygger på att råvarorna utvinns och förädlas inom en femmilsradie. Vi hoppas kunna åstadkomma en djupare relation mellan användaren och objektet än vad endast köpande och ägande ger. Vi har valt att tydliggöra konstruktion och uppbyggnad, samtidigt som formen uppmanar förnuftet till kritiskt ifrågasättande av stabilitet och hållbarhet både konkret och i ett vidareperspektiv. Vi vill att objektet skall kunna utvecklas, individualiseras och anpassas efter användaren så att de tillsammans kan leva vidare in i ett samhälle vi ännu inte känner till. / Sustainability is about promoting prosperity now, and in the future, by taking into account ecological, social and economic factors. It is about meeting the demands of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet theirs. Our thesis explores the conditions for sustainable furniture production through a flowchart, intended for use at the startup of sustainable manufacturing companies. The concept is based on the idea of raw materials being extracted and processed within a fifty kilometre radius. We hope to bring about a deeper relationship between user and object than that which comes with mere purchasing and ownership. We have chosen to make construction and structure apparent, while the design invites the mind to critical questioning of stability and sustainability, both in a literal and a wider sense. We want the object to be developed, personalised and tailored to the user, so that together they can live on in a society that we do not yet know

As a counterpoint to globalisation, I wanted to see how locally a sofa can be produced and investi- gate how outsourcing affects Swedish production. The project is set in the Swedish region Skåne and shaped around three themes: locality, the consumer’s relationship to the product and ”design for disassembly”. The result is a deconstructable sofa made of Skåne wool, pine from the local lumber- man and linen from the last active weavery in Skåne. In this thesis I elaborate on the friction between profit-making, sustainability and consumerism and try to find answers to what production should look like in the future. / Som en motpol till globaliseringen ville jag se hur lokalt en soffa kan produceras och undersöka hur outsourcing påverkar svensk produktion. Projektet ugår ifrån Skåne och formades efter tre teman: lokalitet, konsumentens relation till möbeln och “design for disassembly". Resultatet är en isärtagbar soffa av skånsk ull, furu från bygdens sågverk och linne från det sista väveriet i Skåne. I min uppsats resonerar jag vidare kring friktionen mellan vinstintresse, hållbarhet samt konsumtionsbehov, och försöker hitta svar på hur framtidens produktion bör se ut.