New project to increase traceability for the Swedish furniture industry
PRESS RELEASE — 3 FEBRUARY 2022
Digital product passports enable sustainability in the entire value chain from supplier to customer
In the project “Product work as an enabler for circular furniture flows”, the Swedish furniture industry unite to achieve increased traceability of furniture. An important initiative to meet the EU’s forthcoming requirements for digital product passports.
The project will also investigate how product passports and the information that needs to be made available there can be a driving force for increased innovation, circularity and competitiveness throughout the value chain of furniture. 18 companies and organizations are participating in the project.
- The association of players represents a large part of the value chain and gives us a fantastic opportunity to jointly make a workshop by creating circular furniture flows that contribute to increased sustainability for both suppliers and customers, says Max Bekken Björkman, project manager at Chalmers Industriteknik.
In the spring, the European Commission is expected to release the type of information that will be included in the digital product passports. The basic idea of product passports is to guide products that are placed on the market within the EU towards a circular economy. Furniture is part of a first phase and is one of five priority product groups.
- Through a project like this, a future implementation can be facilitated at the same time as added value is identified and new business offers are developed, Max Bekken Björkman highlights.
The project is a collaboration between Antrop, Bjerking, Chalmers Industriteknik, Empower, GIAB, GS1 Sweden, Input Interiör, Interior Cluster Sweden, Kinnarps, Lammhults Möbel AB, Lundbergs Möbler, Papershell, RP, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Swedese, Trä- och Möbelföretagen (TMF), Västra Götalandsregionen and White arkitekter. In addition a reference group of eight actors is also involved.
The project has support from Vinnova and the Västra Götaland region and will be implemented over a two-year period ending in October 2023.
Do you want to know more? Please contact:
Empower:
Carl Nesset
carl@empower.eco
Chalmers Industriteknik:
Max Bekken Björkman
max.bjorkman@chalmersindustriteknik.se
