Green economy, extended producer responsibility, reuse, recycling and repairability of products, regulations that will impact the future of companies and the objectives set by the Green Deal are the major themes that will be explored in depth by FederlegnoArredo who is participating for the second year in Ecoworldthe international fair dedicated to the environment, sustainability and the circular economy scheduled from 5 to 8 November in Rimini.
An opportunity to meet institutions, stakeholders, sector operators and share the path that the Federation, together with associated companies, is implementing on the issues of circular transition, with one eye on the present and one on the future. Starting point ainvestigation which he conducted with other partners – Ambit, Furniture Cluster of the Catalonia region in Spain and Efic, European Federation of Furniture Industries -, as part of the project FurnCIRCLE (Circular Economy Guidelines and Tools for Application in the Eu Furniture Sector) financed by the European Union, whose objective is lead companies in the sector towards a more sustainable future and measure maturity levels of businesses over time, also taking into account the entrepreneurial fabric that characterizes Italian manufacturing made up of micro, small, medium and large companies. Objective: to identify trends and possible scenarios, photographing the current situation and pushing forward to make forecasts for 2027.
From the sample of Italian companies analysed, it is highlighted that 44% have currently implemented ecodesign policies and 81% expect to do so by 2027. The Espr Regulation, approved in 2024 by the European Parliament, foresees that the furniture sector will be among the first to be affected, with furniture and mattresses considered priorities in the definition of specific rules per product, but the research highlights that only 14% of companies are currently informed about the Ecodesign Regulation and develop the requirements even if this figure is destined to grow by 65% by 2027.
A scenario which for companies is inextricably linked to training due to the scale of changes required, with 44% offering sustainability training programs and 79% will do so by 2027. significant challengea, especially for micro and small businesses more late and struggling than medium and large companies.
Waiting for the publication of the Sustainability Report becomes a legal obligation in 2025the research shows that 37% of companies already publish a verified one, but 77% plan to do so by 2027. Analyzing the different sizes of companies, however, it appears that only 14% of Italian micro-small businesses publish a sustainability reportcompared to 52% of medium-large companies. By 2027, this percentage will rise to 48% for micro-small businesses and 97% for medium-large businesses. Only 23% monitor greenhouse gas emissions, with a forecast of 47% by 2027, while 42% evaluate suppliers based on sustainability criteria with an expected increase to 79% in 2027.
“Awareness, goals, actions they are the concepts that best summarize the route of our supply chain on the issues of the circular economy and highlighted by research. Wood furniture has always been sensitive to the issues of sustainable development and often a precursor of processes – he explains Claudio Feltrinpresident of FederlegnoArredo – aims to perform at its best and to do so starts from a self-analysis as the basis for future concrete actions. It is no coincidence that the sector is attentive to training as a starting point for the implementation of green and digital transformation. The often small size of our companies makes them in some cases slower to understand and implement such complex change processes, which is why the Federation’s support and guidance action is strategic. The level of knowledge and implementation of Ecodesgin policies and the 2027 objectives make it clear that the sector’s approach is now truly based on ‘circular thinking’, in which design, construction, production, reuse and waste disposal they are part of a unique gearsor which moves according to the principles of economic and social environmental sustainability”.
The research also highlights that 20% of companies have already carried out a life cycle analysis (LCA), while as many as 65% are considering doing so and awareness of theimportance of certifications and management systems. To date, in fact, 34% of companies offer products suitable for LEED projects and 32% are considering aligning their products with the relevant requirements. 57% of micro-small businesses also monitor the satisfaction of its customers on sustainability issuesuses feedback and involves them in the improvement process, compared to 74% of medium-large companies. In 2027 the percentages will rise to 86% and 94% respectively.
And the 16% referring to companies that in 2024 offered the possibility of purchase spare parts For extend life of the majority of its aftermarket products and services, with expected growth of 25% by 2027.