Circular furniture flows – Digital Support for Reuse in the Public Sector

Municipalities often lack information about what furniture they own, how long it has been in use, or what can be reused. A digital identity for furniture would simplify the procurement of reused items and thereby extend the lifespan of a large volume of furniture within the public sector.

The project Circular Furniture Flows aims to deliver a feasibility study and a guidance document outlining concrete steps for how the share of reused furniture can be significantly increased within the public sector – while opening up a larger, more accessible market for circular reuse actors.

The project Circular Furniture Flows aims to increase furniture reuse in the public sector

The Problem

Public procurement accounts for nearly one fifth of Sweden’s GDP, with substantial sums spent on furniture and interior fittings. Yet only about 1 percent of procurements involve reused furniture. A key barrier is the lack of oversight and data. Municipalities often do not know what furniture they own, how long it has been in use, or what can be reused. Information is spread across different systems – or missing entirely – and much of it is lost when furniture is moved between offices, schools, and storage facilities.

The Roadmap for Public Procurement 2025–2030 highlights the need for more innovative and circular purchasing. At the same time, the EU is introducing Digital Product Passports (DPPs), which can enable new business models. The Circular Furniture Flows project addresses the gap between these ambitions and the day-to-day realities of municipalities.

If reuse is to become the norm in the public sector, it must be just as easy to procure as buying new – and profitable for the companies that base their business on circular furniture flows.

– Johanna Olofsson Behrman, Project Manager, Future Materials, Axfoundation

Our solution

The project lays the groundwork for a pilot demonstrating how reuse can become both a standard choice for municipalities and a viable, sustainable business model for small and medium-sized reuse companies. A core element of the solution is giving furniture a digital identity that follows each item over time. With a digital ID, municipalities can more easily inventory what furniture they have, how long it has been in use, and which items are suitable for reuse or refurbishment.

Circular Furniture Flows also explores the conditions for a simple, shared “common language” for data that all actors can use. This makes it possible to match supply with demand and reduces the administrative burden for small reuse companies seeking to sell to the public sector. At the same time, the project examines key performance indicators for reuse rates, lifespan, cost efficiency, and climate impact – so that reuse becomes a measurable and manageable part of the procurement process.

Did you know that …

Government agencies purchase newly manufactured furniture for 99 percent of their replacements – despite a framework agreement that enables reuse.
100 billion tonnes of raw materials are consumed globally every year. This is equivalent to nearly two Earths’ worth of resources.
Sweden produces furniture worth SEK 23 billion annually, of which 30 percent consists of office furniture.
The production of office furniture alone causes annual emissions of 170,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. At the same time, a reused workstation saves approximately 300 kilograms of CO₂ emissions compared with a newly manufactured one.

Did you know that …

Government agencies purchase newly manufactured furniture for 99 percent of their replacements – despite a framework agreement that enables reuse.
100 billion tonnes of raw materials are consumed globally every year. This is equivalent to nearly two Earths’ worth of resources.
Sweden produces furniture worth SEK 23 billion annually, of which 30 percent consists of office furniture.
The production of office furniture alone causes annual emissions of 170,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. At the same time, a reused workstation saves approximately 300 kilograms of CO₂ emissions compared with a newly manufactured one.

Our contribution

RISE is the lead project coordinator for Circular Furniture Flows. Axfoundation is responsible for the business and systems perspective within a policy lab that brings together, among others, actors from the furniture industry and the public sector. The lab tests how digital identity, core data, and key performance indicators function in practice, with the aim of ensuring that the solutions make it easier for reuse actors to do business with the public sector.