Richard Hirschhorn and Mona Chun, co-creators The Circular Design Glossary, introduce the new guide to understanding the future of furniture design. It was developed by mebl | Transforming Furniture, where Richard and Mona are founder/CEO and chief operating and sustainability officer, respectively, in partnership with the Sustainable Furnishing Council. Our homes are the center of our lives and a primary source of CO2 emissions. The Ellen McArthur Foundation has estimated that 80% of the environmental impact of the way we live can be changed by making better product design decisions. That may make it sound like most choices are out of our hands, because we have to rely on the companies to chose low-impact materials designed for circularity, taking what we can get. Richard and Mona share a variety of examples of sustainable furniture designs from small designers as well as retail giant IKEA.

Mona and Michael suggest that “the very first step to a ‘circular future’ is accessible information and awareness” and ask “how can we transform this throwaway paradigm into a just, regenerative and sustainable system?” Those are great questions to ask when shopping for furniture or any other product or service each of us choose. Becoming better informed about our home decor and furnishing choices empower shoppers to exert pressure on manufacturing and services companies to reduce their environmental impact and our own footprint. You can learn more about the Circular Design Glossary at https://sustainablefurnishings.org/glossary and about mebl at https://meblfurniture.com/