Households and offices often discard unwanted furniture rather than seeking ways of reusing and/or redistributing these materials. Furniture products are regularly discarded in perfectly good condition and in many cases a simple repair or a coat of paint is all that is required.

Furniture is a bulky waste and disposal to landfill represents an unsustainable drain on resources. In addition, various chemicals are used in the manufacture of furniture. Plastic foams, particularly those found in old furnishings, may contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the potent ozone depleting greenhouse gas (see Types of Waste A-Z Listing: Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Types of Waste A-Z Listing: Ozone Depleting Chemicals). Furniture made from chipboard contains formaldehyde which is a toxic component of the adhesive used during its manufacture that can cause eye, skin and throat irritation as well as allergic reactions (see Types of Waste A-Z Listing: Timber). Wood furnishings are often treated with highly toxic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as pentachlorephenol and lindane. Likewise, wood lacquers usually contain solvents which contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer (see Types of Waste A-Z Listing: Solvents).

In 1998 the total UK domestic furniture industry was worth in excess of £2.5 billion. Of this, upholstered furniture accounted for almost half; bedroom furniture, including beds and bedding, made up 28%; and kitchen furniture represented 24% of this total. Between 1996-97, UK domestic furniture sales increased by 8% while figures for 1997-98 showed negligible growth. Figure 1 illustrates the segmentation of the 1998 UK domestic furniture market (DTI and FIRA 2000).

Figure 1 Sales of Domestic Furniture 1998

SOURCE: DTI AND FIRA 2000

UK office furniture represents a smaller market share than the domestic market but in 1998 represented sales just over £750 million. Desks, tables and systems furniture accounted for almost half of office furniture sales. The sector increased by almost 10% between 1996 and 1997 but witnessed a slight fall during the 1997-98 period. Figure 2 illustrates the segmentation of the UK 1998 office furniture market (DTI and FIRA 2000).

Figure 2 Office Furniture Market based on Manufacturers' Sales 1998

SOURCE: DTI AND FIRA 2000

Data are scant for the contract sector but it is accepted that a proportion of domestic and office furniture will include a significant contract element (e.g. shop fitters). The contract sector is estimated to be over twice the size of the office sector at 29%. Figure 3 provides an indication of the structure of UK furniture market.

Figure 3 UK Furniture Market based on Manufacturers' Sales 1998

SOURCE: DTI AND FIRA 2000

Estimates suggest that 4% of softwood used in the UK is for the manufacture of furniture. Hardwood usage for furniture may be as high as 25% (Wastebusters 1995).

The majority of household waste furniture is deposited at civic amenity sites. Approximately 7% (280,000 tonnes) of all civic amenity site waste is old furnishings. A further 140,000 tonnes is collected through household refuse collections (Waste Watch 1999).

There is no specific legislation for the management of waste furniture. The disposal of commercial and industrial furniture is regulated under the general waste management legislation (see European and National Legislation). The legislation stipulates that if furniture is collected (i.e. with general waste or separately for recycling), the owner (commercial or industrial) of the waste has a 'duty of care' under s.34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Over 300 furniture stores throughout the UK provide publicly donated furniture to people in social need. Many of these groups are voluntary or charitable organisations and therefore exempt from waste management license conditions under the Environment Agency/ SEPA . However, an organisation having waste furniture collected has a duty of care to ensure that the collector has a waste carriers license or is registered exempt. The same will apply to furniture collected from non-domestic sources.

Wood furnishings are biodegradable and are included as one of the municipal waste materials targeted for reduction by the Landfill Directive 99/31. The Directive requires member states to draw up a strategy for a three-stage reduction in the quantity of 'biodegradable municipal solid waste' disposed to landfill. The following targets have been set for biodegradable municipal solid waste:

• 75% of the 1995 figure by 2006
• 50% by 2009
• 35% by 2016.

The UK has been granted an additional four-year extension to the targets in view of its dependence on landfill. The targets will affect the amount of wood permitted for landfill and encourage alternative management methods including reduction, reuse and recycling.

Each year more than 12 million acres of tropical rainforest are destroyed and less than 1% of tropical timber comes from sustainable sources. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) has produced forestry management guidelines known as the Standards for Forest Stewardship. Globally, more than 37 million acres of forest have been certified by FSC . The FSC advises that furniture made from (non-accredited) tropical hardwoods should not be purchased. Table 1 shows the sources of timber that do not have FSC accreditation. Table 2 lists the countries with accredited forests.

Table 1 Origin of timber from non-FSC accredited sources

TIMBER	SOURCE
African mahogany	West Africa
Afrormosia	West Africa
American mahogany	America
Limba/Afara	West Africa
Makore	West Africa
Nyatoh	Southeast Asia
Obeche	West Africa
Ramin	Southeast Asia
Sapele	West Africa
Teak	Burma, Thailand
Utile	West Africa
Virol	South America

SOURCE: WASTEBUSTERS 1995

Table 2 Countries with FSC -accredited forests

Belgium	Indonesia	Poland
Belize	Ireland	Singapore
Bolivia	Italy	Solomon Islands
Brazil	Japan	South Africa
Canada	Latvia	Spain
Chile	Malaysia	Sri Lanka
China	Mexico	Swaziland
Costa Rica	Namibia	Sweden
Croatia	Netherlands	Switzerland
Czech Republic	New Zealand	Taiwan
Denmark	Norway	Thailand
Finland	Panama	UK
France	Papua New Guinea	USA
Germany	Paraguay	Vietnam
Guatemala	Peru	Zambia
Honduras	Philippines	Zimbabwe

SOURCE: FORESTWORLD, 2001

The best practicable environmental option (BPEO) for reducing furniture waste is to encourage consumers to purchase easily repairable furniture, e.g. sofas and chairs with replaceable foam padding. Alternatives for reducing the dependence on virgin materials include buying second-hand furniture or furniture manufactured from recycled materials.

Alternatives to virgin materials are available for new furniture. Chipboard and medium-density fibreboard (MDF) both use wood off-cuts that would otherwise be wasted during a product manufacturing stage. Other non-timber materials can be used to manufacture domestic and commercial furnishings. It is quite commonplace for post-consumer plastics to be used in garden and office furniture. It is good practice when purchasing new furniture to check whether it has recycled content.

What may be a waste to one person might be a resource to another. Items of redundant furniture may be of use in a different department within the same organisation. Furniture and quality hardware items are highly sought after if still in a reasonable condition. Local furniture and resource centres can make good use of donated furniture to benefit the local community. The Furniture Recycling Network (FRN) co-ordinates over 180 centres in England, Scotland and Wales for collecting and redistributing furniture for reuse. Items of a reasonable quality from businesses and households are readily accepted. Furniture is then redistributed to people in need, often people who are setting up home for the first time, such as the homeless or refugees. Furniture schemes provide a good disposal route for householders or offices purchasing new furniture and carpets who would otherwise send the replacement to landfill.

The scope for furniture recycling is huge. To realize this potential work must focus on research, development and the marketing of existing waste re-utilisation initiatives. Attention should be paid not only to recycling furniture but also to the waste streams created during the manufacturing process. At present the main obstacles are attributed to the complex mix of materials and components involved in the manufacturing stages and the relatively low value of the resultant recyclate. For plastic furniture there is the inherent problem of polymer identification and the low weight-to-volume ratio which renders transportation uneconomical. Wood materials containing adhesives or treated with preservatives cannot be recycled.

Wild Wood, an organisation based in Doncaster, collects redundant wooden furniture. The useful wood is removed while the excess is sent to an energy from waste incineration plant. Wood from old furniture can be recycled by donating or selling it to a local crafts workshop which may be able to find a new use for it. Fire wood is also an option.

Furniture containing plastic and wood has a high calorific value and is suitable for incineration. However, incineration requires careful control in order to adhere to strict emission standards. Some plastics found in furniture can lead to the formation of furans and dioxins (known carcinogens) when incinerated.

A relatively new solution to the problem of wood and wooden furniture has been developed by a company based in Sussex. It uses a technologically advanced waste-wood fired heating system. The system, made by Nordistribution Ltd, can burn up to 10 tonnes of board and wood a week and already several furniture manufacturers are using the process. The system is still in its infancy but it is hoped that a heat exchanger will be installed to trap waste heat.

Disposal should be seen as the final waste management option for redundant furniture. It is a waste of valuable resources and furniture can usually be repaired. Furniture is also a bulky waste that occupies a large volume not only in landfill sites but also in collection containers. As householders do not pay directly for their waste collection this does not adversely affect them but for commercial and industrial organisations this can pose a considerable cost.

Redundant furniture is also regularly fly-tipped on wasteland. Fly-tipped waste can pose a threat to health and safety especially if foam-filled furniture is not fire resistant. Many items of furniture burnt in uncontrolled conditions present an inherent threat to the environment through the release of potentially hazardous vapours.

The Furniture Recycling Network (FRN) is the national co-ordinating body for furniture recycling schemes that collect redundant furniture for redistribution to people in need. The FRN was established in 1989 and its overall objectives are:

• to provide information, services, training and support to furniture recycling projects
• to promote the reuse of unwanted furniture and household effects for the alleviation of hardship
• to promote a national identity for furniture recycling and to be the media contact on generic issues
• to campaign and raise public awareness on those issues affecting FRN members and those people in receipt of their services
• to promote good practice and high standards of service

The furniture is generally passed on to the end user without modification or refurbishment meaning that the schemes 'reuse' as oppose to 'recycle' furniture. The benefits of furniture reuse are threefold:

SOCIAL Recipients are generally in the lowest income bracket, many are being re-housed and are in need of help with basic household items.

ECONOMIC Many projects offer work experience and training for volunteers to improve their prospects of achieving paid employment.

ENVIRONMENTAL Diverting furniture from the waste stream reduces pressure on landfill and saves on waste collection costs.

There are 338 furniture recycling projects in the UK, of which 183 are FRN members. Most schemes are funded either through local government, the National Lotteries Charities Board, Landfill Tax or from the income generated through furniture sales. The network employs over 4,000 people in either a paid or voluntary capacity and in 1998-99 the network diverted over 1.5 million items of furniture from being landfilled. This is a substantial increase on 1996-97 when 810,000 items of furniture were diverted for reuse. The items of furniture donated ranged from sofas to bed-side tables while recipients included housing associations, probation services and other groups or individuals in social need.

SOURCE: FURNITURE RECYCLING NETWORK 2000

For many large companies furniture waste arises during refurbishment of premises. The Co-operative Bank has an innovative method of managing furniture for reuse and recycling.

The majority of their surplus furniture is stored centrally and catalogued on a computerised stock list. The furniture is spilt into two categories:

• furniture that the bank will repair or reuse in-house. In 1998, 355 pieces of furniture were made available for reuse.
• furniture which is obsolete and can be made available for donation to charitable causes. In 1998, 54 items of furniture were donated to three organizations.

SOURCE: CO-OPERATIVE BANK 2000

Staniland and Hall Associates (WEFA Ltd 1998) predict a growth in the furniture and floor coverings market of about 20% from 1998-2002 while Key Note Ltd (Key Note Ltd 1998) predict the market for domestic furniture will increase by 39%. For office furniture there is an expected increase in manufacturing sales of approximately 25%. Overall, the UK furniture industry is expected to grow by about 5% - 8% per year, although conditions witnessed in 1999 suggest that this climate may not be sustained in the long term (DTI and FIRA 2000).

If these trends continue effective management of redundant furniture will become increasingly important. With the requirements of the Landfill Directive to reduce biodegradable waste going to landfill, limiting the generation and disposal of unwanted furniture will be a challenge for the future.