Second-hand furniture and climate impact : LCA modeling to explore potential emission savings of reused furniture

Sammanfattning: A circular economy has been suggested to be able to respond to environmental challenges caused by over-production and consumption of products. Reuse is a circularity measure ranked high in the waste management hierarchy and is especially relevant for passive durable products such as furniture. Reusing furniture has the potential to contribute to the decarbonization of companies. This thesis aimed to explore the potential of reuse contribution to climate change mitigation. An Excel model was developed to explore different reuse scenarios from a life cycle perspective, accounting for potential avoided emissions by selling second-hand furniture. The results indicated that reusing furniture resulted in about 42% reduced climate impacts, although it depended on the characteristics of second-hand trade. Furthermore, the second-hand furniture trade characteristics that influence the GHG emissions were identified, such as replacement rates, second-hand transport, and variability of items sold. An improved scenario by optimizing the furniture trade characteristics can save up to 80% of climate impact. The results indicated that reuse could significantly contribute to the climate commitments of companies, although it cannot be the only mitigation measure to reach carbon neutrality.