Case study: Skagerak by Fritz Hansen
Case study: THE UPCYCL
Photo: Anno Studio
Photo: Skagerak
Giving furniture a second life
Accelerating the circular economy
Skagerak’s Reclassic initiative uses a circular business model to prolong its products’ lifetime.
By connecting industries with New Waste materials and companies who want it, THE UPCYCL creates circular possibilities.
Contributor – Skagerak by Fritz Hansen
Contributor – THE UPCYCL
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, in the US alone more than 12 million tonnes of furniture is thrown into landfill every year, an increase of 450% since 1960. International design company and certified B Corporation Skagerak, established in Denmark in 1976, asks the question: what if furniture had a second life instead?
THE UPCYCL is a community where industrial companies with New Waste materials can be matched with companies that need them. By doing so, they reduce the amount of wasted materials and the consumption of virgin materials.
Skagerak Reclassic is a buy-back system allowing customers to return their used Skagerak furniture when they no longer need it. The furniture is carefully restored and put up for sale for customers who appreciate patinated pieces that come with a history and a lower carbon footprint compared to new products.
All New Waste materials come in continuous flows and large volumes and are standardised, ensuring that, when matched, the stream of New Waste Materials keeps flowing. This allows companies to rely on a reliable circular supply chain or consider their industrial waste materials as a source of circular revenue.
Reclassic pieces come with their own history from being used indoors or outdoors in private homes or for photoshoots, events or exhibitions. All the pieces are carefully restored by the Skagerak team before being put up for sale, ready for a new chapter. The Reclassic website makes it easy to buy pre-loved Skagerak furniture, ensuring that it stays in circulation and enjoys a longer life.
An example is the FM 630 stool, designed by the architects Friis & Moltke and relaunched by Danish furniture manufacturer, Anno Studio. The legs of the stool are made from leftover cut-offs from the industrial production of sack trucks. Steel tubes for sack trucks are supplied in fixed lengths, and waste is unavoidable. Without compromising Friis & Moltke's classic design, Anno Studio utilises the leftover steel tubes for the stool’s legs.
The company aims to inspire its customers to see themselves as users rather than consumers of furniture, and in doing so, fulfils its promise to design furniture that lasts for generations.
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Creativity as a driver for green transition
Annually, over 1.1 million tons of waste are generated from industrial and manufacturing companies in Denmark. The portion of the waste consisting of uniform and reliable materials is referred to as New Waste. Today, many tons of New Waste materials end up in landfills every year without ever being used again.
Chapter 3
Circular business models
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