Between declared circularity and the marginal role of health, the furnishing and interior design sector has not yet come to terms with what it produces and the air it leaves behind in our homes. Today, materials are everywhere in the design narrative: at trade fairs, in catalogues and in marketing campaigns. It was about time. And yet, talking about materials is not the same as taking responsibility for them: their contents, where they end up and what they release into the air in our homes are still not discussed enough, partly because buyers are not asking enough questions. As a result, not enough is being done.
The current climate isn’t helping. Let’s consider Italy: according to FederlegnoArredo, in 2025 Italian furniture production grew by a mere 0.9%, driven by the domestic market (+2.7%), while exports – accounting for over half of the sector’s turnover – fell by 0.8%. In such a climate, sustainability risks becoming the first area to be scaled back.
When it comes to circularity, good practices do exist, but they are mainly product-based trials, rather than system-wide initiatives. True circularity, on the other hand, is a matter for the supply chain: furniture designed to be dismantled, spare parts, repairs, collection and refurbishment. Extending the life of an object through modularity and reparability, matters more than the proportion of recycled material it contains. As long as end-of-life remains a hypothetical scenario rather than a service, the percentage of recycled material listed in a catalogue measures intention, not the actual outcome.
The situation is even more lopsided when it comes to health and safety. Much is said about wellbeing, but far less about emissions of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde from panels, adhesives and paints. Yet, as studies by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre remind us, we spend around 90% of our time indoors, and indoor concentrations of many pollutants are often higher than those outdoors. Wellbeing is not a matter of aesthetics: it is a measurable performance.
The regulatory framework could change things, even as sustainability once again receives little attention in politics and mainstream culture. Since 27 September, the rules under Directive 2024/825 on generic and misleading environmental claims have been in force in Italy as well. But the will to change cannot stem solely from a law imposed from above: it must arise from a bottom-up approach that brings ethics and business together. The shift is from claims to verified data: the environmental narrative is no longer an afterthought once the product is finished; it needs to be designed from the outset, with a full understanding of the supply chain. This applies to environmental claims and, where supported by relevant evidence, to health claims as well. And demanding evidence protects reputable businesses from competition that boasts of unproven benefits.
Those who can document the air quality their products help maintain in the home, as well as their end-of-life fate, will have a genuine competitive advantage. Design should stop rewarding merely the most beautiful object (without in any way detracting from beauty, which must remain a value to be preserved) and begin rewarding the best-documented products, as well as those that are functional and designed for durability. The expertise, skills and operational capabilities are there. Now we must put them to use.
DOWLOAD AND READ ISSUE #65 OF RENEWABLE MATTER: INTERIOR
Cover: Envato image