Less Waste, By Design: Humanscale's Refreshed Circularity Program

At a time when commercial office vacancies and remote work is still alive and well post-pandemic, it’s important to think about our overconsumption in terms of where all that abandoned office furniture goes. It’s not a complicated answer. We’re seeing furniture make its way to landfills with all our other trash. The issue of furniture waste was also compounded during the pandemic, when consumers turned to less expensive, poorly made ‘fast furniture’ for personal needs.

I recently sat down with Jane Abernethy, Chief Sustainability Officer at Humanscale, a leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance ergonomic office solutions, to discuss the circular economy and how true circularity can be achieved if companies come together to create or improve the manufacturing and design process.

Abernethy notes that while many companies like to talk about circularity, the world is not set up with a circular system, and because of that, implementation is a lot harder in practice. It’s important for designers and manufacturers not to get dissuaded and keep experimenting new ways of doing things. There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution.

Abernethy leads Humanscale’s efforts to create a net positive impact through both its products and operations, and is committed to pursuing avenues for collaboration and educating others across industries by sharing dialogue around sustainable product design and manufacturing.

In 2016, Humanscale launched its Ocean Collection marking the world’s first task chair made from nearly 2 lbs of reclaimed fishing nets. In April 2024, Humanscale was certified as a B Corporation, recognizing the company’s commitment to a sustainable approach to business and manufacturing.

MORE FOR YOU
NYT ‘Strands’ Today: Hints, Spangram And Answers For Tuesday, October 22nd
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Tuesday, October 22
WWE Raw Results, Winners And Grades As Samantha Irvin Departs

Abernathy told me that Humanscale recently launched ‘Refreshed’, a circularity program whereby Humanscale’s corporate customers may return their pre-owned products to be expertly restored and refreshed for purchase, so they don’t end up in our landfills. She also emphasized these achievements are not as a finish line, but a continuation of Humanscale's journey to prioritize sustainability across all products, packaging, manufacturing process and business practices with the philosophy that ‘less bad is not good enough’.

Christopher Marquis: Can you start with providing some details on the environmental problem Humanscale is aiming to address? Why are we seeing office furniture in landfills?

Jane Abernethy: We often hear about the issue of “fast fashion”, poorly made clothing that is rapidly produced by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends, but the issue of overconsumption and waste applies to furniture as well. In fact, 17 billion pounds of furniture waste ends up in landfills every year.

The issue of furniture waste was compounded during the pandemic, when consumers turned to less expensive, poorly made ‘fast furniture’ for personal financial and work-from-home needs. In addition, companies began downsizing commercial office space, or ditching it altogether, in favor of hybrid options. Businesses continue to face new challenges as they adapt to modern work life. Today, commercial office vacancies are at a record high and remote work is on the rise for the first time since the pandemic.

There are a lot of moving, and often stressful, parts involved in renovating, relocating or closing an office. How to dispose of the furniture hasn’t exactly been front of mind for many employers. However, that’s a mindset that needs to change fast. That’s why Humanscale launched ‘Refreshed’, a first-of-its-kind circularity program whereby our corporate customers may return their pre-owned products to be expertly restored and refreshed for purchase, ensuring they get a second (and perhaps third) life they were made for, and don’t end up in landfills.

Marquis: What are the biggest challenges for furniture designers and manufacturers to participate in the circular economy?

Abernethy: Furniture waste is challenging to manage, and manufacturers have historically focused on a single-use model. The materials used, like wood, metal, and various plastics, are often difficult and expensive to recycle. At the same time, proper waste management practices are crucial to mitigate the environmental impacts, including pollution and resource depletion.

Overcoming these systemic obstacles in sustainability requires substantial changes in manufacturing, consumer behavior and waste management. Humanscale has been a leader in shaping new processes for the industry and shown by example that sustainability and a profitable business aren't mutually exclusive – they can be both!

Marquis: Why should companies participate in the circular economy and the program Refreshed?

Abernethy: The current economy can be described as linear: we buy products, use them, then throw them away. In a circular economy, old products become the raw material for new products.

Economic benefits: Recycling and reuse being normalized on TikTok points to a larger trend - recent data also shows that more than half of Gen Z (55%) and Millennials (54%) research a company’s environmental impact and policies before accepting a job offer, highlighting how companies that put the circular economy in practice can actually have more success in attracting and retaining top talent. The Refreshed initiative offers a tangible way for companies to embrace environmental sustainability and appeal to a workforce increasingly concerned with corporate responsibility.

Environmental benefits: Reducing energy consumption, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, minimizing natural resource extraction, preserving ecosystems, and reducing harmful mining activities are just some of the environmental benefits that companies can have a positive impact on by deciding to participate in the circular economy and in a program like Refreshed.

We've spent the last few decades designing products to be circular. But circularity doesn't happen on its own. When our durable products are coming to the end of their long life, we're setting up the systems to make sure the products can cycle through again and again. Over the last few years, we've been piloting and testing parts of the circular cycle to ensure that the entire system will succeed, and we find we can circulate our own products more effectively than anyone else could. Because we know the product better, we can bring it up to a higher quality and offer a warranty for the next life. These are the benefits of participating in Humanscale’s Refreshed program for a second life product. Now we’re excited to give companies and consumers the opportunity to be part of a circular system.

Marquis: Can you say more about what can companies do today to commit to a circular economy?

Abernethy: When you zoom out on this issue, both companies and consumers can see that in the long run, the cost of a linear economy and overconsumption is both expensive and wasteful for businesses and individuals.

One of the first things companies can do is decide where they want to make an impact, and start there. Then, set measurable goals and objectives to achieve the impact. We encourage other companies to pursue third-party certifications if they have not already, as they break through misleading claims about sustainability and create transparency, which we believe is essential to achieve real progress and is crucial for those consumers looking to make a greener choice when it comes to the products they buy. Humanscale became B Corp certified in April 2024, and has earned third-party certifications by the Living Product Challenge (LPC), Declare, Health Product Declarations (HPDs), LEVEL®, and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

A start up or smaller business may have the advantage of not having many systems in place that need to be changed. Don't think you need to be a large sized company to start the work; the earlier you can integrate sustainable material sourcing, supply chain and manufacturing practices, the easier it will be. It's useful to have long-term goals in mind, and then take on achievable short-term projects. Celebrate those short-term wins. It keeps everyone motivated and moving toward the big goal.

However, the hard work doesn’t stop there. There is always room for growth, innovation and opportunities to shape new processes and bridge the gap to a circular economy. Humanscale was founded in 1983, and sustainability has been part of our DNA since the beginning. Early on, we pioneered healthy materials and transparency within the commercial furniture industry, and later went on to introduce the industry’s first third-party certified carbon negative products.

In 2017, we were a founding member company of NextWave Plastics, a collaborative and open-source initiative of 15 global companies co-founded and amplified by Lonely Whale and convened by The Circulate Initiative, to reduce ocean plastic pollution by developing socially-responsible supply chains and using ocean-bound plastic in products and packaging. In 2022, we expanded on our Ocean Collection and launched the world's first chair made from reclaimed fishing nets. Fast forward to today with Humanscale’s recently launched Refreshed initiative.

Marquis: How about in design and lifecycle management? What are the key principles of circular economy that can be applied to the design and lifecycle management of office furniture?

Abernethy: Humanscale believes that good design achieves more with less. It’s our core philosophy. We are setting the bar for circularity in two phases: product design and the circular system through which the product gets reused. For decades, our products have been designed around four key pillars to optimize for a circular model. We hope to inspire other companies to follow suit in establishing similar pillars in order to make a real, positive difference for the future of our planet:

Longevity: Products are known for exceeding the industry’s toughest durability standards. This inherent durability allows for an extended life, far beyond its initial use.

Serviceability: Products are modularly designed so it is simple to disassemble or refresh certain components.

Material Health: Humanscale has pioneered the elimination of Red-List chemicals from its products. For example, it is the only manufacturer to have removed Red-List chemicals from its complete line of task chairs. This ensures harmful chemicals, like carcinogens, don’t continue to recirculate in the environment.

Simplicity: Products have significantly fewer parts, about half the parts as others on the market, reducing their overall footprint and minimizing the risk of maintenance issues.

Marquis: How can manufacturers and designers incorporate circular strategies to extend a product's life and keep furniture out of landfills?

Abernethy: I would first encourage designers to create new products for reuse from the outset by designing for serviceability and repair. The world is not set up for circularity in the current state. Many companies like to talk about circularity, but implementing it can be difficult and complicated in practice. However, it’s important for designers and manufacturers to experiment and not give up if the materials don’t work out at the beginning because extending a product’s life and achieving circularity does not have a one-size-fits-all solution. Companies can also get their factories third-party audited as part of their circular strategy. We can’t simply burn the material instead of sending it to landfill - we must find ways to use the material. All Humanscale factories are TRUE® Zero Waste certified and are third-party audited to ensure each one diverts at least 90% of waste away from landfill, the environment, and incineration.

Instead of assuming a project has failed, I usually say that it hasn’t worked…yet. For example, when we began testing the use of ocean-bound products in one of our task chairs, we underwent many months of testing and many samples with this particular kind of plastic, but couldn’t get the material to work. We continued to pursue different components, making these materials in-house so we were able to tweak the manufacturing process from the original material to ocean plastics in ways we couldn't through our traditional supplier.

The sourcing teams scoured the globe for the most sustainable suppliers and materials, expanding our network of ocean plastic suppliers. The engineers validated that the materials meet performance requirements. The quality team made sure the requirements for recycled content and healthy materials were met. The sustainability team calculated the footprints of each option so they could choose options with reduced footprints, created positive impacts, and had footprints third-party audited so that we could stand behind our claims. Through this collaboration, we found more ways to increase the sustainability of a product, which we now apply to other office solutions. Making sustainable changes to foundational processes is a team effort. Working alongside other departments and similar-minded brands is necessary to extend a product’s life, and it has allowed us to further innovate not only our products, but create a roadmap for others to do the same.

Marquis: What are some ways that can consumers shop more responsibly for furniture?

Abernethy: For consumers, you may think you’re saving money by purchasing a cheap piece, but it won’t last as long because it isn’t well-made, and it certainly isn’t good for our environment, either. We can thank e-commerce powerhouses like TikTok shop, Temu and Shein fueling consumers’ obsession since the pandemic with the latest fast fashion, furniture trends and “dupes” at lower price points. But more recently, consumers seem to be waking up to this issue as shown by the growing ‘underconsumption core’ TikTok trend. Investing in quality, truly sustainable furniture will lead to cost-savings in the long-term, and a happier and healthier you and planet.

Consumers can start shopping local, buying second hand, or just making sure they look closely at the ingredient labels on furniture products. Consumers should also watch out for greenwashing by seeing if the company can back up their sustainability claims with independent, third-party validated certifications and are transparent about their materials and manufacturing practices. Customers know that Humanscale uses healthy materials because we disclose the materials used across its portfolio, with over 80% of products sold in 2023 including a transparency label, and we became the first manufacturer to receive a Living Product Certification with not one, but 29 certified climate positive products as of 2024 accounting for 75% of our product sales.