Tibro hantverksakademi educates future actors in the furniture industry. Miljögiraff was asked to hold a 10-week course in Circular Economy within the vocational college education for their class training as: Project Managers in the furniture and interior design industry.

We tailored a plan based on the syllabus and from the perspective of the furniture industry’s needs and the possibility to redesign their life cycles from an ecologically sustainable perspective. The goal for the students was to explore, understand, and learn to reason in a relevant way about How is the circular furniture designed? What do the value chains look like, and how could furniture potentially be sold as a service instead of a product?

• The importance of the design process for the circular economy.
• Circular economy and its relation to procurement.
• Circular business models and what is required for them to succeed.

How is the circular furniture designed? What do the value chains look like?
Can furniture be sold as a service instead of a product?

The course was designed in two blocks. The first part of the course consisted of lecture sessions with theoretical teaching alternated with exercises, discussions, and associated reflective self-study tasks.

Themes

• Introduction to sustainable development and relevant concepts
• Circular economy, what is it and why is it an opportunity.
• Life cycle perspective and eco design strategies
• Life cycle screening with EcoDesign Studio

The second block of the course consisted of a design task where the student was assigned to develop their own ideas for circular business models and products for existing furniture companies. Here, the students gathered their knowledge from block 1 and packaged it into their own design projects. Companies that were thoroughly examined and received many constructive ideas for development at the product and business level included MIO, Offect, EFG, MelliMelli, and AJ Products… During the second block, Miljögiraff offered tutoring sessions and shorter, common meetings with themes that would support the students in advancing their design task.

In this course, there was room to address today’s global sustainability issues within the furniture industry and turn them into concrete, solution-oriented proposals. Through their own desktop research and interviews with selected companies, it was possible to both understand the current situation and question existing design strategies. The furniture industry needs solution-oriented project managers who identify potential and shortcomings, and who raise and develop strategies at various levels. Within design strategies, environmental needs and user needs should be equally valued, thereby making it possible to reduce environmental impact.

Malin Hansson, Course participant, Tibro Hantverksakademi

It has been easy, smooth, and confidence-inspiring to work together with Miljögiraff, and as an educational leader, I have been able to confidently entrust that the course content and teaching are conducted according to agreement and according to the syllabus/course objectives. As lecturers, Clara and Maja are perceived as competent and inspiring in their profession, and they also encourage course participants to think outside the box and move away from habitual patterns of thought and assumptions, which seems like an extremely important aspect when it comes to sustainability analyses and sustainability development.

Hanna Minkkinen, Education administrator, Tibro Hantverksakademi

Are you interested in a tailored course for your students?

Miljögiraff has conducted several courses on sustainability and circular economy, both at a general level and linked to specific industries and syllabuses.

Do not hesitate, contact Clara or Maja!”