Notions of the EU Ecolabel in the Danish Furniture Industry: Co-creating with the business and design students and the industry

This paper explores the process of co-creating a set of guidelines for the EU Ecolabel for furniture, together with stakeholders from small and medium sized furniture companies and students from the master's program Strategic Design & Entrepreneurship at the Royal Danish Academy, Copenhagen. The study is a qualitative and ethnographic study of the stakeholders and the notions of the understanding of the EU Ecolabel and sustainability, and business models associated with them. The activities that were studied happened in fall 2023. The paper uses concepts and methodologies from Actor Network Theory, Circular Economy and Design Thinking. The research presented is part of a bigger PhD study, ‘Circular Economy in the Danish Furniture Industry’.
The core findings highlight the notions of certification amongst the stakeholders and how the process required to attain these licenses affects the small and medium sized companies. It also sheds light on the struggles, dilemmas and hurdles faced by small brands and young designers on their journey to become more sustainable and circular.
This paper addresses a discussion of the relationship between a design business owner and certifications like the EU Ecolabel and the bureaucracies that come along with the pursuit of it.