Opportunities of Sustainable Development of the Industry of Upholstered Furniture in Romania. A Case Study

Emilia Ciupan,Cecilia-Elena Policsek,Daniela-Corina Jucan,Florin Lungu,Emilia-Maria Câmpean,Lucia Stelea,Cornel Ciupan

doi:10.3390/su10093356

Abstract

Wood is used as a raw material in various industries, including the production of furniture, which puts pressure on the exploitation of the forests and the continuous reduction of their surfaces, with undesirable effects on the environment. The paper provides a way of sustainably manufacturing furniture by replacing wood with composite materials based on natural fibers obtained from fast-growing renewable crops (hemp, willow, flax, etc.) and at the same time a method of assessing the forest areas which can be saved from cutting. The method’s algorithm is based on the estimation of forest area that ensures the annual consumption of wood for the production of furniture, both in the conventional production of furniture and in the unconventional one, where part of the products is made of composites. The agricultural areas required to be cultivated with technical plants to provide the natural fibers necessary for the wood replacement composite were also determined. The case study, based on the data of an upholstered furniture company, shows that replacing only part of the wood for the production of furniture can save about 3000 hectares of beech forests per year and the necessary plant fibers can be obtained from a surface area about 10 to 100 times smaller.

Highlights

The Cambridge dictionary defines sustainability as: “The idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment”
The alternative provided by composite materials made from natural fibers has the advantage of using sources that are produced yearly, and which can be recycled, as opposed to the composite materials based on carbon fiber or glass. Having these facts in mind, the main objective of this paper is to demonstrate the possibility of saving forests by replacing wood with composite material
Reducing tree cutting was made possible by replacing wood with composite materials that contain over 50% natural fibers

Summary

Introduction

The Cambridge dictionary defines sustainability as: “The idea that goods and services should be produced in ways that do not use resources that cannot be replaced and that do not damage the environment”. Sustainable development is based on economic, environmental and social pillars. Sustainable development refers to the ability of an economy to sustain a given level of production for an unlimited period of time, while at the same time ensuring that the quality level of the environment, the natural resources and the ability of social systems to function at the same levels are maintained. A major problem that affects the quality of the environment is related to greenhouse gas emissions; of CO2 in particular. Based upon the distance from the Sun, the Earth’s average surface temperature should be −18 ◦C, but it is 15 ◦C, mainly due to CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases. If no measure is taken in the near future, a high level of CO2 will lead to a warmer Earth, will affect the plants, and will melt glaciers, which will increase the sea level

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Discussion

Conclusion