About Finline Furniture

Established in 1979, Finline Furniture is one of Ireland's leading manufacturers of high-end furniture. Every piece of Finline furniture is handcrafted in their headquarters in Emo, County Laois, and since their inception Finline have garnered an excellent reputation for designing and making high-quality, long-lasting sofas, chairs, and footstools both for residential customers and commercial projects. The company exports worldwide and has developed its network to include showrooms in Dublin, Cork, and Galway.

The Challenge

Ireland generates a substantial amount of municipal waste each year. Municipal waste is waste from households and other locations such as schools, shops, small businesses and commercial premises (EPA, 2024). In 2022, Ireland generated 3.19 million tonnes of municipal waste (CSO, 2024). That’s equivalent to the weight of more than 40 million adults, which is nearly eight times the entire population of Ireland, and only 41% of it was recycled (EPA, 2024).

Although exact figures are not isolated for furniture waste alone, it is part of the broader category of bulky waste, including but not limited to furniture, and mattresses. More than 1.2 million potentially reusable bulky items are going to landfill or incineration in Ireland every year (EPA, 2020).

The EUs Circular Material Use Rate (CMUR) measures how much of the consumed material (in tonnes) in a given country, is reused. Ireland recorded a CMUR rate of 2.8% in 2023 (Eurostat, 2024). The average CMUR in Europe is 11.8% (EEA, 2025). A key objective in Ireland’s Whole of Government Circular Economy Strategy 2022 – 2023 is to raise Ireland’s CMUR so that the national rate is above the EU average by the end of this decade (DCEE, 2021) that will require consumers and businesses alike to get much more comfortable with the concept of reuse.

The Circular Opportunity

Finline Furniture estimates that there are more than 500,000 pieces of their furniture in circulation and they don’t want to see them end up in landfill. To encourage customers not to throw away any worn-out sofas, Finline have partnered with the ‘Loved Back to Life’ team in Aiseiri to launch their REVIVE product line. Aiseiri provide community and residential services to help young people, adults and families overcome addiction and lead meaningful lives in recovery. Finline customers are incentivized with €100 vouchers to return their old sofas which are subsequently stripped back to their core frame by members of the ‘Loved Back to Life’ program. The quality sofa frames are then reupholstered by the Finline team and sold at more affordable prices - typically 20 per cent lower than the lowest price point in store. These re-manufactured pieces then come with a 20-year guarantee demonstrating to customers the confidence Finline have in their frames and workmanship. Finline and Aiseiri not only prevent sofas from ending up in landfill, thereby reducing waste and keeping valuable materials in circulation, but they also train people in recovery adding a valuable social element to the initiative.

Climate Impact

Finline Furniture aim to reduce waste and save resources by refurbishing 20 suites in the first year, with a target of 80 by year three. This will prevent the furniture from reaching landfills and save the need for new raw materials by using end-of-line and recycled fabrics. In contrast to manufacturing new furniture, refurbishment requires less processing and therefore generates lower greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, Finline uses FSC-certified timber and 100% recyclable packaging, further supporting sustainability (Finline Furniture, 2023). These efforts put together enhance resource efficiency, extend the life cycle of materials, and show a strong commitment to environmental responsibility.

Replicability

REVIVE by Finline Furniture is a replicable model which other companies could adopt to promote sustainability, support local economies, and generate social value. The initiative's concentration on quality assurance, resource efficiency, and scalable processes promotes long-term success and market acceptance. This approach enables a company to realize several benefits that extend beyond environmental concerns: improved brand reputation and customer loyalty.

Other examples of the circular economy in the furniture industry include:

• Ahrend who manufactures office furniture products with modularity, disassembly, and life extension as core design principles. They offer Furniture-As-A-Service (FAAS) models where customers pay a monthly fee and return the furniture when they no longer need it.

  
  

• Goldfinger is another example of a social enterprise using reclaimed materials to craft sustainable high-quality furniture for residential and business clients. They reinvest their profits into their Goldfinger Academy which teaches skills to marginalised young people and isolated community members plus their People’s Kitchen, where they make community meals from surplus food.