[dropcaps type=’normal’ font_size=’65’ color=’#232323′ background_color=” border_color=”]A[/dropcaps] s the call for sustainability becomes increasingly urgent around the world, consumers are forcing change and expecting brands to do more to solve the issues caused by decades of thoughtless over-consumption. While there has been a great deal of focus on the clothing industry, the home industry is gradually following suit.
Like fashion, the home industry has taken three approaches to improved sustainability: materials, rental, and resale. The rental model has the benefit of being inherently conducive to circularity: generally the product comes back to the company, to then be reused, repurposed or properly recycled. The combination of reusability and circularity makes rental a way to cut down on the huge amount of landfill caused by home goods. This process can also extend the lifecycle of products, by putting them back in manufacturers’ hands for repair and preservation between usage. Plus, there is a financial benefit for customers, by reducing the cost of ownership, and extending payment over time. The downside is the logistical demand of moving around large items, as well as the carbon footprint needed. Plus, the circularity of the furniture rental model demands that the seller has a way to responsibly deal with items after they are returned.
Consumer adoption still lags however, as services still are not widely available. Plus, now the question will be whether social distancing will affect people’s attitude toward the resale and rental markets. Ikea tested furniture leasing across key European markets, and found the response quite mixed: in Poland it was not popular, while in Switzerland it garnered interest from small business, and in the Netherlands it resonated with university students.
It is easy to see where renting from Ikea lacked luster, however, given that the product is widely perceived as disposable. So it is no surprise that the Ikea offering appealed to businesses that are managing capital expenses, and younger consumers whose primary concern is environmental. For rental to resonate more broadly, there needs to be a model more like Rent The Runway, with product that is worth leasing because it is from brands with price points that are less attainable for outright purchase.
Feather comes closest, with rentals that include styles from West Elm, Joybird and Pottery Barn, as well as their own. Feather offers furniture and home decor for every room, available to rent with a three month minimum. The offering is straightforward and includes an option to buy, swap or move rented items. Feather operates in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Northern California-based Coyuchi launched a rental option for their luxury bedding and linens in 2017. As somewhat of a pioneer in eco-friendly bedding and bath linens, Coyuchi continues to adhere to an impressive environmental agenda. Coyuchi has long worked with organic and sustainably-sourced fibers and responsible producers, and it has more recently added circular solutions as well, through a subscription service as well as an exchange program. Coyuchi has a very straightforward pricing system based on a 6-, 12- or 24-month term, and a clear path for items after the term ends. Once received, Coyuchi either re-purposes the fiber or resells the item after a special eco-friendly cleaning process.
Earlier this year, Danish brand Skagerak introduced Skagerak Rent, a rental service for their sophisticated Scandinavian outdoor furniture. Although currently only available in Denmark, Skagerak’s program is a model for how upscale brands can approach circularity. It is especially sensible for outdoor furniture, which in the majority of markets is not used year-round. Skagerak Rent includes off-season storage of items, so it not only extends the life of their product, it also saves the customer from having to invest in covers. Plus, it saves the space needed for storage – which for urban customers may be nonexistent. Although this program is not yet available outside Denmark, hopefully they will be expanding it in the future. In the meantime, most of Skagerak’s outdoor collection is available to purchase online at Horne or Finnish Design Shop.
Skagerak Verkelyst Outdoor Lounge Set
Skagerak Riviera Sunbed
As an option for making furniture and home decor more sustainable, rental works only if the company offering it is also approaching it as a circular solution. Rather than putting the onus on consumers to find a way to keep their furniture out of landfills, rental models make purveyors partners — along with consumers — to give furniture a lasting utility.
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