Summary

How do you scale circularity without sacrificing performance or profitability? Ahrend shows how it’s done — with 30 years of experience turning furniture into a service, products into assets, and waste into opportunity. From their ReBlend partnership to a full Furniture-as-a-Service platform, this is circularity with data, design, and long-term thinking at its core. A roadmap for every company that wants to move beyond recycling and build real value through reuse.
A minimalist office setup with a chair and desk standing on layered green leaves in a grassy field. A symbolic image of sustainability and product lifecycle rooted in nature.

From Steel to Service: A 30-Year Circular Transformation

When we talk about circularity, we often think of cutting-edge innovations. But at Ahrend, the transformation started decades ago — not with flashy tech, but with a fundamental shift in how office furniture is designed, used, and valued.

Back in the 1930s, Ahrend’s desks were built to last — quite literally. Made entirely from heavy steel, they were durable but immobile. Designed for permanence, not for change. That made sense in an era where offices were static and work was location-bound. But by the 1960s and 70s, everything shifted. Open office concepts emerged. Flexibility became the new norm. Furniture needed to move with the people using it.

Ahrend adapted. And in doing so, they laid the foundation for something much bigger than ergonomic design. They began to build a mindset of modularity, adaptability, and ultimately circularity — long before those words were industry buzzwords.

Today, that mindset has matured into a full circular strategy. Guided by eco-design and the Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy, Ahrend doesn’t just try to reduce negative impact — it aims to create positive value. Materials are selected not just for durability, but for recyclability, health, and reuse potential. External experts validate compliance with strict circular standards. Because for Ahrend, credibility is just as important as innovation.

This long-term thinking — grounded in design history, driven by continuous reinvention — is what allows Ahrend to do what many brands still struggle with: make circularity profitable.

Circularity Built into the Product

If circularity is the destination, then product design is the starting point. Ahrend understood this early on. That’s why every new product isn’t just built for style or comfort — it’s built for the long run.

From the choice of materials to how components are connected, every design decision is made with future use in mind. Products are modular. Parts are easy to separate and reassemble. Materials are chosen not just for durability, but for how well they can be reused, repaired, or reimagined. Because the easier a product is to adapt, the harder it is to throw away.

One standout example is Ahrend’s partnership with ReBlend, a Dutch initiative tackling textile waste at its root. Every year, Europe discards millions of kilos of clothing — much of it incinerated or downcycled into low-value fillers. Together with ReBlend, Ahrend developed a premium textile made entirely from discarded garments — and manufactured without any water or chemicals. The result: high-quality upholstery that looks sharp, lasts long, and keeps valuable materials in the loop.

The first product to use this fabric was the Ahrend 2020 chair — a design icon reborn with a new skin and a new story. Clients didn’t just see a sustainable option. They saw that circular materials can be just as attractive and high-performing as their virgin counterparts. That’s the power of smart design: it shifts perception, not just production.

For Ahrend, circularity doesn’t begin in a marketing deck or at the end of a product’s life. It begins at the drawing board. That’s where waste is designed out — and value is built in.

Close-up view of a green textile backrest on an office chair, with visible texture and soft background. Represents circular material quality and comfort.

Circular Services: Where the Real Shift Happened

Design is where circularity begins — but service is where it becomes real. For Ahrend, the real turning point wasn’t just building products differently. It was rethinking the entire customer relationship.

Rather than treating furniture as a one-time transaction, Ahrend built a system that supports furniture throughout its lifecycle — with services designed to extend, adapt, and eventually re-circulate every piece. This shift from product supplier to circular partner has made all the difference.

It starts with circular consulting. Ahrend helps companies rethink their spaces using what they already have — unlocking hidden value in existing assets. Their consultants don’t just suggest new products. They analyze what’s already in place, optimize layouts, and reduce unnecessary purchases. It’s a smarter, lower-impact way to create inspiring workspaces.

Then comes asset management. With a digital system that tracks furniture condition and usage, clients gain visibility into what they own, how it’s performing, and when it needs attention. This data-driven approach empowers better decisions — whether that’s repairing, upgrading, or relocating assets across sites.

The heart of it all is the Circular Hub: Ahrend’s dedicated space for furniture remanufacturing. Here, pieces are professionally refurbished, reupholstered, or even reconfigured to fit new needs. Whether it’s giving a desk a new look or transforming old seating into new formats, the Circular Hub makes reuse easy — and seamless.

Complementing that is a service and maintenance team that ensures longevity isn’t just a promise, but a practice. From preventative care to on-site fixes, they help customers keep their furniture in top condition — extending life without interrupting operations.

And when it’s finally time to part ways? The take-back service ensures products don’t end up as waste. Instead, they’re brought back, refreshed, and reintroduced into the loop. It’s a true closed system — one that values every material and every customer relationship.

This is the real circular shift: From selling more to making better use of what already exists. And in doing so, Ahrend isn’t just cutting emissions — it’s building trust, loyalty, and long-term value.

Furniture-as-a-Service: A Platform Model with Impact

The most powerful circular ideas don’t just change products — they change ownership. That’s exactly what Ahrend’s Furniture-as-a-Service (FaaS) model does. It replaces traditional ownership with a flexible, data-driven, and sustainable system that benefits both businesses and the planet.

At its core, FaaS turns furniture into a shared resource. Companies no longer buy desks, chairs, or meeting tables outright. Instead, they lease exactly what they need — for as long as they need it — while Ahrend retains ownership and responsibility across the entire lifecycle. This shift enables furniture to move between clients, based on changing demand, creating a dynamic reuse loop instead of static inventories.

That’s not just circular — it’s smart business. Because FaaS is structured as an operational lease, it keeps capital free for core operations while giving customers access to premium furniture without the upfront investment. And because Ahrend manages refurbishment, service, and redeployment, the system maintains quality while using at least 40% less virgin material.

The model also provides complete lifecycle control: every asset is tracked, serviced, and redeployed as needed. Clients can scan a QR code to request repairs, and regular check-ins ensure that aesthetics and functionality stay on point. When a piece is no longer needed, it’s picked up, refreshed, and made ready for the next user — no landfill, no loss.

A prime example of this in action is Wageningen University & Research (WUR). With a target to halve raw material use by 2030, WUR uses FaaS to design flexible workspaces across campus — and to avoid unnecessary new purchases. It’s a perfect match: the university gets cost control and adaptability, Ahrend keeps assets in circulation, and both reduce their environmental impact.

FaaS shows what’s possible when circularity meets platform thinking. It’s not just about owning less — it’s about using smarter. And for companies looking to reduce waste without sacrificing performance, it’s a blueprint worth following.

A circular composition of four office environments connected by arrows. The same task chair appears in a private desk setup, meeting room, lounge area, and university workspace — illustrating reuse and flexible redeployment.

Value-Hill in Action: Extending Product Life Before Recycling

Ahrend doesn’t just talk about circularity — it follows a system to make it work. That system is called the Value-Hill model, and it’s one of the clearest ways to visualize what true product stewardship looks like.

At its core, the Value-Hill flips the classic linear model on its head. Instead of going from production to use to disposal, it emphasizes strategies that keep value high for as long as possible. Think reuse before recycling. Refurbishment before replacement. Real circularity means holding onto the peak of the hill — not racing down it.

For Ahrend, this model guides every decision. A chair isn’t just something to sell. It’s an asset to manage, to maintain, to reintroduce into the market. That’s why so many of their services — from take-back and remanufacturing to on-site repairs — are designed to delay the need for recycling. Because while recycling is better than landfill, it still means loss of value, energy, and embedded CO₂.

The results speak for themselves. Thanks to this approach, Ahrend now brings back products that were originally designed 30 years ago. Many of them are still in great shape — and with light refurbishment, ready for another life. That’s the power of early design foresight combined with long-term service infrastructure.

By applying the Value-Hill model in practice, Ahrend doesn’t just reduce emissions. It makes the business case for keeping products in use longer — and shows how lifecycle thinking can turn sustainability into strategic advantage.

What Other Companies Can Learn

Ahrend didn’t become circular overnight. It took decades of redesigning products, rethinking business models, and rebuilding customer relationships. But what they’ve achieved offers a clear roadmap for others — and a reminder that circularity isn’t just a materials issue, it’s a strategic one.

Start with redesign, but don’t stop there. Circularity begins with how things are made — but it’s what happens after that determines their real impact. Design for modularity, durability, and repair is critical. But so ist building the systems around it that enable long-term use.

Build service layers that keep you close to your assets. Ahrend didn’t just improve its products. It stayed involved in their lifecycle — through maintenance, refurbishment, take-back, and reuse. This approach strengthens customer relationships and keeps value in the loop.

Use data to make better circular decisions. Asset management tools give visibility into what customers already have, what condition it’s in, and when intervention is needed. This turns circularity into a controlled process — not a guessing game.

Partner where it matters. Whether it’s with textile innovators like ReBlend or global thought leaders like the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Ahrend shows that real progress is collaborative. No company has to do it all — but the ones that move first, partner smart, and build the right infrastructure will shape what comes next.

Circularity is no longer an edge case. It’s becoming the expectation. Ahrend proves that companies who commit early — and build with both purpose and precision — can set the standard for what circular business looks like.

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FAQs

What is Furniture-as-a-Service and how does it create value for businesses?

Furniture-as-a-Service (FaaS) is a circular business model where companies lease office furniture instead of purchasing it outright. The provider retains ownership, manages maintenance, refurbishment, and redeployment across multiple clients based on demand. This model reduces upfront capital expenditure, cuts virgin material use by at least 40%, and creates flexibility for growing or changing workspaces. Companies get access to premium furniture without large investments while the provider maintains quality control and maximizes asset utilization across the entire lifecycle.

How does circular design reduce furniture waste and support long-term business value?

Circular design embeds durability, modularity, and recyclability into products from the start, making them easy to repair, refurbish, and redeploy over decades. Ahrend’s partnership with ReBlend, creating premium upholstery from discarded garments without water or chemicals, demonstrates how material innovation keeps value in the loop. Combined with asset management systems that track condition and usage, circular design transforms furniture from disposable inventory into long-term assets that can serve multiple users across their lifespan while reducing environmental impact and total cost of ownership.

What circular services extend furniture lifecycle beyond the initial purchase?

Comprehensive circular services transform one-time transactions into ongoing relationships. Ahrend offers circular consulting to optimize existing assets before new purchases, asset management systems providing visibility into furniture condition and usage, the Circular Hub for professional remanufacturing and reupholstering, regular service and maintenance preventing premature replacement, and take-back programs ensuring products re-enter the loop instead of becoming waste. This service-based approach maximizes material value while building customer loyalty through continuous support and adaptation to changing workspace needs.

What is the Value-Hill model and how does it prioritize circular strategies?

The Value-Hill model visualizes product lifecycle strategies that preserve maximum value. Instead of linear flows from production to disposal, it prioritizes interventions that keep products at their highest value: reuse before refurbishment, refurbishment before recycling, and recycling only when other options are exhausted. Ahrend applies this framework to bring back 30-year-old furniture designs still in excellent condition, demonstrating how early design foresight combined with service infrastructure delays value loss. This approach reduces emissions while proving the business case for extended lifecycles across furniture, equipment, and other durable goods.

How can companies transition from product sales to circular service models like Furniture-as-a-Service?

Transitioning to circular models requires redesigning products for modularity and longevity, building service infrastructure for maintenance and refurbishment, implementing asset tracking systems for lifecycle visibility, establishing take-back programs to recapture products, and partnering strategically with specialists in cleaning, logistics, or technology. Ahrend’s 30-year journey shows this doesn’t happen overnight but delivers compounding value through customer retention, material savings, and new revenue streams. Companies don’t need to build everything in-house — platforms like koorvi provide resale-as-a-service solutions for brands across industries, enabling circular programs through trade-in systems, refurbishment tracking, and branded resale shops without massive infrastructure investment.