Brands that don't embrace the circular economy will go out of business, according to Dutch designer Richard Hutten.
Speaking at the Warsaw Home fair in Poland last week, Hutten said that consumers are demanding sustainable products. Companies that don't respond will fail, he said.
"If you don't have a circular business, you won't have a business," he said.
"If companies don't put sustainability on the agenda, they will disappear. Consumers will refuse their products, and governments will make regulations to make sure they make sustainable products."
Hutten is designing seating for Schiphol Airport based on circular design principles
In his talk at the Polish design show, Hutten showed a range of seating he is designing for Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. The project, which involves replacing all 27,000 seats in the airport's gates, follows circular design principles to minimise waste and pollution. The seats are made of recycled aluminium recovered from old airport chairs, and are designed to be able to be repaired easily. Everything is being manufactured within 60 miles of the airport to minimise transportation.
"We will recycle existing furniture which otherwise had to be thrown away, and make objects that are easy to repair, easy to maintain and easy to clean so it still looks perfect after a long time," Hutten said.
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