Earth911 Podcast: Mebl's Mona Chun and Michael Hirschhorn Introduce the Circular Design Glossary

Richard Hirschhorn and Mona Chun, co-creators <a href="https://sustainablefurnishings.org/glossary" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Circular Design Glossary</a>, introduce the new guide to understanding the future of furniture design. It was developed by <a href="https://meblfurniture.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mebl | Transforming Furniture,</a> where Richard and Mona are founder/CEO and chief operating and sustainability officer, respectively, in partnership with the <a href="https://sustainablefurnishings.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sustainable Furnishing Council</a>. Our homes are the center of our lives and a primary source of CO2 emissions. The <a href="https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-the-ellen-macarthur-foundation-introduces-a-circular-economy-glossary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ellen McArthur Foundation</a> has <a href="https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/an-introduction-to-circular-design" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">estimated</a> that 80% of the environmental impact of the way we live can be changed by making better product design decisions. That may make it sound like most choices are out of our hands, because we have to rely on the companies to chose low-impact materials designed for <a href="https://earth911.com/business-policy/understanding-the-circular-economy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">circularity</a>, taking what we can get. Richard and Mona share a variety of examples of sustainable furniture designs f<a href="https://taktcph.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rom small designers</a> as well as retail giant <a href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/this-is-ikea/sustainable-everyday/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IKEA</a>.<br /><br />Mona and Michael suggest that “the very first step to a ‘circular future’ is accessible information and awareness” and ask “how can we transform this throwaway paradigm into a just, regenerative and sustainable system?” Those a