News Article
FIRA Launches Industry Survey on Unsold Furniture and Disposal Practices
The Furniture Industry Research Association (FIRA) has launched a new industry-wide survey to gather essential insights into the disposal of unsold furniture and its management across the UK furniture sector.
The survey is aimed at furniture manufacturers, retailers and suppliers, and will explore how unsold stock arises, current disposal and reuse practices, and the barriers that prevent greater redistribution and waste reduction. The findings will help build a more accurate evidence base to support both industry improvements and wider circular economy policy development.
This initiative follows FIRA’s recent participation in a focus group led by Resource Futures for the Scottish Government and Zero Waste Scotland, as part of Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map. These discussions highlighted a clear need for more detailed, sector‑specific data—particularly from businesses handling high volumes of stock, customer returns and product recalls.
The new FIRA survey seeks to address this gap by improving understanding of how unsold furniture arises, how it is currently handled, and what barriers exist to maximising reuse and redistribution. Industry participation is essential, as the insights gathered will play a vital role in identifying operational challenges, emerging trends, and opportunities to reduce waste across the product lifecycle.
FIRA will publish a high-level summary of the survey results once the work is complete. Full access to the detailed report and analysis will also be available exclusively to FIRA members, offering deeper insights to support sustainable practices, operational efficiencies and long‑term resilience across the furniture industry.
The survey runs until 10th March 2026, and FIRA strongly encourages all eligible organisations to take part. The more input received from across the sector, the more accurately the findings will reflect real‑world challenges and help drive meaningful change. Your contribution will directly support a more sustainable and resource‑efficient future for the industry.
Take part here: FIRA Industry Survey: Unsold Furniture
