EN 17902:2023

Furniture - Circularity - Evaluation method for dis/re-assembly capability

This document provides guidelines for one aspect of circular economy framework; disassembly and reassembly capability.
This document establishes a set of criteria on which to base an assessment of the ability to access and remove/replace/reassemble priority parts of products. The criteria provided are intended to be used when designing a product and are applicable to different designs, materials, or construction methods.
This document does not include requirements.
The document does not apply to disassembly operation for the sole purpose of separating the individual materials.
This document does not provide a method to evaluate the overall degree of circularity of furniture products. For this, additional complementary evaluation methods for other aspects are necessary.

Möbel - Zirkularität - Bewertungsmethode für die Demontier-/Remontierbarkeit

Dieses Dokument enthält Leitlinien für einen Aspekt im Rahmen der Kreislaufwirtschaft: die Demontierbarkeit und Remontierbarkeit.
Dieses Dokument legt eine Reihe von Kriterien fest, auf deren Grundlage die Zugänglichkeit und die Möglichkeit zum Ausbau/Ersatz/Remontage von vorrangigen Teilen von Produkten bewertet werden kann. Die angegebenen Kriterien sind für die Konstruktion eines Produkts vorgesehen und gelten für verschiedene Ausführungen, Werkstoffe oder Bauweisen.
Dieses Dokument enthält keine Anforderungen.
Das Dokument ist nicht anwendbar für Demontagearbeiten, die ausschließlich der Trennung der einzelnen Werkstoffe dienen.
Dieses Dokument enthält kein Verfahren zur Bewertung des Gesamtgrades der Zirkularität von Möbelprodukten. Hierfür sind zusätzliche, ergänzende Bewertungsverfahren für andere Aspekte erforderlich.

Ameublement - Circularité - Méthode d’évaluation pour le démontage/remontage

Le présent document fournit des lignes directrices pour un aspect d’un cadre d’économie circulaire : la capacité de démontage et de remontage.
Le présent document établit un ensemble de critères sur lesquels baser une évaluation de l’accessibilité et de la capacité de retirer/remplacer/réassembler les parties prioritaires des produits. Les critères définis sont conçus pour être utilisés lors de la conception d’un produit et sont applicables à toute une variété de conceptions, de matériaux ou de méthodes de construction.
Le présent document n’inclut pas d’exigences.
Le document ne s’applique pas à une opération de démontage dans le but unique de séparer les différents matériaux.
Le présent document ne fournit pas de méthode pour évaluer le niveau global de circularité des produits d’ameublement. À cet effet, d’autres méthodes d’évaluation correspondant à d’autres aspects sont nécessaires.

Pohištvo - Krožnost - Metoda vrednotenja razstavljivosti in ponovne sestavljivosti

Ta dokument podaja smernice za proizvajalce pohištva o kriterijih, ki jih je treba upoštevati pri oblikovanju izdelka za doseganje največje stopnje razstavljivosti in ponovne sestavljivosti in s tem podaljšanje življenjske dobe izdelka ali njegovih delov.
Ne vsebuje zahtev za različne vrste pohištva ali z njimi povezano končno uporabo, vendar pa podaja metodologijo za ocenjevanje različnih zasnov, materialov in metod izdelave pri oblikovanju izdelka.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 12-Dec-2023
• ICS: 97.140 - Furniture
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 207 - Furniture
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 207/WG 10 - Requirements and tools for furniture circularity
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 13-Dec-2023
• Due Date: 11-Sep-2023
• Completion Date: 13-Dec-2023
• Ref Project: SIST EN 17902:2024 - Furniture - Circularity - Evaluation method for dis/re-assembly capability

Overview

EN 17902:2023 - Furniture - Circularity - Evaluation method for dis/re-assembly capability (CEN) provides guidance to assess how easily furniture can be disassembled and reassembled. The standard is a non‑mandatory evaluation method aimed at supporting circular economy (CE) strategies such as repair, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing and upgradeability. It defines how to identify priority parts, which parts to assess, and the criteria to evaluate dis/re-assembly capability. EN 17902:2023 does not set requirements, does not cover disassembly solely for material separation, and is not a single metric for overall product circularity.

Key Topics

• Priority part determination: Procedures to identify parts most relevant to circular strategies based on function (movable, non‑movable, electrical), visible surfaces (main, secondary, non‑visible) and likelihood/impact of failure.
• Terms and measures: Key definitions such as disassembly, reassembly, disassembly depth and assembly depth used to quantify the number of steps required to remove or reattach parts.
• Assessment criteria: A structured set of criteria to evaluate non‑destructive, time‑efficient dis/re-assembly. Criteria are grouped into classes (A–D) to indicate preferred levels (Class A = most favorable).
• Instruction availability & content: Classification of dis/re-assembly instruction availability (e.g., supplied with product, free online) and content quality (complete step‑by‑step guidance vs. exploded drawings), including an informative Annex A describing instruction content.
• Design guidance: Intended use by designers to consider dis/re-assembly during product development to support CE outcomes without prescribing specific construction methods or materials.

Applications

EN 17902:2023 is practical for:

• Furniture manufacturers and product designers seeking to integrate circularity and repairability into new designs.
• After‑sales and service providers (repair, refurbishment, remanufacturing) who need to assess ease of part replacement or upgrade.
• Procurement teams and sustainability managers evaluating supplier claims about maintainability and lifetime extension.
• Policy makers and ecolabel schemes requiring a standardized approach to assess dis/re-assembly capability as part of broader circularity evaluation.

Practical benefits include improved serviceability, reduced lifecycle environmental impact, clearer dis/re-assembly documentation, and better alignment with CE business models.

Related Standards

• Developed by CEN/TC 207 (Furniture) as the first in a planned series of CE evaluation standards.
• Uses established terminology (partially sourced from EN 45558) and complements other furniture performance and safety standards when assessing circular design.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-februar-2024
Pohištvo - Krožnost - Metoda vrednotenja razstavljivosti in ponovne sestavljivosti
Furniture - Circularity - Evaluation method for dis/re-assembly capability
Möbel - Zirkularität - Anforderungen und Bewertungsmethoden für die
Demontage/Remontage
Ameublement - Circularité - Exigences et méthodes d'évaluation pour le
démontage/remontage
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN 17902:2023
ICS:
97.140 Pohištvo Furniture
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN 17902
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
December 2023
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 97.140
English Version
Furniture - Circularity - Evaluation method for dis/re-
assembly capability
Ameublement - Circularité - Exigences et méthodes Möbel - Zirkularität - Anforderungen und
d'évaluation pour le démontage/remontage Bewertungsmethoden für die Demontage/Remontage
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 20 November 2023.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2023 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN 17902:2023 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms and definitions . 5
4 Priority part determination . 6
4.1 General principals . 6
4.2 Functions . 7
4.3 Surfaces and covers . 7
4.4 Procedure of priority part determination . 8
5 Criteria . 8
5.1 General . 8
5.2 Classes of criteria . 8
Annex A (Informative) Content of dis/re-assembly instructions . 14
Bibliography . 15

European foreword
This document (EN 17902:2023) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 207
“Furniture”, the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by June 2024, and conflicting national standards shall
be withdrawn at the latest by June 2024.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject
of patent rights. CEN shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national standards
body. A complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CEN website.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organisations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal,
Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.
Introduction
This document aims to support the furniture manufacturers in aligning their product (3.1) and
development processes with circular economy (CE) through the ability to dis/re-assembly a product,
which is an enabler of several CE aspects namely replaceability, upgradability, reuse, repair,
refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling.
These CE aspects allow to develop long lasting products and to enable the extension of the product
lifespan and the circular flow of products by recovering, retaining, or adding to their value and thus
maintaining their usability for as long as possible and reducing the consumption of primary
resources.
Under circular economy framework, a degree of alignment with the CE principles is connected to
implementation of CE aspects. Understanding of the implementation requires different evaluation
methodologies for each key aspect. This is the first of a series of standards planned to be published
by CEN/TC 207-Furniture. Each standard will provide an evaluation methodology for one or more
relevant CE aspects. The document can be used as a guide by furniture manufacturers and/or product
designers to understand dis/re-assembly capability of their design.
Product design brings complex trade-off decisions. For example, a product could be designed to last
several decades that it is not intended to be dis- and re-assembled. This doesn’t mean that the product
is less circular than another product. This situation shows the importance of a complete evaluation
according to different aspects of CE and circular product design criteria.
This document provides a guidance on
— How to determine a priority part (3.3) (see Clause 4);
— What criteria should be considered for a damage-free and easy dis/re-assembly operation (see
Clause 5);
— The proposed classes to assess each criteria.
It should be noted that there can be differences concerning the appropriateness and assessment of
some criteria when considering end use of some furniture such as domestic use, use by vulnerable
groups or commercial use. Similarly, this applies in cases where, for safety reasons, the ability to
disassemble and reassemble the product applies to groups of users and their skills sets as defined by
the manufacturer.
As noted, some types of furniture may not be suitable for dis/re-assembly by the end user, such as
upholstered furniture, which may need a trained/educated person or specialist to re-upholster a
product, or work with electrically operated furniture which may pose serious safety risk during
dis/re-assembly process. The previously exemplified framework conditions should not mean that a
product is less “circular” than another but should allow the manufacturer the ability to address these
issues and/or enable corresponding service offers by economic operators.
The safety and performance of most furniture can be aided by the use of suitable standards developed
within the technical committee, CEN/TC 207 - Furniture.
This document includes an informative annex:
Annex A: Content of dis/re-assembly instructions.
1 Scope
This document provides guidelines for one aspect of circular economy framework; disassembly and
reassembly capability.
This document establishes a set of criteria on which to base an assessment of the ability to access and
remove/replace/reassemble priority parts of products. The criteria provided are intended to be used
when designing a product and are applicable to different designs, materials, or construction methods.
This document does not include requirements.
The document does not apply to disassembly operation for the sole purpose of separating the
individual materials.
This document does not provide a method to evaluate the overall degree of circularity of furniture
products. For this, additional complementary evaluation methods for other aspects are necessary.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
product
physical-based object designed or utilized as furniture in domestic, office, public, outdoor areas,
educational and other institutions
3.2
part
sub-unit of a product (3.1), including connectors and fasteners as parts
[SOURCE: EN 45558:2019, modified]
3.3
priority part
part (3.2) or parts of a product that have been identified to be disassembled and reassembled which
are relevant to enable the corresponding circular strategy considered
3.4
disassembly
process whereby a product (3.1) is partially or fully taken apart in such a way that it could
subsequently be reassembled and is made operational
3.5
reassembly
process whereby a product (3.1) is assembled in such a way that it is made operational
3.6
disassembly step
each stage of the process that ends with the removal of a part (3.2)
3.7
assembly step
each stage of the process that ends with the assembly of a part (3.2)
3.8
disassembly depth
number of disassembly steps (3.6) required to remove a priority part (3.3) from a product (3.1)
3.9
assembly depth
number of assembly steps (3.7) required to reassemble a priority part (3.3) of a product (3.1)
3.10
main visible surface
surface that is visible in the normal position of use
3.11
secondary visible surface
surface which is not directly visible in the normal position of use
3.12
non visible surface
surface parts not visible in normal position of use
4 Priority part determination
4.1 General principals
A central characteristic of a sustainable product is its durability and the associated lifespan of the
whole product. For disassembly and reassembly priority is given to parts that are important to the
use- and appearance-function of the furniture and are most likely to be disassembled and
reassembled during the lifespan of the product for a variety of reasons. The reasons may be related
to the product design, durability features, function, aesthetic aspects and/or external factors (see 4.2
and 4.3).
The lifespan of the product is determined by the strength and durability of the individual parts,
material composition and their connection. The strength and durability of these parts and thus of the
product can be determined by the manufacturer, considering the intended use, based on experience
and data from products on the market or through testing etc.
The determination of priority parts (3.3) can only be done in the corresponding context of the circular
strategy. Circular economy model intends to keep the resources in the productive cycle prioritising
return operations to generate the minimum environmental impact whilst maximizing the economic
value at the minimum processing effort.
Using this information, with reference to the type of circular strategy being employed, the parts to be
prioritised can be determined. In this determination, the functions, visible surfaces or covers of a
piece of furniture can be considered.
4.2 Functions
For a product to be used for an extended period of time, it is essential that certain functions and their
required parts are replaceable in case of malfunction or wear. Functional aspects can be subdivided
as follows:
 Movable parts:
 Opening - Closing: e.g. drawers, doors, flaps etc.;
 Positioning - adjustment: e.g. recliner, armrests, headrests, height adjustments etc.;
 Non movable parts:
 Static load capacity: e.g.
...