Rethinking Resources: new central theme for interzum

According to the future researchers at the renowned Zukunftsinstitut and other experts, neo-ecology is set to be the megatrend that defines the 2020s. Against this backdrop, interzum’s new central theme, Rethinking Resources: Circular and Biobased Solutions, highlights two fundamental concepts of sustainability: Circular business models aim to keep products in the economic cycle for as long as possible, while biobased solutions use regrowing raw materials as the basis for products.

Transitioning to resource-conserving product cycles is seen as the most important driver for future industrial processes. Such resource-efficient business models are gaining traction in furniture and interior construction – not least due to legal initiatives such as the EU’s measures to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In this increasingly sustainable market environment, circular concepts not only present new business models – they also provide competitive advantages. Growing numbers of suppliers to the furniture and interior construction industry are therefore working on new solutions with regard to both their products and their business operations.

In practice, new models for circular processes address energy and resource efficiency, the proportion of recycled materials used or the reuse of furniture components. Aspects such as long product lifespans, repair friendliness and modularity are incorporated into development and production. Certifications like the Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard or the German RAL quality mark Möbel – Zirkulär Nachhaltig for circularly sustainable furniture provide proof of the circularity of new products and are attracting growing interest. Many manufacturers are also offering circular services, such as repairs and restoration or leasing furniture.

Circular products are also gaining traction in another important segment of interzum. More and more companies and initiatives are championing a circular economy for mattress production. One of them is the Matratzen Allianz, an initiative recently founded in Austria that is calling on the industry to adopt sustainable business models. Given that several millions of mattresses are discarded each year, it’s no surprise that these calls are getting louder and louder. Collecting and recycling used mattresses contributes to circularity. Similarly, designing new products so that they can be broken down into their individual components promotes circular production.

The second aspect of interzum’s central theme for 2025, Rethinking Resources, is the use of new biobased or biodegradable materials. This strategy can be applied in furniture and interior construction by switching to regrowing raw materials. Based on specified materials requirements, growing numbers of manufacturers are developing bioderived alternatives to conventional petroleum-based products, such as plastics. These new furniture components may consist of plant-based raw materials, such as hemp and seagrass, or are produced from regional hardwoods.

Demand for wood is also growing in interior construction. This is partly due to the growing importance of complying with environmental and health requirements at all levels of construction work. In the context of the transition to more sustainable construction, using materials in the form of long-lasting wood products also enables long-term carbon storage. Biobased raw materials and composites are also seen as important future materials in joining technology and lightweight construction. In the drive to reduce CO2 emissions, they offer great potential.

Exhibitors from across the globe will gather at the upcoming interzum to present an array of products and pioneering ideas that are aligned with the event’s central theme of Rethinking Resources. From 20 to 23 May 2025, the exhibition halls in Cologne will be devoted to sustainable concepts and solutions. The trade fair itself will shed light on the circular economy and biobased materials in large sections of the accompanying event programme. Both the speakers on the interzum Trend Stage and the discussions in the three interzum forums will address and present ideas, studies and market-ready solutions for a new approach to resources. A Rethinking Resources Boulevard will provide a stage for further sustainable innovations. With its new central theme, interzum is set to provide crucial impetus for the urgently needed transition to long product life cycles and resource efficiency.