What does Brussels actually have to do with your old armchair?

Imagine an armchair. It was produced somewhere in Europe, probably spent time in a furniture store first, and finally made its way into your living room. There, it might stay for ten or fifteen years. And then?

In our current economic system, the story often ends at this point: the armchair is no longer needed, ends up as bulky waste, and in Germany is then frequently "energetically recovered" – in other words, incinerated.

And this is precisely the type of economy that the European Union is trying to change, step by step. To this end, Brussels has been working on various laws and initiatives for years, even if you don't notice much of it in everyday life. Revive is also getting involved in this a little bit, a point I will come back to in a moment.

An important building block is the new EU Ecodesign Regulation. It has been in effect since 2024 and is (simply put) the foundation for establishing uniform rules across Europe. Little by little, the EU then intends to set concrete requirements for individual product groups. The rules for furniture manufacturers, for example, are expected in 2028 and could, among other things, determine how durable, repairable, or recyclable furniture must be in the future.

And that is by no means all: with the planned Circular Economy Act, the Digital Product Passport, which is scheduled to arrive next year, and other initiatives, the EU is working on a wide range of levers for a more circular economy.

We don't yet know exactly what all of this will look like, but the direction is clear: A product should not be designed just for the moment of sale, but for as many phases of use as possible.

This, of course, changes the story of our armchair:

Let's assume our armchair is built to a high standard. It spends ten years with its first owner. Then, perhaps it no longer fits in their new apartment. Previously, that could easily have marked the end of its story. The EU is trying to encourage the economy to move more in this direction:

Production → Use → Repair → Resale → Second use → Perhaps even a third → Eventually recycling → New production → and so on...

At Revive, we are already working on this transition today. And we haven't just been watching what happens in the EU Parliament. One of our two founders, Paul, has already been to Brussels three times, always with eBay. Together with the eBay merchant team, he was there in direct exchange with politicians and decision-makers. Some of the topics he introduced there have already been incorporated into relevant discussion rounds. We find these points particularly relevant:

1. Manufacturers should provide information on the repairability of their products.
2. Products should be built from the start so that they can be taken apart and repaired. For example, not gluing everything together inseparably.
3. If manufacturers do not offer spare parts themselves, at least blueprints should be accessible so that independent providers can also manufacture spare parts.
4. Donations should not be a tax disadvantage: When companies no longer need goods, disposing of them is often cheaper for tax purposes than donating them. That should change.

But will the big change actually come in the end? Honestly: We don't know either, because at the same time there is also discussion about less bureaucracy and more competitiveness. The road to a circular economy is therefore anything but straightforward. Nevertheless, we at Revive are pleased with the current direction. Because that is exactly what we have been working on for over ten years: we are already ensuring that the armchair from our example can continue to be used.

Well, that was quite a bit of politics. That's why there should be something nice at the end: I've picked out my current favorites from the collection for you!

My current favorites:

B&B Italia Arne

Fabric Corner Sofa

with us €4,299 | New: €8,000

46% saved

Gubi F300

Fabric Armchair

with us €2,699 | New: €3,499

23% saved

Gubi Basket

Rattan Armchair

with us €2,299 | New: €2,999

23% saved

Mid-Century

Wooden Coffee Table

with us €699

COR Conseta

Leather Corner Sofa Dark Brown

with us €6,899 | New: €12,400

44% saved

Wittmann Aura

Leather 3x Armchair Black

with us €5,697 | New: €10,950

48% saved