From chair design to circular chain


Seated on an Ahrend office chair, we meet Lizzy, Senior Sustainability Specialist at Royal Ahrend. With a background in industrial design and materials science, Lizzy leads sustainability reporting and manages KPIs across the product portfolio, including material and residual streams. She works closely with product teams and explores end-of-life scenarios for furniture. “That’s how we connected with TNO,” Lizzy explains. She describes Ahrend’s mission as helping customers achieve their sustainability goals at an organizational level.

Tell us, what exactly does Ahrend do?

With its furniture collections and services in interior design and refurbishment, Ahrend helps create circular office environments. ‘We are a full-service provider delivering healthy workspaces. Ergonomics and sustainable design are the key pillars of our products and services. That means not only office furniture but also circular services such as furniture take-back, customized refurbishment, and furniture-as-a-service.

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How and with what question did you approach Fast Track?

I need to think about that for a moment... We were referred to TNO Fast Track. Our product developer, Jurriaan van Heese, had contacted TNO with the question of what happens to the plastics we use in our product portfolio at the end of their life,’ Lizzy continues. Ahrend uses, among others, PA6, PA6 with glass fiber, PP, and PP with glass fiber in its products.

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We wanted to map out the end-of-life scenario for these plastics. To do that, it was important to better understand the recycling landscape. For example, what are the new and emerging recycling techniques that could make Ahrend more future-proof? This has an impact both in the design phase and in the residual streams we recover through our circular services. In this way, we aim to take responsibility within the value chain.

The expert session gave us a clear overall picture of the recycling landscape.

How was TNO Fast Track able to help you?

After the initial intake, Ahrend hosted a half-day expert session at its Amsterdam headquarters. TNO specialists Mark Roelands and Pieter Imhof from TNOs Energy & Materials Transition department joined the discussion. From Ahrend’s side, the product development team and Lizzy, representing sustainability, participated. Clear objectives were defined in advance, and relevant internal data was prepared, ensuring the session was focused and productive.

What were the outcomes of the TNO project?

The key takeaways were, first, that recycling is technically possible, but our volumes are currently too small to do it independently. Second, we identified opportunities to join consortia, which we mapped out during the project. This also led us to connect with Brightlands Materials Center. The third insight was more of a confirmation: it is crucial to stay in close contact with suppliers and involve them in end-of-life challenges,” Lizzy explains.

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Could the expert session have been different? Lizzy reflects: “It was a great combination, but in hindsight, involving our procurement and waste management teams would have made the project team even stronger.” This is a useful tip for other companies approaching TNO Fast Track with similar questions.

Do you recommend TNO Fast Track?

Yes, absolutely. For us, it was a real accelerator. We really appreciated having a session with an independent party that brought the right expertise. It served as an excellent starting point,” Lizzy concludes.


About TNO Fast Track

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