Our Purpose

Mission

Mission Statement:

AFISC’s mission is to foster sustainable practices within Australia’s furniture industry, championing a circular economy model that prioritises product durability, reuse, repair, recyclability, and low-impact materials.
Vision

Vision:

Our vision is an Australian furnishing sector that not only leads in sustainable innovation but also aligns with global sustainability goals to significantly reduce the industry’s environmental footprint. By incorporating initiatives like the Furniture Passport Australia System (FPAS), AFISC enables detailed traceability and transparency, empowering manufacturers, retailers, and consumers to make informed choices that support sustainability.

Values:

AFISC’s is a furniture stewardship scheme which recognises the extensive environmental impact of the production, shipping and end of life cycle processes associated with the furniture industry. Our values are; transparency, accountability and respect. Transparency in the production of materials, accountability of both producers and consumers in making safe and ethical decisions and respect, of quality goods, ethical producers and our finite environment and its resources.

Goals

Our goals are to reduce the Australian Furniture industry’s environmental impact, to promote the safe and ethical production of furnishings, in addition to the promotion of a circular economy by 2030 these goals to be achieved via;

Reducing the importation of non-compliant, dangerous commercial furniture products;

Reducing the environmental and human health impacts of waste generated from the commercial furniture sector in Australia including:

Reduction of leaching toxins into soils which occurs when furniture is disposed in landfill;

Minimisation/ cessation of harmful chemicals being used in furniture manufacturing;

Reduction of energy and water use, and greenhouse gas emissions across the supply chain.

Statistics:

Over 600,000 Employed

The whole furnishing industry employed 670,000 people in 2017, with 46,400 employed in furniture manufacture in 2021).

50% Employ Less Than 20 Employees

Over 50% of the manufacturing organisations in the furniture industry are sole operators and over 95% employ fewer than 20 workers, (Australian Industry & Skills Committee, 2021)

A Growing Sector

In 2017, the online furniture purchasing market was 9% of the market share, growing to 14.8% in 2021 and predicted to be 25.7% by 2025. China currently supplies more than 40% of the world’s furniture.