Methodology used to determine the quantities of waste generated by old furniture

In order to quantify the quantities of old furniture and their components considered as waste, the U.E.A. and its partners used a waste characterisation study.

There are two methods for conducting a waste characterisation study.

The first is a source-specific approach in which the individual components of the waste stream are sampled, sorted, and weighed. Although this method is useful for defining a local waste stream, extrapolating from a limited number of studies and sources (national - regional - when they exist) can produce a misleading picture if used for a national characterisation of waste. Atypical circumstances encountered during sampling or errors in the sample would be greatly magnified when expanded to represent the EU's entire waste stream.

The second method, which is used by the U.E.A., is called the "material flows methodology." This methodology is based on production data (and corresponding weight) for the materials and products in the waste stream, with adjustments for imports, exports, product lifetimes and replacement rates.

This allows calculate, for the EU countries, the quantities of MSW which are furniture as well as materials coming from the sorting of materials.

The data presented by the U.E.A. and its partners are converted to tons using factors developed for different categories of furniture over the years. Adjustments are made for imports and exports, and adjustments are made for the lifetimes of the furniture and for their replacement rate.