NTNU: software tool for monitoring green credentials of furniture

The Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management at NTNU has developed a software tool for assessing and tracking the environmental credentials of furniture, enabling manufacturers to provide consumers with assurances on sustainability.

DATSUPI (Data Assisted Tool for Sustainability Product Information) brings together and integrates information from international databases of environmental information. When specifications for any piece of furniture are put into the system, it provides a summary of the product’s total environmental impact.

DATSUPI keeps track of all possible environmental requirements and standards, and calculates the environmental impact of each and every part of the production process, from chopping down the tree that forms the frame, to what impact the constituent parts will have when they are disposed of at the end of the item’s life.

The system can factor in elements such as the lower cost of manufacturing in China, versus the high environmental impact of transporting goods to Europe. This provides a comprehensive analysis of the item’s environmental impact, which consumers, producers and regulatory bodies increasingly require.

DATSUPI is intended to help companies to meet all the requirements for documentation for furniture products in international markets. At the same time, it can be used as a design tool, to make furniture production more environmental friendly.