The Upholstered Sofa Life Cycle: Retractable Sofa Inventory

This article presents a study on the life cycle of custom-made upholstered sofas and reports on materials, processes and production losses associated with the manufacture of retractable upholstered sofas, identified during the Life Cycle Inventory (ICV). The retractable sofa ICV was part of exploratory research, with a quantitative-qualitative approach; and, it comprised the third phase of the field research stage, based on a case study in a small company in the custom upholstery sector. The study aimed to evaluate the environmental performance of a retractable sofa unit, with a view to improving the product and processes.