Hosted by the Australian Furnishing Industry Stewardship Council, Australian Furniture Association and RMIT University, and running over February 24 and 25, Grow. Promote. Protect. Forum 2026 built on the momentum of recent Commonwealth and State-funded research projects that have identified key recommendations for industry growth.

This episode is from a day one panel session, including guests Esther Bailey, Chief Operating Officer at Rebuilt; Damien Crough, Executive Chairman at prefabAUS; Rosanna Iacono, CEO, The Growth Activist; Lisa McLean, Managing Director & CEO, Circular Australia; Kylie Roberts-Frost, CEO, Australian Bedding Stewardship Council.

The moderator is Michelle Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, AFISC.

Episode guide

0:02 – Introduction to the session.

1:52 – Introduction to the panellists.

4:52 – Why procurement is important to lifting circularity outcomes.

5:45 – Australia's “ridiculously low” current circularity rate.

8:22 – Prefabrication/modern methods of construction as an enabler of profitability in the building sector.

9:00 – Design for manufacture, assembly and disassembly in construction.

10:05 – You take waste out by working with your supply chain.

11:20 – The smart building value chain and the seven links within that, led by design and planning.

14:20 A project between prefabAUS and RMIT University for architects developing a tool for architects to make better purchasing decisions.

14:45 – The issue of mattress waste and voluntary vs mandated stewardship.

16:55 – Where the burden of waste stewardship sits.

17:50 – What mandates mean for commercial sustainability.

19:40 – An explanation of EPR. If you’re responsible for what happens at a product’s end of life, then you’ll design it accordingly.

21:05 – Embodied carbon and reporting and how it’s changing expectations.

22:40 – The importance of peak bodies in the circularity/decarbonisation discussions.

27:10 – Using sustainability credentials strategically to differentiate from fast furniture.

30:05 – Starting with the big picture before narrowing down to practical implementation. Plus four pillars to stewardship.

32:02 – The importance of a maturity audit.

33:20 – Getting into “pilot scale and repeat” mode.

34:25 – “If it’s not in your design guidelines and not in your procurement guidelines, it’s just a wish.”

35:40 – The importance of ESG in talent engagement, attraction and retention.

37:02 – A question from the floor on latex mattresses, recyclability and EPR.

40:40 – A question from the floor on mattresses and a servitisation business model.

42:39 – Circular businesses, products-as-a-service and financial measures.

44:12 – The sources of embedded carbon in products.

45:20 – Why servitisation is the future.

47:50 – “The end of ownership” and attitude shifts among young people.

48:50 – Taking back products and closing the loop, and some of the difficulties around this.

51:10 – The challenges around logistics and costs have seen steel amounting to “over 3,000 tonnes in Queensland in the last 12 months” landfilled rather than recycled by Infrabuild, Bluescope or others. “A national disgrace.”

52:50 – “Recycling is the hero of the linear economy”.

53:10 – A question from the floor on recycling claims versus what is actually recycled.

54:30 – “One of the biggest examples of greenwashing we have in the retail space...”

56:55 – Remanufacturing is inexplicably tied to local recycling. An example of this in the fashion industry, plus the importance of a precinct strategy in this.

Hosted by the Australian Furnishing Industry Stewardship Council, Australian Furniture Association and RMIT University, and running over February 24 and 25, Grow. Promote. Protect. Forum 2026 built on the momentum of recent Commonwealth and State-funded research projects that have identified key recommendations for industry growth.

This episode is from a day one panel session, including guests Tom Clark, CEO, Workspace Commercial Furniture; Boaz Shiponi, CEO, Nexus Point; Arnold Jorge, CEO, Export Council of Australia .

The moderator is Marcus Downie, Partnerships and Government Relations, The Australian Furniture Association.

Episode guide

0:02 – introduction to the session.

0:52 – introduction to panellists.

3:36 – Some thoughts on supply chains and their operation.

7:42 – The opportunity that exists relating to overcapacity in shipping and an approaching of “rock-bottom prices”.

9:08 – If you import raw materials, now is the time to pock in prices.

10:38 – Why the Suez Canal matters.

11:50 – The overall cost of freight to a business, a common hidden cost,.and why companies sometimes overpay duty when importing from FTA countries.

13:30 – Tariff concessions and duty planning.

14:24 – Most people do not explore the costs of their freight forwarder, to their detriment.

16:40 – What exporters should consider regarding the US market at the moment.

17:42 – The size of the US furniture market, as well as the current risks attached to selling into that market. Customs officers are taking a “very conservative approach” at the moment, and declaration errors are being treated harshly.

20:30 – A question from the floor on exporting to the US as a raw materials supplier to the furniture industry and the biggest barrier in this.

21:02 – The possible usefulness of a furniture product passport to Australian exporters to the US.

23:10 – Why Workspace Commercial Furniture deliberately decided not to go to the US.

24:14 – Other markets that hold potential for those considering exporting.

25:18 – The upcoming EU FTA, and some of the considerations regarding things such as waste management obligations. Features the example of Bundaberg Ginger Beer sales in Germany.

26:40 – The importance of collecting as much data as possible throughout your supply chain to remain internationally competitive.

27:40 – The adoption of traceability technology in Vietnam. “Almost every small farmer in Vietnam actually uses blockchain.”

29:20 – Auditing a supply chain and the usefulness of this. Why Workspace chose to own its supply chain and why this is critically important.

32:25 – The advantage of Workspace owning its own fleet of delivery trucks. “At the end of the day, if it’s damaged, we did it.”

34:20 – Launching a circular economy division at Workspace and the role in their freight network in this.

36:58 – The tyranny of distance versus export opportunities.

37:42 – Supply chain business development work that overseas countries are doing, specifically China.

39:20 – The skills that are needed currently. Apprentices are the biggest challenge.

40:47 – A question from the floor on sustainability credentials and upstream suppliers.

Grow. Promote. Protect. Forum 2026 brought together leaders from Australia’s furnishing, forestry, materials and manufacturing sectors to shape a more sustainable and resilient industry. Hosted by the Australian Furnishing Industry Stewardship Council, Australian Furniture Association and RMIT University, and running over February 24 and 25, the Forum built on the momentum of recent Commonwealth and State-funded research projects that have identified key recommendations for industry growth over the next three to five years.

These are the opening remarks from day one, given by Patrizia Torelli, Group CEO of the Australian Furniture Association.

Episode guide

0:02 – Welcome to the event.

1:29 – Work so far between the Australian Furniture Association and RMIT University.

2:10 – A brief history of the AFA and some of the forces shaping its work.

3:10 – The program ahead.

5:18 – A few thought-provoking points on government support, furniture industry waste, imports, and chemicals of concern to set the scene.

6:30 – An introduction to the event's keynote speaker, Professor Oliver Jones.