The short answer is that there is no single carbon footprint for our urban outdoor furniture. A bench, planter, litter bin, and bike rack all carry different impacts, and the number changes with material choice, weight, manufacturing energy, transport distance, and expected service life. We therefore calculate footprint per product family and, where possible, per unit using a lifecycle assessment approach. We report it as kg CO2e, usually cradle-to-gate first, then add transport, maintenance, and end-of-life where reliable data exist.
For most non-powered urban furniture, the biggest share sits in materials—especially virgin aluminum, steel, and concrete—and in manufacturing and transport. The use phase is often small, but poor durability, vandalism, and hard-to-repair designs can make replacement the largest hidden impact over time.
Our design rules are simple: use recycled or lower-carbon materials where they make sense, keep products modular and repairable, design out unnecessary weight, powder-coat rather than apply high-VOC finishes, source locally when possible, and pack flat to cut shipping volume. A recycled aluminum frame with FSC-certified timber or recycled HDPE slats, made in a low-carbon grid and assembled near the city it serves, will usually outperform a heavy concrete-and-virgin-steel design shipped long distances—provided both are maintained and last.
We do not publish one average figure because it would be misleading. If you are comparing suppliers, ask for an LCA or EPD, the functional unit, system boundary, recycled content, transport assumptions, and end-of-life scenario. We are happy to provide product-specific carbon estimates and recommend the lowest-carbon specification for your streetscape, park, or campus project.