Life cycle assessment of retail store interiors identifies environmental hotspots and the potential of furniture recycling and energy recovery at end of life

Retail store interiors are frequently renovated because of obsolescence, which results in significant material consumption and environmental impacts, yet few studies have assessed these impacts from a life cycle perspective. This study evaluates the environmental performance of a retail interior fit-out within an existing shopping mall in southern Brazil through a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment that also accounts for the benefits and loads beyond the system boundary arising from recycling and energy recovery. The aim was to identify environmental hotspots and to assess end-of-life recovery scenarios for furniture. Furniture and finishes were the main contributors to the environmental impacts, with furniture accounting for up to 77% of the photochemical oxidation potential and 38% of both the eutrophication potential and the abiotic depletion potential of fossil resources. The replacement stage, associated with obsolescence-driven material substitution, was the dominant life cycle stage, contributing up to 72% of the impacts across categories. Under the modeling assumptions adopted, scenarios combining energy recovery from medium density fiberboard with metal recycling reduced the global warming potential by up to 79% and the ozone depletion potential by up to 60% relative to landfill disposal. As these scenarios address recovery options at the lower levels of the circular economy hierarchy, the results also indicate the need to prioritize higher-value strategies, such as reuse and life extension. The findings support decision-making toward more sustainable design of retail interiors and contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 12 on responsible consumption and production.