Eco-responsible creation is underway. This phenomenon, still marginal a few years ago, is gaining momentum. Recycled and second-hand materials, stock and end-of-line products, combined with natural and ecological materials, are leading to a wide range of initiatives, the result of an active search for innovative ways to make products as environmentally friendly as possible.
The resources deployed seek alternatives and develop products, sometimes aided by scientific research, sometimes guided by simple common sense and ingenuity. Meanwhile, traditional, artisanal production methods, known as Slow Made, reconnecting with age-old traditions, are flourishing. The combination of advanced technology and handcrafted techniques is working wonders. Products incorporate new upcycling principles, combined with new and sustainable materials, to eliminate unrecyclable waste from the outset. The supply chains are organizing themselves because the adventure of creation is remarkable and must continue!
Here are some design pieces made from recycled materials:
Hidden within the upholstery of Patricia Urquiola's Sengu Sofa, Mario Bellini's Duc-Duc model, and Piero Lissoni's Mex-Hi, is a 100% recycled fiber made from PET recovered from the sea. And it was with designer Philippe Starck that this same manufacturer developed a kind of plant-based leather, Apple Ten Lork, a forward-looking apple-based material, notably to upholster the Volage EX-S sofa.
Designer Konstantin Grcic, for his part, invented the Bell chair, a monocoque chair made of 100% recyclable polypropylene, manufactured from industrial waste generated by Magis furniture production and the automotive industry. The material was processed efficiently to create a chair weighing only 2.7 kg, about 1.5 kg less than an equivalent model. Because recycled material is not to be wasted!
The NO2 Recycle chair by designer Nendo, marketed by the Danish manufacturer Fritz Hansen, has just been awarded the prestigious EU Ecolabel by the European Commission for its sustainable manufacturing practices. Meanwhile, the young French manufacturer Tiptoe is launching a range of tables with tops made from reclaimed oak sourced from old barns and SNCF railway carriages, paired with contemporary bases.
At Limited Edition, the "Parallel Brain" rug project was overseen by designer Michael Young. "The rug is made using an innovative technology based on natural seaweed fibers. Unlike nylon, seaweed is a biological yarn that offers superior and natural stain resistance, as well as high wear resistance."
The famous Sacco pouf, that beloved beanbag chair reimagined so many times with a variety of covers, now comes in green. It consists of an outer and inner cover made of recyclable ECONYL® filled with BioFoam® microspheres, a type of bioplastic foam derived from sugarcane and biodegradable, which replaces traditional polystyrene microbeads.
As for the Fil library by Pierre Paulin, conceived in 1972, its shelves are now covered with Solid Textile board, a new material 7 mm thick made up of 70% of fabrics already used (sheets, dung and work clothes).