In line with a circular economy, this table and chair are made entirely from biodegradable or 100% technically recyclable materials. Even the wooden parts are entirely without glue. Why without glue? Glue is a plastic that cannot be recycled or cleanly separated from the wood no matter if processed in relatively small quantities. This collection aims to show that furniture can be uncompromisingly 100% circular.
Instead of gluing the tabletop, it is assembled from 7 individual wooden planks. A wire rope construction tensions the tabletop and simultaneously connects it to the 4 table legs. Thus, the table entirely consists only of wood and metal. The solid wood is completely glue-free and with its biodegradable oil treatment it can be easily returned to the biological cycle, while steel is one of the most recyclable materials and can be returned to the technical cycle without loss of quality.
The wooden frame of the chair also does not require glue. To demonstrate the possibilities furniture industry already has in terms of circular economy, the seat and backrest of the chair are made of rPLA plastic. They were developed in collaboration with —> recozy®, a young company specializing in additive 3D printing processes which is based near Bremen, Germany. Recozy thinks in cycles from the outset. This means that the plastics are appropriately labeled and will be taken back at the end of the product lifecycle in order to have it 100% recycled for new products.
Positive side effect: due to this uncompromising knockdown construction, the table and chair can be shipped flat-packed, which is also environmentally beneficial in terms of transportation and packaging.
Inspired by Cradle to Cradle®
—> detailed information on circular economy: epea.com
Since we do not live on a planet with infinite resources, we are facing not only climatic but consequently also massive social changes. Therefore, it is urgently necessary for us humans to move away from our linear production methods in the sense of Take-Make-Waste. We simply cannot afford to produce waste from valuable raw materials anymore. Instead, we must design and manufacture products in such a way that the used raw materials are available as a resource again after their use, without gradual loss of quality (downcycling). Nature evedently shows us how it’s done: it only knows cycles, and all “used-up” materials serve as a starting point for new life!
credits video: rejell for epea, Hamburg
credits fotos: Alexander Fanslau, Bremen
