Turning Tables

Sustainable furniture keeping chemicals out of landfills

- Damien Martin

A lot of the furniture around our homes and offices is made from plastics such as polyurethane and polyester. Even some wood furniture is really wood veneer slapped over plastic. These plastics can take hundreds of years to break down. But the push for sustainability has reached the furniture industry too.

Giants such as Williams Sonoma and Ikea are making pledges to use sustainably sourced and recycled materials in their wares. These furniture makers are ahead of the curve, using sustainable materials to turn out high-quality pieces.

Agroprene

Agroprene's foam is made from seaweed and plant-based biopolymers. The company turns seaweed into powder that is then baked and molded into its unique properties, including buoyancy, insulation, and sound absorption, making it ideal for applications in packaging, construction, and marine industries. "The foam is 100% biodegradable. You can simply leave it in the soil, and it will naturally degrade over eight months - faster if you cut it into smaller pieces," founder Celine Sandberg told the BBC. "We tried a bunch of different materials, but most of them turned out as rigid foam, not flexible."

Mater

Mater is a Danish furniture brand renowned for its commitment to sustainable design and ethical sourcing. Their pieces are crafted using high-quality, recycled materials, such as coffee bean shells, sawdust, and ocean waste. Mater's focus on circular economy principles ensures that their products have a minimal environmental impact. "We like mixing creativity with innovation," CEO Ketil Ardal told the BBC. "While it takes a lot of cash to manufacture these sustainable collections, and I get some grey hairs because of it, it's in our DNA to be a green company."

Living Textiles Group