Milan Design Week 2023 has just ended, Matrec as every year participated in what is reconfirmed to be the most important international event in the sector.
We met with companies, engaged with them on issues of circularity and measurement, and were able to see in detail their latest proposals that look at sustainability.
We suggest some of the projects that have successfully declined aspects of circularity.
Cassina presents Moncloud designed by Patricia Urquiola, it is characterized by a special construction technique conducted by the company in order to reduce the use of polyurethane to a minimum.
It contains an extremely low percentage of foamed elements made of CIRCULARREFOAM®, a polyurethane made with a percentage of recycled polyols.
The quilted padding of the backrest and armrest, and the seat cushions, are made of recycled PET fiber.
Since there are no glued parts, the sofa can be completely disassembled at the end of its life cycle.
Tacchini presents Tacchini Flock, a collection of armchairs and sofas featuring the use of natural sheep’s wool and natural latex.
The combination of these two materials is used to replace industrial polyurethane foam, thus increasing the percentage of bio-based components and making the filling of products softer.
Arper presents Ralik and Aava 02 at Milan design week.
Ralik is a collection of modular seats, benches and ottomans designed by Ichiro Iwasaki.
Each module has a distinctive recycled polypropylene base that facilitates the assembly system and a removable cover.
The collection is completely disassemblable to facilitate reuse or recycling of materials.
Aava 02 is the new version of the chair designed in 2013, redesigned with new sustainable materials.
The shell is made of post-consumer recycled polypropylene combined with virgin material.
It adds a fully upholstered version without the use of glue, a removable seat cushion and cover.
The wooden legs are FSC certified.
Lema presents Soffio, a family of chairs designed with perspective of circularity.
The frame and supports are made of plywood and solid wood, both FSC certified.
The padding, seat and back cushions are made of MICROFLOCK® a fiber composed of 70% recycled PET and covered in 100% cotton canvas.
Among the various upholstery fabrics are Ofelia, composed of GRS-certified recycled cotton, and Ariel, a chenille made from a recycled PET yarn.
Armchair and sofa are designed to be easily disassembled for proper end-of-life disposal.
Connubia presented Zero, a kit chair made of 100% thermoplastic technopolymer made with post-industrial recycled polyolefins, which can be recycled again and entirely.
It is distributed disassembled and can be assembled without the use of special tools; all components are replaceable.
Connubia also adds new elements to the Reef collection, presenting sofas and ottomans made from a circular perspective.
The upholstery was designed in collaboration with SEAQUAL, is a fabric made entirely of post-consumer recycled plastic from waste recovered from the oceans.
The internal structure is made of wood from FSC-certified forests.
The filling consists of two components, a recycled polyurethane foam derived from the agglomeration of bulky waste and production waste, and a polyester fiber wadding composed of at least 70% post-consumer recycled polyester fiber from old packaging.