This Solid Furniture Is Built Out Of Packing Peanuts & Takeout Boxes
By Nicole Rodrigues, 15 Aug 2022
Plastic foam is a material that is notoriously non-recyclable. One Japanese design studio, we+, however, is stepping in to reshape the way we view it.
The studio has introduced a new line of furniture called ‘Refoam’ that takes used polystyrene and turns it into minimalist furniture.
Polystyrene collected from Tokyo is taken to a plant to be treated at the same place where other types of furniture are manufactured. This is to streamline the creation process and make the end product more environmentally-friendly.
Previously, this material would have been melted down into ingots in Tokyo, and then shipped to other areas of Asia to be repurposed into recycled plastic for cheap products produced in China.
While it may seem like a good idea to convert foam into cheap plastic items, the shipping of materials all around Asia would add to its carbon footprint.
The creative upcycling of polysterene rethinks lightweight, single-use packaging and insulation material into a line of useful homeware.
The collection, available for sale, includes round tables, benches, and stools in dark blue and gray tones that can add a different layer of style and texture to any room they are in.