The Remode is claimed to be the most sustainable task chair available. Designed by Ben van Berkel of UNStudio, the Remode is fully modular (so parts can be replaced), lightweight (15kg, 30% lighter than most office chairs) and made of circular materials (54% by weight), including plastic from the ocean. Over three quarters of the plastic used to make the chair has been recycled (78%) and 62% of that plastic comes from the ocean.
Often when manufacturers claim to use ‘ocean plastics’ they really mean plastics that have been diverted from entering the ocean but in this case the plastics have actually been retrieved from the ocean. Plastic manufacturer Envalior, makes the recycled plastic – Akulon® RePurposed – from fishing nets collected along India’s coastline. The material is cleaned, mechanically recycled and processed into granules resulting in a plastic that is light and strong and even suitable for such critical parts as the motion mechanism. Envalior claim producing Akulon contributes to cleaner oceans and has an extended positive social impact in terms of job creation, along with the development of new skills and knowledge of people working in the supply chain (i.e. collecting, sorting, cleaning and processing fishing nets).
And yes, if you were wondering, you can get the Ahrend in boring old black or grey if the Barbie look is not for you! And yes, the chair can be fully recycled at the end of life – well 99% of it anyway.