Butter Chair
Designed by:
Karlovasitis N
Co-Designed by:
Gibson S
Designer:
Nicholas Karlovasitis
Co-Designer:
Sarah Gibson
Country of Origin (Designer):
Australia
Date of Design:
2011
Date of Manufacture:
2011
Decade:
2010s
Region:
Australasia
Significance:
80% recycled HDPE plastic - with virgin outer shell facilitating wide colour choice
Manufacturer:
DesignByThem
Country of Origin (Manufacturer):
Australia
Material:
Polyethylene
Process:
Monobloc:
No
Cantilever:
No
Renewable Carbon:
Yes
ERPR Score:
7
ERPR Rating:
Below Average
Weight:
6.4
Note:
Designed and distributed by the Australian company DesignByThem, the Butter Chair entered development in 2010. Sarah Gibson, co-founder of DesignByThem and co-designer of the Butter Chair, explained that the project was created in response to her desire to create a chair using recycled plastic available in Australia. The only material available (apart from pellets for prohibitively high-volume injection moulding) was a recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE) sheeting material, developed for use as a sound barrier at roadside construction sites. Plaspanel is made from a core of 80% recycled content, with a UV stable and waterproof outer. The outer core is made from virgin material allowing the Butter Chair to be offered in a range of bright colours not traditionally associated with recycled materials, increasing its aesthetic appeal. Chairs and stools in the Butter range are all constructed by simply scoring and bending sheets of the Plaspanel material. Although the concept sounds simple it took years to perfect.
The design was modified to accommodate the material as the project evolved—the height and width of the chair adjusted so that four stools could be made from a single sheet of HDPE, minimising waste. Additionally, the legs were made quite thick and stocky to accommodate four plastic screws needed to attach the leg to the shell. Unfortunately, the material is no longer available locally and manufacturing has been moved overseas (using recycled industrial waste HPDE). To reduce volume and associated transport costs, chairs are shipped flat, assembled locally and distributed to purchasers fully assembled. At the end-of-life chairs can be returned to the manufacturer for recycling.
Image Credit:
DesignByThem