Re-chair
Designed by:
Citterio A
Co-Designed by:
n a
Designer:
Antonio Citterio
Co-Designer:
n a
Country of Origin (Designer):
Italy
Date of Design:
2020
Date of Manufacture:
2022
Decade:
2020s
Region:
Europe
Significance:
Kartell's first chair made from recycled plastic.
Manufacturer:
Kartell
Country of Origin (Manufacturer):
Italy
Material:
Thermoplastic polymer
Process:
Injection moulded
Monobloc:
Yes
Cantilever:
No
Renewable Carbon:
Yes
ERPR Score:
11
ERPR Rating:
Average
Weight:
3.5
Note:
Kartell commissioned Antonio Citterio to develop this chair in 2018. It was originally called the Bio Chair and it was anticipated to be the first chair made using polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a plastic made from renewable organic resources. However, that version of the design failed to make it into production. In December 2017, Kartell, through parent company Felofin, backed a new strategy to embrace renewable plastics with a €10 million investment to acquire 2% of an Italian bioplastic manufacturer. Bio-on, the first industrial-scale producer of PHAs became a supplier to Kartell and Unilever was awarded best bioplastic company of the year by an industry trade magazine in 2019. However, at the end of that same year, Bio-on became involved in a financial scandal, following the publication of an unfavourable report from a financial analyst in Israel (who Bio-on accused of shorting the stock). The chairman/CEO of Bio-on was briefly arrested and the company declared bankrupt at the end of 2019. Bio-on was eventually sold for a fraction of the value implied by Kartell’s investment, making it unlikely the company will recover any funds.
The Bio Chair project was then resurrected in 2021, with the design launched made using recycled plastic. As it is made from mixed plastics the chair cannot be recycled at end-of-life resulting in a low score for this attribute. Additionally, the chair is only available in one variant with 5 colour choices. The chair can be stacked six units high and achieved an average score in my comparison of more sustainable chairs.
Image Credit:
Kartell