From the coast to the living room: 3D-printed furniture made from recycled ocean plastic
The first Greek laboratory to recycle marine plastic from fishing and shipping has opened in Piraeus. BlueCycle develops innovative, sustainable solutions for the reuse of plastic waste there.
I recently heard that there are actually no new materials, as all the atoms already exist on Earth and we are just rearranging them. This is exactly what BlueCycle, a company founded by Suzanna Laskaridis in Greece, is doing by transforming fishing materials from the sea into a fully circular design.
At the last Paris furniture fair Maison&Objet (M&O), BlueCycle presented the collection «Second Nature». This includes curved furniture and objects made in the BlueCycle laboratory in Piraeus from recycled marine plastic waste from the Greek shipping and fishing industry. The wave-like designs reflect the connection to the sea and demonstrate how recycled materials can be used in a creative and environmentally friendly way.
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
Transforming fishing materials into a fully circular design
You often come across greenwashing when it comes to recycling marine litter. There is a lack of transparency, misleading terms are used and sustainable production often falls by the wayside. BlueCycle, on the other hand, has set out to shake up the circular economy.
The project began in 2017 with the Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation, which worked with the architects of The New Raw to produce the film «Second Nature». This film, directed by Oscar-nominated Daphne Matziaraki, inspired the idea of putting plastic waste to good use. Today, the company works with various NGOs and organisations that are well-versed in production, the environment and the circular economy to pursue a holistic approach with its own laboratory.
From pellets to furniture: 3D objects made from marine waste
BlueCycle turns marine plastic into pellets - small plastic granules that serve as raw material - and uses them to produce recycled 3D printing filament. This can be further processed into useful objects such as pots and outdoor seating furniture. Suzanna Laskaridis emphasises in an interview with M&O: «'Owning an object that gives something back to the planet is reassuring.» She firmly believes that there is a scientific solution to every problem if you take the time to think about it.
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
For example, the Greek company has just discovered a technique to combine waste with other materials, which is shown in a new household series. The result was on show at the M&O: Furniture that combines 3D printing with terrazzo and a secret technique.
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
Source: Pia Seidel
The main product, the Ermis chair, was also on display. It is robotically produced from a single spiral-shaped plastic thread, which follows the geometry and creates a unique graphic texture on the surface.
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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