We are often looking for ways in which we can minimise our impact on the Earth, recycling, using public transport, solar energy, water collection etc. But, as items that are seldom replaced on a daily basis, rarely do we think about how our furniture can impact our environment.
Slovakian designer Simon Kern’s has done just that and has created a biodegradable chair made from recycled leaves and bio-resin. Kern’s concept for this chair is for it to be easily replaceable, breaking down into the soil to fertilise another tree that will produce leaves for a new seat. The chair’s steel frame, whilst not biodegradable, can last for many years with the potential to be repurposed or simply reused with a new biodegradable seat when the original eventually breaks down.
Similar projects involving furniture made from recycled materials include outdoor furniture by Loll Designs made from milk bottles, seaweed furniture by Jonas Edvard and Nikolaj Steenfatt and also Nienke Hoogvliet. This age’s interest in sustainability looks to extend not only to houses and furniture but even clothing, with bamboo and other biodegradable fabrics making an appearance in retail stores all over the world.