Mocom, a polymer compounder based in Germany, and Orangebox, a UK-based manufacturer of workplace furniture, have launched a new version of Orangebox’s “Do” chair. The new version called "Do better", is made with recycled content grades supplied by Mocom, and is claimed to offer one of the lowest environmental impacts of any products of this type.
Using data for a product life cycle assessment, the companies evaluated the environmental impact of the chair during the design process, choosing Global Warming Potential (GWP cradle-to-factory-gate) as the key indicator for measuring the impact of different materials. This is a common metric for comparing different materials, as it provides the equivalent mass of carbon dioxide produced per kilogram of the product. Ultimatly, Altech Eco was the compound selected for many of the components used for the “Do better”.
Mocom’s Altech Eco is based on a polyamide 6 fibre made from recycled resin. PA6 fibre offers several advantages for a sophisticated end product like an office chair.
"Our recycled PA6 fiber is a very consistent product, which requires very high consistency of polymer viscosity during production," said Joachim Bernhard, senior director of Global Marketing E&E/General Industries. "It is also a particularly clean feedstock – therefore, it doesn't possess contaminants that can make mechanical property compromises necessary."
With the development of the new chair, Orangebox, working in close cooperation with Mocom, has exceeded its original goals for carbon reduction.
”We’re focused on deep-decarbonisation of our product portfolio over the next decade. Developments in the strength and consistency of recycled polymers from Mocom mean they now deliver the same quality and performance as the virgin grades we were using, but with a fraction of the carbon footprint,” says Gareth Banks, head of sustainability at Orangebox.
The two companies have successfully developed a chair that delivers on both design and sustainability, demonstrating that design, comfort, and sustainable materials are achievable in a single product.