Furniture Brand 3D-Prints Waste into New Sofa

After enlisting Dutch plastic solutions agency Searious Business to implement circular design systems and improve the company’s sustainable credentials, Gispen uncovered a wealth of resources within its internal waste streams.

The Dutch furniture brand buys and collects old stock from customers to be repaired, remade and resold. A large proportion of this returned stock is made up of old filing cabinets with plastic cupboards that are difficult to reuse and recycle. To solve this, Gispen worked with the Netherlands’ Delft University of Technology to grind down this plastic, along with waste plastic packaging, so it could be used in a 3D-printing machine.

By giving plastic a second life as a resource for 3D printing, Gispen is able to transform its waste to create a variety of furniture pieces. 3D printing the plastic vastly improves the life of the material as it can be reprinted into different shapes up to 10 times before needing any additional strengthening ingredients. 

The Sett sofa is the first incarnation of this technology for Gispen. It uses this 3D-printed plastic for its frame which can be easily separated, along with the legs and upholstery, to be reprinted and remade.

For more inspiration on how companies can capitalise on internal waste streams to save on materials and improve the sustainability of their production, see The Wealth in Waste.