The weird materials behind sustainable furniture - BBC News

Seaweed, coffee bean shells and fungus are all being employed to cut the use of plastic in furniture.

14 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, AgopreneImage caption, Celine Sandberg found that seaweed can be used to make foam for furnitureBy David SilverbergTechnology reporterFrom crushed oyster shells to agricultural waste, Celine Sandberg has experimented with some wacky ingredients to make parts for furniture.

Her aim has been to cut the use of plastic polymers, known as polyurethane, in furniture making. That meant finding a more environmentally-friendly material to fill pillows, sofas and chair cushions.

To start with, the founder of Oslo-based Agoprene and her colleagues experimented with using oyster shells. The shells were ground into a powder and used to make a foamy material. Agricultural waste and wood fibres were experimented with in a similar way.

"We tried a bunch of different materials, but most of them turned out as rigid foam, not flexible," she says.

But eventually Ms Sandberg hit on seaweed, which her team transformed into a powder and baked in a special oven.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-67425538?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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