A furniture design academic has started creating furniture made from 100 per cent biodegradable material, which can be composted at the end of its lifespan.
Roger Bateman, senior lecturer in furniture design, spent a year working with student Matt Harding on the Biofurniture project, which aims to make production of 100 per cent biodegradable furniture easier. The project, in collaboration with Netcomposites in Chesterfield, started as a study into whether plant-based material could be used to make furniture components, instead of petrochemical-based plastics.
The resulting product is made entirely from flax and a natural plastic derived from maize, and will eventually decompose.”It’s also very important that the benefits of using bioplastics are communicated clearly to the consumer.”
The resulting designs created by Roger Bateman and Matt Harding will be shown in partnership with Coexistence, one of the UK’s leading furniture showrooms, during the London Design Festival 2013, held from 14 to 22 September.
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