Infinity – Recycled plastic chair

DESIGN: Adrienn Veres

Hungary

make me! 2021

Infinity is the first prototype of an experimental furniture set made out of 100% recycled plastic sheets.

The material is made from HDPE plastic waste. The sorted and cleaned plastic is first shredded into small flakes, than it gets pressed into sheets, using a semi-industrial sheet press. This technology allows to produce furniture without generating waste during the production process. The remaining pieces, offcuts of the sheets can be shredded and pressed into valuable boards again. Once the lifespan of the chair is over, it can be fully recycled with the same method.

Polyethylene is widely accessible, relatively cheap, has a high tensile strength and it is easy to work with. Due to the extensive use (bottle caps, food and drink containers, toys etc.) the color palette is nearly endless. These characteristics make it ideal to use for furnishing, especially in public buildings, where objects are exposed to frequent use and replacement.

I was pushing the limits of this material with my design. I wanted to create a very light, stackable chair, which I achieved with bending the elements with a self-built bending machine. The nodes formed from the bent pieces are strong and made possible the usage of only 6mm thick panels. The chair can be assembled and disassembled with a basic screwdriver, which makes it easy to repair.