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In a world facing myriad environmental challenges where almost 9 million tons of furniture are found in landfills, it’s more important than ever to design thoughtful designs that use recycled materials that can be reused once their life cycle ends. These furniture pieces offer an eco-friendly solution to this ever-growing issue of plastic waste.

Designed by Japanese furniture company Okamura, the Sphere office chair is a sleek and good-looking office chair made using the brand’s Re:net material, which is created from recycled fishing nets salvaged from the Japanese ocean. According to Okamura, the chair has a high level of recyclability.

The chair features a “3D physical fit shell” with a kinematic structure that effortlessly adapts to the contours of the user’s body. Regardless of their body size or shape, Sphere is dedicated to providing unrivaled comfort and support to its user, which allows them to sit for long periods of time without feeling any fatigue.

The chair has also been equipped with an ankle-tilt reclining function that works to ensure that the user’s posture is maintained in a natural position, whether upright or reclined. This makes the seating perfectly suited for modern office spaces.

Superpop, a playful collection of recycled and recyclable tables and stools created by industrial designer Paolo Cappello for furniture brand Miniforms, has been crafted entirely from plastic waste.

First, the designer sorts the waste material into categories for various typologies, before melting the pieces at a low temperature of 120° using rotational molding to achieve the desired shapes. The heating method allows to keep the distinct characteristics of the plastic intact.

Lightweight and compact, the furniture objects infused with vibrant colors and mottled finishes can be used both indoors and outdoors.

London-based design firm LAYER has teamed up with US furniture brand KFI Studios to create Vale, a sustainable collection of chairs and stools defined by a pressed felt shell made from recycled PET bottles.

The plastic bottles are broken down and spun into a tactile non-woven felt that is heat-pressed into the desired shape. The resulting material is soft and quite impact-resistant, durable, and easy to maintain.

The felt shells and seats are joined with the steel frame using simple bolts, which makes the disassembly quite easy allowing to recycle the furniture objects once their life cycle ends.

The chairs and stools are as aesthetically pleasing as they are eco-friendly. Boasting a minimal timeless aesthetic and gentle curves, they also provide maximum comfort to the user.