Project Sentar

Visitor chair based on one raw material (PLA)

Project Objective: The expected result is a “Proof of Principle” to produce a complete visitor chair based on one raw material (PLA), which after its use phase is fully recycled with the proprietary recycling technology of Arapaha.

Project Partners: n.a.

Project Timeline: 7 April 2021 – 2 december 2025

Summary

This project focusses on creating a fully bio-based circular office chair. In the furniture market “design for assembly” is often applied, in other words optimizing the design in order to keep production costs as low as possible. For example, upholstery is combined with foam. However, this also creates a problem in the discard phase. Components are often connected in such a way that they are difficult to take apart. Then, when office chairs are returned to retailers or manufacturers, it is currently nearly impossible for them to refurbish or recycle the returned chairs. Even if disassembly is possible, the used materials generally cannot be returned to the starting material. At best, it is downcycling. The furniture industry largely uses new (non-renewable) materials in their designs. This reality and the fact that fully recyclable high-quality biomaterials are coming onto the market was the starting point for the bio-based project SENTAR initiated by Arapaha BV. With this project, Arapaha wants to show that it is possible to develop fully recyclable visitor chairs based on advanced bio-materials. Instead of combining different materials that must be processed separately for the recycling process, Arapaha will start from designing as much mono-material as possible.

Support

We are grateful for the support we receive from the Limburg Development and Investment Company (LIOF)