DuraOcean® – the ground-breaking new chair made from nets, ropes and plastic waste salvaged from the planet’s seas, is set to take the design world by storm as it makes its UK debut this spring.
A cutting-edge and award-winning innovation, DuraOcean® from the leading manufacturer of quality sustainable furniture LifestyleGarden® and its parent company, ScanCom International, is the culmination of a global ocean plastic recovery project and the first mass-market piece of furniture crafted from recycled ocean plastic waste.
Its contemporary vertical slatted design and unique sustainability credentials have generated a surge of interest from sectors as diverse as restaurants, hotels, cruise liner operators, garden centres and outdoor furniture stockists.
DuraOcean® was shaped by Inbal Kahaner, the award-winning industrial designer from LifestyleGarden®. Inbal is known for her meticulous approach to design and passion for championing sustainable materials and has seen her portfolio of furniture sold worldwide
She said, “During the design process, I created a fresh, new interpretation of the traditional slatted outdoor look by merging it with a soft and embracing shape that can also be used indoors.”
Inbal added, “Modern consumers are more aware of their responsibility to purchase sustainable products. However, consumers increasingly regard their outdoor environment as an extension of the indoors, and this is why shoppers will not compromise on design.
“The DuraOcean® chair represents a recycling transformation from harmful and polluting ocean waste into a functional and stylish piece of furniture.
Consumers get to enjoy the added value of upgrading their living space and protecting the environment. As word spreads about the stylish, functional design, more chairs will be sold, helping to clean the oceans of polluting waste.”
Ever since Sir David Attenborough’s Blue Planet II series aired on the BBC, concerns over the devastating effect of plastic waste on marine wildlife have risen to the top of the environmental agenda.
Every year, we produce 300 million tonnes of plastic waste – nearly the same weight as the entire world’s population. About eight million tonnes of discarded plastic ends up in the world’s oceans, enough to circle the Earth 425 times.
With ‘ocean plastic’ killing more than 100,000 marine creatures every year, it is predicted that by 2050, there could be more plastic than fish calling the ocean home.
Paul Cohen, Sales Director at LifestyleGarden®, said, “DuraOcean® is set to transform the nation’s homes, gardens and commercial spaces by combining sustainability and style, the two key priorities for modern consumers.
The design is unique, contemporary and fresh, further extending its appeal, while the incredible story of DuraOcean® – from floating marine waste to this season’s must-have furniture purchase – is captivating the nation and setting a new benchmark for how ethical shopping can leave a positive impact on the planet.”
An eye-catching feature of DuraOcean® is the slight variation in its green tones, the result of using recycled ocean waste instead of virgin plastic, making every chair unique. LifestyleGarden®’s decision not to add materials that would guarantee colour consistency means that all DuraOcean® chairs can be fully recycled at the end of their life.
Not only does this help to cut waste and minimize the impact on the planet, but it also taps into the latest interior design trends, where colour variation within furniture sets is the height of fashion.
DuraOcean® is being introduced as a bistro set this spring, featuring two chairs (containing a total of 7kg of recycled ocean plastic) plus a Nassau FSC Eucalyptus table, with a recommended retail price of just £299.99. The chair’s legs are crafted from sustainable Brazilian FSC-approved eucalyptus.
The parent company of LifestyleGarden®, ScanCom International, has pledged to give $5 USD from the sale of each DuraOcean® chair to an ocean clean-up charity or organization, further reinforcing its commitment to tackling the global problem of marine plastic waste.
DuraOcean® – Where and how?
If you want to find out more about DuraOcean® and LifestyleGarden®, visit the brand’s official site at www.lifestylegarden.com.
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