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Sustainable icons – and no we don’t mean the product category icons on our site, but you can always find out more about that – are emerging everywhere in the interior design industry. And we mean that in absolutely the best way possible: more brands need to start incorporating sustainable practices and materials into their products.
However, navigating this industry can feel like a gargantuan task sometimes. So many brands promise to be ecologically conscious, or organic, but then upon closer inspection something falls, or a fact cannot be verified. It’s tough out there for designers trying to make a difference with their designs.
To make your introduction to the world of sustainability a little bit easier, we’d like you to meet the following brands, who are all trying to make the world a little better – while maintaining the beautiful standards interior designers are used to.
The Good Plastic Company
The Good Plastic Company is a global producer of surface materials that supports businesses in taking a stand for sustainability. Polygood is a line of 100% recycled and recyclable plastic panels used to make contemporary and eco-friendly furniture and other design components for interior or outdoor interior design.
The Good Plastic Company is convinced that we can prevent this priceless material from ending up in landfills, the oceans, or incinerators by creating a market for items created from recycled plastic. They show businesses how to use locally produced garbage to create gorgeous and useful new products while publicly committing to the circular economy.
NOVE Lighting
Kirsty Saxon is an interior stylist and designer, and also the working force behind NOVE, a sustainable lighting brand. The business was started as a result of her many years of travels to Portugal and her subsequent admiration for cork's inherent beauty and the way it is produced and then made by several experienced hands. This, together with her love of exquisitely crafted lights, gave rise to the idea for NOVE.
With the help of like-minded craftspeople and creatives, NOVE is committed to the creation and development of beautiful, ecological lighting using natural materials. Their mission is to provide distinctive, classic, and hand-crafted lighting with a focus on superior workmanship. NOVE wishes to honour these individuals, their work, and their life stories.
StoneCycling
StoneCycling creates beautiful construction materials made entirely from recycled demolition waste, industrial waste and by-products from several production and recycling processes. Ultimately, their products have a negative carbon footprint, meaning that they have a positive carbon impact on our planet, because they are made from waste instead of raw materials.
They have upcycled 1.882.901 KG worth of waste, and have released several products. Their first one was the WasteBasedBricks®, followed by WasteBasedSlips® and now BioBasedTiles®. Their style is earthy and textured, and available in a wide array of colours.
COAT Paints
Not all paints are created equal, and COAT is not just another paint company. From their eco-formulations and recycled packaging, to sustainable logistics, operations and eco-accessories, COAT is proud to say they’re carbon offsetting, supporting UN Gold projects, and B Corp certified.
And if that wasn’t enough, their colour selection and formulation is out of this world. They make their paints using high-calibre raw materials and Grade A ingredients. That means quality pigments, lots of good resin, and high-grade titanium dioxide. In practice, that’s better coverage, velvet-smooth application, rich colour, and a finish that lasts. Also, their water-based recipe is low toxin and odour, so it’s safe for your home and you can use the space straight away.
Clayworks
Clayworks is a ground-breaking supplier of clay paster finishes which merge traditional and innovative construction techniques to create truly magical spaces. These tranquil, textured finishes are a fully compostable, breathable alternative to standard plasters or wallpaper. They absorb humidity, toxins and odours, and soften sound and light for a soothing, atmospheric space. The fundamental goal of Clayworks is to heighten your sense of wellbeing and peace, at no cost to the Earth or your own aesthetic.
The ever-evolving, experimental Clayworks range spans rustic, rough finishes and highly polished, smooth iterations. Their products are inspired from numerous trips across Morocco and America, and specific influence from Japanese ceramic craftsmen. Choose from neutral and earthy tones, alongside a vivid spectrum of richly pigmented shades that are all created naturally.
Papertile
The Montreal-based company Papertile creates and produces wall coverings made entirely from recycled paper from post-consumer sources. Dear Human, a design team that thinks sustainability and beauty go well together, first investigated the material, and now they have a wide range of tile options for urban, playful interiors.
Papertiles are handmade in their studio using only 100% recycled paper that has been gathered from nearby companies. Also, PaperTile turns all of their leftovers and seconds into new tiles. True circularity in action!
Alusid
Alusid was launched in 2015 as the outcome of a study conducted at the University of Central Lancashire. Professor David Binns and Dr. Alasdair Bremner set out to investigate how waste and low-value materials destined for landfills could be repurposed into beautiful, versatile surface materials. Through their research and development, they created Silicastone, an innovative and aesthetically versatile architectural surface material made from glass, ceramics, and mineral waste.
Now, Alusid purchases surplus industrial materials that other companies waste. They then take those materials and repurpose them with the use of a clever, low-impact technique. The end result is a novel material that combines glass and porcelain to produce solid surfaces and tiles that have distinctive personalities and minimal environmental effect.
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