Coming full circle: next step in sustainable furniture

As part of the Dezeen x Planted collaboration during London Design Festival, furniture brand Benchmark showcased its latest sustainable collections, along with its Take Back Scheme that allows old furniture to be refurbished, reused or recycled – closing the circle on sustainable furniture.

Sustainability and wellbeing is a priority of British brand Benchmark, which aims to create furniture that is beneficial to both people and the environment.

GALLERY  

Created with American architect David Rockwell, and constructed entirely from natural and non-toxic materials, its Sage collection demonstrates the brand’s core ideals.

Sage features a mix of workspace furnishings, including sofas, benches, storage units and sitting and standing desks that each have ergonomic designs and are adaptable to ensure their longevity.

According to Benchmark, this makes Sage furniture suitable for use in spaces that align with environmental and sustainability standards of WELL – a certification that credits buildings enhancing the health of their inhabitants.

Another collection is OVO, a range of durable solid wood furniture that the brand designed with Foster + Partners to be passed down through generations. The collection includes a statement dining table, which has a rectangular tabletop with visible joints and four legs that slope outwards, alongside stools, sideboards and coffee tables.

All of Benchmark’s furniture can now be returned to the brand at the end of its useful life via its new Take Back Scheme. Once returned, this ensures the furniture can be refurbished, repurposed or donated to charitable enterprises.

Elsewhere, Benchmark is currently experimenting with furniture upholstered with natural, sustainable and biodegradable materials like coir, latex and sheep’s wool for future collections in collaboration with the Naturalmat Company.

Its ambition is to contribute to better health of people while also overcoming the significant environmental concerns surrounding the disposal of non-recyclable plastic foam, a material commonly used in upholstery, in landfill around the world.

Via Dezeen

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