When the countdown to 2020 Tokyo Olympics began, sprinter Paul Chelimo tweeted a photo of high resistance lightweight cardboard beds at the Athletes’ Village. Soon, rumours started doing the rounds that these were meant to avoid intimacy among athletes, which were later found to be untrue.
A press release from the event organising committee stated that the beds could support up to 200 kgs. Airweave, which provided 18,000 cardboard beds during the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, later decided to donate some of them to COVID-18 affected patients in Osaka.
One person who followed these developments with great interest is contemporary artist and sustainability design expert, Bandana Jain, who uses corrugated cardboard for her creations. When she first time came across this report, it felt like a validation of her chosen medium.
While Jain has tried interlocked furniture out of cardboard, during the lockdown, she fashioned beds too. “I was glad Airweave came up with this innovative design thinking. I have encountered many people who judge cardboard’s stability and sturdiness as a medium. This international news proved its worth.”
GOOD FOR REGULAR USE
Last year, architects Varsha and Deepak Guggari of Studio VDGA created a four-level office in Pune replacing the archetypal solid partitions with honeycombed cardboard with undulating patterns. Deepak noted that this biodegradable material does not require polishing or painting, which makes it extremely cost-effective, not to mention sustainable and long-lasting.
Jain corroborated this opinion. She noted that corrugated cardboard furniture is stable enough for regular use and can be utilised for building regular pieces of furniture. “A house created withcardboard will last for 100 years. It is lightweight, easy to maintain, versatile, and interesting to operate with,” she claimed.
These proclamations notwithstanding, the foremost question most people have about cardboard is whether it has a comparable lifespan to traditional wood furniture, especially if one takes cost into consideration. There is no simple answer to this because it depends on what is being built. The bottomline is that cardboard can be easily used to craft temporary and permanent furniture.
OUT OF THE BOX THINKING
Recently, US-based BoxSquared launched its cardboard furniture line, made up of products created entirely of 100% recyclable corrugated cardboard and crafted with form, function, and the environment in mind. Robert McKinney, CEO of BoxSquared emphasised that the company is not looking to disrupt the furniture market or become an alternative to high-end furniture; instead, it wants to be a vital new addition to the market that doesn’t widely exist yet.
“Instead of feeling forced into buying an expensive piece that you don’t really want or holding onto furniture that doesn’t serve you anymore, BoxSquared offers pieces that free you and don’t weigh you down. And once your cardboard furniture has served its purpose, you can recycle it with no landfill guilt. We are all about forward-focused thinking,” he claimed.
This sustainability quotient is why cardboard furniture best resonates with the younger generation. Using it can make hospitality operations more efficient, especially in events and outdoor spaces, since it can be quickly assembled, dismantled or transported.
Talking about this, Jain said, “To be relevant to the growing millennial and Gen Z generation, it is important for hoteliers to grab their attention within a few seconds. If you want to get them emotionally attracted to your brand, you cannot be generic. Hotels work on experiential travel concepts, and what better experience than giving them an environment that makes them feel connected to nature.”
Furthermore, furniture made from cardboard is very comfortable because it can be interlocked. However,
Jain noted that designs for the hospitality ideally cannot have lightweight models; it will have to be heavier to offer a fun, yet stable and playful, guest experience.
Using eco-friendly material like cardboard for furniture can also help hotels adhere to their sustainability
principles. This is especially more because it is often made from recycled cardboard. Jain explained that the fibres from certain corrugated cardboard can be recycled up to 25 times, creating a tremendous opportunity to save trees and create a sustainable future.
Some corrugated cardboard boxes may even contain up to 90% recycled materials, making them vastly superior to their wood or plastic counterparts. Ultimately, it boils down to creativity in coming up with ingenious ways to turn cardboard into sustainable, long-lasting furniture. The possibilities are endless and the end result is usually a great talking point.
