Everything pioneering at first starts with an idea and results in a solo or a collaborative outcome. In one such groundbreaking alliance at the beginning of 2023, Vestre, a visionary furniture company, teamed up with SSAB, a pioneer in eco-friendly steelmaking, to create an upheaval in the furniture industry with a fossil-free steel bench for public places.
Leading the design of the bench, aptly called TELLUS – another name for planet Earth – is the renowned Swedish designer, Emma Olbers, whose passion for sustainability in design has been commendable in the past two decades.
“When it comes to furniture, in general about at least 50 percent of the CO2 emissions comes from the material. So, I have put a lot of effort into materials.” Designer Emma Olbers told my colleague in an exclusive interview with Homecrux.
This innovative bench is a giant leap toward sustainability as it is crafted from SSAB’s fossil-free steel. The creation makes Vestre the world’s first furniture manufacturer to utilize this environmentally friendly steel in a functional product.
Emma’s unfaltering selection of materials with minimal carbon emissions aligns with the Vestre’s objective of crafting furniture with as few emissions as possible, which unanimously led to the creation of TELLUS bench.
Talking about the collaboration, Olbers informed that she always wanted to be part of the solution and not the problem. That’s why, she said, “it has been so great to work with Vestre that totally share my thoughts.” To create an urban bench that can endure the rigors of public environments, a robust construction was crucial, Olbers narrates.
The metallic feel and inviting tactility radiate from TELLUS bench’s structure, yet it showcases remarkable functionality with a touch of elegance. The bench is built with broad armrests that enhance visual appeal and practicality: offering a convenient spot to place a coffee cup or the arm for a moment of relaxation, Olbers confirms.
The TELLUS bench embodies timelessness, inviting people to rejoice in a moment of respite in a serene park or a bustling urban environment. Its design ensures it effortlessly blends into any setting, making it a welcoming space for relaxation or savoring a cup of coffee over delightful conversations.
The steel used in the TELLUS bench, known as SSAB fossil-free steel, is manufactured using HYBRIT technology wherein green hydrogen is burned instead of coal, emitting water and no CO2 at all. By embracing SSAB’s eco-conscious steel in the TELLUS bench, Vetre and Olbers intend to kickstart a cleanup in the furniture industry and reduce carbon footprint to zero.
Expressively, Vistre is the first furniture manufacturer to use fossil-free steel and Olbers is the first designer to carve it into a functional piece of furniture, but the industry has made some modest strides in this direction in the past. Furniture companies – established and some only starting out – have been trying to deliver high quality, low carbon furniture in order to facilitate home interiors that allow residents to hit net zero carbon targets.
Also Read: Sustainable Chairs Made From Recycled Ocean Plastic
In an effort to create a basis for fossil-free manufacturing, a Swedish power multinational Vattenfall collaborated with design firms to build a crib without using fossil fuels at any stage of production or transportation. Super chair, on the other hand, is manufactured using injection molding with 100-percent recycled polymer obtained by recycling offcuts from the waste industry, without the use of fossil fuels.
Despite the considerable progress made by SSAB in forging steel without coal, it is essential to acknowledge that some carbon emissions remain in other stages of the value chain, such as mining and transport. Thus, the TELLUS bench offers a glimpse of the transformative power that thoughtful design and material choice can have in creating a better planet, but more remains to be done to achieve complete cleanliness.
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