Steelcase Launches Telescopic Chair Made From Basf Chemical Recycled Material

Steelcase has designed and produced its first plastic furniture product made from plastics that have undergone a chemical or advanced recycling process.

The new nestable Flex Perch chair is made from BASF's Ultramid B3EG6 Ccycled, an injection-mouldable PA6 derived from waste streams generated during the production of electronics, the company said.

The material is a direct replacement for 100% fossil-sourced PA6. BASF developed the Ccycled resin within its ChemCycle project, which focuses on plastic waste that cannot be mechanically recycled for technical, economic or ecological reasons, including residual plastic and mixed plastic waste fractions from pre- or post-consumer waste streams.

These wastes would otherwise have been landfilled or incinerated. Using pyrolysis technology, these wastes can be converted into high value virgin quality materials and put back into the value chain, thereby replacing fossil raw materials and creating a new cycle for these materials.

Mark Spoelhof, Chief Designer at Steelcase, said: "In addition to using recycled materials, Steelcase's Flex Perch chair is also 100% recyclable - contributing to Steelcase's mission of 'creating products that are good for people and the environment'."

BASF's Ultramid B3EG6 Ccycled material is manufactured in Wyandotte, Michigan, and has been certified by Underwriters Laboratories.

Ultramid Ccycled grades using a variety of pre-consumer and post-consumer waste streams can meet recycled content criteria through a mass balance system in accordance with UL 2809, Environmental Claims Verification Procedure. With the same properties as their traditional counterparts, these grades do not require adjustments to traditional processing methods and are a sustainable raw material alternative for applications such as packaging film, carpet and furniture.

Flex Perch chairs are available now in North America and will be available in Europe, the Middle East and Asia in April 2022.