Stunning Shredded Paper Furniture: Recycling Takes A Leap
Fri, May 9, 2008
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Image from Jenspraet.com
I’m a bit of an artsy sort: the furniture in my apartment, the art on the walls, heck, the apartment itself, all have a feel that I wanted to intentionally surround myself with, and that feel is “creative.” It’s part of the reason why I enjoy telecommuting so much, and why I am so effing psyched to find out you can make furniture out of shredded paper.
The furniture, which is the creation of artist Jens Praet, is made of shredded paper dipped in resin, and then molded into whatever form one prefers. The beauty of it is that there is no shortage of shredded paper in any office in the world. What’s more, it’s at least as strong as wood, far more interesting and not to mention environmentally friendly.
The furniture is available as part of Praet’s One Day Paper Waste initiative. He took all of the paper he used in a day, and tried to figure out how he could best re-use it. The solution was a mini-desk that you see him holding below, and the rest, as they say, is history. Of course, on another level, every shredded document tells a story; one that is perhaps lost and fragmented, one that is part of history.
Stretching the imagination a bit, picture your credenza – wouldn’t it be amazing if it contained ballots from
Image from Jenspraet.com
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“The only true currency in this bankrupt world is what you share with someone else.”
May 11th, 2008 at 2:20 am
I like the idea of the reused paper to create this furniture, definitely environmentally friendly but wonder about the resin. What is it made of? Most resins, although typically plant derivatives, are volatile. If this is epoxy resin it will likely emit high VOC as well, negating the environmental impact of the reuse of the paper.
May 16th, 2008 at 1:19 am
that’s my question as well… what resin are you using.
i’m trying to find a resin that can be used in large scale paper mache that will harden the form so that it won’t warp. anyone know of a biodegradable, earth-friendly resin?
May 22nd, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Why the resin? The recycling loses its point..
June 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 am
Great post. I follow furniture and I am glad to see that they are making use of the shredded paper. After all, fiberboard is just pressed sawdust? It stands to reason that shredded paper could be pressurized into something strong.
July 2nd, 2008 at 2:53 pm
The paper and the resin is made from plants.
December 4th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
I like the idea of the shredded paper furniture. Really thinking out of the box! Also, great questions about the resin. Is it safe?