News
Södra launches the pulp chair
Milan, Thursday 2 Apr, 2009
Södra has developed a chair made from pulp in collaboration with design and architect firm Claesson Koivisto Rune. The chair makes its world premiere at the Milan Furniture Fair in late April.
The chair is designed for children. It is durable and waterproof, despite having the look and feel of ordinary paper. It is recyclable, environmentally-friendly, stackable, colourful, and made for fun and games.
After several years’ research and development, the chair is about to make its world debut. The team’s objective from the start was to make something that felt like paper but with the durability normally associated with materials such as steel, wood or hard plastic.
The architect and design firm had long wanted to make a chair from paper. Together with Södra and research company STFI Packforsk, Claesson Koivisto Rune experimented and tested the suitability of the material for use in a tough and practical chair for children. The chair has been named Parupu after the Japanese word for pulp.
“Parupu has more or less designed itself – under our supervision. We have added our skills and experience and combined this input with the technical possibilities of the material,” said Mårten Claesson, a Claesson Koivisto Rune partner.
The material is a speciality pulp from Södra Cell combined with PLA, a biodegradable plastic made from maize starch and cane sugar. This makes it an eco-friendly, recyclable material that can replace plastic. The chair can be wiped clean, and is designed to last a childhood, withstanding a lot of play.
The chair’s base material, which can be moulded and could potentially replace plastic in a number of applications, has been named DuraPulp. DuraPulp has the look and feel of paper. But a couple of millimetres in thickness is enough to support the weight of a person. It can be left outdoors for several years without degrading.
“Parupu is the first product made from this type of material, which consists entirely of renewable cellulose,” says Karin Emilsson, director of technology and R&D manager at Södra.
“DuraPulp is also suitable for producing quality packaging and labels, and can be run perfectly well in a normal paper machine. Our hope is that the chair will create interest and ideas amongst our existing customers as well as leading to discussions with new customer groups and new markets,” she says.
Södra is presenting Parupu at Superstudio in Milan in conjunction with the Furniture Fair and Design Week, 22–28 April. Södra is responsible for the stand in conjunction with CKR and STFI Packforsk.
From mid-April, it will be possible to track the entire project from the original idea to the Milan fair on a new Södra website, www.sodrapulplabs.com. The site will follow the ongoing story of Parupu as well as new Södra R&D innovations.
Source: Södra
For further information, please contact:
Per Braconier , Corporate Communications, Södra
Phone: +46 470 85 623
Mobile: +46 70 53 45 166
Joakim Nygren , Project Manager,
Phone: 070-777 1220
Patrick Coan , Manager of Communication, Claesson Koivisto Rune
Phone: 08-644 58 63
The chair is designed for children. It is durable and waterproof, despite having the look and feel of ordinary paper. It is recyclable, environmentally-friendly, stackable, colourful, and made for fun and games.
After several years’ research and development, the chair is about to make its world debut. The team’s objective from the start was to make something that felt like paper but with the durability normally associated with materials such as steel, wood or hard plastic.
The architect and design firm had long wanted to make a chair from paper. Together with Södra and research company STFI Packforsk, Claesson Koivisto Rune experimented and tested the suitability of the material for use in a tough and practical chair for children. The chair has been named Parupu after the Japanese word for pulp.
“Parupu has more or less designed itself – under our supervision. We have added our skills and experience and combined this input with the technical possibilities of the material,” said Mårten Claesson, a Claesson Koivisto Rune partner.
The material is a speciality pulp from Södra Cell combined with PLA, a biodegradable plastic made from maize starch and cane sugar. This makes it an eco-friendly, recyclable material that can replace plastic. The chair can be wiped clean, and is designed to last a childhood, withstanding a lot of play.
The chair’s base material, which can be moulded and could potentially replace plastic in a number of applications, has been named DuraPulp. DuraPulp has the look and feel of paper. But a couple of millimetres in thickness is enough to support the weight of a person. It can be left outdoors for several years without degrading.
“Parupu is the first product made from this type of material, which consists entirely of renewable cellulose,” says Karin Emilsson, director of technology and R&D manager at Södra.
“DuraPulp is also suitable for producing quality packaging and labels, and can be run perfectly well in a normal paper machine. Our hope is that the chair will create interest and ideas amongst our existing customers as well as leading to discussions with new customer groups and new markets,” she says.
Södra is presenting Parupu at Superstudio in Milan in conjunction with the Furniture Fair and Design Week, 22–28 April. Södra is responsible for the stand in conjunction with CKR and STFI Packforsk.
From mid-April, it will be possible to track the entire project from the original idea to the Milan fair on a new Södra website, www.sodrapulplabs.com. The site will follow the ongoing story of Parupu as well as new Södra R&D innovations.
Source: Södra
For further information, please contact:
Per Braconier , Corporate Communications, Södra
Phone: +46 470 85 623
Mobile: +46 70 53 45 166
Joakim Nygren , Project Manager,
Phone: 070-777 1220
Patrick Coan , Manager of Communication, Claesson Koivisto Rune
Phone: 08-644 58 63
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