Cardboard Future

This ingenious little compay out of England has found a way to make sustainable and recyclable card board furniture.  Their price point isn't bad either.  Roughly $200 US for the desk.  Below is information from their site:

The cardboard box changed the world, but that was 150 years ago.  Since then this fabulously versatile material has enjoyed a modest press, but in the environmentally sensitive, cost-conscious world of 2010 its time may have come.

This spring we launch a range of fun and practical furniture products for the home and office made entirely of pristine corrugated board, designed and built in England to mirror the mood of the times.

Simple, clean design combined with clever engineering makes these products extremely light, immensely strong, fully functional and excellent value for money.

Starting with the stunning Paperweight desk, we are rolling out a comprehensive product range to include storage, pedestals, book shelves, wardrobes, beds, and tables in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

There are many grades of corrugated cardboard and most of them would not be suitable for making furniture, let alone the kind of furniture that meets European strength and stability requirements.

The Grade A board we use has long, strong fibres and is made from at least 74% recycled paperboard.  The remaining 26% of virgin wood fibre comes from 100% certificated sustainable raw materials from the UK and Europe.  The boards are die-cut using state-of-the-art machinery and then varnished with a water-based protective skin and part-assembled by hand using high bond water-based glues – and absolutely nothing else.  The end result is 100% recyclable.  In addition, wherever possible we will take back damaged or end-of-life product to refurbish and re-supply to schools, nurseries, prisons, and hospitals.

Properly treated there is no reason why cardboard furniture cannot last as long as that made of wood or plastic, and it is altogether softer and more friendly.  In fact, sitting at a cardboard desk is a rather lovely experience.