To demonstrate the versatility of recycled plastics, Finnish energy firm Fortum designed a chair that can raise itself up made using recycled plastic waste.
Viren Chair, Fortum. Credit: Fortum
Lasse Virén citting on the Virén chair in a promotional photo. Credit: Fortum
The Virén Chair is named after Finnish long-distance runner Lasse Virén and was inspired by his experience in the 1972 Munich Olympics where he fell over and picked himself up again.
Despite the odds not being in his favour, he still managed to get the gold, and secured a new world record in the process.
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By "self-raising", the firm doesn't mean that the chair builds itself like an automotive flatpack chair, rather it has specifically designed to pick itself and return upright should it tip over.
“The story of Lasse Virén – and especially his legendary win in the Munich Olympics – is still inspiring for many of us. Our ambition was to honour comebacks, progression and resilience through the Virén Chair and to show what can be achieved with recycled plastics today", Fortum brand manager Jussi Mälkiä said in a statement.
"The Virén Chair pays respect to Finnish design with characteristics of plastic furniture developed in the 1960s by Finnish designers".
2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the Munich Olympics, which the Finnish firm wanted to honour with a new product.
The chair was developed alongside a variety of professionals, from engineers to physicists and researchers.
Resuing or recycling plastic waste has become very important with so little of it being recycled. Based on current data, as much as 91% of plastic waste isn't recycled, leaving it free to clog up landfills or the world's oceans.
Despite this, much of the problem lies with improper waste management systems rather than the materials themselves.
Fortum is hoping to expand the use of recycled plastics by developing compounds to enhance the qualities of the recycled product, which could provide opportunities for reuse outside of what it was before.
Specifically, the team hopes the polymers can be used for more technical or challenging products.
Anniina Rasmus, Brand Sales Manager at Fortum Recycling and Waste said: “Plastic is in many ways a superior material that is hard to substitute. The consumption of plastic is growing globally all the time; the discussion around plastics should instead focus on how to increase recycling.
"We should make sure that the value of the material is preserved by recycling the plastic and converting the waste into reusable material whenever possible".
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The compound used in the chair's creation is a special formula developed by Fortum reinforced with cellulose fibre to strengthen the material while aiming to lower emissions during production.
In addition, the cellulose fibre in the chair also reportedly absorbs carbon from the air.
More information about the Virén chair can be found here
The following is an ad for the Virén chair uploaded to YouTube:
Credit: Fortum via YouTube
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