Düsseldorf, May 23, 2024 – Envalior today announces it has supported the Dutch based manufacturer Ahrend to deliver Remode, a sustainable office chair. The chair’s structural seat components, backrest mechanism and the star base are manufactured from Akulon® RePurposed, a versatile, high-performance polyamide, made from recycled fishing nets. The mechanical recyclate from ghost fishing nets closes Remode’s value chain designed for recycling and reduces CO2 emissions.
The new Remode office chair from Ahrend weighs just 15 kilograms and more than two-thirds of its weight is attributed to Envalior’s 30% glass fiber-reinforced recyclate Akulon® RePurposed RE30, offering a superior mechanical property profile. Akulon® RePurposed RE30 contains a minimum of 62% recycled content, consisting of 50% ocean-bound plastic and 12% pre-consumer recycled content. "By using this sustainable material, we can close the Remode value chain, which is designed for recycling, and reduce our CO2 emissions,” said Arnoud Vlieger, Head of Product Development at Ahrend. “In addition, the material enables a lightweight component solution with high material efficiency, which also contributes to lower CO2 emissions."
A hallmark of all Ahrend furniture is its modular design. This allows the furniture to be repaired, which extends its lifespan. At the same time, it is easier to disassemble the furniture, so that the raw materials can be recycled as part of a circular economy. "This cradle-to-cradle philosophy, together with the eco-design of our furniture, is the basis of our circular product design and was the reason we chose Akulon® RePurposed for our Remode chair," explained Vlieger.
One of the strengths of the recyclate, which is reinforced with 30% short glass fibers, is its superior mechanical property profile. "Our material doesn't need to shy away from comparison with virgin material upon proper application,” explained Dr. Dannie van Osch, Business Development Manager of Specialties at Envalior. “Its stiffness, strength and toughness are so high that it could even be used to construct structural components of the seat, the backrest mechanism and the star base, which are subject to high static and dynamic loads. This has helped to make the Remode lighter."
Project partners receive development and production support
Envalior provided Ahrend and other project partners with comprehensive support during the development of the office chair. In addition to providing advice on the material choice, Envalior also helped to determine the optimum processing parameters for injection molding the components from Akulon® RePurposed. "We helped to set up a stable and material-friendly production process that enables efficient and economical manufacture with good surface quality of the plastic parts," said Van Osch.
Giving a new life to ghost fishing nets
Currently Envalior collects and recycles more than 3,000 tons of polyamide 6 ghost fishing nets that accumulate in Indian coastal regions. The company works closely with local partners to this end. The nets are cleaned, sorted, shredded, mixed with post-industrial waste and extruded into Akulon® RePurposed regranulate. "In this way, we protect the marine environment and additionally contribute to social welfare by creating jobs and strengthening the local economy," said van Osch.
Further information on Envalior's products and services can be found at www.envalior.com.
An overview of Ahrend's products and sustainability strategy can be found at www.ahrend.com.
About Envalior
Envalior is a global leader in Engineering Materials with over 4,000 employees worldwide. It was established in 2023 through the merger of Lanxess Performance Materials and DSM Engineering Materials. With a long track record of customer-driven innovation, Envalior specializes in developing sustainable and high-performance material solutions. Focus markets include Automotive, New Mobility, Electronics & Electrical, and Consumer Goods. For more information, visit www.envalior.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This company release contains certain forward-looking statements, including assumptions, opinions, expectations and views of the company or cited from third-party sources. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could cause the actual results, financial position, development or performance of Envalior GmbH to differ materially from the estimates expressed or implied herein. Envalior GmbH does not guarantee that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors, nor does it accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the opinions expressed in this presentation or the actual occurrence of the forecast developments. No representation or warranty (expressed or implied) is made as to, and no reliance should be placed on, any information, estimates, targets and opinions contained herein, and no liability whatsoever is accepted as to any errors, omissions or misstatements contained herein, and accordingly, no representative of Envalior GmbH or any of its affiliated companies or any of such person’s officers, directors or employees accepts any liability whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from the use of this document.
Candace Roulo
