“Pollution is nothing but resources we’re not harvesting. We allow them to disperse because we’ve grown ignorant of their value”
- Buckminster Fuller, American theorist, architect and philosopher -
Wouldn’t it be lovely to live in a world where buying a piece of furniture like a vase or a chair does not come with the extra cost of extraction, production and exploitation? The answer is yes, of course but we still have a long way to go to make this dream come true. The problem of fast fashion is taking more space as the main sustainability issue in the media allowing fast furniture to pass under the radar, keeping their environmental issues hidden for decades. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 12 million tons of furniture are discarded in landfills every year, and only 0,003% is recycled. For example, IKEA produces furniture in mass to keep up with demands, however, they do not care about the ethicality behind extraction, production and disposal of their creations keeping this inexpensive system going.
Environmentally aware companies like Cyrc are tackling the problem with the goal of creating “a world without waste” through a circular economy method (source).
Born in a Montreal studio, Cyrc was founded by Guy Snover; in charge of product design and manufacturing and Daniel Martinez; in charge of marketing and business development. Like many, they were haunted by the amount of waste produced in the world and decided to be an example for future generations of furniture making. Both of them were extremely motivated to create a shift in the current problems of the linear economy and determined to transform the furniture business as we know it. They came up with a brilliant idea; using recycled materials and a made-to-order production system to divert waste by creating ethical, climate-positive, zero-waste furniture, all locally made in Montreal.
Cyrc uses 3-D printing: a technology capable of producing furniture and potentially revolutionizing the entire business; reimagining the linear model to have sustainability as its foundation. It allows them to re-manufacture old products into refurbished ones and produce no waste in the process. That way, Cyrc furniture cleverly removes every externalized cost possible from production and consumption.
Changing the way we dispose of plastic is a necessity for a shift to a circular economy. There are so many possibilities with this resource that we unfortunately mismanage; plastic waste ends up incinerated, in landfills or left for trash in nature. By 2015, 9% of the 5.8 billion tonnes of plastic no longer in use have been recycled and 79% has accumulated in landfills or nature. Moreover, 8 million tonnes of plastic leak into the ocean each year, which is the equivalent of dumping the contents of a garage truck in the water every minute. There will be more plastic than fish in our oceans by the year 2050. (source) Plastic has a very long life and almost all sorts of plastics are recyclable but not everyone is aware of their potential.
We are very happy and proud to collaborate with Cyrc as their motto “OLD IS THE NEW NEW” and ours “EVERYTHING NEW WILL COME FROM SOMETHING OLD” have a similar endgame, supporting a belief that trash has potential to become treasure. Circular economy would not be possible if the materials used for the furniture are not recyclable. That is why Cyrc uses two types of recycled plastics from the Benelux region called PLA (post industrial food packaging waste) and PETG (post industrial medical waste). Both materials have been deemed non-toxic for over 30 years by the FDA. and are stated to be “the most durable and easily recycled polymers”. Cyrc is promoting renewable resources and by doing so, turning mismanaged plastics into an asset of the circular economy. (source)
Cyrc is revolutionizing the furniture industry focusing on aesthetics and sustainability of a product so that it lasts a lifetime. The pieces they make are of minimalist and utilitarian design automatically elevating your space decor. For example, The U fruit bowl serves as decoration or display of fruits intricately designed to allow air circulation and keep them fresh for longer. Additionally, The Wicker vase is another perfect example of aesthetic and Utilitarian focus of the design; A 3-D printed weaving motion while printing the piece creates a texture over a water-tight form, perfect for flower bouquets. These products are already available for purchase in our Flagship store as well as online.
To further show commitment to the shift towards the circular economy, Cyrc encourages customers to register the furniture piece acquired on their website to track its journey with you till you return the item to the store allowing the continuation of its life.
As moving season is upon us, this is always a great time of the year to refresh your living space and of course support the circular economy. For any questions concerning Cyrc, the U fruit Bowl or Wicker vase feel free to contact us at contact@bedistudios.com it will be our pleasure to help you!