SSDr : Simple, Strong, Durable et Recycled.
The SSDr chair is chair Simple, Strong and Durable.
The SSDr chair is the result of 1.5 years of challenging and hard work towards the creation of a beautiful, useful and sustainable piece of furniture. In the furniture industry, the use of recycled plastic is almost inexistant and we see the SSDr chair as an additional proof that plastic waste can be turned into timeless and durable items. It is a new milestone in our mission to create sustainable furniture.
SSDr, the beauty of recycled plastic
In this version of the SSD chair, the seat and backrest are not made of wood but of recycled PP plastic. PP or polypropylene is a widely-used type of plastic that can be found in food containers, household appliances, automotive parts and more. The legs are made of steel (the most recycled material on earth, it is almost infinitely recyclable).
With the new chair, we aim at showing that it is possible to give waste a second life by turning it into beautiful, useful and timeless pieces of furniture. We believe that the future of furniture resides in taking into account recycling and upcycling at the very core of the design and manufacturing processs.
The SSDr chair can still be assembles in 2 minutes with only one screw. It is 100% recyclable and 100% made in Europe in partnership with SMEs with exceptional know-how!
Sustainability at the core of what we do
TIPTOE’s mission is to make sustainable furniture that is altogether well-designed, well-made in Europe and built-to-last.
Over the years, the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment has become more and more obvisous. Whereas 400 million tons of plastic are currently produced each year, the OECD estimates that only 9% of all plastic produced between 1950 and 2015 has been recycled.
At TIPTOE, we strive on a daily basis to address environmental issues by providing long-term and viable solutions in the furniture industry. In addition to making long-lasting and timeless furniture, we use recycled and upcycled materials at the very core of our design and fabrication processes.
SSDr is the result of an ongoing process
In 2019, we launched a crowdfunding campaign to be able to finance the first production of the SSD chair (Simple, Strong and Durable) : our very first chair which was made of wood.
With more than 1,500 chairs pre-ordered in just under a month, the campaign broadly exceeded our expectations. As soon as the campaign ended, we knew that the next step was to work on a recycled plastic version of the chair.
A year and a half after the release of the SSD chair, we are very proud to introduce the SSDr chair! Simple, Strong and even more Durable.
Why use PP plastic ?
We’re using recycled PP plastic (polypropylene) because of its specific technical and mechanical properties combining flexibility and resistance. PP or polypropylene is a widely-used type of plastic that can be found in food containers, household appliances, automotive parts and more.
Throughout our process, the PP plastic is collected, sorted and cleaned before being crushed into small parts. It is then processed into pellets which are melted and injected into a custom-made mould. Whereas many furniture pieces are made of virgin PP plastic, very few are actually made of recycled plastic.
Our goal is to show plastic waste can be given a second life and recycled into desirable, long-lasting and useful furniture.
Not only is the SSDr chair made of recycled plastic, it is also 100% recyclable.
An uncompromising creative process
The SSDr chair is the result of a creative process that took well over a year.
Whereas virgin plastic is a widely-used material in the furniture industry, the use of recycled-plastic is currently just emerging. This makes it much more difficult to source suppliers and to find manufacturers with the right know-how. The development of the SSDr chair therefore required us to go the extra-mile and called for particularly complex and long research processes.
On our way towards the final version of the SSDr chair were a good amount of prototypes and many trials and errors due to the novelty of using recycled plastic in industrial processes. Last but not least, we had to invest and design a custom-made mold used for making the seat and the backrest of the SSDr chair!
The SSDr chair and the TIPTOE tables
In line with our product design DNA, the legs of the SSDr chair are made of steel and come in the same colours as the TIPTOE table legs.
These colours have been carefully curated to match with the wood of the TIPTOE tables. The SSDr chair seat has been designed with comfort in mind. The tilt and roundness of its curves let you sit comfortably on it for long periods of time. The ergonomics of the SSDr chair have been accounted for to make it suitable both as an office as a dining chair.
