Durafluff
Pratt Material Lab Prize | Honorable Mention
Durafluff is a mechanical transformation of recycled cushion filling from soft to structural.
In this exploration, polyester fiber-fill is combined with biodegradable glue to create modular furniture systems, which can be reconstituted again and again to create new forms and prevent future furniture waste.
Abandoned Furniture // F-Waste
According to the EPA, furniture waste generated by Americans in 2017 totaled a staggering 12.2 million tons and 80.2% of it went to landfill, with only 0.3% recovered from the landfill for recycling. This makes f-waste our least recycled and second largest source of household waste.
The Impact of Fast Furniture
In 2018, Americans generated 5.6x more furniture waste than in 1960 as a result of both population growth and the decline of heirloom quality furniture.
How to Recycle A Couch
While several of the materials inside upholstered furniture have recycling streams (steel, wood, textiles), these materials are rarely recovered given the labor involved to separate them. Additionally, there is virtually no established recycling stream for the foams, batting and fiberfill used inside of cushions, which are primarily made from polyurethane and polyester.
The Dura Stool
The Dura Stool consists of a top made from a press-mold and legs made from tube forming, as well as wood connectors for added structural stability.
Strength : Weight
The hollow tube pieces, once fully hardened, have a very favorable strength to weight ratio, allowing Durafluff to be used structurally as demonstrated by the Dura Stool.
Designed for Disassembly
The Dura Stool uses no adhesives and consists of only 2 materials: Durafluff and Wood, making separating and recycling/regenerating at the end of its life cycle simpler and more likely.
Striving for Mono-Material
While not there yet, with improved mold design, Durafluff can be cast in shapes that do not require additional connections made out of a secondary material, further increasing its regenerative capabilities.
Regenerative Furniture Systems
F-Waste is created when people move into new homes that can no longer accommodate their shape/size of furniture, or when needs and tastes naturally change. With Durafluff, you can break down the rigid, molded forms, simply with water, or buy additional modules created from F-Waste.