Journal
To bring a second life to plastic bottles, we collaborate with the local recycling centres. PET Felt technology allows us to utilise plastic waste in interior design, turning it into a versatile and durable material. Let’s take a closer look at a journey it takes for plastic bottles to become unique furniture items.
5 steps of PET Felt production process
Step 1 - Plastic waste
Bottles arrive to the recycling centres in 250kg densely pressed bales, that are teased apart, cleaned and sorted. The sorting machine removes all coloured parts, such as caps and labels.
Step 2 - Flakes
Once the bottles are sorted, they move into the granulator. Inside, large rotating blades shred the bottles into 1 cm flakes. Meanwhile, the granulator removes all remaining debris. What were once plastic bottles are now pure PET flakes, ready for the next phase of their transformation.
Step 3 - Fibre
Further, the PET flakes travel through an extruder, melting them and forming polyester fibres. As a result, hard plastic gets a soft wool-like texture. The fibres are then cut into thin sheets to prepare them for felting.
Step 4 - Felt sheets
The felting machine folds the fibre in layers and compresses it. Then, the actual felting begins - thousands of barb needles stab the material, turning it into felt. Following the same principle, three sheets of felt are merged together into a dense mat, ready for pressing.
Step 5 - Chair
PET Felt can take literally any shape. In a single moulding action, the 3D pressing machine turns a sheet of felt into a sturdy form, preserving its soft wool-like texture. Following this method, PET Felt can be used to produce chair seats, wall panels, lampshades and more.
In our design and production processes, we are always looking at where environmental thinking and economic improvement intersect - resulting in minimal waste in every aspect. This vision is emphasized by the way we utilise PET Technology in our collection. PET Felt is a sustainable and versatile alternative to traditional furniture materials, offering the highest product quality and user comfort.
Learn more about the acoustic properties of PET Felt in our next article.
