A European furniture manufacturer has partnered with a multinational company with factories in America to help deliver environmentally conscious furniture to the American market.
According to Recycling Today, Norwegian furniture maker Vestre is partnering with fellow Scandinavian aluminum manufacturer Hydro to make its KINN model chairs and tables. They’ll use Hydro Circal aluminum, which features at least 75% recycled metal. Hydro’s Michigan-based plant will be the primary source of the aluminum, but its plants in Texas and Kentucky are also involved in producing Hydro Circal.
“This is the highest content of recycled material on the market, which means drastically reduced energy consumption,” the company says.
Smelting aluminum can be a relatively energy-intensive process; it requires refining the aluminum ore into a usable metal before melting it down. By comparison, recycled aluminum is much less energy-intensive to use. In fact, according to the International Aluminum Association, recycled aluminum saves 95% of the energy required to produce the metal, which often comes from dirty sources like coal, natural gas, or oil.
Aluminum smelting is one of the primary global sources of perfluorocarbon (PFC) pollution, according to the EPA. PFC is a potent planet-warming pollutant, meaning it traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere even better than regular carbon dioxide does.
If that weren’t enough, the process of generating the energy to smelt aluminum is responsible for about 3% of global carbon pollution from industrial sources. By reducing the amount of energy needed, we can reduce the amount of harmful pollution that comes from the smelting process and help reduce aluminum’s impact on the planet.
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The KINN line is being marketed as a versatile line of aesthetically pleasing wood and aluminum furniture that can be used in a variety of settings, both domestic and commercial. It looks good in both exterior and interior designs, working as comfortable patio furniture or as interior design in commercial spaces like restaurants or hotels.
“The KINN collection showcases the beauty and strength of Hydro Circal, proving that sustainable materials don’t require aesthetic compromise,” stated Hydro’s marketing communications agency, JAM Collective, per Recycling Today.
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