Flatpack furniture made from recycled plastic

Mexican design firm Paola Calzada designed a line of flatpack furniture under the brand name Luken, made from recycled plastic.

Luken offers several lines of furniture for indoor and outdoor, including a series of side tables, chairs and tables for children. The furniture can be assembled by slotting them together, without the need for nails or glue.

The furniture is made from a board material made from recycled plastic. The production process starts with the collection of plastic bottles like bottles of detergent and personal care products (HDPE plastic). This plastic is cleaned, shredded and separated by colour. These pellets are then melted into 12 mm thick panels. No toxic chemicals are added in the production process.

After cutting the boards to size, the flat pieces can easily be assembled without the need for screws, nails or glue. Each piece recycles approximately 600 bottles of polyethylene. The furniture line can be used outside, and consists of four different tables. The Kids line consists of six piece of furniture (a rocking chair, a divan, two little tables, a large table and a chair) and can be used by children up to the age of 6.

In addition to recycled plastic furniture, Luken also offers furniture made from Valchromat, a Portuguese wood fibre coloured panel, which is no train resistant, and a line of tables made from leftover marble from architectural projects.

Photos: Marta Kowalska / Hernán Peña