London-based designer Riccardo Cenedella designed stools and lamps made of recycled synthetic carpet waste.

In the UK alone, 400.000 tonnes of carpet waste are generated annually. Carpets are a composite product, not designed for disassembly. Therefore, only a small amount is recycled in a closed-loop system, while the rest is sent to incinerators or ends up on the landfill.

In 2019, Cenedella started the MA Material Futures at Central Saint Martins in London. He bumped into some carpet waste on a walk around his neighbourhood as he was looking for a material to use in his final year project.

Most carpets are made of synthetic materials, mostly nylon and polypropylene. Both are thermoplastic materials that can be reshaped with heat. For his project, Cenedella used metal cylindrical moulds, around which carpet waste is wound and treated with a heat gun so that it hardens and stays in shape. These cylinders are used as legs for the tables.

For the top, Cenedella uses an MDF compression mould. The carpet is also made rigid and shaped with a heat gun. The components are then cut and refined before being assembled with custom bolts and metal structures.

Cenedella also created wall and table lamps in a similar fashion.

Photos: Marine Renaudineau / Mael Hènaff / Riccardo Cenedella