The internet is awash with terms like ‘sustainably sourced’ and ‘circular design’. Few companies however have taken concrete action to back up their claims.
Queue Vepa, office furniture manufacturers, who have served up their sustainability receipts in a boat on the canals of Amsterdam.
They’re partnered with the professional plastic fishing organisation, Plastic Whale, who fish plastic from the canals of Amsterdam and Rotterdam aboard a boat made from recycled plastic.
Vepa’s involvement doesn’t end with the nets and welly boots – they’ve taken the materials fished from the waters and created an entire collection of office furniture made entirely from canal plastic. By repurposing over 150,000 PET bottles (to date), Vepa has set a new standard for sustainable manufacturing practices.
In April 2023, Vepa invited the Tsunami Axis Scotland office over to their factory to see the manufacturing process from boat to chair:
