bFRIENDS
Sustainable design accessories get things tidy in next to no time and suffuse any environment with an inspiring atmosphere.
Pre-used packaging materials made of plant-based plastic are recycled and printed in 3D to create the range of products of the sustainable bFRIENDS collection.
Sustainable design accessories get things tidy in next to no time and suffuse any environment with an inspiring atmosphere.
Pre-used packaging materials made of plant-based plastic are recycled and printed in 3D to create the range of products of the sustainable bFRIENDS collection.
DESIGN WITH ECOLOGICAL ADDED VALUE
Sustainable design accessories get things tidy in next to no time and suffuse any environment with an inspiring atmosphere. Designed in collaboration with the Pearson Lloyd design team, bFRIENDS represents an innovative range of accessories developed specifically for living and working spaces. Pre-used packaging materials made of plant-based plastic are recycled, processed into new filament and printed in 3D to create the range of products of the sustainable bFRIENDS collection.
The collection is the result of an innovative partnership between Bene, our long-time design partner Pearson Lloyd and Batch.Works, a London-based start-up specialising in serial production using 3D printing. bFRIENDS products are made using recycled post-consumer PLA (polylactide) from local waste streams, for instance from used food packaging. Our partner Reflow uses this material to produce biodegradable 3D-printed filament.
INNOVATIVE CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Raw materials from local waste streams
Batch.Works uses 3D printers to transform this filament into the bFRIENDS collection, adopting a tool-free additive manufacturing process that produces zero waste and only uses regenerative energy sources. Production is thereby switched to a decentralised production network, allowing transportation distances to be minimised. The need for warehousing is also eliminated thanks to this order-specific approach to production.
At the end of a bFRIENDS product’s lifetime, the PLA can be integrated back into the production cycle and we can convert it into a new accessory. All bFRIENDS that are made from more than one material can be separated from one another by type at the end of a product’s lifetime, allowing them to be fed into different cycles. Our collection makes it easy to see how we can complete the cycle and help preserve resources.
The launch of bFRIENDS is exciting new territory for us and makes Bene one of the very first furniture brands to offer a 3D-printed accessories line. Together with our design-partner Pearson Lloyd and the start-up Batch.Works we are paving the way for a sustainable future of design and production – and this collection is proof that it works. bFRIENDS is only the beginning.
Michael Fried, Bene
