Japanese company produces durable furniture made of paper

Serkan Toto

Dr. Serkan Toto is an independent consultant and advisor focusing on Japan’s web, mobile and social gaming industries. Based in Tokyo, he works together with financial institutions and startups worldwide. Serkan has been the Japan contributor for TechCrunch.com since 2008. He is sept-lingual, holds an MBA and is a PhD in economics. → Learn More

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Japanese chemical company Nippon Kako-Kizai will start selling “green” furniture completely made of paper in September. The furniture is supposedly durable and able to replace “real” products: A stool from the company, for example, can withstand up to 700kg.

The paper is as thick as cardboard and made of 90% recycled content. To stabilize the legs of tables and chairs, Nippon Kako-Kizai came up with a self-devoped solution, originally used in its packaging materials: It bundled layers of the paper to form tubes. The company says normal paper isn’t as stable since it would be bundled in spiral form.

Buyers can choose between a number of different products, including tables, shelves and chairs. A chair with a backrest, for example, will cost a whopping $82 though.

The furniture will be sold mainly over the web. Nippon Kako-Kizai hopes to sell products worth $275,000 in the first year.

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