When many brick-and-mortar stores were forced to close as the COVID-19 pandemic worsened in March, Malaysians began to turn to online retailers to source for things from daily essentials to electronics and everything in between. In fact, Malaysia’s online retail sales surged 28.9 per cent in April 2020, although the total sales value of wholesale and retail trade dropped 36.6 per cent as compared with the same month a year earlier1.
Many brands and designers are now using creativity to transform corrugated cardboard into one-of-a-kind furniture. The chair featured here was designed by INTI International College Subang Diploma in Interior Design students Yap Kai Qi, Chong Ee Ling, Lim Mei Kei, and Kong Shu Xuan.
Even when businesses slowly reopened their doors following the implementation of the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) and Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO), things continued to look bright for online retailers.
While shopping at a click of a button is convenient and can sometimes even seem magical, the amount of packaging that pile up from the parcels is impacting the environment more than we realise. In a bid to reduce this cardboard footprint, various initiatives have been taken to turn packaging into something useful rather than disposing them into landfills.
According to Mohd Sufi Ismail, humans are wasteful and are the first species to create waste that nature cannot deal with. He said recycling and upcycling trends are now helping to reduce waste and the creation of new items.
“Recycling and upcycling are similar; it involves reusing something either for the same or a different purpose. Recycling takes an item and returns it to its basic form to make something new. An example of this is recycling paper to make another type of paper, or glass bottles that are broken down to be made into new ones.
“Upcycling is a form of recycling that focuses on transforming unwanted items or materials into covetable, high value upcycled products. It can be as simple as taking an old piece of clothing or furniture and giving it a new look, but it can also mean turning waste items or materials into something completely different,” he explained.
Mohd Sufi, who is Head of Programme for Interior Design at INTI’s Center of Art and Design, shared that many brands and designers are now using their creativity to transform corrugated cardboard into one-of-a-kind furniture.
“Did you even know that there’s such a thing as cardboard furniture? I’m not talking about boxes repurposed into storage modules, but actual furniture pieces!” he said animatedly.
These furniture pieces, he added, could be useful in certain situations and in different ways. For example, they can be used as temporary furniture for student dorms and rental spaces.
“Some designs are so complex and well thought out that you can proudly use them in your home. Despite being made of corrugated cardboard, these items are strong and durable. Upcycled furniture also tends to have tons of personality and unique features that mass-produced pieces do not,” Mohd Sufi said.
Upcycling corrugated cardboard into furniture can even be done at home with minimal tools. However, some understanding of the techniques involved is important. To create a chair, the cardboard goes through some stacking and folding. Slots and notches also help keep the various pieces in place. At INTI, interior design students are exposed to these techniques when they are assigned upcycling projects.
“Students are offered different raw materials to upcycle and this fosters creativity and critical thinking as they come up with innovative products. They must push themselves out of their comfort zone to explore forms and shapes of a design.
“Guidelines in design for sustainability have been the foundation in our design courses so it encourages students to factor in sustainability in designs. Upcycling has the potential of combining two or more aspects into one solid object. This makes a design distinctive and rare,” he explained further.
Despite being made of cardboard, this chair is strong and durable. While a piece of furniture like this can be made at home with minimal tools, it is important to also understand the techniques involved in putting the material together.
When asked about the future of upcycling in Malaysia, Mohd Sufi said it is a cool gig to explore and even turn into a source of income. He added that by giving old items a new life, sellers of cardboard or other upcycled furniture are creating a unique story for their products.
“The best part is, your start-up and product costs are low, and your profit margins can be high. Besides that, you are marketing to a group of people who love helping the planet and buying unique items. There’s just a big need for upcycling businesses so that people can get quality products without contributing to environmental damage,” he said.
Admitting that while upcycling is not a new phenomenon, it has gained popularity as consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious about their shopping habits.
“At one time, second-hand furniture was associated with antique enthusiasts or for those who could not afford something new. But more recently, various factors have led to a growing trend in design – upcycling, recycling, and the use of reclaimed furniture. As sustainability becomes a focus for us all, upcycling has never been more on-trend,” he laughed.
Because of this, upcyclers need to work towards making products that are good enough to sell. He said there is a big difference in making items that you feel is good and something that people would be willing to pay for. Eco-furniture designs are now even catering to the tastes of a demanding high-end market.
With environmental issues now making headlines in the news, sustainability and ethical practices have shifted from a niche to a mainstream concern. “Think global, act local” has become a catchphrase for many designers. Sustainable furniture design has not only turned into a viable and durable trend, but green furniture is also increasingly becoming aesthetically desirable worldwide.