Orangebox’s best-selling “Do” office chair reformulated to “Do-Better” with UBQ materials

The “Do-Better” chair uses UBQ™, a bio-based material made 100% from household waste, to reduce the carbon footprint of the seat pan. UBQ™ replaces the mineral talc that is normally added to the polypropylene (PP), resulting in approximately 80% PP and 20% UBQ™. The PP contains 75% recycled content, of which 90% comes from post-consumer waste.

“Businesses across industries are looking for easy material swaps when it comes to sustainable transformation. Orangebox’s Do-Better chair is first-to-market within its space and plays an important role in establishing a new standard for strategic implementation of innovative raw materials across product categories,” said Patricia Mishic O’Brien, chief commercial officer of UBQ Materials.

The seat of The Orangebox chair will be produced with a new material mix prepared by compounding partner, Group MAIP, based in Italy. Utilizing UBQ™ within this component (in combination with changing other part materials to more conventional recycled feedstocks), Orangebox is helping tackle the waste crisis, preventing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and ultimately contributing to the establishment of a more circular economy.

“We are specifically not creating a separate eco-conscious office furniture line,” said Gareth Banks, Head of Sustainability for Orangebox. “Instead, we are leading our industry on a sustainable path for the future, reformulating the Do, our best-selling office chair, to ‘Do-Better. We are demonstrating that you don’t have to change your best-sellers. This is the same product that our customers know and love, with a lighter environmental footprint.”

According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) 1.2 million office desks and 1.8 million office chairs end up in UK landfills each year. Across Europe, 80-90% of all furniture ends its life this way, with the average task chair alone generating 72 kilos of CO₂ over its lifespan. Every ton of UBQ™ diverts roughly 1.3 tons of waste from landfills or incineration, while also preventing up to 11.7 tons of CO2eq (GWP20) into the atmosphere.

“We cannot separate eco-consciousness. It must be integrated into everything we do and every product we design moving forward,” emphasized Banks.

UBQ™ is a novel material with thermoplastic properties that can integrate with minimal adaptations to existing manufacturing processes and materials. Made entirely from unsorted household waste that has been diverted from landfills, incorporating UBQ™ in products increases recycled content, reduces or offsets carbon footprints, and is recyclable for further use.

UBQ™ is a bio-based thermoplastic made from 100% unsorted household waste, including all organics and unrecyclable materials. UBQ™ was one of the ten finalists of the Startup Booster Programme at JEC World 2019.