The exhibition concept showcases the entire lifecycle of the chair, which is biodegradable and compostable. Expect Death explores what happens when we leverage the end of a product as a new beginning. Fast furniture is a massive problem in the design industry. Low-quality, toxic materials and the constant pressure to keep up with changing trends lead to over 12 million tons of furniture being disposed of in the U.S. alone each year. With PEEL, the PROWL team is exploring ways of combating fast furniture from within by designing with healthier materials and incorporating an accessible end-of-life plan from the beginning of the design process. Inspired by hemp stock and how different parts of the plant are removed to be harvested for reuse, PEEL is an elevated version of the classic stacking chair that marries utility with responsibility. It serves its purpose, but only for as long as it needs to.
In the Expect Death exhibition PEEL in its final form: returned to the earth, in a state of decomposition. From this last resting place, the installation traces the chair's lifecycle back to the beginning, when the chair arrives flat-packed in hemp packaging at the user's home.
"Conventional plastics, such as the polypropylene commonly used in plastic stacking chairs," explains Lauryn Menard, co-founder of Prowl Studio, "take about 450 years to decompose. Our hemp-based PLA, on the other hand, decomposes in just six months under the right controlled conditions." PEEL's structural frame is made from hemp-based bioplastic manufactured just like any conventional plastic but can be industrially composted. Developed by M4 Factory - a female-owned and led design and manufacturing factory –the material combines hemp bast fiber and hurd (by-products of industrial hemp processing that are typically wasted) with biopolymers.
"This makes Peel," continues Lauryn Menard, "the first injection-moulded chair that can be composted. Even the seat and back cushions are made from a new hemp-based foam composted at home and decomposes as quickly as an orange peel".
Many brands have already explored the possibility of making chairs from industrially compostable bioplastics. But they still rely on solid wood or steel frames to support user weight, much like the early experiments with plastic chairs by the likes of Charles and Ray Eames.
The Peel chair solves this problem by using a composite developed by M4 Factory for the structural frame, which mixes a common bioplastic called polylactic acid (PLA) with hemp and hurd fibres, by-products of hemp processing that are usually discarded.
"The addition of these hemp fibres allows us to use less plastic," says Kyle Swen, Chief Design Officer at M4 Factory, "making the product lighter but, at the same time up to 90 per cent stronger. "Hemp is an excellent bio-filler that does not require large amounts of water or processing to grow efficiently and is becoming readily available," he says.
"Hemp also adds strength and rigidity to our base material, which is necessary to meet the structural requirements of a chair." Integrating this structural support into the bioplastic allows the Peel Chair to be mass-produced quickly and easily, just like its petroleum-based counterparts, using conventional injection moulding machines.
"This is extremely important in taking the leap towards implementing healthier alternative plastics," says Baillie Mishler, co-founder of Prowl Studio, "because it takes advantage of existing systems and avoids the need to invent new technologies." The chair is topped off with a completely novel hemp foam cushion that is encased in hemp bioleather. Due to their different compositions, PEEL's frame and cushion have different expected life cycles though they feature the same base material. The frame will take some time to break down, up to six months, depending on the conditions of the industrial facility in which it is composted. The cushion—developed with NYC-based material innovators Studio Veratate—is home compostable and will decompose as fast as an orange peel. It can be quickly and responsibly disposed of when it loses its comfort, or the user wants to upgrade with a new color or finish.
"We want to show that regenerative design isn't just a lofty aspiration—it can be executed. PEEL is a prototype for now, but every aspect of it has been considered with scale in mind", Baillie Mishler.
"This partnership allows us to significantly expand our mission-driven approach with a keen focus on the future of design and manufacturing" – says Patricia Miller, CEO of M4 Factory. "Our two companies are united by the shared belief that material innovation and material strategies are critical and that real success occurs when these strategies are considered and implemented throughout the design and manufacturing process. Our collaborative approach will bring end-to-end solutions to forward-thinking brands ready to usher in a new era of regenerative design".
PEEL's structure and cushion have different life cycles despite having the same basic material
