‘From the very beginning of my career, I faced a moral dilemma,’ says Polish designer, curator, and educator Tomek Rygalik. ‘As a designer, I was often creating beautiful things for companies, but primarily to sell. I wanted to create work that was meaningful as well.’
With the launch of Loope, under his creative direction, Rygalik is doing just that. Loope products are made with 100 per cent recycled and recyclable material. After years of use, any of the products in the range can be returned and transformed into another product in the collection.
Tomek Rygalik, creative director of Loope
Rygalik is a seasoned designer who understands manufacturing as much as form and function. He has designed for companies such as Moroso, Cappellini, Ideal Standard and Ikea. He is also a professor at the Aalto University in Helsinki and founded the Creative Campus in Sobole, Poland - a state-of-the-art research and development centre with a prototyping facility. ‘This is where we do a lot of work on sustainability,’ he explains.
Armstrong bench from Loope
A few years ago Rygalik and his team were approached by a plastic fabrication company to consult on how the business could make its processes more sustainable. 'The company specialised in rotational moulding using polyethylene to create things like kayaks, flower pots and children’s playgrounds,’ the designer explains. ‘Initially, I was skeptical about working with plastic, as it often has negative associations.’
Upon further investigation, however, Rygalik realised that there was an opportunity to do something meaningful with the offcuts - scraps that included the cut-outs used to create holes in kayaks - that were often discarded during production. The base material is pure UV-stabilized polyethylene, which is highly durable, resistant to damage and easy to maintain.
Rygalik had an epiphany: ‘These high-quality offcuts can be shredded and repurposed.’ The collaboration was the genesis of Loope, a furniture company with in-built circularity at its heart.
Armstrong chair by Loope
Loope makes its debut at Salone del Mobile this week with Effects, a set of five collections that encompass coffee tables and seating for both indoor and outdoor use. Each piece is designed to appeal to a broad market. Their modern-yet-charming silhouettes could be equally at home at a restaurant or in a park.
They're also build to last: ‘With full control over the recycling process, we ensure the reused polyethylene remains uncontaminated and retains its key properties. This exceptional material is resistant to weather, breaks, and impacts. It’s flexible, soft, yet incredibly durable, extending the life of each piece,’ Rygalik explains.
The best part? If you tire of your piece, after five years you can return it and have it made into something else. ‘When you buy a Loope piece, you're not just getting a chair, but also the potential for a table in the future,’ says Rygalik.
And so it goes on. And on and on again.
Armstrong coffee table by Loope
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