Design icons - Emeco 111 Navy Chair

Rethinking waste through sustainable design

Can discarded plastic bottles become something designed to last? The Emeco 111 Navy Chair offers an interesting example of how designers and manufacturers can rethink materials to address environmental challenges.

The story began in 2006, when Coca-Cola approached American furniture manufacturer Emeco with the idea of transforming waste plastic bottles into a durable chair. The project drew inspiration from Emeco's 1006 Navy Chair, originally designed in 1944 for the US Navy. After four years of development, the 111 Navy Chair was launched in 2010.

Its distinctive design retained the recognisable form of the original aluminium chair but introduced a different material approach. The original version incorporated recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET), the plastic commonly used in drinks bottles, alongside glass fibre and pigment to provide strength and colour. Each chair initially used at least 111 recycled bottles, giving the product its name. Following further engineering development, Emeco now states that each chair uses at least 170 waste plastic bottles.

Inspiring the next generation of green careers

The 111 Navy Chair demonstrates how design innovation can bring together established products, material development and new approaches to manufacturing. Its story also highlights career opportunities in sustainable product design, materials development and engineering, where creative and technical skills can help address environmental challenges.

For design and technology teachers, it provides a practical starting point for exploring recycled materials, product development, material properties and responsible design decisions.

Pupils could investigate how waste materials might be given a new purpose and consider the skills needed to develop more sustainable products.

What makes a product sustainable beyond the materials it uses? How could designers improve everyday objects to reduce waste and extend their useful life?