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to the expensive corporate models on
the market.
The flat-pack, portable workstation
weighs just 6.5kg and doesn’t require
any tools, screws or glue for assembly.
The pieces simply slot together and,
when the desk’s not needed, fold down
and convert into a sizeable carry case
for storage or transportation.
Considering what it is made from,
the desk has a non-budget price tag
of £129, which Edwards says reflects
the price of other desks on the market.
“We’re not trying to compete with
every cheap desk that’s on Amazon and
eBay; we’re looking to compete with
the standing desk market and bring
a unique solution to people’s work
lifestyle,” he said.
Edwards adds that thanks to the use
of 3-ply virgin corrugated cardboard,
the desk is stronger than you might
think. “We’ve done a lot of user
testing. Cardboard’s not the strongest
material in the world – it’s certainly
not as strong as wood or steel – but
the way we’ve designed it and with its
corrugated structure the desk can hold
85kg if spread evenly across the top.We
calculated it can hold something like
110 Apple Macbooks.”
Cardboard in disguise
A more elegant option is the FlutePRO
workstation from FluteOffice. Flute
began life as Cardboard Future in 2009
and launched the FlutePRO workstation
in 2011.
Walk into an office
kitted out with FlutePRO
workstations and chances
are you won’t realise
they are made out of
cardboard thanks to
the fine finish and
choice of colours
(white, light blue and
stone grey). Flute can
also produce bespoke
versions and add logos
or graphics.
The workstation is supplied in parts
for the customer to assemble, with
patented connectors that slot into place.
Flute says the average assembly time for
one person is five minutes and, because
it weighs just 15kg, FlutePRO is easy to
move around. It can hold 1700kg.
The company takes sustainable design
seriously, utilising waste cardboard and
virgin fibre from managed sustainable
sources and boasting 100% cradle-to-
cradle sustainability. CEO Rod Fountain
said: “We now position ourselves as
an up-cycler of waste fibre.We have a
centre of excellence inWest Sussex and
an assembly plant in Kent and currently
upcycle about 10,000 tonnes of waste
per annum into high value products for
M&S, the NHS, Imperial College, Thames
Tideway and the Dutch Postal Service.”
He added: “We are a front runner in
the circular economy and our mission
is the elimination of waste and the
enhancement of life for all. And it’s
great fun!”
And he’s right. DIY solutions do
bring an element of fun
to office furniture
and can even
encourage teamwork
as employees band
We’re not
trying to
compete with
every cheap
desk that’s on
Amazon and
eBay; we’re
looking to
compete with
the standing
desk market
together to build the ideal workspace for
their needs.
The most common tech
thrown away by offices
Over the past year, waste clearance
company EnviroWaste has been
keeping a record of tech found in
waste collected from London offices.
The Top 20 most discarded tech
items are:
1.
Samsung laptops (240)
2.
HP fax machines (211)
3.
Toshiba laptops (198)
4.
Logitech webcams (153)
5.
Acer laptops (144)
6.
HP scanners (142)
7.
Binatone telephones (98)
8.
Proaction paper shredders (79)
9.
Canon printers (53)
10. Assorted franking machines (51)
11. Philips projectors (51)
12. Sony video cameras (47)
13. Microsoft webcams (44)
14. Epson scanners (43)
15. Goodmans radios (32)
16. Samsung smartphones (30)
17. Acer Chromebooks (27)
18. Seagate hard drives (19)
19. Blackberry mobile phones (11)
20. Canon digital cameras (5)
Any items that could be refurbished
or were still in working order were
sold on to second hand retailers,
with profits donated to theWildlife
Conservation Network.
