EASY BEING GREEN

Biodegradable home items show us why breaking down is a good thing,

We often lament about how nothing lasts anymore. But for a new wave of biodegradable home-related items — think chairs and toothbrushes — breaking down is a good thing.

“There is a pull towards being more sustainable from designers and artists like myself, which is now gaining momentum and becoming more fashionable,” designer Spencer Jenkins, who makes furniture and sculptures that are woven, carved or steamed from wood and willow, says. “This needs to happen if the world as a whole is to survive.”

A 2015 Nielson survey found nearly three out of four millennials say sustainability is a shopping priority. And this group is the most willing to pay extra for sustainable products, with Baby Boomers not far behind (51 per cent feel strongly about making sustainable choices).

Biodegradable kitchen products have been around for a while, but these days designers are creating larger items, such as furniture. Last year, a Dutch Design Award was given to Christien Meindertsma for her biodegradable Flax Chair, made of flax fibre and PLA (polylactic acid) bioplastic derived from sugar cane and cornstarch. The chair was purchased by the prestigious Vitra Design Museum.

We rounded up nine products that can be enjoyed — and tossed — guilt-free.