The CooLoo Circular Canopy
In 2019, we started a collaboration with CooLoo, creating a CooLoo Circular Canopy which is made using Marmoleum waste material.
.webp "Cooloo Circular Canopy | photo courtesy of Cooloo")
Contributing to the circular economy
Forbo Flooring’s Sustainability Strategy focuses on becoming a zero waste company. This in essence means that we are open to new approaches in the way we manufacture our products, but also to the way in which we process our waste streams. In our linoleum factories, the vast majority of linoleum waste is being re-used in our Marmoleum products. Installation residues are also collected and added to the recycling system on our sites, contributing to the 43% recycled content in Marmoleum.
Of course, we are always looking for other ways to reduce, reuse and recycle our production, installation and post-installation waste. That is why in 2019, we started a collaboration with CooLoo, resulting in the CooLoo Circular Canopy with a coating made from Marmoleum waste material.
.webp "Cooloo Circular Canopy | materials | photo courtesy of Cooloo")
.webp "Cooloo Circular Canopy | planets | photo courtesy of Cooloo")
CooLoo, shaping a better world by thinking circular
The CooLoo Circular Canopy is an initiative of Dutch designer Thed Konings in co-creation with CooLoo. Together with many partners and designers, they create art and design objects based on sustainability, circularity and zero-waste.
CooLoo is a Dutch company that develops and produces projects, products and new materials for furniture and interior design, based on coating techniques and high-end application of waste materials. With the use of coatings from waste materials such as cork, leather, jeans and concrete they can create seamless soft or hard furniture in any size or shape. Ideally suited for repair, refurbishment, and recycling. Bringing sustainability and high-end design together in a future-proof concept.
The coating process
Here’s how it works: old Marmoleum floors or cuttings are collected, and the backing is separated from the pure Marmoleum. This pure Marmoleum is then chopped into pieces, grounded and sieved in stages until the final fraction is retained. This material can be used as a base for soft seating finishing, acoustic panels and sheet materials in the form of CooLoo's coatings. It can even be mixed with other waste materials like leather or jeans to get new types of textures, colours and feels.
Once the mixture is complete, the production of design pieces can start. CooLoo's specially developed water-based binder (VOC- and solvent-free) together with the final material is applied using special equipment and techniques. Sanding and the application of final layers and protective nano finishing generates the final look and feel.
Looking at the furniture you would almost forget that it is made with foam, as the coatings give the furniture a robust and industrial look while the seat is actually soft and comfortable.
Collaborating on the TU Delft renovation project
In 2020 Forbo and CooLoo collectively realized the first large project for the Technical University Delft. For the renovation of the famous EWI building, Forbo Flooring Systems scraped the old linoleum floors and provided the building with fresh new Marmoleum. Simultaneously CooLoo produced lounge areas with soft seating, finished with a coating from the old EWI building floors that were placed onto the new Marmoleum floor.
.jpg "Cooloo Circular Canopy | Salone del Mobile 2021 | photo courtesy of Cooloo")
Salone del Mobile
We were proud to have the CooLoo Circular Canopy displayed at the Masterly Dutch Pavilion at Salone del Mobile in Milan this year.