Picto chair

The Picto chair is a product of Wilkhahn. This chair was designed by Burkhard Schmitz and Franz Biggel.

This chair was created from eight different recyclable, CFC free materials. This chair contained the important requirements for an environmentally friendly product – efficient use of pure, pollutant free materials and compounds that can easily be separated for recycling.^[1]

This swivel chair used automatic adjustment function conformed to the position of the user via a mere change of body weight. Picto received the environmental seal from the Dutch Milikukeur Foundation in 1995.^[1]

At the end of the products life it can also be disassembled for a combination of parts reuse and materials recycling. Up to 95% can be recycled.

To aid collection and disassembly at end of life Wilkhahn has developed a system for the return of the product for remanufacturing. Once it has been collected a number of design features speed up the disassembly process.^[2]

• The cloth covers are detachable for cleaning, repair or replacement
• Minimal number of parts and the amount of materials
• Parts are mechanically joined without glue
• Plastic parts weighing more than 15g are marked for identification

In terms of material selection, the chair is made from:

• Polypropylene
• High-pressure secondary aluminium
• PUR-foam produced without CFCs
• Beech wood from renewable sources
• Pigments that do not contain heavy metals

References

1. Schwarz, Rudolf, 1997, More than Furniture: Wilkhahn an enterprise in its time” ISBN 3-89802-018-5
2. Rezet, H. and C. van Hemel (1997) 'Ecodesign: a promising approach to sustainable production and consumption' Rathenau Institute, TU Delft & UNEP, Paris