Daily News
From Home Furnishing Business
Polywood Releases Ocean Chair, Saves 1,000 Single-Use Plastic Containers
March 11,
2020 by Jane Chero in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry 
Polywood, a manufacturer of outdoor furniture, has announced the launch of the Ocean Chair as part of its new Wave Collection of outdoor furniture. Each heirloom-quality chair will save 1,000 single-use plastic containers from the ocean, which are sourced from around the world via partners like The Plastic Bank. This kicks off Polywood’s commitment to recycle 1 million pounds of ocean-bound plastic into its furniture line by 2021.
“For the last 30 years, Polywood has been at the forefront of the recycling and sustainability movement, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the solution to the ocean-bound plastic problem,” says Brady Maller, EVP of strategy and sales. “Today over eight million metric tons of plastics are pouring into our oceans through rivers and streams — with the launch of the Wave Collection, consumers are able to make a direct impact with their purchases of high quality, classically styled outdoor furniture that will look beautiful for generations.”
On March 1, Polywood launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise awareness of the ocean-bound plastic problem, and give consumers an incentive to help make a dent through “early bird” discounts. In just one day, the Kickstarter campaign raised over $25,000 in pledges.
The Ocean Chair is available in 11 fade-proof colors and features a curated series of four Adirondack chairs that create a cresting wave when arranged together. The design is exclusive to Polywood, and helps tell the story that the chairs represent.
“In 2019 alone, Polywood recycled the equivalent of 146 million milk jugs at the in-house recycling facility we built in Syracuse, Indiana,” says Doug Rassi, co-founder and CEO, Polywood. “Although our products are fully produced in the U.S.A., we as a company have always had our sights set on making a positive impact globally. The Wave Collection enables consumers to help us make that difference on a very large scale, and it’s something we’re proud of and excited about."
The Kickstarter campaign runs through March 28. After that date, the Ocean Chair will be available for purchase through polywood.com and other retail channels.