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OKMany people wonder if our cardboard furniture is truly more sustainable than traditional furniture. The answer is simple: Yes, it is!
Here's how and why.
Furniture production is highly material-intensive, requiring complex manufacturing processes. Due to their size and weight, shipping is both costly and emission-heavy. Yet, many customers still expect low prices.
To cut costs, many manufacturers outsource production to low-wage countries, often using cheap composite materials made under poor conditions. These materials frequently contain harmful chemicals that negatively impact both the environment and human health—a quick Google search for "furniture" and "toxins" says it all.
At RIAB, we prove that sustainability and great design can go hand in hand!
We love recycling because it conserves resources. Our material of choice—corrugated cardboard—consists of 54% to 80% recycled paper fibers. While we’d prefer an even higher rate, it would compromise the stability of our furniture. To balance sustainability and durability, the fresh fibers we use come from sustainable forestry.
The result? 100% recyclable furniture that can be easily disposed of via the paper recycling bin and reintroduced into the material cycle. However, thanks to its high quality, our furniture is built to last.
Fun fact: All cardboard scraps from production are recycled in our zero-waste process!
Our cardboard furniture is completely free from solvents, plasticizers, and harmful chemicals—good for both you and the environment.
To bond the paper sheets, we use only vegan starch glue made from corn starch. The colors used for finishing are water-based, solvent-free, and entirely safe.
For us, sustainability goes beyond ecology—it also means fair and transparent production. That’s why all our furniture is made in Germany under fair working conditions.
Reducing CO₂ emissions is key to climate-friendly production. Our furniture’s high recycling content, recyclability, and low weight significantly reduce its environmental impact, especially in transport.
A scientific study confirms this! In her master’s thesis at the University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Chiara Fahrthofer analyzed our Bed 2.0’s environmental impact compared to a conventional bed.
The results: Bed 2.0 generates 280 times less CO₂, consumes 8,000 times less energy, and is 4 times more climate-friendly in transport!
*Chiara Fahrthofer, "Comparison of the two Life Cycle Assessments of a conventional produced bed and 'Bett 2.0' by ROOM IN A BOX GmbH & Co. KG regarding to their environmental impact within defined impact categories.", Master’s program "Eco Design", University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Wieselburg campus, supervisor: Gerald Götz
