Recovering clothing and textile waste to transform everything into panels for interior design: is the mission of Panecoa Japanese brand born from Work Studio under the leadership of del ceo Kazuhiro Hara. An innovative idea that makes it possible to reuse part of those 13 million tons of waste related to the world clothing industry, 1.2 million of which produced in Japan. In this way, greenhouse gas emissions caused by their disposal are also avoided.
The journey of Paneco begins with the recovery of the waste from the textile supply chain, including leather and carbon fiber. With the help of various socially engaged Japanese structures, the garments are deprived of all superfluous components such as, among others, zips, buttons and decorative elements, to then be crushed and ground. Once processed, the material is ready for the final step: through a sophisticated system of presses the panels take shape, in turn 100% recyclable at the end of their life. In detail, 91.5% of each board is made up of recovered clothing: to make one of the dimensions 930 x 930 x 5.5 mm, you need, for example, 20 shirts.
It is a multifunctional and design product that finds application in the most varied construction types: poufs, shelving, dividers, tables, seats, wardrobes etc. The small irregularities and imperfections, essential elements for a processing of this type, characterize these tables in a unique way, with a stone effect that recalls the characteristics of the granite.
“Present on the market for less than a year, Paneco has a monthly production capacity of about 1,000 sheets of the highest quality and finish – he says Kazuhiro Hara – Our goal is to move to large-scale production without compromising on quality ”.