Cardboard furniture: Simple, recyclable, just don't call it 'flimsy'

Shelf modules (like this one from the manufacturer Room In A Box) can be assembled quickly and without tools. Photo: Room In A Box/dpa

It's a niche product alright, but it's not one that has to be hidden away in some niche of your home. Cardboard furniture has blossomed from a temporary solution to a fully fledged furnishing product.

"Cardboard furniture is especially popular with younger people," says home furnishings expert Gabriela Kaiser.

This is in part due to older people placing more value on upholstery and comfort, while flexibility has priority for a younger target group. Especially if you're not settled and are planning on moving, you benefit from the quick assembly and dismantling as well as easier transport, explains Kaiser.

Even a bed made of corrugated cardboard is possible and it's more stable than you'd think. This example is from Room In A Box. Photo: Chris Abatzis/Room In A Box/dpa

However, there is also another fast-growing target group – one that is environmentally conscious and focuses on sustainability, says Ursula Geismann, who runs a veneer industry organisation in Germany.

Together with a minimalist design, cardboard furniture is in keeping with the times.Trend researcher Frank A. Reinhardt also sees it that way.

"I associate cardboard boxes primarily with moving and stress."

But if this association is broken by a "smart, personalised design", cardboard furniture can be "a statement for a mobile and sustainable society".

Cardboard furniture is most commonly used for children's rooms and schools, as with this example from Papercomb. Photo: Papercomb/dpa

A lifespan of six to 10 years

"Corrugated cardboard constructions are very stable," says furniture design specialist Geismann. A standard bed is designed for 150-200kg. According to Geismann, centrifugal force tests have shown that even if you were to throw yourself onto a cardboard bed with momentum, most of them could withstand up to 1,000kg.

Depending on the quality, cardboard furniture has a lifespan of between six and 10 years.

You wouldn't spot it at first glance but this shelf (from manufacturer Papercomb) is made of cardboard. Photo: Martin Scherag/Papercomb/dpa

"Of course, it depends on how you use it and whether, for example, you have a pet that nibbles on the furniture," says Geismann.

The lightweight technology is also hidden in some furniture that doesn't look like cardboard, says design journalist Reinhardt.

To save weight, the inside of desk and cabinet door panels is made of cardboard. This not only makes transporting them easier, it also saves energy, which in turn is better for the environment.

In addition, thanks to the well thought-out design and folding and pressing technology, cardboard furniture can be assembled without additional parts such as screws and glue – which also adds to the sustainability.

Depending on the manufacturer, cardboard furniture is also made from 75%-95% recycled paper.

Shelves made of cardboard (these are from manufacturer Room In A Box) are among a growing number of cardboard furniture options. Photo: Room In A Box/dpa

Recycle, recycle, recycle

Once the furniture has reached the end of its life, it is classed as waste paper and can thus be recycled. It's a significant advantage when you consider the hassle of throwing out old beds or shelves.

"Disposing of cardboard furniture correctly is crucial when it comes to the sustainability aspect," Reinhardt emphasises.

Whether cardboard furniture will cross over from niche to mainstream is debatable, despite the arguments for investing in it. Trend analyst Kaiser expects many people will continue to prefer wood furniture.

At the same time she thinks "the target group for cardboard furniture will continue to grow". Environmentally friendly materials are becoming more and more important and cardboard is much more sustainable than cheap chipboard. – dpa

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