There is so much plastic in the world that ends up in landfills, or in the case of plastic grocery bags, often hanging from a tree limb, it just makes me sick. Any time I see something about a company recycling plastic into a beautiful object I feel like there might be hope for our polluted planet.
Designers Ayse Birsel and Bibi Seck have designed the Taboo Collection of furniture that are made in Dakar, Senegal, from 75% recycled garbage bags and plastic bottles. The furniture is manufactured by Transtech, a Senegalese maker of cisterns and septic tanks utilizing recycled plastic. The stools draw their inspiration from the daily habits of Western Africans who traditionally sit or squat around low tables at meal time.
Taboo pieces come in a variety of colors ranging from corals to blues, and greens, depending on the color of the recycled plastic used at the time of manufacture. The stools and tables have a visual quality that is reminiscent of “careaux cassées,” the broken tile floors that are so popular in Dakar. Taboo is durable enough to be used both indoors and outside, which would make it ideal for patio furniture here in the states. My only question is color fastness with prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
Photography: Bibi Seck.
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