Hydro Collaboration with Designers Showcases Recycled Aluminum Products at Milan Design Week 2024

At Milan Design Week 2024, an exhibition amazed visitors with its visuals and the value it conveyed. Hydro, a Norwegian aluminum company, exhibited their product Hydro CIRCAL 100R. Aluminum is a widely used material in the architecture and design industry; conversely, it contributes 2% of global CO2 emissions. Therefore, the displayed technology and products are important to raise the awareness of practitioners and consumers. Directed by renowned designer Lars Beller Fjetland as the brain behind it, the exhibition collaborated with seven big names to design furniture using the company’s product.

Hydro CIRCAL 100R (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

Hydro’s exhibition at Milan Design Week 2024 (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

Hydro CIRCAL 100R is a product made entirely from 100% recycled post-consumer scrap, meaning it originates from used aluminum goods that have reached the end of their useful life, for example, old windows, home furniture, or car parts. Another interesting point about their product is how the company ensures that recycling will significantly reduce the carbon footprint. Based on Hydro’s page, they have two important aspects of recycling: where and how the aluminum is processed. In this case, Hydro ensures hyper-efficient production and minimizes pre-consumer residues that would increase the carbon load. In addition, the company recycles at local plants, minimizing the carbon footprint of transportation.

Products resulting from designers' collaboration (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

Inga Sempé’s Grotte lamp (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

Max Lamb’s Prøve Light (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

What is even more interesting is that aluminum can be recycled indefinitely, retaining all its qualities no matter how many times it is recycled. Aluminum is worth more attention. The seven top designers at Milan Design Week 2024 demonstrated the ability to produce elegant objects with a renewable lifespan: Inga Sempé, Max Lamb, Andreas Engesvik, Shane Schneck, Rachel Griffin, John Tree, and Philippe Malouin.

Andreas Engesvik’s Tsuba coat stand (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

Shane Schneck’s Nave vessels (cr: EinarAslaksen)

Rachel Griffin’s Serial partition (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

These seven collaborators have successfully proven that there is an open opportunity to create impressive-looking works from 100% recycled aluminum. All of the works showcase the full potential of extruded profiles, illustrating that this revolutionary technology will be the future of more sustainable mass production of aluminum furniture on an industrial scale.

John Tree’s Billet Chair (cr: Einar Aslaksen)

Philippe Malouin’s T-Board (cr: Einar Aslaksen)