What happens when you get a hole in your stockings? They go in the trash, right? Did you know that tights (or pantyhose) are made from a petroleum-based production method and are, therefore, always reduced to end up in the landfill?
Realizing the linear lifespan of tights, Stockholm-based brand Swedish Stockings set up its business to ensure hosiery becomes a fully sustainable product.
“We create our pantyhose from pre and post-consumer nylon waste,” says Swedish Stockings. “The production process is a lot less harmful to the environment than traditional nylon production and we are consistently looking for innovative and cleaner ways to produce – conserving or reusing water, decreasing emissions, reducing and recycling waste. For this highly efficient recycling procedure, we have reduced energy and water consumption. We estimate thousands of stockings have been recycled thanks to our recycling program.”
This recycling program is what sets the brand apart from competitors. They urge customers to send back old tights in exchange for a discount off their next purchase. Turning old stockings into new is the ultimate goal, however, the technology needed to do this is not readily available.
As such, the brand opted to use its cutting edge production methods to recycle old pantyhose into tables. The furniture is made by grinding between 80 to 350 pairs of old tights and mixing them with recycled fibreglass to create a unique finish that mimics marble.
The brand is working with furniture designer Gustaf Westman as part of its Innovations initiative which aims to push the boundaries in the industry, either by product or concept.
When talking about the design, Westman explains; “The most important thing was to emphasize the material in the tables. I wanted to keep the design simple and the round shapes give the material full focus from all angles. By only making tables in cylinders stacked on top of each other, the entire collection is unified and easy to understand. The tables can be used individually or in a cluster.”
The tables range from $755-$2925 CAD ($550-$2130 USD) and are available for purchase on Swedish Stockings’ website.
