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23 May, 2023, 07:38 ET

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Orangebox to become first-to-market with "Do-Better" carbon reduced office furniture made with climate positive thermoplastic UBQ™

TEL AVIV, Israel, May 23, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- UBQ Materials, climate tech developer of advanced materials made from waste, today announced that leading UK-based furniture solutions company, Orangebox, will incorporate UBQ™ into its Do office chair. Orangebox will launch the reformulated product as "Do-Better," a new carbon-reduced version of its top seller at the leading UK design event, Clerkenwell Design Week, taking place May 23-25 in London.

The "Do-Better" chair uses UBQ™, a 100% bio-based material made entirely from household waste, to reduce the carbon footprint of the seat pan. UBQ™ replaces the mineral talc that is normally added to the polypropylene (PP), resulting in approximately 80% PP and 20% UBQ™. The PP contains 75% recycled content, of which 90% comes from post-consumer waste.

"Businesses across industries are looking for easy material swaps when it comes to sustainable transformation. Orangebox's Do-Better chair is first-to-market within its space and plays an important role in establishing a new standard for strategic implementation of innovative raw materials across product categories," said Patricia Mishic O'Brien, chief commercial officer of UBQ Materials.

The seat of The Orangebox chair will be produced with a new material mix prepared by compounding partner, Group MAIP, based in Italy. Utilizing UBQ™ within this component, in combination with changing other parts' materials to more conventional recycled feedstocks, Orangebox is helping tackle the waste crisis, preventing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and ultimately contributing to the establishment of a more circular economy.

Orangebox will exhibit its partnership with UBQ at this year's Clerkenwell Design Week under its "No Green Bull" campaign, setting an example for a new standard in office furniture sustainability and transparency. The company will delve into three focus areas: Materiality, Circularity and Locality, providing a platform to its partners to showcase environmentally conscious solutions across these areas. Gareth Banks, Head of Sustainability for Orangebox, will present UBQ Materials as one of three 'No Green Bull' allies to Clerkenwell Design Week attendees from the Orangebox booth on Thursday, May 25th at 11:00 am BST.

"We are specifically not creating a separate eco-conscious office furniture line," said Banks. "Instead, we are leading our industry on a sustainable path for the future, reformulating the Do, our best-selling office chair, to 'Do-Better. We are demonstrating that you don't have to change your best-sellers. This is the same product that our customers know and love, with a lighter environmental footprint."

According to Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) 1.2 million office desks and 1.8 million office chairs end up in UK landfills each year. Across Europe, 80-90% of all furniture ends its life this way, with the average task chair alone generating 72 kilos of CO₂ over its lifespan. Every ton of UBQ™ diverts roughly 1.3 tons of waste from landfills or incineration, while also preventing up to 11.7 tons of CO2eq (GWP20) into the atmosphere.

"We cannot separate eco-consciousness. It must be integrated into everything we do and every product we design moving forward," emphasized Banks.

UBQ™ is a novel material with thermoplastic properties that can integrate with minimal adaptations to existing manufacturing processes and materials. Made entirely from unsorted household waste that has been diverted from landfills, incorporating UBQ™ in products increases recycled content, reduces or offsets carbon footprints, and is recyclable for further use.

About UBQ Materials Ltd.UBQ Materials Ltd. closes the loop between the ecosystems of waste and materials. Through its advanced conversion technology, UBQ Materials Ltd. has created the world's first bio-based thermoplastic, UBQ™, made entirely from organic and unrecyclable household waste. An easy material swap for plastic, UBQ™ preserves finite resources, prevents methane emissions in landfills and provides a climate positive solution for a circular economy. A certified B Corp, UBQ Materials is a globally expanding company providing the world's largest businesses, municipalities and consumers the ability to create a truly circular economy where human consumption lives in harmony with the planet.

Learn more by visiting www.ubqmaterials.com

Media ContactNicole Kaufman Grubner929-588-2011[email protected]

SOURCE UBQ Materials Ltd.