At THE UPCYCL we see the possibilities in the limitations. We believe that creativity and innovative solutions can flourish when challenged to think differently and see resources in waste materials.

Furniture designer Mathias Falkenstrøm thinks material before design and focuses on the material's capabilities. That's why THE UPCYCL  contacted Mathias Falkenstrøm when we were looking for a design solution for a modular storage furniture for our showroom. A challenge that required Mathias Falkenstrøm to use only our own waste materials. The result was a functional and aesthetic piece of furniture that shows how waste materials can be used in a beautiful and functional way.

Designer Mathias Falkenstrøm's idea behind the shelving system was to preserve the form properties of the materials and create a functional and modular storage furniture made entirely from THE UPCYCL's own leftover materials, without compromising on aesthetics, scalability and production costs. Mathias Falkenstrøm explains that the shelving system is:

"designed in an attempt to create an aesthetically beautiful and functional modular piece of furniture using as little intervention as possible in terms of material processing."

Therefore, virtually all the materials in the shelving system have been preserved as they looked when they were discarded from their previous production.

Studio Mathias Falkenstrøm has used five so-called "New Waste" materials from THE UPCYCL's material exchange: galvanized steel pipe, black steel pipe, stainless steel sheet, solid oak board and dark green acrylic sheet. These materials come from our member companies: JEVI A/S, VTI and Ravendo A/S.

Designer Mathias Falkenstrøm describes the working process with the materials as follows:

Studio Mathias Falkenstrøm always puts the materials before the design. The designer thus radiates the spirit that THE UPCYCL believes in, and together we bring the focus back to the material's ability to be translated into creative designs. As Mathias Falkenstrøm so beautifully puts it:

"By designing based on the properties of specific materials, you can utilize waste materials to a much greater extent and have more efficient production in general, all of which contribute to more sustainable furniture production. When you have the right materials in place, you automatically have the right framework for aesthetics and functionality"

THE UPCYCL is a movement towards a more sustainable future. We believe that waste materials are not waste, but a resource that can be recycled and transformed into something beautiful and functional. Our mission is to make this process as simple as possible for businesses to contribute to a more circular economy.

Designer Mathias Falkenstrøm shares our vision and has experienced our concept first-hand. He says:

"Studio Mathias Falkenstrøm is THE UPCYCL's biggest fan! We see endless possibilities in their way of making things easier for everyone else who wants to work with climate sustainability."

This is precisely THE UPCYCL's ambition; to make it easy for companies to act circularly, and we have put ourselves in the world to facilitate this process.

As Mathias Falkenstrøm describes so well:

At THE UPCYCL we are proud of our efforts and hope to inspire more people to think differently about waste as a precious resource.

We believe that by working together and being open to new ideas, we can create a sustainable future for all of us. We will continue to match waste materials with companies that can transform them into creative designs, and we hope to see more companies join our movement. Together we can create a world with less waste and more creativity.