Formica Corporation Repurposes Industrial Waste

Formica Corporation Repurposes Industrial Waste

As a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of innovative surfacing products, Formica Corporation is committed to our role as an environmental steward in the building, architecture and design communities developing environmentally responsible products that have raised the bar for the entire surfacing industry.

The Making of Reclaimed Denim Fiber 920x600

Made from real reclaimed denim fiber from cloth production mills, the overlay paper for Reclaimed Denim Fiber features 60% post-industrial denim fiber. Reclaimed Denim Fiber laminate is available in Jeans finish, a typical denim diagonal twill that adds true-to-touch realism with a directional texture. Due to the unique paper-making process, no two sheets of Reclaimed Denim Fiber laminates are exactly alike.

Design Inspiration Under the Surface

Inspired by insulation made from reclaimed denim, the design team developed an all new concept for laminate surfacing. This was the beginning of a series of events that led to a 2017 Red Dot Award winning product, Reclaimed Denim Fiber laminate.

Denim is comprised of cotton that is indigo dyed. Since cotton is a vital component of paper making, it became a natural fit for creating laminate.

Collaboration with paper makers, designers, and remnants from blue jean manufacturing, led to the creation of this design with 60% recycled content in the overlay. Since the offcuts from the blue jean manufacturers vary in shade, the results of each batch also fluctuate. The design of this product, created a very real and honest material—a design that isn’t printed which was a new turn in creating laminate surfacing.