This week, aluminium company Hydro is present at Milan’s world-leading design week to engage the industry in better material selection and how to design for recycling. Based on the belief that experts should unite along the value chain to exchange knowledge and develop more sustainable solutions, Hydro is now launching a collaboration with the British designer Tom Dixon. 

“We are proud to join forces with a forward-thinking designer like Tom Dixon to develop products fit for the circular economy. Our philosophy is that it is through uniting experts, from our own material engineers to designers like Tom Dixon, we can reduce carbon footprint and develop products that can go back into the loop – starting already at the drawing board,” says Egil Hogna, Head of Hydro’s business area Extruded Solutions.

Sustainability as the design brief 

The collaboration started when Tom Dixon wanted to make a chair that was lightweight, robust and recyclable – and so looked to aluminium and Hydro. The joint project started in late 2018, gathering experts from recycling, surface treatment and extrusion design. The result will be a chair, made from recycled aluminium, designed to last and easily recycled at the end of its useful life.

“I think it’s very important that different industries meet each other like this. By exchanging ideas and knowledge, we develop exciting things in ways we have not done before. Sustainability is a critical factor, which is one of the reasons I like designing with aluminium,” says Tom Dixon, Creative Director of Tom Dixon Studio. 

Hydro produces more than 70% of its aluminium using renewable hydropower, making it among the greenest aluminium in the world. Offering low-carbon and highly recycled aluminium, Hydro’s experts work with customers in all industries to enable circular solutions. 

Design for recycling – Hydro at Milan Design Week 2019 

Aluminium is an increasingly popular material among industrial designers, as it is strong, light and versatile, as well as 100% recyclable. To mobilize the industry in how to design for recycling, Hydro also supports Norwegian Presence, the Norwegian exhibition in Milan. Hydro’s experts have worked closely with selected designers in the process from the design at the drawing board to the prototype presented in Milan, where aluminium baskets, lamps and tables illustrate how to design for recycling.