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Potato and Sprout: Where Vibrancy and Sustainability Meet
Designed and made in Australia, Potato and Sprout’s range of lounge chairs and side tables embrace recycled plastic to absorb waste through thoughtful design.
When it comes to furniture that is truly sustainable, a lot of brands talk the talk – without walking the walk. Sydney-based Potato and Sprout both talks and walks with its range of 100 per cent recycled plastic pieces, made in Australia from locally sourced post-consumer and agricultural waste.
Materiality is only one aspect of the brand’s deep commitment to sustainability: Potato and Sprout’s furniture is manufactured with 100 per cent renewable energy and hand-finished by plastics recycling manufacturer, Defy Design, in Sydney. Each product is also fully circular in nature, and can be recycled again at end of life.
The company’s founders, Alex McIntosh and Charlie Roberts, describe Potato and Sprout’s collection of lounge chairs and side tables – which will be soon joined by planter boxes – as “Neo-Brutalism meets Bauhaus”. The pieces come in a fold, slot and twist-together flatpack design (no extra screws or bolts are needed for assembly), enabled by plastic’s inherent flexibility, and are UV stabilised, making them suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications. Additionally, plastic’s indestructible nature – which makes it so disastrous for the environment – does, in a sustainable and recycled version, make for a weatherproof, waterproof, rust-proof and rot-proof material perfectly suited for the rigours of the Australian climate.
“We’ll continue to focus on creating furniture and supporting pieces that are equal parts striking and sustainable.”
Vibrant colourways are a hallmark of Potato and Sprout’s range, and pieces are produced in limited runs to reflect the brand’s focus on individuality. The ergonomically designed Lani lounge chair, for example, comes in a calming blue, with flecks of lilac, while its cousins, the Kai and Gerda, strike a bold note in coral and sky blue and lilac and coral, respectively. The matching side tables are equally colourful and quirky.
For founders Alex Mcintosh and Charlie Roberts, Potato and Sprout is an opportunity to create furniture that is not only individual but stands the test of time, helping to reduce waste in the process. “We’ll continue to focus on creating furniture and supporting pieces that are equal parts striking and sustainable,” says Roberts. “The driving force behind this is the intent to remain violently optimistic – the idea that while the world might seem a little messed up, we can still transform the trashy bits into something more upbeat.”
