Recover

RECOVER is a joint collaboration between Furia and industrial designer Kevin Meric for the Nike: Design with Grind Circular Innovation Challenge, a global design competition run by OpenIDEO.

Through the challenge, Nike sought design partners who could find innovative ways to reuse their re-cycled shoe waste material (known as Nike Grind) to create new products that followed circular economy design and manufacturing practices.

Due to the high volume of Nike Grind material being collected worldwide, and our goal to maximize the impact of cradle-to-cradle sustainability, our team focused on creating a globally accessible product that was in use everywhere, every day, and by everyone. We proposed creating a range of weatherproof modular seating products using several Nike Grind material compounds that could be thermoformed to produce both the upholstery and cushioning of the seating. Through access to the Nike Grind materials, we developed a physical prototype intended for mass-market applications such as public transit, sports and entertainment, and education spaces. The name RECOVER was developed for the product line inspired by the “recovering” of waste material destined for landfills, and the “re-covering” of the seat upholstery with Nike Grind materials. A logo, information book, and video were also produced to support the product.

Over 350 design teams across the globe competed in the challenge, with the RECOVER prototype making it to the third and final round finishing sixth overall.