The Premise. The Eco Movement is all about living life in a sustainable way, including recycling anything and everything possible. it’s one thing to upcycle a water bottle, but one’s furniture poses a bit more of a challenge.
The Product. Flatgoods offers an array of furniture made out of durable cardboard. The company ships it flat and it is up to the buyer to assemble. One-upping Ikea, Flatgoods offers anything from side tables to sofas with the option to print custom designs on any piece. All Flatgoods furniture is 100% recyclable.
The Pitch. Flatgoods’ Kickstarter campaign gives a detailed list of all pieces available to purchase. The video gives a little back story on the creator, James Mikrut, as well as shows people standing and even bouncing on different Flatgoods products to demonstrate how stable they are. Mikrut hopes to raise $20,000 in his 31 day campaign. For more information, visit the Flatgoods Web site.
The Perks. Each Flatgoods reward tier offers backers a ton of options to choose from. For $30, backers can pick one piece from an array of end tables, kids chairs and stools all shown in photographs at the bottom of the campaign. Tiers go all the way up to $150, which earns backers the choice between sofas, different sets of kids’ furniture or even a conference table with the custom design option. Current estimated delivery is set at May 2014.
The Potential. Flatgoods’ biggest claim to fame is that its products are 100% recyclable. That said, Flatgoods furniture would be difficult to reuse as furniture because it certainly isn’t as durable as wood and one spilled coffee would be deadly. Another problem is that Flatgoods furniture looks like it’s made out of cardboard. There are many other cardboard furniture companies, such as Chairigami, that uses more innovative design techniques so that their products look like actual furniture. Some of these companies got their funding from Kickstarter, like SITGREEN and Re-Ply. These two in particular focus on taking the moving box look out of their products. All in all, Flatgoods is on the right track and their products are great for kids, but wouldn’t necessarily blend into adult dining rooms or offices as the Kickstarter campaign suggests.
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