Better Place
Furniture Return
2023
Meet Shiloh. Shiloh is at the end of its life as a chair.
But let’s go back to the beginning. This is the forest where Shiloh first lived.
If Shiloh had completed its lifecycle in the forest, its body would have decomposed and nourished the mycorrhizal network.
Instead, Shiloh got logged. It happens.
Shiloh was sold and processed into usable wood.
And eventually, Shiloh was put on the market in a brand-new form.
Shiloh is bought and spends many years in a home, providing support on a daily basis.
But the inevitable happens: Shiloh eventually reaches a state beyond repair.
There is only one place Shiloh can currently go: the landfill. There, the wood decomposes and emits carbon dioxide, and the toxic resins, glues, and finishes are released.
What if instead, we could honor the tree’s final form and ceremoniously return Shiloh back to the forest, where it could complete the end of its lifecycle?
Better Place Furniture Return proposes a kit that allows you to do just this.
The liquid mushroom culture grows blue oyster mushroom inside the body bag with the furniture, efficiently decomposing and absorbing the toxins, such as resin and formaldehyde, meaning it can also be used with particleboard/MDF pieces.
The bodybag is made of bioplastic and nutrients that attract the mycorrhizal network, allowing the decomposing wood inside to be absorbed back into the ecosystem.
Finally, the box itself is made from natural paper with seeds, meaning you can leave it as a marker once your furniture is buried, and it will grow flowers in its place.
