California, US – Checkerspot’s Pollinator kit has won the SXSW Award for design. The kit is designed to give individual users such as product developers and artists access to its renewable PU materials.
The cast PU system is formulated with the company’s Algal Polyol 001, which is certified biobased by USDA. Any item made solely using this resin will be 56% biobased.
Importantly, the resin is compatible with the same tooling, moulding materials and processes used for petrochemical-based cast PU products.
“We product designers find ourselves in a position where the decisions we make, and the causes we advocate for, have great consequence in the environmental impact of manufactured products,” said Mitch Heinrich of What For Design, who led the design team for the kit. “Getting more sustainable and better performing materials into the hands of our fellow designers has been a passion project.”
Checkerspot’s algae-based PU is already used in commercial products, notably skis and snowboards which it sells under its outdoor recreation brand WNDR Alpine.
