The Norwegian children’s product company KAOS launches a highchair made of the Fortum Circo® compound material, which consists of post-consumer recycled plastic reinforced with high-performance cellulose fibre. The material has been co-developed and optimised for the highchair and fulfils the requirements of the EN 71-3 toy safety standard, which regulates the chemical composition of products that come into contact with children.
The children's equipment industry is known for being regulated by strict requirements for safety – and chemicals. An essential part of the formal certification for high chairs (EN-14988:2017+A1:2020), is EN 71-3. The overall EN 71-3 standard assesses the migration of certain chemicals into the body if a toy or components of a toy were to be swallowed by a child.
KAOS, a premium brand known for its strong attention to sustainability, chose Fortum Circo® after rigorous research into different recycled plastic materials. Fortum Circo® had the desired properties in terms of e.g. sustainability, durability and consistency, and the company appreciates Fortum’s track record as a reliable and well-established partner. KAOS and Fortum co-developed the material further to ensure the best match for the product design.
“We at KAOS recognise the urgent need to identify environmental challenges and to create a more sustainable future. That is what we are doing now together with Fortum. In this new material, we are using plastic recycled from consumer packaging and keeping it in circulation. In addition, using cellulose means we capture CO2 in a long-lasting product – its potential lifespan is 225 years. At the end of the highchairs’ useful life, we are able to recycle the materials again,” says Gineline Kalleberg, CMO and founder of KAOS.
In addition to being compatible with the toy safety standard, the Fortum Circo® compound material withstands use in a household item that is used several times a day, by young children whose touch is not always gentle. The highchair comes in several colours and is designed to be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional, reflecting the premium positioning of the KAOS brand.
“We were thrilled to partner with KAOS in developing this material and product. This is the first Fortum Circo® application to receive approval for the highly demanding EN 71-3 standard, and it demonstrates the safety and versatility of the material. KAOS’s customers place high value on quality and sustainability, and this product will deliver on both,” says Anniina Rasmus, Brand Sales Manager for Fortum Circo®.
The co-development has been partly financed by the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund.
“We are in dire need of innovation and new ideas to be able to reduce a continuously increasing plastic stream. KAOS and Fortum have created a chair which is not only made out of recycled plastics, but can also be recycled up to nine times. By keeping plastics in the loop, they are making a considerable positive impact, whilst also creating a product that is commercially viable. This is Norwegian innovation at its finest, and we're proud to have been able to work with KAOS on their journey”, says Cecilie Lind, CEO of Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund.
The highchair is launched at the Kind und Jugend fair in Cologne, Germany on 7–9 September and has already attracted interested among large, international players within wholesale and hospitality. The chair will be launched for KAOS B2C during autumn 2023, with estimated deliveries starting in Q1 2024.
Fortum Corporation
Communications
More information:
Anniina Rasmus, Brand Sales Manager, Fortum Circo®, anniina [dot] rasmus [at] fortum [dot] com (anniina[dot]rasmus[at]fortum[dot]com), tel: +358 40 081 5484
Gineline Kalleberg, CMO, KAOS, gineline [at] itskaos [dot] com (gineline[at]itskaos[dot]com), tel: +47 99 366 282
Fortum
Fortum is a Nordic energy company. Our purpose is to power a world where people, businesses and nature thrive together. We are one of the cleanest energy producers in Europe and our actions are guided by our ambitious environmental targets. We generate and deliver clean energy reliably and help industries to decarbonise their processes and grow. Our core operations in the Nordics comprise of efficient, CO2-free power generation as well as reliable supply of electricity and district heat to private and business customers. For our ~5 000 employees, we commit to be a safe, and inspiring workplace. Fortum's share is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki. fortum.com
Fortum Circo® Recycled Plastics
Fortum Circo is a plastic recyclate produced from post-consumer plastic waste. With consistent and high quality, versatility and solid availability, Fortum Circo recycled plastic can be used in a wide variety of products and also customized into compounds to meet the specific needs and requirements. Fortum Circo is made with no compromises: it is a safe and reliable solution for sustainable plastics production. www.fortum.com/circo