About four years ago, in 2006, Coca-Cola came to Emeco with a proposal. Coke asked Emeco to make the classic Navy Chair out of a new, unproven formulation of rPET recycled plastic bottles.

The goal of the 111 Navy project was to alter consumer behaviour by illustrating the value of rPET with beautifully designed and everyday products, ultimately encouraging more recycling.

Requiring a state-of-art mold, the new 111 Navy Chair^TM includes the original Navy chair structural brace below the seat. This detail not only assures authenticity, but creates great structural integrity.

The 111 Navy Chair^TM carries a 5 year structural guarantee and is available in six colours including Red, Snow, Flint Gray, Grass Green, Persimmon and Charcoal. Snow, Flint and Red can be used outdoors.

The new chair has a distinctive, “velvet” finish that is scratch resistant. The new chair passes California and UK Fire Codes, along with BIFMA structural testing for commercial use.

Gregg Buchbinder, CEO of Emeco remembers, “When Coke came to me with this project I jumped on it. It’s a huge investment for a small company, but we have the potential of reusing the PET from about 3 million plastic bottles a year. That’s a lot of bottles and a lot of chairs too. The new chair is the strongest, and most beautiful we can make. We’ve turned something you throw away into something you want and can keep for a long, long time.”

Corporate Culture
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