Washbasin and toilet seat from wood cellulose

The interior world is looking for solutions to reduce its CO2 emissions. Especially in the sanitary area, these are significant due to the use of mineral materials. The world’s first toilet made from a biomaterial comes from Woodio in Finland and was awarded the Design Plus Award 2023 at the ISH in Frankfurt.

Woodio products consist of wood cellulose and resin-based adhesives

Since the demand for wood in Finland has been falling, enormous efforts have been made to develop alternative product uses for cellulose and to promote the use of forestry resources. Since then, the country has become a pioneer in the development of sustainable materials along with new product solutions (e.g. batteries from Lignin, foil from cellulose).

“Woodio offers an ecological alternative to ceramic bathroom products. Based on an innovative wood composite material that we developed in 2017, we make design items such as washbasins, toilets, bathtubs, and wall panels which reduced less CO₂ emissions when compared to traditional ceramic products.“ says Petro Lahtinen (Founder and CEO of Woodio).

The company’s washbasins, bathtubs and toilet seats are made from a solid and 100% waterproof composite material based on real wood chips and resin-based adhesives. The material is impact-resistant and virtually unbreakable in normal use. Thanks to the high proportion of wood, the surface feels warm on the skin when sitting. The toilet seat is suitable for most flushing systems on the market and has been designed according to European standards.

“The demand for ecological products is growing rapidly. However, the bathroom sector has currently only been able to come up with solutions for reducing water consumption, but there has not been much progress in the material development side in this regard,” Lahtinen describes the context of the development. „That is why we created the Woodio toilet seat, even though it was the most challenging product we have developed so far.“

The patented pouring technology eliminates the need for high-temperature processes and does not require large amounts of water. Mainly renewable resources and secondary streams from the Finnish forest industry are used for production. All Woodio products are manufactured in the company’s own production facility in Finland.

www.woodio.fi