Imagine a world where old plastic could have a useful and beautiful reincarnation. The Good Plastic Company is doing just that by transforming insulation from refrigerators and freezers, household electronics, CD cases, disposable coffee cups, toys and games, and disposable plates into beautiful architectural panels—that can also be used for flooring.
The Floor Trends & Installation team came across this innovative material, Polygood, at Neocon 2024. Made by The Good Plastic Company, a global manufacturer founded in the Netherlands in 2018, Polygood is made from 100% recycled plastic. The company's mission is to help the design industry replace traditional materials with sustainable options.
“The idea was to make a company that can solve the plastic waste issue in scale,” said Dr. William Chizhovsky, CEO and founder of The Good Plastic Company.
The Good Company sources the polystyrene from various post-consumer and post-industrial waste sources. Melted down, the plastic arrives at the manufacturing facility as flakes, granules, and colorful beads. The company does not recycle plastic internally. Instead, it manufactures products using recycled polystyrene sourced from some of Europe's largest, most established recycling centers.
Polygood earned its place in sustainable architecture and designs through a Cradle-to-Cradle Bronze certification and Environmental Product Declaration. The material is available in more than 100 patterns and can be used for architectural panels, constructed into various shapes, and used for flooring thanks to a non-skid material that is added during manufacturing. The material can be installed in several ways, including mechanical fastening and adhesion.
Since the company’s inception five years ago, Polygood has been showcased in more than 1,000 projects globally for clients such as Nike, Adidas, IKEA, McDonald's, Karl Lagerfeld, Coach, Hyundai, Soho House, Samsung, and BMW.
The company is now entering the United States, where the team sees a huge demand—12 sales rep groups are developing local markets. Once the market is developed, Chizhovsky said the company plans to build a manufacturing facility near a major recycler.
“We’ve already repurposed more than two million pounds of plastics since our founding in 2018 and are on track to repurpose one million pounds annually going forward,” Chizhovsky said. “By transforming plastic waste into a symbol of environmental consciousness, we aim to spark meaningful dialogue and inspire tangible action.”
