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We at Inhabitat are huge supporters of the trash-to-treasure approach to design. Using repurposed, discarded, and recycled materials is not only eco-friendly and gives new life to seemingly useless material, but provides an interesting critique on modern consumer-based culture and individual value systems (see our recent Reclaiming Design ^[5] panel at HauteGREEN ^[6]). In that spirit, here are our five favorite chairs made from trash, reused materials, and other such refuse.

1. A LA LATA LOUNGER by Carlos Alberto Montana Hoyos ^[7]
Carlos Alberto Montana Hoyos’ ^[8] sleekly styled lounge chair is a feat of both recycling and hand-crafted construction. Meticulously assembled using 1739 recycled aluminum can tabs, Hoyos’ unique lounge chair incorporates traditional handicraft techniques with cutting-edge contemporary design.

2. RD4 CHAIR by Richard G. Liddle/Cohda Designs ^[9]
Combining green design sensibility and the freehand aesthetic of an architect’s sketch (RD stands for ‘roughly drawn’), Richard G. Liddle’s magnificent RD4 Chair ^[10] is made from 100% wasted plastic, which yields a very comfortable seat in a super-cool form.

3. INKUKU PLASTIC BAG CHAIR by Ryan Frank ^[11]
While most of us green-minded consumers have hopefully switched to reusable shopping bags by now, plastic shopping bags continue to be a huge source of waste. But Ryan Frank’s ^[12] Inkuku chair (which means “chicken” in Zulu), turns these pesky bags into design material using a traditional African craft technique. The result is a very brightly colored (and especially green) seat.

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4. HUMAN NEST CHAIR by Emily Pilloton ^[14]
One of the eye-catching green pieces from HauteGREEN 2006 ^[15], Emily Pilloton’s ^[16] Human Nest chair takes bird-based construction to a comfy and oh-so-eco-friendly level- the bowl shaped chair is hand woven and tied using a bamboo frame and dozens of yards of scrap fabric.

5. UHURU SCRAP STOOLEN ^[17]
One of our BKLYN Design ^[18] favorites, this darling little stool by Uhuru ^[19] is constructed from off-cut scrap wood pieces, all held in place using a recycled bike wheel. We love its tongue-in-cheek resemblance to a tree-stump, and love that the wood is recycled even more.