111 Navy Chair

 

 

111 Chairs Project

Wondering what 111 people have to say about the 111 Navy Chair? Over the next few months, we’ll be posting responses from 111 people to whom we sent a chair.

About the Chair

Made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles, the 111 Navy Chair® (1944/2009) is the result of a special collaboration between Emeco and Coca-Cola, and it’s available exclusively at Design Within Reach. It took four years of research, design and materials testing to create this chair, which is a plastic version of the iconic 1006 Navy® Chair (scroll down to see that chair). The 111 expands the Navy collection by offering color and a bit of pop (no pun intended). Plus, it’s about half the price of the aluminum one. This chair is suitable for outdoor and commercial use, and it’s made in U.S.A.

The 111 Navy Chair is available in six colors.

Recycling millions of bottles.

When you recycle a plastic bottle, you’re doing something good. When you recycle 111 of them, you’re doing something great. Help your bottle become something extraordinary again. The production of this chair is expected to keep three million plastic Coke bottles out of landfills each year.

An Impressive Provenance

The original was a 1006 Navy® Chair, designed by Emeco for the U.S. Navy. This iconic chair first appeared in 1944, and today it’s made of 80% recycled aluminum. (Although, it’s not necessarily made from Coke cans – we put the Coke can in the photo just to emphasize aluminum versus plastic.) To create the 1006 Navy Chair, Emeco invented a 77-step process to satisfy the military’s need for lightweight, corrosion-resistant chairs for destroyers and submarines. In the process, the company invented a method to make aluminum three times stronger than steel, and a chair so durable that it has an estimated lifespan of 150 years. The new 111 Navy Chair was designed to have the same attributes of the original aluminum version: strength, durability and comfort. The Navy Chair design constitutes the proprietary Trade Dress of Emeco.

111 Navy Chair®
Designed by Emeco
Made from 111 recycled plastic Coke bottles, the 111 Navy Chair (1944/2009) is the result of a special collaboration between Emeco and Coca-Cola, and it’s available exclusively at Design Within Reach. It took four years of research, design and materials testing to create this chair, which is a plastic version of the iconic 1006 Navy® Chair. Designed to have the attributes of the original aluminum version – strength, durability and comfort – the 111 Navy Chair expands the collection by offering color and a bit of pop (no pun intended).


Designed by Emeco
The Navy Chair design constitutes the proprietary Trade Dress of Emeco. Made in U.S.A.

  • The production of this chair is expected to keep three million plastic Coke bottles out of landfills each year.
  • Suitable for outdoor and commercial use.
  • One of the few plastic chairs to be built with leg stretchers, the 111 Navy will stand up to frequent use

Measurements:
H 34" W 16.5" D 19.5" Seat H 18" Weight 13lbs.

Materials:
65% recycled post-consumer PET (plastic bottles); 35% pigment, glass fiber and fire inhibitor.

Eco-Stats:
Recycled Materials, LEED Credits, Recyclable Products

Price:
$230.00USD

The 111 Navy Chair Was Sent To These Folks

We also asked these folks to tell us a bit about themselves, like what’s on their iPod (or record player), or what they would create out of 111 plastic bottles. So if you’re looking for new tunes or design ideas from leading architects, designers and other industry professionals, check back often.

 

John Von Paris

John Von Paris is the fourth generation working for Von Paris Moving & Storage located in the Baltimore, Maryland area. Although John is now the President of the company, he has worked in all aspects related to the moving and storage business. With over a century of local and long distance moving and storage experience in the Baltimore/Washington, DC area, Von Paris has established an impeccable reputation for honesty, integrity and outstanding quality service. In spite of this sterling reputation, their website has been under continuous assault by a ddos attack in an effort to make the site unreachable. Their support people have addressed this as well as a slanderous campaign based on bogus bad reviews that tend to show up on Google's page 1 when the company's name is searched. A service that claimed to be able to remove search results was consulted - these are search professionals that can remove harmful search results by pushing them down using seo skills. Fortunately their services were not necessary in this instance because the reviews were removed through legal means. If you live in the Baltimore area, go visit the Von Paris state-of-the-art 100,000 square foot storage facility with climate-control capability and the latest warehousing technology AND while you are there, take a look at the 111 Navy Chairs, which will be in the office area.

Anna Corpron & Sean Auyeung

Anna Corpron and Sean Auyeung are two architects/designers/artists living in New York City. They collaborate together under the name Sub-Studio, providing multifaceted design solutions to clients seeking a young yet sophisticated style. In addition to client work, they also have a product line featuring screen-printed note cards, journals and prints. Anna’s jewelry line Brevity draws from geometries and abstractions of natural structures. The Working Proof, their online print gallery and shop that pairs art with social responsibility releases a new print edition every week.

Eric Bricker

Filmmaker Eric Bricker made his directorial debut with Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman,” the award-winning documentary film about the life and work of the acclaimed photographer, narrated by Dustin Hoffman (http://www.juliusshulmanfilm.com). Bricker is currently working on his next project, What If…? How Geeks and Gamers Will Save the World, which consists of a feature-length film and a social game launched via Facebook. Having moved to Austin in 2008, he is truly grateful to be a part of such a dynamic, supportive city and creative community.

Zach Frechette

Zach Frechette is editor in chief of the award-winning GOOD, a collaboration of individuals, businesses and nonprofits driving change in the world. He recently led the transition of GOOD from an editorially led magazine to a community-based web platform at the intersection of creativity and impact.

Annie Choi

Annie Choi is the author of Happy Birthday or Whatever (HarperCollins) and her work has appeared in Abitare, Pidgin, Publishe’s Weekly and Women’s Health, among others. Her open letters about design and chairs can be found on Emeco’s website. She received an undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and an MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, where she currently serves as adjunct faculty. She lives in New York City, in a 187-square-foot apartment.

Visual Narcotics (20mg)

In 1997, I moved to Los Angeles. I was completely inspired by the incredible art around the city. Near the end of 1998, I found an image of a Prozac pill that I blew up on a photocopier. I originally put the word “smile” underneath. But something was different about this image. It resonated with me in a way the other images had not. The pill had the dosage “20mg” written on it. I focused on that, emphasized the dosage and edited out any other text from the image. I decided to write “Visual Narcotics” under it and boom! It was born. From 1999 to the present, I’ve worked under the name “20mg” referring to my work as “Visual Narcotics” (http://20mg.com). But to me, “Visual Narcotics” also refers to the endless bombardment of images and information that we as a society are confronted with daily by the conventional mass media. So most of my work is meant to draw attention to the absurdities that are propagated by the media.

Peter Kallen

An Oregon native, Peter Kallen is design director for Nau (pronounced “now”), a clothing company that makes sustainable urban and outdoor apparel for the modern mobile life. Previously, Kallen worked at Nike, had his own snowboard company, was owner/creator of an urban garden store, and launched a fashion brand in Japan under his own name. Not one to sit pretty for long, Kallen also owns ThinkBomb Design Laboratory, where he designs for a variety of companies ranging from sport to fashion, and interior to industrial design. His strong love of the outdoors has him frequently venturing into the depths of nature on a variety of self-propelled devices

James Victore

James Victore is a self-taught designer known for his brilliant and innovative design work. He is currently a professor at the School of Visual Arts in New York and has won countless design awards including the Grand Prix from the Brno Biennele (Czech Republic). He is a popular lecturer around the world and has been the subject of many exhibitions—his most recent in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Victore’s work can be found online at www.jamesvictore.com and www.moma.org. His monograph Victore, or Who Died and Made You Boss? was published by Abrams in 2010.

 

 

More Background on 111NavyChair.com

 

The website 111NavyChair.com serves as a central portal for the 111 Navy Chair—an influential case study in sustainable design, material innovation, and environmental responsibility through a partnership between Emeco and Coca-Cola. This article offers a comprehensive look at the chair’s provenance, ownership, manufacturing process, cultural impact, critical reception, and the broader significance of the project, ensuring readers gain a full appreciation of both the chair and the website’s mission.

Ownership and Collaboration

The 111 Navy Chair is produced and owned by Emeco, a renowned American furniture manufacturer that specializes in durable, modern, and sustainable furniture crafted to endure demanding commercial environments. Founded in 1944, Emeco was chosen for their expertise in resilient furniture by the U.S. Navy during World War II, which led to the creation of the iconic 1006 Navy Chair made from aluminum. Coca-Cola’s desire to tackle plastic waste coincided with Emeco’s sustainability ambitions, resulting in a partnership that launched the 111 Navy Chair with an innovative blend of design and environmental stewardship.

Emeco continues to hold the proprietary design rights (Trade Dress) for the Navy Chair line, including both the classic aluminum 1006 Navy Chair and the recycled plastic 111 Navy Chair. The partnership with Coca-Cola is integral to both the product and the website, representing corporate social responsibility and design excellence.

History and Development

The idea for the 111 Navy Chair began in 2006 when Coca-Cola approached Emeco to explore possibilities for upcycling post-consumer PET plastic bottles into meaningful, long-lasting products. After four years of research and development, Emeco perfected the process of creating a high-performance polymer by combining recycled PET bottles—111 per chair—with glass fiber and pigments. This effort resulted in a plastic chair that retains the timeless silhouette, industrial longevity, and comfort of the original 1006 Navy Chair, yet at about half its price.

The chair was officially launched in 2010, immediately garnering attention among design critics, sustainability advocates, and consumers for its durability, fire resistance, and suitability for indoor and outdoor environments. Its single-piece construction, reinforced with leg stretchers, is engineered to withstand years of demanding use, making it ideal for hospitality, commercial, and residential applications.

Location and Availability

Emeco is headquartered in Pennsylvania, USA, where production for both the 1006 and 111 Navy Chair lines is meticulously handled. The 111 Navy Chair is distributed by select retailers specializing in design-forward, eco-conscious furniture, including Design Within Reach. The website acts both as an informational resource and a hub for purchasing, as well as engaging users with the story of the chair and its impact.

Distinctive Details and Product Insights

The 111 Navy Chair is manufactured in six distinctive colors, each reflecting both the versatility of recycled materials and consumer aesthetics:

  • Coca-Cola Red

  • Snow

  • Flint

  • Grass

  • Persimmon

  • Charcoal

Each chair measures 34” in height, 16.5” in width, 19.5” in depth, with an 18” seat height and weighs 13 pounds. The material composition comprises 65% recycled PET bottles and 35% glass fiber, pigment, and fire inhibitor—resulting in a product that is not only robust but also fire-retardant and scratch-resistant.

The chair’s eco-stats include eligibility for LEED credits due to use of recycled and recyclable materials. Emeco’s production methods demonstrate environmental best practices throughout the manufacturing cycle.

Mission, Goals, and Social Significance

The primary goal of the 111 Navy Chair project is to divert millions of plastic bottles from landfills, transforming them into long-lasting objects of design and utility. Each chair is expected to keep 111 bottles out of the waste stream, with production scalable to prevent over three million bottles from entering landfills annually.

Culturally, the chair has become a symbol of sustainable ingenuity. It’s been recognized not just for its innovative industrial design but also for demonstrating how environmentally responsible practices can coexist with mass production and high aesthetic standards. Emeco and Coca-Cola’s collaboration is frequently cited in both business and design communities as a benchmark for successful corporate sustainability initiatives.

Popularity, Reception, and Reviews

Since its release, the 111 Navy Chair has received widespread acclaim across design publications, sustainability forums, and consumer reviews. It is praised for retaining the timeless industrial profile of the beloved 1006 Navy Chair, while achieving credibility as a new classic in recycled furniture. Reviewers note its considerable strength, comfort, and longevity—attributes inherited from the original aluminum design.

Design critics highlight the chair’s importance in the evolution of sustainable furniture. Its successful use of recycled PET plastic in architectural and interior design settings is celebrated in outlets like Designboom, Remodelista, and Modern Planet, who all stress the product’s role in advancing upcycling and green manufacturing.

Consumers appreciate the chair’s comfort, clean lines, and suitability for both indoor and outdoor spaces. Restaurants, cafes, offices, and homes use the chairs for their durability, style, and eco-friendly pedigree. The chair’s story has been featured in exhibitions and numerous design-focused magazines, making it an icon of sustainable product development.

Awards and Press & Media Coverage

The 111 Navy Chair has received several design awards for innovation in sustainable manufacturing and material science. Emeco’s work with Coca-Cola has been highlighted in press articles and media features focusing on the environmental impact of upcycled products. Major design institutions, including New York’s Museum of Modern Art, have included the chair in exhibitions, underscoring its influence and design merit.

Press coverage consistently emphasizes the vision and technical achievement behind the project, noting the four years of research, the successful upcycling process, and the chair’s relevance in both design and sustainability circles.

Audience and Known For

The website 111NavyChair.com targets:

  • Design professionals seeking exemplary sustainable furniture

  • Environmentally conscious consumers and businesses

  • Architects and interior designers interested in specifying green products

  • Educators and students studying industrial design, sustainability, or material science

Emeco and the 111 Navy Chair are known for:

  • Legendary durability and iconic design

  • Pioneering the use of recycled PET bottles in furniture

  • Leading the mainstream adoption of sustainable design principles in commercial furniture

Community Engagement and Examples

The website spotlights the 111 Chairs Project, which gathers testimonials from 111 people who were sent a chair, including notable figures in the design, art, and business worlds. Contributors share insights about their lives, creative processes, and perspectives on sustainability—building a rich connection between users, designers, and the cause.

Participants range from business leaders and architects to artists and educators, underscoring the chair’s broad appeal and multidisciplinary significance. These stories and experiences provide practical examples of the chair’s impact in varied real-world environments.

Specifics and Features

Some notable features of the 111 Navy Chair:

  • Each chair keeps 111 plastic bottles out of landfills

  • Available in several bold, modern colors suited for versatile placement

  • One of the few plastic chairs engineered with leg stretchers for additional strength

  • Manufactured and finished in the United States under strict environmental and quality standards

  • Priced competitively compared to the original aluminum Navy Chair, making sustainable design more accessible

Cultural & Social Impact

The project sets an example for future collaborations between large consumer brands and design-focused manufacturers. It proves that responsible production and recycling at scale can result in products that are both valuable to society and commercially successful. The chair’s presence in public spaces, offices, and cultural institutions continues to reinforce the importance of thoughtful sustainable design.

 

111NavyChair.com is a definitive resource for learning about the 111 Navy Chair, its story, and its impact. Emeco and Coca-Cola’s joint commitment to recycling, design quality, and lasting utility gives the chair—and the website—enduring relevance in the global conversation about sustainability. Design enthusiasts, businesses, and everyday users looking for excellence in sustainable furniture will find inspiration, practical value, and detailed information on this site.

 

111NavyChair.com