Catifa Carta designer chair by Arper with a paper-based PaperShell shell

Up to 90% carbon: where a Catifa Carta shell ends up

Arper

Lievore Altherr Molina

Meeting room chair
Catifa Carta 3137 Meeting room chair
$ 2,171

What did you have in mind?

Trade terms for professionals and design studios

Ask where a chair goes at the end of its life and the answer is usually vague. Arper gives a destination: the PaperShell shell of Catifa Carta can become biochar, described as charcoal with a carbon content of up to 90%, able to retain CO2 and used mainly as a soil improver.

For anyone writing an ESG report on a designer chair, that is a materially different sentence from recyclable. The manufacturer frames the material as doing what trees do, sequestering carbon dioxide, with biochar as the form in which the carbon captured during earlier life phases stays retained. Alongside it, Arper publishes measurable figures rather than adjectives: a circularity score of 43% on the TECLA Tool, 45.68% renewable materials, and an emission intensity ratio of 4.31 kg CO2eq/kg. Design Lievore Altherr Molina, on the lines of the Catifa 53. La Mercanti provides the documentation the reporting team will be asked for.

Technical information based on data declared by the manufacturer.

Collection: Catifa Carta, design chair; 2024 extension of the Catifa collection designed in 2001
Manufacturer: Arper (Monastier di Treviso, Italy)
Design: Lievore Altherr Molina
Biochar: charcoal with a carbon content of up to 90%, able to retain CO2, used mainly as a soil improver
End of life: pyrolysis, a low-temperature combustion process that prevents the release of CO2
Shell: PaperShell, 29 sheets of kraft paper bonded with a 100% natural resin, laminated, pressed and cut
Paper source: responsible sources and exclusive use of residues from Swedish wood production: sawdust, chips and branches
Declared figures: circularity score 43% (TECLA Tool) · 45.68% renewable materials · emission intensity ratio 4.31 kg CO2eq/kg · Synesgy ESG rating B · Open-ES 86/100
Environmental declaration: Arper states that Catifa 53 was the company's first product to obtain an environmental product declaration
Bases: four legs in powdercoated steel · steel sled · swivel trestle in aluminium · fixed trestle on self-braking castors
Care: water and well-diluted neutral soap, soft cloth, gentle circular movements, always dry; no stain removers, aggressive or bleach-based detergents, waxes, solvents or abrasives
Declared characteristic: the material changes colour over time, especially in sunlight
Intended use: Arper refers non-domestic seating to EN 16139, with a general and an extreme level
Awards: Metropolis Likes 2024 · HiP Awards 2024 · Interiors Monthly Awards 2024 · Mix Awards North 2024 · Metropolis Planet Positive Awards 2024 · CDW Product Design Awards 2025 · Architizer A+ Awards 2025 · Award of Merit AZ Awards 2025 · Honourable Mention, Compasso d'Oro ADI 2026

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Los Angeles, CA, USA · +1 855 335 8079 · info@lamercanti.us
Supply, quotes, specifications and project support across the United States and North America.

Documents and Catalogs

Arper Catalogue Arper News Catalogue Catifa Finishes & Materials Arper Arper for Hospitality Arper Arper for Education Arper Arper for Healthcare Catifa GREENGUARD Gold Certificate Arper Case Studies

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FAQ

How many bases does Catifa Carta offer?
Four. It is a deliberately short list compared with the wider Catifa family, and it keeps specification simple.
Why so few compared with the original Catifa?
The material is new and the range is focused. Four options cover the settings this chair was designed for rather than every possible one.
Which base suits a café setting?
Usually one that stays put, because chairs there are dragged rather than rolled. We confirm the exact configuration against the room before quoting.
Can bases be changed later?
Compatibility is defined by the manufacturer per combination, so it is checked on the base code, not assumed.
Does the base affect the seat height?
Any adjustment depends on the base selected. It is stated in the configuration rather than taken for granted.

How to plan cleaning for a matt paper based shell

Five decisions made before the first cleaning round.

Write the routine down
Water, mild soap and a dry cloth at the end.
Ban hard rubbing explicitly
A matt surface does not recover from being scrubbed.
Test any product out of sight
A corner first, the seat never.
Handle the cushion separately
The seat cushion is removable and leaves the shell alone.
Give the instructions to the cleaning contractor
The person holding the cloth never saw the order.

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