Herman Miller Mirra chair

Mirra is an office chair with the ergonomic advantage of "passive adaptation" which means that the need for manual controls are no longer needed to sit comfortably. With inspiration from the Cradle to Cradle methodology and the use of DfE tools, Herman Miller were able to significantly cut the amount of materials needed to fulfill its function. Mirra is a step in the right direction towards the Herman Miller zero vision sustainability goals for 2020.

The challenge with office chairs

Office chairs are often made of several different materials and parts that fit together in a way that makes it difficult to repair the chair and recover materials. Some of the materials (eg adhesives and textiles) contain harmful substances, while others require large amounts of energy and raw materials in manufacturing.

Office chairs are often also quite heavy and require a lot of space during transport, leaving them with a large carbon foot print.

Mirra - a holistic approach

In cooperation with subcontractors, the materials were selected to ensure durability and quality - as in not being harmful to the environmental or the health of humans. By doing this, the subcontractors were encouraged to manufacture materials that contain as few chemicals and harmful substances as possible. Herman Miller also looked at what improvements were possible in the process of manufacture and shipping of the chair.

Another result of this holistic approach was that the assembly process of Mirra is powered by energy from 100% renewable sources and the chair is packaged in an optimal way to reduce  and then shipped in a energy efficient manner. By applying DFD principles to the design process, the chair is 96% recyclable (in places where recycling systems are available) and 42% of the chair is made from recycled materials.

Design and production of the Mirra chair - step by step

1. `Design phase

• Cyclic and holistic thinking
• Cooperation with subcontractors
• Pressure on subcontractors

2. `Materials

• Materials analyzed at the molecular level 
• No PVC (TPE was used for the arm rest) 
• 100% recyclable steel and aluminum components 
• "Pure" metals for optimal recovery 
• 100% recycled synthetic fibers

3.  Manufacturing

• 100% green electricity in factories 
• No air or water emissions 
• Powder coated metals 
• Minimum materials, same function 
• Recycling code for plastic components

4. Transportation

• Shipping transport
• Returnable / reusable packaging

5. Usage / Maintenance

• Durable construction (Designed for Durability) 
• Easy to assemble (cost effective and easy to replace spare parts) 
• Emits a minimal amount of chemicals when in use (low-emitting product) 
• Herman Miller offers a 12 year "24 / 7 guarantee"

6. Final management / Re-handling

• Simple disassembly for recycling (disassembly time only 15 min)

Biological cycle

• Textiles from natural fibers

Technological cycle

• Recyclable foam and synthetic fibers (open loop system) 
• Back rest in recyclable plastic (up to 25 times) 
• 100% recyclable steel and aluminum components

Read more about Cradle to Cradle-principle