The Good Plastic Company and Gensler redefine sustainable surfaces with Growth
by Danine Alati
If you think the term “good plastic” is an oxymoron, then you’re clearly not familiar with The Good Plastic Company, maker of Polygood, a high-end surfacing material comprising 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. The company now has expanded its cradle-to-cradle Polygood product with a new collection called Growth, created in collaboration with Gensler as product design consultant.
But how can plastic be sustainable? The concept behind The Good Plastic Company is to keep innovating and creating sustainable surfacing products from plastic that would otherwise be dumped in landfills, the ocean, or incinerated. The first Polygood product was made from recycled CD covers, and this Growth collection is composed of post-consumer and post-industrial polystyrene (plastic) from computers and other consumer electronics and household appliances like refrigerators, washing machine enclosures, and industrial spools.
The Good Plastic Company was founded by Dr. William Chizhovsky in 2018 in the Netherlands—with offices in New York City, London, and Chernivtsi, Ukraine. No resins or glues are employed to create these solid surfaces, Instead, Polygood is made via a proprietary process that includes collecting, sorting, and breaking down the polystyrene into flakes that are melted and pressed into panels using custom-built, specialized machinery. Through this thermopressing technique, distinct patterns prevail from the flecks of colors derived from the amalgamation of various recycled content. And since only plastic is used for this whole process—with no chemicals or adhesives—Polygood products can be recycled again, up to five times.
“The circular nature of the material is well-aligned with our sustainability objectives,” says Scott Star, director of product development at Gensler. “And the patterns provide a welcome alternative for commercial countertops, vanities, and furniture.”
Growth includes eight highly organic textures and patterns: Cliff, Oyster, Pebble, Midnight, Pumice, Frost, Gossamer, and Haze. “The series celebrates the natural world, creating an immersive, tactile experience that is beautiful, versatile, and adaptable across many design styles and project types,” notes Mark Morton, principal and design director at Gensler.
Since the material is extremely easy to clean, the Growth collection can be an asset to projects where durability and cleanability are of utmost importance—like hospitals and schools. However, these versatile designs also fit in as well in a corporate workplace, retail, hospitality, and even high-end residential settings. Stain-resistant and low-maintenance, Polygood can simply be cleaned using mild soap and water or a damp, soft cloth—even for stubborn stains. And though it’s designed to be scratch resistant, Polygood surfaces cannot withstand strong chemicals or abrasive solvents; yet the material is strong enough to endure the wear and tear typical of high-use areas.
Among The Good Company’s repeat customers, Nike is building stores with Polygood around the world, and McDonald’s has used the material in 12 stores in Europe and is now bringing the material to its U.S. restaurants. “Our material is becoming the new normal,” Chizhovsky notes. And that is all part of the plan: to make this sustainable material so widely available and used across industries and market segments that it doesn’t make sense to do a design project with virgin plastic.
Though it’s a relative newcomer to the industry, The Good Plastic Company has earned coveted environmentally sustainable certifications. It’s the only manufacturer of a recycled plastic material recognized with Cradle to Cradle Bronze certification, which was earned for meeting criteria for waste reduction and sound manufacturing processes, reuse of materials and energy efficiency, as well as social responsibility. The Good Plastic Company also received a verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for Polygood after an extensive Life Cycle Assessment, which deems the product a benefit for projects going for LEED certification.
“This important collaboration [with Gensler] underscores the industry’s shift toward low-carbon solutions and reinforces Polygood as a viable choice for sustainable luxury design. Together, we’re reimaging what’s possible—setting a new benchmark for circularity, innovation, and elevated design,” says Chizhovsky. “The name ‘Growth’ not only symbolizes the collection’s inspiration from nature but also marks a new chapter for The Good Plastic Company as we pioneer a new category of recycled surface materials.”
Learn more about the Growth Collection of Polygood of sustainable surfaces at The Good Plastic Company.