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Innovations For Better Living
This Finnish eco-design brand’s toilet is made of wood
Woodio’s founder and CEO Petro Lahtinen tells us more on their most challenging development project so far.
By JOHAN MAGNUSSON
29 Sep 2021

All Woodio’s products are made of a 100 % waterproof wood material and the wood chips and a special transparent resin gives the material a unique natural character and properties, shares Petro Lahtinen.

— It looks a little bit like wood flakes suspended inside glass, he says. The first application is as a replacement of porcelain in bathroom furniture, creating a bathroom product portfolio that represents Scandinavian design and has raised interest worldwide. We’re the first to bring wood to the bathroom, which itself is disruptive and helps to mitigate the environmental burden related to ceramic manufacturing. 

Last spring, Woodio launched a toilet called Block — their most challenging development project so far. 

— Although a toilet is a common product and found practically in every building, it is surprisingly complicated. Even for established manufacturers, good usability and water-saving are difficult to combine. We’ve had to solve these universal challenges and come up with completely new production methods, while still putting a lot of focus on the design. But after this three-year-long project, the finished product has gained an enormous amount of compliments. That’s the best reward, says Lahtinen.

How does Woodio contribute to better living? 

— By creating inspiring and natural environments to live in. The traditional bathroom materials are quite cold and colourless, while we bring wood, colour, and a natural feeling to the bathroom, which I believe is good for people.

This is #16 on our list with 25 Innovations for better living from Scandinavian MIND Issue 2

1. Here’s the first furniture brand to publish their climate footprint
2. Unique Bio2 textile can make a change in our polluted world
3. Patented technology can turn the eyewear industry circular
4. Filtration technology saves you from hidden pollution at home
5. This Swedish collective launches line with skincare for objects
6. Powder to liquid wash can change personal care as we know it
7. This household product line cleans with all-natural sugar surfactants
8. Spinnova’s textile fibre might be the world’s most groundbreaking
9. Here’s how AI can be used to create your ultimate personal scent
10. Design brand Verk takes local production one — big — step further
11. CAKE is here to challenge the status quo for motorbikes
12. This solar cell can be powered by ordinary indoor light
13. Revolutionary reusable sanitary protection is about to hit the market
14. A green version of the super-material graphene transforms the industry
15. Groundbreaking recyling app teams up with the world’s leading brands
17. Cleantech scaleup aims to liberate the world from harmful energy
18. Post-consumer textiles and wood cellulose become new sustainable fibre
19. How charging members a small monthly fee challenges the linear retail industry
20. Private, well-designed zero distraction units can create better workplaces