Gantri is a lighting products company that is transforming the design industry with their innovative technology and sustainable ideas. Gantri’s unique business platform cultivates a community of independent creators from around the world, and helps them to bring their artful lighting designs to life with sustainable digital manufacturing processes, and proprietary plant-based materials.
The plastic pollution problem
The way we design and make plastic is not only harmful to the environment, but extremely wasteful. We use petroleum that is extracted from the earth to make plastic products that emit harmful chemicals and toxins into the environment during the production process, and design a lot of plastic to be single-use only before being trashed.
It is clear that we must rethink, redesign, and innovate in the way we make and use plastic products if we are to significantly reduce plastic waste and pollution.
The lighting industry is no different. According to Gantri, lights are made in the tens of thousands just to fulfill production minimums, costing more in manufacturing, shipping/transportation, and storage. In addition, lights are often made using toxic materials and unsold inventories are sent to landfills.
Plant-based materials that function like plastic
Aware of the plastic pollution problem and wanting to be part of the solution, Gantri decided to create a sustainable, plant-based material that functions like plastic to create their lighting products.
Gantri partnered with ColorFabb (a company that offers a wide selection of high quality 3D printing materials and with extensive knowledge of the bioplastics industry) to develop their proprietary plant-based, bioplastic material Gantri Plant Polymers.
Gantri Plant Polymers consists of two custom compounded PLA blends that when mixed together, make it more durable, heat resistant, and diffuse light evenly compared to traditional PLAs, is stronger than glass, and is comparable to regular petroleum-based plastics.
PolyLactic Acid, or PLA for short, is a biodegradable plastic filament material made from plants and most widely used in 3D printing. In the case of Gantri, their lighting products are made from non-GMO, sustainably farmed sugarcane that goes through several sustainable manufacturing processes to convert sugarcane into PLA, where it’s then mixed with other compounds to create their proprietary Gantri Plant Polymers.
The Gantri Plant Polymers filament is then fed through a fleet of Gantri’s 3D printers that work by building the shapes and patterns layer by layer to create their unique lighting products.
Gantri’s digital manufacturing process combining 3D printing, software, and proprietary Gantri Plant Polymers makes their manufacturing process faster than traditional manufacturing, cuts down on development costs, reduces waste to landfills with minimal offcuts and reduces greenhouse gas emissions without compromising on aesthetics and quality.
Sustainability in beauty and quality
The subtle and soothing colors, creative and thoughtful designs, along with durability in materials and assembly, all contribute to the lasting beauty and quality of Gantri’s lighting products – making them more functional statement pieces that you never want to throw out.
*all photos are from Gantri
