After more than 10 years of extensive research and development, materials manufacturer 3form introduces a new 100 percent recycled material: Flek Pure. Sourced primarily from in-house waste, Flek Pure encapsulates pelletized trimmings from 3form's signature Varia resin to create a textured, terrazzo-like architectural panel. By reclaiming waste, pelletizing it, and color-categorizing it through an optical sorter, 3form creates an intricate statement delivering sustainability, beauty, and extreme durability. Flek originally launched in 2019 with approximately 75 percent recycled material, but their product developers weren't satisfied until they reached 100 percent. This new iteration achieves 3form's long-term goal: maximizing the amount of repurposed material while maintaining their signature translucency.

Flek Pure's terrazzo-like design brings depth, subtle pattern, and an upcycled material to various commercial spaces, from hotels and restaurants to corporate offices and healthcare facilities. As architects and designers strive for higher sustainability standards, Flek Pure delivers closed-loop solutions to privacy partitions, room dividers, accent pieces, exterior walls, and more.

Flek Pure's launch also coincides with the debut of three new Flek colorways: Flek Bask and Flek Crescent—two earth-toned hues from 3form's 2021 Design Collection—and a new electric yellow colorway, Flek Charge. These new colors join Flek's nine existing colorways, offering designers a curated selection of hues. Flek applications with color added have up to 92 percent recycled material, just slightly below Flek Pure at 100 percent.

Flek Pure's translucent appearance also offers the transmission of natural light and togetherness in shared spaces while keeping safe separation and a level of privacy. Part of 3form's Varia material family, Flek Pure allows for beautiful shadows and subtle connectedness.

The original Flek Collection debuted in 2019 with more than 75 percent recycled material—an incredible achievement for any materials manufacturer, but the product development team had higher goals in mind. In order to reach 100 percent recycled Flek, 3form had to increase Flek's recycled content while maintaining its original beauty, durability, and translucency. Over the next two years, the team tirelessly tested various pelletizing techniques and optical sorting technologies before reaching Flek Pure. In addition to developing a more sustainable product, 3form also challenged themselves to close the production loop by sourcing Flek materials in-house and from returned material samples to decrease their carbon footprint.

Flek Pure's sustainability achievements are a culmination of 3form's nearly 20-year commitment to Align, a program of earth- and people-centric initiatives focused on three main pillars: people, product, and planet. Established in 2003, Align effectively re-doubles 3form's efforts to pursue environmentally and socially responsible design. Extending to all members of 3form's sister companies, including lighting manufacturer LightArt, they strive to develop materials with intentionality that empower architects, designers, and consumers to make smart choices about how they buy and build. By creating a closed-loop product like Flek Pure, 3form raises their internal standard for future products and contributes to the restoration of our planet and the betterment of human lives. Responding to this moment of urgency, Align is the next step toward net-positive manufacturing within all the 3form companies.

The original Flek Collection debuted in 2019 with more than 75 percent recycled material—an incredible achievement for any materials manufacturer, but 3form's product development team had higher goals in mind. In order to reach 100 percent recycled Flek, they had to increase Flek's recycled content while maintaining its original beauty, durability, and translucency. Over the next three years, the team tirelessly tested various pelletizing techniques and optical sorting technologies, sourced new materials, and updated the supply chain before reaching Flek Pure. Simultaneously, the team upgraded Flek's production process to further reflect the sustainable end product.

The key to Flek Pure's confetti-like design and beautiful translucency comes from 3form's improved sorting and cleaning process using an optical sorter. Using advanced visual technology, which was originally used to separate lighter colors from darker ones, 3form can now spot and reject dirt and color defects for clearer, more sophisticated results. In the future, 3form aspires to give the optical sorter's rejected materials to sister lighting company LightArt to be transformed into recycled pendants for their Coil Collection, reinforcing the closed-loop production process between multiple branches of the company.

Furthermore, 3form's in-house sourcing process continues to allow architects and designers to contribute to waste reduction, no matter what they're specifying. When designers order any of Varia materials or return product samples to the manufacturer's headquarters using prepaid shipping labels, the materials are pelletized to be used for Flek.

Flek is part of the Varia product platform, which carries a Greenguard Gold Certification, is Declare Red List Free, and has an Optimized Environmental Product Declaration label. Flek is available in 4'x8' and 4'x10' panels, with 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" gauges, and a two-week lead time. Flek Pure is a clear colorway with 100 percent recycled content. Color can be added as shown with Flek Bask (peachy gold), Flek Crescent (neutral taupe), and Flek Charge (electric yellow) as well as nine other colorways.