“When the time comes - in a decade or five - our HEROair table can be recycled in full and put back to good use as a recycled aluminium product.”

At POPP, we've always subscribed to the Hills Hoist model of making products that last, but in recent years we've wanted to have a positive environmental impact as well.

Stage 1 - we started small - working on outdoor table tennis racquets made from recycled plastic, using cardboard instead of foam in our packaging, cutting single use plastics and going paperless in our headquarters.

The big ticket items - our tables - are stage 2, and the first opportunity was using aluminium for the HEROair. Why aluminium? It's a circular economy thing.

In short, a circular economy is what we colloquially know as recycling. Producing and consuming goods using existing materials for as long as possible and getting the most out of a product - extending its life span. Easy enough for the individual - as a whole we're learning to upcycle our clothes, bring our own water bottles and coffee cups and repair our homewares. For businesses this can pose a real challenge in making a fresh, new product that is environmentally and economically sound. For POPP, materiality is key - for both the strength and longevity of our products, and a positive environmental impact.

Unlike a linear economy, the circular economy is based on the three principles, driven by design:

• Elimination of waste and pollution.
  
• Circulate products and materials (at their highest value)
  
• Regenerate nature.

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Linear Economy

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Circular Economy

And aluminium?

Aluminium is greener, more sustainable and durable (being a versatile, lightweight and corrosion resistant metal). It also takes less energy to produce and is the most recyclable material - meaning it can be recycled infinitely - saving 95% of the energy used in the production of aluminium from raw materials.



The HEROair Yellow Edition Aluminium OTTT

Over 15 years, across locations as diverse as marina-side parks in Muscat, Oman, a student hotel in Berlin, Germany, a Harry Seidler-designed skyscraper in Sydney, Australia, a resort in the Caribbean, Dropbox's headquarters in Silicon Valley, and our local park in Leederville, Western Australia - POPP has learnt that some of the most perfect table tennis table locations happen to be some of the curliest to install. For many, the HERO was too rigid and heavy to find a way in, enter the ICON. But then many of our customers loved the HERO shape!

Enter, the HEROair Yellow Edition.