Toolbox RE / Vitra
The Toolbox RE is Arik Levy's 2010 desk organiser remade in recycled plastic. The form is plain on purpose: a shallow tray with a central carrying handle and a few moulded compartments, sized at roughly 33 by 17 by 16cm to be picked up with one hand and moved between desk, shelf and home. The 'RE' is the point. The coloured versions are moulded from post-industrial recycled ABS and the grey from recycled polypropylene, both fully recyclable again at end of life, so the object closes its own loop rather than ending as waste. It was conceived for shared and non-territorial offices, where people carry their tools to whatever desk they land at. It suits anyone who wants a repository for small items that can be lifted and relocated rather than fixed in place.
Design intent
- +Moulding the box from recycled plastic that is itself fully recyclable is the defining decision, designing the object to re-enter the material loop rather than become waste.
- +The central handle and one-piece tray make it a portable caddy, built to be lifted and moved between desks rather than treated as fixed storage, which suits shared workspaces.
Trade-offs
- -Recycled plastic keeps it light and circular but feels and looks utilitarian rather than premium, and the grey carries the natural, slightly uneven tone of the recycled material.
- -The open, shallow compartments organise loosely: small items are easy to reach but not secured, and the box has no lid or division for anything that needs protecting.
The Toolbox RE is Arik Levy's 2010 desk organiser remade in recycled plastic. The form is plain on purpose: a shallow tray with a central carrying handle and a few moulded compartments, sized at roughly 33 by 17 by 16cm to be picked up with one hand and moved between desk, shelf and home. The 'RE' is the point. The coloured versions are moulded from post-industrial recycled ABS and the grey from recycled polypropylene, both fully recyclable again at end of life, so the object closes its own loop rather than ending as waste. It was conceived for shared and non-territorial offices, where people carry their tools to whatever desk they land at. It suits anyone who wants a repository for small items that can be lifted and relocated rather than fixed in place.
Design intent
- +Moulding the box from recycled plastic that is itself fully recyclable is the defining decision, designing the object to re-enter the material loop rather than become waste.
- +The central handle and one-piece tray make it a portable caddy, built to be lifted and moved between desks rather than treated as fixed storage, which suits shared workspaces.
Trade-offs
- -Recycled plastic keeps it light and circular but feels and looks utilitarian rather than premium, and the grey carries the natural, slightly uneven tone of the recycled material.
- -The open, shallow compartments organise loosely: small items are easy to reach but not secured, and the box has no lid or division for anything that needs protecting.
