In the United Kingdom, designer Saskia Boersma, the Surface Matter collective, and the material studio Plasticiet have transformed £2.5 million (US$3.5 million) worth of withdrawn British banknotes into furniture.
Dubbed Reconstructing Value, the material was made by combining shredded banknotes with a plasticizer. Physically, the benches maintain glimpses of “iconic hues and subtle security patterns of the original currency,” according to Yanko Design.
The benches are on display at a Bank of England Museum pop-up as part of the London Design Festival.