World's first bio

Some people like to install a wooden seat on their toilet for its perceived warmth, but the Block goes even further. Described by Woodio as the world's first bio-material toilet, it ditches porcelain in favor of a modern flushable toilet that's made from composite wood.

The Block, which was designed by Pentagon Design for Woodio, is an attractive-looking toilet that's hung on the wall with a hidden mounting. You can adjust the seat height to suit and it connects to the vast majority of flushing systems on the market in the European Union. It takes care of business just like any other standard flushing toilet.

The toilet is made from a mixture of wood chips and resin. Woodio says this makes it very strong and dirt-repellent, though for those stains that do appear, the toilet bowl is cleaned with standard commercial toilet cleaners, while the exterior is simply wiped with a cloth.

Alongside the headline-grabbing Block, Woodio also offers a range of other wood-based bathroom ware, including a bathtub and lots of different washbasin models.

"Our story began with a crazy-sounding idea with a bunch of people who wanted to see the world differently," says Woodio. "Our original idea was to make wooden tiles for the bathroom – just because it sounded fun and challenging. As we got acquainted with the industry, we soon realized that our idea was not only fun, but also important. It turned out that ceramics as a material is a burden on the environment, and it has a large carbon footprint. Inspired by our original idea and this insight, we are now here. As a result, we created an award-winning world-class biomaterial innovation – 100% waterproof Woodio wood material."

While you might have some durability concerns with a wood-based toilet, especially compared to porcelain which can last a very long time if properly cared for, according to Dezeen, the Block is rated to last around 10 to 15 years, but could potentially go all the way up to 50. It also reports that it would be very difficult to recycle at the end of life due to the manufacturing process, though we have contacted Woodio for confirmation on this aspect.

If you're interested in putting a Block in your bathroom, it will set you back from the oddly specific price of €927.02 (roughly US$1,000).

Source: Woodio