Kohler Unveils Innovative Duo
Rista 3d printed sink & wastelab sustainable creation
Kohler, global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products, introduces Rista, a 3D-printed bathroom sink. The round vessel blends digital technology with Kohler’s heritage craft. Kohler’s revolutionary method of 3D-printing vitreous China is at the forefront of innovation in the industry and was first introduced in 2021 in a limited-edition collaboration. The Rista sink is hand finished by skilled artisans in Kohler, Wisconsin making each sink unique. The 3D-printing process involves 6.5 hours of print time to build the sink’s unique design.
The 3D ceramic printing emulates nature’s layering effects, creating an expressive vessel design that offers water the most beautiful surface to be channeled through. The Rista uses the natural clay body with a clear glaze that results in a smooth finish.
Additionally, Kohler’s industry-leading manufacturing waste reuse business, KOHLER WasteLAB, announces its first bathroom sink, constructed of more than 70 percent recycled materials. These materials have been repurposed and reused to create a one-of-a-kind Vox sink, diverting manufacturing waste from landfills.
“The new WasteLAB Vox sink is not only a new category for our WasteLAB business, but also a completely new material set. This will allow us to look at a wider range of products that can reuse waste and help reach our goal of zero waste to landfill, as well as providing consumers with another path for sustainable living,” says Monty Stauffer, Kohler WasteLAB Lead Industrial Designer, Product and Process. “The sink has the look and feel of natural granite or polished stone, tying together a sense of high design with materials that previously were considered scrap. What we do at KOHLER WasteLAB is a game changer on how people will look at waste moving forward.”
Since 2017, KOHLER WasteLAB has been looking for ways to reimagine waste using nature as a model for sustainable processes – within nature’s cycle of growth and decay, waste simply doesn’t exist. At WasteLAB, we mapped out our waste streams from our products so that we could see exactly where they came from and what they were made of. We redefined waste streams as not “waste”, but as ingredients and valuable materials for new products – and most importantly, as opportunities for innovation. From 2019 through 2023, sales of KOHLER WasteLAB tile have diverted more than 73,426 pounds of waste from landfills, exemplifying Kohler’s commitment to achieving net-zero waste to landfill by 2035.
About Kohler Co. For 150 years, Kohler Co. has been a global leader in design and innovation, dedicated to providing gracious living through kitchen and bath products; luxury cabinetry, tile and lighting; distributed energy solutions – home energy, industrial power systems, and powertrain technologies – and luxury hospitality experiences and major championship golf. Privately held Kohler Co. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations.