Craft

Very Good and Proper (VG&P) was founded in 2008 by product and furniture designer (now director, majority owner and CEO) Ed Carpenter, fellow RCA-graduate and London-based German designer (now design director) André Klauser and restauranteur Patrick Clayton Malone – initially to produce furniture for Malone’s new restaurant group Canteen, and then for a wider market. Today, their signature pieces still include the Canteen Table, the Hook & Knob, and the Utility Chair, all launched at the London Design Festival in 2009. Collaborating with leading architects, interior designers and furniture dealers around the world, VG&P designs and manufactures carefully considered, practical and beautiful products using quality materials and craftsmanship. Their most recent project is the result of a collaboration with Paris-based design studio AC/AL and is an outdoor chair made using a new bio-composite technology that combines hemp fiber with recycled European plastic. We spoke with Carpenter to dig into the detail.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I was creative from a very early age and spent most of my time drawing and creating cartoons. However, the first time I started to ‘design’ was by making my own skateboards when I was about 12 or 13 years old. I read an article in a magazine that gave a ‘step by step’ guide on how to make a plywood skateboard deck from scratch. Looking back, it was quite complicated and involved all of the creative elements of what I still do today. I just didn’t know what ‘design’ was at the time so didn’t really think much about what I was doing – 12 years later I found myself graduating with an MA in Design Products from the RCA in London and starting my career in design.

How would you describe your project/product?

The Latte Chair is our first collaboration with Paris-based design studio AC/AL (Amandine Chhor and Aissa Logerot). We were approached by AC/AL with a design for an outdoor chair that we really liked. It started life as a simple wooden chair with a metal frame. The design was really charming, however, we felt we should be more ambitious with our first foray into outdoor furniture so, over the next two years of collaboration, the Latte Chair evolved into what you see today – an outdoor chair made using a new bio-composite technology that combines hemp fiber with recycled European plastic to create a high performance, sustainable and re-usable material.

What inspired this project/product?

‘Latte’ is the French word for ‘slat’ and in AC/AL’s original wooden design the ‘slats’ were exactly that. We really loved the familiar linear aesthetic of the slats and, as well as giving the chair its name and character, they’re extremely practical for outdoor use.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

When we started exploring the notion of using plastic for the chair the first thing we said to ourselves was that we would only do this if we felt 100% confident in the sustainability credentials of any material and process. We did lots of research into plant-based plastics and bio-composites and eventually settled on working with a Swedish company called Trifilon that is dedicated to making green plastics made from fully or partially bio-based materials. The material we ended up specifying is made from 100% recycled European plastic combined with European harvested hemp fiber which gives the material excellent structural integrity and reduces the CO2 footprint by 85% versus a typical plastic chair.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

As designers and manufacturers, we are always interested in new materials and processes. We like to question conventions and always try to understand the context and bigger picture of the materials and processes we use. This was exactly what we did when we decided to produce our first plastic injection-molded chair. It would have been extremely straightforward to go with established conventions and use virgin plastic with a glass fiber filler. This just didn’t feel right when we all know what a problem we have with waste plastic and although there’s an argument that the problem lies primarily with ‘single use’ plastics, we still felt we should not be adding to this problem, however small.

What processes do the materials have to undergo to become the finished product?

High quality recycled European plastic is combined with hemp fiber to create a bio-composite that is then injection-molded into the form of the chair.

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy?

Yes, that’s another thing we set out to achieve right from the beginning. We wanted to create a ‘closed loop’ manufacturing network so we found a partner here in the UK that we could work with closely in that capacity. The recycled bio-composite we use can be re-ground and re-used without any loss of quality. Therefore, any waste material or end of life returns can be re-purposed and transformed into new products.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

The first time we saw the prototype chair in the final material, we were so happy. Firstly, it looked and felt fantastic! The fibers of the hemp showed through in such a way it elevated the material beyond typical plastic. Secondly, we were blown away by how it performed structurally and practically. The hemp fibers made a huge difference to the samples we had seen before and it really gave us the confidence that we had chosen the right material.

How have people reacted to this project?

The feedback has been extremely positive! People have responded really well to the design, and then when you explain the sustainability, materials and process behind the design, people are really keen to find out more. It’s still early days, but fingers crossed all that positivity translates into a successful product.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

Design professionals are much more educated around the issues associated with waste plastics and raw materials these days – we’ve found this and broader sustainability concerns are often one of the first things we’re asked about when we’re looking at a new project.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

Hopefully, more companies and designers will start experimenting with and using waste material as an alternative to virgin raw materials. There are lots of really interesting materials out there you just need to find and help support them – with wider adoption and investment they will become more practical and affordable. Once this happens, I’m confident it will start to become the norm rather than the exception and people will really start to appreciate the unique qualities and charm these types of materials can offer.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Very Good and Proper here.

UK-based makers Weez & Merl melt and marble plastic waste, such as carrier bags, and turn it into 100% recycled housewares. They operate a free collection scheme for local businesses’ polyethylene waste in their seaside hometowns of Brighton and Hove, on the south coast of the UK, and collaborate with forward-thinking companies on sustainable solutions from bespoke tabletops to specialist surfboard fins. I first spotted their work when I picked up an intriguing coaster in a restaurant and asked the waiter what it was made from, so I had to find out more…

Tell me a little bit ab­­­­out your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

Our dad is into design, architecture, art and engineering, and our mum is into crafts and painting, so we had a pretty creative and practical upbringing. Moving to England when we were young was a really difficult transition, but growing up having a different cultural background has ultimately been a very good thing. Growing up in Sweden, there’s an intrinsic respect for nature and we did a lot of woodworking, sewing, growing food, gardening and cooking. We’d make things out of what we could find lying around, like a test of your imagination – you can’t beat the satisfaction of making something new from something old. So it makes a lot of sense that we’ve ended up utilizing waste materials in our creative practice!

What are your products made from, how did you select that particular material and how do you source it?

We use LDPE (low-density polyethylene) and MDPE (medium density polyethylene) for different applications – lower density usually for smaller pieces like our coasters, and medium density for larger pieces like tabletops to take advantage of their different properties. Back in 2012, it was clear that plastic bags were being wasted on an epic scale – this was before you had to pay for them in the UK. They were everywhere on the beach, so that’s when I first started collecting and experimenting with them. A few months later when a friend working in a clothes shop told me how much plastic they would throw away with every delivery, I started to understand the scale of the problem, and that the waste was mostly created behind the scenes. I started collecting from that shop on a regular basis after that. We have built on this and now operate a free collection scheme for local businesses’ waste polyethylene here in Brighton & Hove, which saves businesses money and means it actually gets recycled in this country, rather than traveling around the world to be recycled or even landfilled or incinerated.

What inspired this project?

Using unusual materials was always something I was drawn to throughout education, but I became inspired and motivated by Prof. Johnathan Chapman, who had just founded the Sustainable Design MA course at Brighton University at the time. He gave a talk in our first year, and he explained how he had overcome the feeling of the world’s environmental problems being too overwhelming to do anything about, which is a common emotional stumbling block for many designers. I was in the midst of this feeling of hopelessness at the time, but he managed to change my mindset completely to wanting to have an impact, and convincing me that I shouldn’t run away to be a hermit in the woods!

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

Waste became a full-on fixation in 2012. I wanted to be a woodworker when I first started my degree, but I wanted to utilize waste materials too, so I often used the offcuts of wood in the scrap bins and the bark from logs. I then was totally sidetracked with creating materials from natural waste, which led to asking cafes to collect eggshells for me, hair from hairdressers, even wet leaves that have to get removed from clogged up drains in the autumn, so I experimented with these materials combined with natural glues, but even though they were very beautiful, they weren’t very useful! After avoiding plastics, I eventually had a go at melting plastic bags that I found on the beach here in Brighton for my very first experiments with polyethylene, and found I actually loved the way they shrunk when you heated them, like shrinking crisp packets when we were little! I saw ‘natural’ qualities in the material that contrasted totally with what I had previously associated it with. The mission from then on was to see what it was capable of, and I started applying traditional craft techniques and tools to it in various ways, from lathing to wattle and daub, straw work like Orkney chair backs, to rammed earth – the latter of which ended up turning into compression molding, which is the main technique we use in our work.

What processes does the material have to undergo to become the finished product?

After collection, we remove contaminants such as paper labels and sticky tape by hand. We then melt it down, using colored plastic bags as our ‘dye’ to create colors, which can be mixed together like paint to create any color you want. Then we use compression molding to press the plastic into molds or sheets of various thicknesses. We can then cut the sheets using bandsaws and table saws into the shape required, and finish the products using sanders or hand planes. Polyethylene is very similar to something like pine in density, and it’s flexible so no danger of shattering, and it cuts and sands beautifully – I realized early that I could apply all my woodworking skills to the material, and this opened up so many doors in the design and craft world.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

Complete fascination! It looked so natural, like marble, yet the colors and weight made it obvious it wasn’t. Working with the molten plastic was the first awe-inspiring moment though – it moves so organically, which always surprises people when they see us working with it! It’s like a cross between an extremely hot bread dough and molten sugar – it’s alien but familiar.

There’s so much to explore with this material in terms of colors and marbling styles, so we usually make totally new colorways each time which keeps it really fresh and fun – it means we still get to experience that fascination every time we make something new. It’s important to keep that spark alive! There’s still so much to learn too – there is no rulebook to follow, so we have to figure everything out from scratch. Covid halted our plans to redesign and rebuild our large hydraulic press last year, and so this is the next big project that we can’t wait to get cracking on so that we can finally continue making our larger-scale work and furniture designs.

What happens to your products at the end of their lives? Can they go back into the circular economy?

Polyethylene is not recycled by local councils yet, but all of our products are fully recyclable with us through our return scheme. Recycling is really important but should ideally be the last resort, so we are working on restoration, reparation and exchange schemes too. Hopefully, our customers will want to keep our products for a very long time, but as makers of plastic things, we have a huge responsibility to provide options for them if they don’t. These types of services used to be really common not long ago. The ability to extend the product’s lifespan as long as possible is such an important part of sustainable design, so sometimes it’s worthwhile to revive ideas from the past to help solve current problems.

How have people reacted to this project?

Merl: People’s reactions over the years have always been so encouraging, and sometimes pretty funny. When they pick up one of our coasters for the first time not knowing what it is, their arm flies up in the air as they were expecting it to be heavier like natural stone. They’re usually pretty baffled, then pleasantly surprised to find out it’s made from waste plastic!

Louise: The support from the businesses we collect plastic from has been huge as well – they’re lumped with so much plastic packaging when they receive orders from their suppliers, so they’re happy it’s going to get used and not burned or landfilled.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

I’d say attitudes have changed dramatically over the last eight years since I started regularly working with waste materials – people used to raise an eyebrow at me and not ask questions when I’d ask if they could collect materials for me, but now it seems to be celebrated and starts a conversation every time. Maybe it’s because people are more familiar with environmental issues now, and therefore more willing to engage with solutions. We hope we’ve changed a few people’s opinions as well – that’s definitely our goal anyway. People are becoming more discerning about the products they buy too – the hand-made-to-last, rather than mass-produced-disposable is becoming more desirable again – objects with a story.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

Things are looking pretty bright – there are so many inspiring individuals and teams across the world working with new materials crafted from waste. With recycled plastics, it’s a medium just like ceramics, wood or metal – and we see a future full of plastic craftspeople. Already, the “Precious Plastic” project, started by Dave Hakkens, has inspired and mobilized hundreds, if not thousands of people around the world to recycle plastic themselves in their local area, often using homemade machines from the open-source blueprints Hakkens released. Who knows how many people will be crafting recycled plastics in 10 years’ time. Plastics are endlessly recyclable if you treat them with respect by not mixing different types together. And similarly, there seems to be endless ways to use them and work with them – there’s so much left to explore. The great thing is that when we do experiments that don’t work out for whatever reason, we just pop them back in the oven to remelt and try again. There’s no waste this way, all our off-cuts and even our dust from sanding are all captured and remelted.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Weez and Merl here.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I’m actually a licensed architect, and prior to Model No. I was running a very sustainably-minded creative design-build firm. Growing up in Wyoming, and then moving west, I’ve always been obsessed with empowerment via new technologies to make more interesting and sustainable things. Thankfully there’s been a big push in the construction industry to become more sustainable, but in order for that to fully happen, we also need better options for what we put into those buildings. And all these wonderful new fabrication technologies really open up what’s possible to do creatively. So it’s a perfect match!

How would you describe this project?

Model No. is revolutionizing how furnishings are designed, produced and sold. Our distinctive approach provides custom, sustainable products with accessible price points that are created on-demand by consumers. Made domestically in localized highly-automated factories, all our furnishings are artfully crafted from sustainably sourced materials, such as upcycled food waste, and produced using the latest eco-friendly tech, including 3D-printing. With just a few clicks online, consumers customize products and they are made to order and delivered in a few weeks, eliminating long wait times and wasteful inventory.

What inspired this project?

The current furniture market is outdated, so there is a need for companies to push the industry forward. The industry consists of items that are mass-produced out of the country, with little original design or customization ability, shipped very long distances, and made from materials that typically are not very sustainable or eco-friendly. This all contributes to large carbon emissions and overall waste. With these pain points in mind, I founded Model No. with Jillian Northrop and Vani Khosla to solve these problems and reimagine how you can access sustainable, customizable, artfully designed furnishings.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

Through the use of agricultural waste from corn husks, sugar cane and sugar beet as materials, Model No. minimizes carbon emissions and toxic byproducts. We also use reclaimed and certified sustainably harvested wood for products such as tabletops, coffee tables bases and our headphones stands, to upcycle wood products or utilize leftover wood. So whether a product is all 3D-printed, or all wood, or some combination of the two, it’s always as sustainable as we can possibly make it. In order to reduce our carbon footprint caused by shipping products across the world, we source 95% of our materials from farms within the U.S. These include Jamplast (Raw PLA), Spectra (Coloring services for the PLA), Techmere (Raw PLA), Moore Newton (Hardwoods), and Aura Hardwoods (Hardwoods and plywoods).

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

As we explored using large-scale industrial 3D-printing for producing furniture, it became apparent that we could use resins that originated from food waste and were compostable. We’ve since developed the ability to recycle this resin as well, so that we can recycle our own products and use them to produce new products. We’d always intended to make the best sustainable furniture possible, pieces that are not only great looking and high-performance, but that would also be healthy to be around for both our customers and our employees. So when we saw it was possible, we really committed to this direction.

What processes does the material have to undergo to become the finished product?

We grind food waste – such as corn husks, sugar canes, sugar beets and cassava – into a PLA – Polylactic Acid – for it to be 3D-printed. For CNC fabrication, we utilize waste and by-products such as reclaimed wood, as well as sustainably harvested woods, which can be shaved down and repurposed for items such as Model No.’s tabletops.

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy?

We plan to add recycling facilities in these spaces in order to take back used items. Hinting at the company’s name ‘Model No.’, each product has its own individual model number, making it easy to identify the type of material that the product was built with and the year it was manufactured so it can then be broken down to raw materials to be repurposed through 3D-printing.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

Ironically while I was obviously elated that we were able to do it, we also then immediately broke the first items in the rigorous testing we do to ensure our products meet the highest quality standards! It was when we figured out how to then fully recycle those broken products and re-use the resin that I fell completely in love with the whole process.

How have people reacted to this project?

People have reacted very positively to our commitment to sustainability, design and on-demand customization. We have been recognized as an industry leader in the media and have had several companies reach out for collaboration. It is our hope that we can inspire not only consumers to shop sustainably, but also encourage other companies to follow suit.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

With natural disasters occurring more frequently – an obvious sign of global warming – there is a growing conscientiousness to do more to protect the environment. I think that people and companies are seeing the value in upcycling as recognition of the need for sustainability continues to become more and more apparent.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

There is much work to be done to develop our ability to utilize waste as a raw material. We are very proud of the work we have done so far in turning waste into items that consumers can enjoy on a daily basis; however, we also recognize that more needs to be done. We hope to continue to discover how different types of waste can be upcycled and hope to inspire other industries to do the same.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Model No. here.

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Tell me a little bit ab­­­­out your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I grew up in a remote village in the very far north of Norway. During the long and dark winter months, I developed an interest in drawing and loved to create cartoon characters and design cars. My dad, who runs a graphic design company, inspired my sense of creativity and I spent many hours in his office where he gave me different creative tasks.

I moved to Oslo in 1998 and studied at the Einar Granum Art School for two years before being admitted to a furniture design course at the Oslo National Academy of Arts. I graduated with a master’s degree focusing on the social use of outdoor furniture in public areas and designed “Dialog”, a bench, for which I received the National Award for Design Excellence in 2010.

After I graduated, Vestre put Dialog into production. I started working with Vestre as a freelance designer and eventually accepted a permanent job as a design manager, where I have continued to focus on creating social meeting places. Working at Vestre and seeing their holistic approach to design and sustainable manufacturing has inspired my interest in sustainable design.

How would you describe this project?

In line with Vestre’s broader focus on sustainable manufacturing, we wanted to make a bench from 100% ownerless marine plastics to show that is possible to reuse waste to make great products.

The project is about highlighting the manufacturer’s and the designer’s responsibility to work towards the longevity of raw materials by reusing materials when the initial product is no longer used, and to secure the responsible disposal of unrecyclable materials.

The project is also about recognizing the important work being done by volunteers who are cleaning shores of plastic waste, and how their efforts are at the core of this product.

What inspired this project?

Vestre is part owner of Ogoori, a company that distributes ownerless marine plastics by renting the raw material to manufacturers for use in their products and making sure that the plastic remains in the circular economy. To showcase this new material, I worked with Vestre to create a product for their collection.

The design process has largely been about the plastic itself and the story behind it. This has guided both the form and the design process. The circular economy of reusing material – in this case, material which has so clearly been rejected by society and not recovered through controlled cycles – has also been a focus throughout the whole process. To visualize this cycle, it made sense to create a product that communicates with the ocean. Coast is intended to be placed on a jetty on the waterfront or on a rocky archipelago, so you can sit on the bench and look out over the sea.

The plastic’s history is also reflected in the way the shape of the bench borrows its design and theme from the marine environment. From the front, you can make out the outline of a boat’s hull, and the plastic parts lie in a row, submerged in a protective steel frame, giving the impression of floating on the surface. The steel frame extends upwards on thin legs and lifts the plastic material onto a pedestal. The different shades of green and grey in the plastic material came about as a result of the combination of different colors of plastic collected and at the same time, reflect the color of the sea.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

Coast has a frame made from steel that has been hot-dip galvanized and powder coated. The steel is sourced from Sweden and has an average of 30% lower emissions than the world average for steel production. The seating surface is made of plastic collected from Norwegian shores, where the ownerless plastic accumulates, destroying nature and natural cycles.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

To be honest, I have always been hesitant about using plastic components when designing products, preferring to use natural products such as steel and wood. However, when Vestre started looking at reusing marine plastics it was a material that inspired me. As Vestre doesn’t use plastic in their products it made even more sense. By only using marine plastic, we are helping with the problem without adding to it.

What processes does the material have to undergo to become the finished product?

The marine plastic is sorted by type and washed, dried and ground into pellets. These pellets can be used in the same manufacturing processes as new plastics. However, the quality of the plastic is naturally not as consistent and durable as with new purpose-built plastic compounds. The different types of plastics are molded into the seat slats used in the product. Because the plastic is less durable, I wanted to make it a replaceable part of the bench and not part of the mainframe.

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy? 

The plastic pellets are not sold but rented to manufacturers and branded with a QR code. This ensures that the replaceable slats used are returned for new cycles of use.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

It’s an inspiring and gratifying task to design a bench that uses plastic collected from beaches with the help of volunteers. So it feels good to have created the first bench from this material for Vestre, and to contribute to sustainable development with a product that will be accessible to everyone.

I also marveled that something that has been thrown away and floated for a long time in the sea could look so interesting and beautiful. The decision to let the material determine the look of the bench and mix the qualities of plastic slats randomly by availability created a surprising and interesting color texture – a design benefit that came from using waste as raw material.

How have people reacted to this project?

People are in general very enthusiastic and it is the same with Vestre`s customers who are interested in using both the bench and the raw material for their projects. It is especially fun to hear that the bench has inspired the teams cleaning up the shores.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

I think that there is a strong feeling of responsibility and concern for the environment that is making people question the throw-away culture. These type of products enable people to make responsible choices. If it is possible to make aesthetically beautiful things from waste, then it adds meaning and value to the product rather than detracting from it.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

There are many efforts being made to reuse materials, and it is trending both in product design and architecture. Hopefully, this bench can play a small part in helping this movement along.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Vestre here.

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Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

As a toddler, I loved to play with bikes, cars and tricycles – they brought me joy and allowed me to imagine or dream. I think we often forget that the first designed objects we come into contact with are all about play. So that was my first entry. I went on to study design technology and fine art at college. I wasn’t very good at fine art, so I went more in the direction of design and technology, and then went on to a degree in product design and furniture at London Met University, and that was when I really started to consider design as a career. Sustainability is something I’ve always seen around me, for example, going to Nigeria, and seeing people and communities repurpose the everyday objects they find around them, such as breezeblocks, tires, or odd bits of wood, into seating, benches or to create facades.

How would you describe If Chairs Could Talk?

If Chairs Could Talk is a collection I produced for a concept store on King’s Road in London. It’s a big, glossy, finished space – and so I was interested in taking objects off the street – that had been thrown away or discarded and damaged – and putting them into a public space. There was a feeling of taking what was unwanted and giving it a new life. People responded really positively and it was fascinating to me how we often identify with or respect something new and polished, and yet they were the same chairs people had walked past and ignored in the street.

What inspired this project?

Those chairs, that were out on the street and people didn’t care about, were transformed and suddenly people wanted to praise them and say “Wow, I love them”. It was amazing – and I think that’s how we sometimes treat other people. So each chair told the story of somebody I grew up with. The chairs each had names such as A Trapped Star, Backbone and A Helping Hand that reflected the characters of those people. Some of them grew up to be famous actors or successful lawyers, some sadly turned into delinquents, despite the fact I knew them as intelligent, kind people. There is a Nigerian parable that says, “No matter how long the neck of a giraffe is, it still cannot see the future,” so the message of these chairs was that we shouldn’t pre-judge people.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

The If Chairs Could Talk collection is made from discarded and broken wooden chairs that I found on the streets of London. I’d be on the top deck of the bus and spot a chair in a skip or about to be thrown away, and I’d get off the bus, grab the chair, and hop back on with my new fellow passenger! My Mum got quite frustrated with the number of broken chairs that started to fill my room, and eventually spill out into other rooms of the house! She never quite understood my fascination, but chairs are really powerful objects. When you sit on a throne, you instantly have status. If I gave you a low chair and I had a high chair, people look at me as superior just because I’m on the higher chair. My Dad’s chair at home was sacred – only he could sit on it. As kids, we would fight over who got which seat in the car. So using chairs was about understanding that such a simple object can demand status and create hierarchy instantly. And I would think about how I could take these objects and give them a second lease of life, upcycle them and give them a new narrative.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

It was probably in Nigeria. Over there, every object can have an afterlife and can be reused in a really sustainable and environmentally friendly way. But my first realization of how I could apply that to my own practice was when my tutor, Jane Atfield, set us a brief called Our Chair, which was inspired by Martino Gamper’s 100 Chairs in 100 Days. The brief was to find two chairs that are unloved or thrown away, and recycle them into a new piece of furniture, giving them a new narrative.

What processes do the materials have to undergo to become the finished product?

The creative process is quite an organic process for me. I will take this broken chair out of its environment and into the studio – and even as I’m walking to my studio with this chair, I’m already breaking down the chair in my head, trying to work out how it could look and what sort of narrative it could share? Was it made in another country – is it an immigrant to the UK? Could its backrest be repurposed as a leg? Is there a parable that it calls to mind that might help me tell its story? And then when I get back to the studio, I’ll take it apart and lay it out on the ground, almost like a piece of flatpack furniture and try to find a new use for every component. It’s quite a different process to the one I was taught at University.

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy?

Yeah, they can. I work at the intersection of art and design, so I hope they will become heirlooms and passed down through generations. I want them to be like pieces of jewelry that you can cherish and keep for a long time. But you can add more layers and create even more of an attachment to it – remake it again and add to its story.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

I think I would have to go back to that first project at London Metropolitan University for Jane Atfield. I made a weird-looking, sculptural chair from two cafe chairs. It was this really sort of sleek silhouetted green chair, and it wasn’t really functional. But I just thought, “Wow, I’ve created this piece of furniture, using those objects.” And I don’t think that form could ever have come about without those two objects that it was made from. Even now, when I’m making batch-produced work, that idea has stayed with me.

How have people reacted to this project?

People have reacted in a really, really incredible way. I think they can all kind of resonate with and connect with the fact that, not only am I creating design objects, that are perhaps also pieces of art, but I’m also trying to educate people about upcycling and sustainability – and the fact that you shouldn’t always just throw things away, but then maybe think about repairing or reimagining something instead.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

I think I have a responsibility to make sure that I’m very conscious of the things that I do within design – to think about the afterlife of that project. What is the lifespan of that project? And can it be passed down? Where would it go? How would it be used? And I now try to factor that idea of legacy into my contracts. But the next generation is all over this stuff. I am so impressed with how informed kids are about climate change, so yeah, I think it’s changing – for the better.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

There’s a long way to go with it. Sustainable or recycled materials are still quite expensive – and it can be hard to convince clients to spend money on them – but that’s changing. I’m hopeful. I think we’re having the right conversations and more and more people are doing the right thing.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Yinka Ilori here.

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Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I was born and raised in Margate. Both of my parents were school teachers and so we always had a lot of educational textbooks around the house and I seemed to be preoccupied with spending summers learning things from the books and then re-drawing the pictures and text from them into sketchbooks of my own. I was reproducing these little graphic interpretations when I picked up a book all about the environment and the ozone layer. I was so shocked to read about pollution, that I wrote to the Queen about it. (This is not a joke, my parents didn’t know I had done it until I received a reply from a lady-in-waiting at the palace!) I resolved, there and then, to do more to spread the message that I’d read. It seemed really important to me, and my tiny developing mind decided that I could get more people to pay attention if I could translate the information out of that dusty textbook using my own unique skills and talents. I went on to study textile design and screen printing at university, but always retained a strong sense of duty and have therefore always strived to create things that spread awareness about the environment and waste.

How would you describe your furniture?

I screen-print my own hand-drawn designs and patterns onto second-hand wooden furniture and create cheerful, graphic and very colorful furniture pieces such as chests of drawers, tables and sideboards. The storage and surfaces that I create with objects others have discarded have a very mid-century look to them before I apply a lot of pattern and decoration. This is a conscious choice for me as the interiors from that period have very simple and straight or smooth forms and so they support my details and statement print work in a way that doesn’t make a piece feel too busy in the end. My designs have their roots in the time I spent studying to be a textile designer and growing up in Margate. For that reason, I always seem to have a lot of suns, flowers, sunrays, happy shapes and optimistic imagery. It matters to me to make something positive out of the waste I’m using and I know that can be engineered on every level, so even the colors I choose will have a warm and bright feel to them. First and foremost, I want people to feel good when they look at my work, and perhaps only after that discover that it is reused.

What inspired this project?

I like to investigate new design ideas every few months and they are always born from an interest or compulsion that I’m exploring at the time. My latest collection of work has been inspired by one of my design heroes Vera Neumann who was a silk scarf designer in the 1950s. She began life as a painter so when the war finished and parachute silk was an abundant material she began painting her work onto silk instead. Vera would still sign all of her designs, even when they were silk scarves instead of paintings, and is known for popularizing the idea of a ‘signature’ scarf. I was so inspired and impressed by an artist using her creativity in such a practical way but also retaining the value of her artistic identity at the same time, for me it felt an important blend of the two disciplines – art and design. Particularly at a time when a lot of creatives are feeling pressed to make-do and the world is in a state of flux and uncertainty, it’s encouraging to think that even after a great war or shortage of materials it’s possible to pivot and emerge with tenacity and flair. The sets that I’m making for the collection all come from one huge oak table that had a split from age and was heading to the tip. It’s fruited a batch of screen-printed coffee tables and matching candlesticks that celebrate the idea of looking again even in the most difficult of eras.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

I work exclusively with unwanted and badly damaged wooden furniture, often solid woods but mostly pieces that have been veneered. Although these will have been cheaper to produce in their time and are sometimes more stable than solid wooden pieces, they are nearly always chipped, ripped, stained or broken because of how fragile veneers and the light wood furniture frames are over time. I try to get pieces that are badly damaged, that are about to be thrown away, or that need a lot of repairs. If it’s stylistically out of date too that is a bonus, because of the way that I work I can bring furniture into different centuries and make things look a lot more contemporary. I’m mostly given or find unwanted furniture, it’s still surprising how much people leave on roadsides and throw away – my most recent collection was made from a table that was about to be thrown into a chipper at a recycling centre.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

I was campaigning and caring for climate change from a young age, and wrote my university dissertation on consumption patterns and how to steer them in a market to make for more sustainable activity. In 2008, when I was challenged with creating my degree show (to showcase my print work) I knew I wanted the entire collection to be reused and made from waste. That’s when I started screen printing onto wood and furniture and even wedding dress silk for soft furnishings – eventually my entire show was made from waste.

What processes do the materials have to undergo to become the finished product?

I start by carefully removing and dismantling a piece that I’ve chosen to use, stripping the existing lacquer, unscrewing all of the components and restoring anything I hope to use again. I will remodel most of my furniture pieces by adding new legs, handles and sometimes splitting the piece into different sized units to get the maximum use out of the material. It feels very important to me that all of the forms look like they have come from the same place even if they start out looking very different. Unwanted furniture as a waste material has a better chance if I am able to pull it in to a recognized aesthetic that people trust and value and that I’ve worked hard to brand. So I strip back a unit to its most simple form and then prime it for printing. Once I have designed something I’m happy with, the silk screens are used to apply layers and layers of print work onto only certain parts of a piece. This means being able to choose parts that are very badly damaged to cover with the pattern and leaving the rest of the remaining wood to be celebrated. When the print is applied, all parts are revarnished and then reassembled with any new wooden components added (these are made by a woodturner local to me). The final touches are to line or fabric the inside of any storage units to make sure that every part of a piece feels exciting and special to discover. And then, much like Vera, I sign my creation!

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy?

Because I know that every time wood is stripped or painted it takes a little more of the material away and reduces its possibilities for the next time it might be recycled, it’s always my aim to decorate and print onto as little of a piece as possible while still moving it on enough to be found refreshing for a consumer. Everything is screwed together, printed with water-based paints, and lacquered with a durable varnish, so that it will last for as long as possible and then finally will have enough original material for it to be reused again. It takes an incredible amount of time and care to reuse waste and I’m of the opinion that the application of craftsmanship can elevate any material. I use my researched and designed print work to add value and rescue a material that isn’t considered useful. I aim to deliver an emotional connection and delight to the people who buy my work, so that they will care for it properly and keep it for longer than the average piece of furniture.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

It would have been at a very very small age. My favorite thing to do as a little girl was to make dresses for my Barbies and furniture for my doll house. None of them were made from things I had bought because the thought didn’t even occur to me – why would I use new things when there was so much already available? I clearly remember making a set of living room chairs for my doll house, padded and upholstered, from toilet rolls. The buzz I got from taking something that really was the lowliest material and fit for the bin and turning it into something so useful and domestic, was unmatched. Giving things a second chance at being valuable made me feel valuable, and that feeling hasn’t ever gone away.

How have people reacted to this project?

The response to my work from others has always been an emotional one. I imagine it comes from the narrative created when you see pictures and drawings on things that often are just a color or a surface. I make work to express how I feel and what I care about, so it can still be a surprise for me how much people emotionally invest in the things that I make. It nearly always makes people smile or exclaim something, and the extra benefit is when they find out that it’s made from something that was ready to be thrown away. The polarity of that is always special and memorable for people and is likely a reason that all waste reuse has an impact beyond that which a new material on its own can generate. The legacy of a product makes it all the more interesting, as waste has lots of lives before it. I pour a lot of myself into every piece I make and thank the way that I market myself and my work for that. I talk and share a lot with the people who buy from me and I know that when they look at something I have made, see the creative as much as the creation. It’s another aspect that helps the waste I chose to reuse, as I’m determined to package myself up with the product as a way of giving the best chance of striking a light in a customer.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

What I think is really helpful is how much awareness has grown around the issues of climate change. The primary objective is to create with better and non-toxic materials and to use up what exists already so that more doesn’t need to be produced. It’s still novel and notable to recycle instead of using raw materials in product design and I’m looking forward to a day when it’s just considered standard to look for a reusable option first before using something new. As a designer it can be more fussy and time consuming to use waste rather than buying in big predictable sheets of material, but educators and informed creatives are drawing attention to the fact that ongoing consumption is a zero-sum game. If we are going to move forward in a way that isn’t destructive for ourselves or the planet, we’re going to have to make creative accommodations, and that’s definitely something that is talked about more than it used to be.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

As material scarcity starts to increase – either through increased demand from populations or reduction in the amount of raw materials still available – I have no doubt that we will all get more creative with our production cycles through necessity alone. It seems likely that some dramatic environmental activity will also remind consumers of what the status quo is doing to our resources as well, and so it’s likely that there will be a shift in concern that will start to hopefully move us over to using waste in production more. It will be great to see technology and connectivity play a bigger part in reallocating materials, and all the while our systems and apps develop there’s a big opportunity to use that connectivity to deliver information about resources and what is available. Imagine a time before eBay, and think how much was thrown away because we couldn’t find someone who wanted that exact item. It’s beautiful! I would love to see increased connection providing more circular solutions like this.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Zoe Murphy here.

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Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I was born in England, Surrey but my parents are both from the Philippines and came over to study nursing in the 1970s. When I was eight years old my parents decided to move us to the Philippines where we lived for two years. Growing up I preferred being outdoors than drawing, but discovered my creative streak when it came to my art lessons – I was always doing more than was asked, pushing the boundaries, but not really noticing it at the time. Having lived in both countries I was aware of how different they were from a young age. We lived comfortably in both places, but in the Philippines, I was much more aware of the pollution and how the poorer areas suffered environmentally. I guess this has subconsciously stuck with me. Moving back to the UK, I went on to pursue interior design on a foundation course but without any planning, I fell into textile design. I went onto Winchester School of Art where I specialized in weave design – again without any real planning! This gave me an understanding of how fabric was made and the labour involved. After graduating I decided to travel to Australia where I ended up working as a weave and print designer. I then travelled to the weaving mills in China, and that was a definite moment where I became aware of the impact the textile industry was having on the environment – how the dyes were disposed of and the process the yarns would go through.

How would you describe your work?

My work is designed to turn discarded unwanted paper into artful decorative, ornamental pieces for people to enjoy and have in their home. My vases and sculptures are hand-sculpted, using paper and card waste which is turned into a paper clay. Each vase or sculpture I make is a piece of art to be treasured. At the same time, they have an organic feel to them with the combination of structure and boldness.

What inspired this project?

My passion for ceramics, objects, sculptures and vases initially inspired this project. Being a full-time mum to two young kids meant going to a ceramics studio wasn’t easily accessible for me. At the same time, having a family made me aware of how much we throw away such as packaging of kids’ toys, cereal boxes, letters, egg cartons… One day after researching papier-mâché for my kids, I came across a lady who was making theatre props out of ‘paper clay’. Her version was more like a soft paste that you had to use over chicken wire for structure and she was using tissue instead of paper. This instantly clicked with me and inspired me to think about how I could use our paper and card waste and turn it into clay. It dawned on me just how very little we pay attention to these materials and I was curious to see if I could prolong their use by changing their form and aesthetic.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

I source paper and card waste from local cafes, shops and what we throw away in our own home. This is from packaging, letters, newspapers, egg cartons – all of which are discarded almost instantly after their short use. To make the clay, I turn these into paper pulp and mix them with flour, adhesive and a small amount of joint compound so very similar to papier-mâché. I like the idea that these materials go through less of a process than normal recycling. Very little energy apart from my own is used to turn waste paper into a new aesthetic.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

As much as working in the design industry made me aware of the materials we use and the processes that create waste, it is becoming a mum that has given me the motivation. From food waste to items the kids grow out off or no longer want to play with, the realization of just how much we end up taking to the charity shops, selling on eBay or throwing away became overwhelming and I felt I had to do something about it.

What processes do the materials have to undergo to become the finished product?

To make the paper clay, I first shred the card and paper by hand. This is then soaked in water until it’s softened enough to blend it, turning into paper pulp. To hold the paper pulp together, I mix in a small amount of adhesive, joint compound and flour to the pulp which makes it into a sturdier malleable clay. The process uses very little water and hardly any clay goes to waste. I can pretty much start making it into a shape straight away. Unlike normal clay, each part of the object needs to be made individually as it’s still quite soft. I sometimes use glass jars or recycled objects I have at home to help start off a shape or base and then use my hands to organically build up the desired shape I have in mind. By adapting the recipe and using paper and card instead of tissue for the clay, it makes it more malleable and easier to mold into shape. Some of my vases are left naturally or I paint them with water-based paint which are from sustainable companies.

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy?

If I’m honest my vases have not got to the stage yet of being discarded so I don’t know how well they break down. As they are not watertight, I am sure that by wetting them again, the material would turn back into clay but it won’t go back to its original material or paper again.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

Seeing the vases I made for the first time was very exciting and I was amazed that I had created a product that was very similar to ceramics in terms of how it looks and feels in the hand.

How have people reacted to this project?

When I first made my vases it took a while for me to share them as I was hesitant about whether people would understand why I was using paper and card waste to make decorative objects for interiors and home – I was also worried that the materials I was using would cheapen them, even though the craftsmanship is the same when working with hand-building clay. The moment I shared them on social media, I had the most amazing response. The first (and only!) three vases I had made sold instantly and from there I started getting orders and interest from all sorts of people even the amazing interior design duo 2LG Studio. I now have a great following and lots of interest in the process of how I make the final product. People seem to be excited to have my vases or sculptures in their home or to give them to family or friends as gifts.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

People are more aware of sustainability, buying or sourcing locally to cut down their carbon footprints. With our current situation with climate change and COVID-19, I think people are becoming more aware of waste and reusing what they can, buying less and making more considered purchases. By looking at how things are made and materials, people are more positive and accepting towards waste being used in products or as a new material.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

As our resources dwindle and people become more aware of waste and the impact on the environment, recycling discarded waste into innovative materials is the way forward. We can see it now in the various creative industries that are beginning to do this, for example, plastic bottles made into handbags or into tables and chairs. They are so many exciting new products out there made purely from recycled waste. I hope this can continue in other areas.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Jacqueline here.

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Award-winning London-based designer Ella Doran set up her homewares business in the late 1990s, quickly winning fans and plaudits for her pioneering application of photography-based images and patterns onto functional, household products. Her involvement in the RSA’s Great Recovery project – and specifically, the restoration of a sofa that was bound for landfill simply because its fire safety label had been removed – sparked a renewed interest in, and commitment to, the circular economy. We spoke to her about her latest project, the Clean Up Plastic Camo Chair.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I was born in London and spent the first six years of my life moving between various towns and cities, because my Dad was at medical school. We then settled in Bristol and I attended a Steiner School until I was 14. Every week we had practical lessons in the creative arts integrated with our academic work, from needlework to pottery, from woodwork and painting to music – this gave me a very strong foundation and confidence in my own creativity and in making things from a young age. Until I was 18, I mostly lived with my Mum in a community surrounded by creative people. I had the best year of college life on my foundation course and from there I went on to study printed textiles at Middlesex University (then a polytechnic). I quickly learnt that I preferred designing for interiors rather than for fashion and the course focused on developing our own design language. In terms of sustainability in my own business, the size of my company has ebbed and flowed to remain viable, but the values I espouse and the materials I use have not changed – even though the communication and focus of what and how I design has developed over time.

How would you describe your Clean Up Plastic Camo Chair?

The Clean Up Plastic Camo chair is a one-off piece. The story of the chair is as much a part of the design process as the piece itself and is aimed at highlighting the wicked problems of plastics in our oceans and furniture going to landfill. It’s a truly collaborative project. I teamed up with Urban Upholstery (Andrea and Patrizia) for the re-making of the chair. We ran several live demonstration workshops and invited the public and local school children to watch Andrea as he rebuilt the chair after stripping it back to its frame. The children were very engaged from the outset, particularly as the chair had been found abandoned on the streets of Hackney, and they were fascinated to learn how much goes into re-upholstering a chair!

The upholstery textile for the chair was born out of another collaboration with fellow designer Sophie Thomas who led the Great Recovery project at the RSA. Sophie has been collecting waste plastic washed up by the sea from beaches around the world and we worked together to create artful arrangements of her almost jewel-like pieces. I then photographed the arrangements to create the textile design. The design unintentionally echoes that of a Terrazzo floor and it’s only after closer inspection you realize what the pieces actually are, giving the design a great back story that balances the negatives of plastic pollution with a new optimistic message of reuse.

What inspired this project?

My fellow collaborators and I are passionate about the circular economy, through education and advocating for re-use and repair rather than recycling and/or landfill. I have always brought attention to the value of the materials I work with, and now I want to inspire more transparency across the whole textile supply chain, as well as helping to end the use of harmful chemicals in the making process and ensuring that all workers have fair pay and rights. The re-design of an abandoned chair helps illustrate how creativity can keep furniture out of landfill. For this project, we wanted to shine a light on the wastefulness of plastics. That’s not to say that all plastic is bad, but single-use plastic should be banned and our oceans certainly need to stop being the unlucky recipients of our waste!

What waste materials is the chair made from, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

The chair plays with a traditional Chesterfield buttoned-back feature. We made every button from discarded plastic bags found on the streets of London. The back of the chair was deliberately left open to reveal the craftsmanship and intricate work involved in the re-making of the piece. The seat was re-sprung using hand-tied coil springs, with FR coir fibre, horsehair, recycled wool felt and calico. The legs have been finished with an acid-blue vinyl fabric from off-cuts saved from the bin, supremely sewn to fit like tights, and the underside of the chair was completed using bright red plastic netting also found left on the street. The printed velvet is recycled from PET bottles. The design is printed onto specialist paper using water-based inks and then applied to the fabric through heat and compression known as dye sublimation. This process avoids using any water in the finishing of the textile.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

I have made or been part of making ‘products’ for over 25 years – thousands of products in total, in volume and design through both my own manufacture and that of my licensors. I am proud of the majority of what I have made, but there was a period when I realized that I needed to slow down and refocus on what my core purpose was and what I was applying my designs to. That was over 10 years ago when I started to engage with re-use and the practice of re-designing old furniture pieces (namely chairs and tables) alongside my textile homeware collections. Now my company is working with manufacturers and collaborators to close as many loops as possible in the stream of materials and the manufacturing processes we share together. We’ve shifted from holding stock to only making to order. We offer a take-back service for our made-to-order roller blinds, which means when you order new ones from us, we can pick up your old blinds and ensure the different components are separated for re-use and recycling. Global economies have been built on stories, and in many cases it’s time we told new ones – more inclusive and more circular ones, which involve less carbon-producing and more carbon-sequestering. And for my company, that means doing more with less.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

Exhibiting the ‘Clean Up Plastic Camo’ chair in September during Shoreditch Design Triangle [part of the London Design Festival] was exciting. Working in collaboration brings a unique ‘magic’ to the work. This is a one-off chair, and our dream is to have it live in a museum rather than in a private home, so it’s message reaches as many people as possible.

What happens to the chair at the end of its life? Can it go back into the circular economy again?

Yes, it can have another life, the recycled velvet will most probably be the first thing to wear out, and that could then be replaced, and the fabric could be recycled again.

How have people reacted to this project?

We had a great response during the festival. Visitors marveled at the work that has gone into each aspect of the chair. And I’ve had enquiries about the velvet textile, but at this stage we are not looking to offer it by the meter.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

This is a really exciting time, everything is shifting! Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that community can be powerful, adaptive and caring. We have all felt the strength and value of our social economy and community, and the prioritizing of everyone’s good health and wellbeing. I find this really energizing. I know from my research that household recycling in general has had a massive increase during COVID-19 and, although this is good news, what we also want to ensure is that those materials do actually get recycled. At the moment too much of it still gets burned for energy or shipped abroad. And this is where designers can help shift the system, by working within industry and designing closed loops or products for disassembly to enable material recovery at the end of each product’s life. Sophie Thomas and I are part of a new multi-disciplinary creative collective called URGE, working with organizations to envision and enact radical responses to the climate emergency. Our aim is to connect the thinking with the doing, and identify the actions needed to make a difference and change out-dated systems.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

That is a very broad question! It used to only be ‘dust’ that we threw away, hence the name dustbin! But one human’s waste is another human’s treasure and I think the future is bright. Ingenuity and creativity will lead the way for new and recycled materials that are more in-line with regenerative systems. And we are going to see more bio-based plastics and mycelium products coming onto the market. I found Kate Raworth’s Doughnut Economics a very inspiring read. If there is one positive thing that has come out of the pandemic, it’s the heightened awareness of the climate emergency. If everyone makes little changes, that can all add up to a lot!

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Ella here.

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Yair Neuman is a London-based designer and entrepreneur, exploring sustainable design opportunities, while minimizing the environmental impact of everything he produces and conceives. His most recent collection was developed in collaboration with eyewear brand Cubitts. As with most eyewear stores, Cubitts’ frames are displayed with dummy ‘plano’ lenses that are replaced with prescription lenses once purchased by the customer. The average high-street eyeglasses store discards 200 such lenses every week. Neuman is turning these lenses, otherwise destined for landfill, into polycarbonate sheet materials, from which he has created a striking lighting collection called Lens Light, recently launched during the London Design Festival.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

My jeweler mother, with her artistic view, and my surgeon father, with his practical precision, provided me with a good balance of creativity versus execution to start with. Then studying design in Eindhoven and in London has helped me build my practice around sustainability, which is common to the majority of designers in my age group. I just don’t think there is any other way.

How would you describe your Lens Light collection?

The collection is a representation of many labor hours and represents just the first page of a story about waste in the eyewear industry. It also shows that there are great brands like Cubitts, with whom I collaborated for this collection, that are working towards a real change.

What inspired this project?

The first time I worked on eyewear pieces was at Ron Arad’s brand pq in 2010. Being involved in the industry on and off since then I witnessed wastage that is hidden from the costumer’s eye. This project started when I realised there was an opportunity to use that waste as free, high-quality material that I could repurpose into something else.

What waste materials is the collection made from, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

The most polluting part of eyewear making is the lens waste. This is what I work with and use to create my pieces from. All the clear display lenses installed in eyewear frames in shops are replaced with consumers’ prescription lenses when the frames are sold. Despite being made out of optical grade polycarbonate, these clear display lenses are essentially disposable and go straight to landfill. The nice thing I have discovered is that if an optician or store is willing to collaborate and keep these lenses for me, all I need to do is to collect them and transform them into something else. It is a simple supply chain.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

The general feeling in the design circles I move in is that we’ve taken enough out of this poor little planet. We have dug, cut, pumped and extracted for generations. There is, of course, some value in processing virgin materials, but with so much that can be reclaimed, repurposed and upcycled, sometimes it just makes more sense to do that, no?

What processes does the waste material have to undergo to become the finished product?

I start by composing patterns using the lenses’ original shapes and then flatten them either individually or fused into sheets, depending on the designed piece. Then I use a combination of heat, pressure, jigs, moulds and freehand sculpting to create the final designs.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

This is such a good question as that very moment was probably the most inspiring moment in the work. This usually happens in projects, I find, and if the feeling is positive enough it can really help to overcome hurdles later on in the process and carry the project all the way to completion.

What happens to the product at the end of its life? Can it go back into the circular economy again?

Making objects that are mostly static, such lamps works well with the delicacy of the material and supports longevity. At the very end of the product’s life, there will still be the problem of not being able to recycle large plastic objects easily. However, I’m hoping to collaborate with other makers who specialise in processing rougher plastic parts into raw material that could be repurposed the lamps. Some of them already operate in the UK.

How have people reacted to this project?

It’s very reassuring that many people from within the industry are reaching out to me as a result of seeing the work. It shows that the time is right for a change and the professional world is ready for it.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

I notice it’s a topic of conversation and sometimes people are proud to have something made out of waste material. My hope is that over time it will just become common sense rather than being something special.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

Production facilities are becoming increasingly automated, which is allowing for detailed control over each step of the process. I can already start to see how this will enable producers to separate, control and reintroduce waste back into the system, overcoming logistical challenges that we’ve been struggling with so far.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Yair here.

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Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

I was born in Shizuoka, Japan. My hometown was rich in nature and I spent a lot of time in the forest. When I was nine years old, I made a wooden chair for my father, which was my first design experience. Because of this childhood, I am naturally interested in creativity, design and sustainability and those interests have a strong influence on my own current works. I hold Master’s Degree in product design from ECAL and work in a design studio in Germany at this moment.

How would you describe your Stone Pottery project?

“Any waste can be special,” The Stone pottery project started with this phrase. In general, stone factories have a huge quantity of stone powder, which is made by the machining of cutting, grinding, drilling and milling process for stones. Usually, it would have been turned into urban road material. However, I felt there was a lot of potential with this material, in other uses. Through the material investigation, I figured out that this waste undergoes a special reaction after the baking process – a foaming phenomenon. And then I decided to use the reaction as a special glaze on the surface of pottery which provides a satisfying grip and heat insulation. In the end, I designed a family of coffee cup and a carafe, as examples, to visualize these material characteristics.

What inspired this project?

A traditionally-made glaze from raw material.

What waste (and other) materials are you using, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

I sourced waste stone powder from a stone processing factory based in Lausanne, Switzerland.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

I had noticed this waste when I visited the factory coincidentally. At that time, I knew that many minerals are used in traditional glazes, so I felt the same potential with stone powder of marble or natural stones.

What processes do the materials have to undergo to become the finished product?

First, we had to build a good partnership between a particular pottery manufacturer and stone factories. And it was also necessary to put in place a mechanism that enables stable production as a new type of glaze.

What happens to your products at the end of their life – can they go back into the circular economy?

In this project, the final product is the glaze made out of stone powder waste. The project extends the lifespan of the waste before it becomes urban road material, which is not really part of the circular economy but it is valuable. The circular economy argues for keeping materials in use indefinitely – this project extends the period of time for which this is possible.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

I felt that my prediction of potential went in the right direction. However, I also felt there were many barriers to realize it. In fact, this project is still a prototype and has not yet been realized in society.

How have people reacted to this project?

I have received some collaboration inquiries from porcelain manufacturers but to build a good partnership between stone factories can be a big barrier for this project, in terms of investment.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

To be used as a raw material, waste often needs a lot of processing, which adds to the production costs in general. That means that in order to use waste, we have to present a special value beyond the processing cost. Actually this realistic opinion hasn’t changed a lot. The use of waste can only be moved forward by accumulating special value creation cases.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

I feel there is a huge opportunity. In fact, many designers are realizing great designs with waste raw materials.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Studio Rope here.

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The circular economy is a proposed alternative to our traditional ‘take–make–waste’ model of production and consumption – one that offers hope in the face of environmental catastrophes from climate change to ocean plastic. Designing out waste and pollution, keeping materials and products in use and regenerating our natural environment are so important to contemporary design that we have created a dedicated space for the projects bringing these ideas to life. Circular by Design, a fortnightly column by longtime contributor Katie Treggiden, starts by exploring the reuse of waste as a way to keep materials in use and bring the legacy of the linear system full circle.

When Tom van Soest was a student at Design Academy Eindhoven in The Netherlands, he developed a way of upcycling waste he found in nearby vacant buildings awaiting demolition. He ground, crushed and mixed this rubble in a homemade industrial blender and, after much trial and error, found a way to create new materials that were both resilient and appealing. On graduation, he established StoneCycling with long-time friend Ward Massa to build upon what he called his ‘WasteBasedBrick,’ officially launched in 2015. The bricks now appear in buildings, in private homes and offices, Starbucks and Cos stores from Amsterdam to New York. We spoke to Massa to find out more.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design and sustainability.

Tom and I have been friends since kindergarten and we started our first company when we were just 18 years old – a small design studio. We worked together for a few years and then parted ways professionally for almost a decade. In the meantime, Tom studied graphic design and then attended Design Academy Eindhoven, while I completed a Bachelor’s degree in digital communication, a Master’s in political communication – and then studied political science in India for another two years. These years were formative for both of us. Tom developed his skills and design thinking, while I focused on the global systems that shape the world. Tom became concerned about the waste from building demolition during the economic crisis of 2008, while I became fascinated by the Indian concept of ‘Jugaad’, which means something like ‘an improvised or makeshift solution using scarce resources’ – it’s a way of life in India, where washing machines are used to whip up yoghurt drinks, but it’s also an innovation theory that’s becoming increasingly influential in the West. So when Tom approached me after with the idea of creating new materials out of waste, I was intrigued. Having worked together before and knowing our skill sets were completely different (Tom: creative thinker, dreamer, do-er; me: analytic, systematic, entrepreneurial), I knew we would make a great team.

How would you describe your WasteBasedBricks® project?

WasteBasedBricks® are interior and exterior bricks made to the requirements of each project from at least 60% waste. Our mission is to move towards beautiful building materials made from 100% upcycled waste with a positive carbon impact on the planet. The WasteBasedBrick® is the first step but no more than that – there’s still so much more work to do to bring about genuine and lasting change. We invite people to join us on our mission, but we are realistic about the destination: it will take many steps. Maybe too many for this lifetime. But each step is one step closer.

What inspired this project?

Tom was studying at Design Academy Eindhoven when the economic crisis hit its peak. Companies went bankrupt, buildings became empty and were demolished on a large scale. Tom started to wonder what happened to all the waste and didn’t like the answers he found: It is often ‘down-cycled’ into backfill under roads or the foundations for buildings. Since most of the infrastructure in The Netherlands is in place, we can’t use it all, so it is transported to other countries or dumped up in landfill sites. There is not a single definition for construction and demolition waste and it can contain many different materials – concrete, ceramics (toilet pots, sinks, tiles, bricks), steel, wood, gypsum and glass are all common. Construction and demolition waste comprises about 30-40% of all the waste we generate in most European countries – in the Netherlands this is 25 million tons each year. Virgin materials such as like construction sand and high-quality clay are running out – the construction industry requires grain sizes and rough shapes that are only found in river beds, lakes and the oceans – desert sand is too smooth. Construction sand has become such a scarce resource that even sand-rich countries like Saudi Arabia import sand. Tom wanted to address all of these issues.

What waste materials are the products made from, how did you select that particular material and how do you source it?

The WasteBasedBrick® is made from 60% upcycled waste materials. Each brick contains mineral waste, most of which would otherwise end up in landfill. We use various waste streams, some of which are mentioned above.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

During Tom’s graduation at the Design Academy. The biggest driver, for both Tom and me, is the idea that, on the one hand, we are producing so many new products from virgin materials – depleting the earth – while, on the other hand, we’re creating so much waste that can have potential value.

What processes does the waste material have to undergo to become the finished product?

We carefully select waste streams from demolition and the industry that are of the ‘right’ quality for our products. We set up new protocols with our partners in the value chain to make sure we get the material in the right quantity, quality, color and grain size. (In some cases, we have developed an extra ‘cleaning’ process to make sure the material we use is safe, and adds to the aesthetic and technical quality of the WasteBasedBrick®.) We work with established production companies for the production of the WasteBasedBricks® – factories which often have more than 100 years experience in brick making. By teaming up, we can use their vast experience to ensure a perfect product and they can use our innovation power and creativity to innovate their processes. This part is a lot of fun! After mixing the recipe, the WasteBasedBricks® are molded and fired in a kiln. Our recipe allows for firing at a lower temperature and we use 100% forest compensated gas to further reduce our footprint.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

Honestly, Tom tried for over a year in his own homemade lab. He encountered so many challenges that when the first prototypes appeared to be stable, he couldn’t quite believe it! Now, looking back at that moment, it’s hard to believe that this ‘little moment of success’ evolved into a company that collaborates with architects from around the world and is upcycling waste into buildings in cities like Amsterdam, Antwerp, London and New York!

What happens to the products at the end of their lives? Can they go back into the circular economy again?

Yes, absolutely – the product can be 100% recycled and used as an ingredient for new WasteBasedBricks®.

How have people reacted to this project?

Almost everybody likes it. It is a sympathetic project and I think our focus on both design and sustainability is a combination that really speaks to the minds and hearts of people (i.e. the idea that waste is beautiful).

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

We started out at the peak of the (previous) economic crisis. In general, the public was not really interested. This has completely changed over the last 10 years. Roughly speaking, we see three phases. First is the sympathy phase, in which the public and potential clients like the idea of sustainability and upcycling, but very few, early adopters, will actually buy your products. We cherish those customers that feel the intrinsic need to transform the way we build and live on this planet. I would say we were in this phase until as recently as last year. Then comes the benefits phase, when governments are implementing subsidies and fiscal stimulation packages to motivate real estate developers to develop sustainable real estate. The extra investments needed for products like ours are compensated by these benefits. We are now in this phase. These are much-needed government programs to really boost the transition. The early majority is waking up and using these benefits more and more. Next will come the penalty phase: governments will implement penalties if you are not creating sustainable real estate. This phase will probably take another 10 years and will motivate the big majority as well. In our opinion there’s only one way forward: governments need to heavily invest in phase two and already hint at phase three. We don’t see another way for this transition to happen.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

Our production processes are usually based on efficiency and predictability with high volumes and low margins. This only works if you are using resources (mostly virgin) that are always of the same quality. This allows for mass production of the same products everywhere, but this system will not last. It’s not resilient and it’s boring. We expect that using waste as resource will really put pressure on this system. If you have to work with the materials you are confronted with (i.e. waste), your production process has to become more flexible – the result will be more diverse, more colorful and local. This should mean that the role of the architect will become even more important. It will boost creativity because the choice will be vast but also connected to a certain time frame relating to the materials that are available when the building is being built. I think it will become more fun. Exceptions will become the rule instead of standardization. I think the concept of Jugaad will become an important factor in our lives. Let’s learn from India – let’s create a Jugaad mindset.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about StoneCycling here.

The circular economy is a proposed alternative to our traditional ‘take, make, waste’ model of production and consumption – one that offers hope in the face of environmental catastrophes from climate change to ocean plastic. Designing out waste and pollution, keeping materials and products in use and regenerating our natural environment are so important to contemporary design that we wanted to create a dedicated space for the projects bringing these ideas to life. Circular by Design, a fortnightly column by longtime contributor Katie Treggiden, starts by exploring the potential of waste as a valuable new raw material.

Paris-based designer-maker Wendy Andreu uses materials as a means of communication, experimenting to find surprising outcomes that can be translated into functional design proposals. She collaborated with performance fabric manufacturer Sunbrella to create a new innovative material from its waste selvedges – the woven or knitted edges of textile rolls that are usually discarded.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education, and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design, and sustainability.

I was born in a rural area of the South West of France. Growing up with a father who was a technician in an aeronautic factory and a mother who was an insurance agent, I felt that my perspective there was quite narrow. I wanted to explore art and culture, so at the age of 14, I decided to study applied arts at a boarding school in the Basque country. There, I discovered the potential of the creative industries and knew what I wanted to do with my life. At 17, I moved to Paris to study metal craftsmanship at the Ecole Boulle, gaining a traditional and technical education. In 2012, I was accepted into the Design Academy Eindhoven. There, I was able to be a craftsperson as well as a designer – making and thinking all at the same time. I was really inspired by that approach and pushed out of my comfort zone to try things I would never have thought about trying. I graduated cum laude in 2016 with a collection of rainproof accessories made with a textile I had developed myself – and won the Dorothy Waxman textile prize and the public prize for fashion accessories at the Villa Noailles, Hyères.

How would you describe your Solid Selvedges collaboration with Sunbrella?

Sunbrella makes performance fabrics for awning and shade structures, as well as marine canvas and upholstery for both outdoor and indoor applications. I was introduced to them by The New Order of Fashion [formerly Modebelofte – a platform for interdisciplinary collaborations with emerging fashion talents] with the idea of sustainability and tackling waste in mind. Most of Sunbrella’s products are made with solution-dyed acrylic, a high-quality textile fiber that provides long-lasting colors and strong products. During production, the selvedges (the edge of a fabric – usually woven or knit so that it will not fray) of the textile rolls are discarded. Focusing on these selvedges, I created a composite material in which the discarded fiber from Sunbrella could become one of the raw materials.

What inspired this project?

I experiment with materials to understand their potential – I like to understand traditional techniques and then re-think how things are made. I am also very interested in small scale craftsmanship and I am very proud to produce only a few pieces each year, working with European suppliers and manufacturers. Sustainability is linked to how we produce goods – and this is a question that I ask myself every day. Which design choice will lead to the least waste? Which choice will create less pollution? By carefully thinking through all the options, applying knowledge and creativity, the best design outcomes can be reached. This particular research project was inspired by the material itself. The acrylic waste, once coated with a resin to make it waterproof, cannot be recycled, so I had to think about other ways to step in. I went to Lille to visit the Sunbrella factory and to understand the processes. I researched acrylic and acrylic properties. I spoke with people from the factory and try to understand the context and how this waste product be related to the same context? I was also inspired by carbon and glass fiber techniques, in which fibers are used to reinforce a resin – and I decided to give the Sunbrella fibers the same function. I didn’t want to use harmful transformation processes such as burning or melting, or use hazardous resins such as polyester or epoxy.

What waste materials are the products made from, how did you select that particular material, and how do you source it?

I limited myself to the selvedge. By focusing on a single type of waste, I was able to be efficient and precise in my research. Each waste stream has its own potential that can lead to its very own beauty. The key is to understand where the beauty stands, dig it out and translate it into a tangible proposal. Then waste becomes valuable. The Lille production site generates 70 tons of selvedges waste every year, so there is huge potential.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

I designed my first piece with waste as a raw material in 2018 in response to a brief from Laura Houseley and James Shaw to make a textile piece using plastic for the Plasticscene Exhibition they curated for LDF the same year. I contacted my rope suppliers, the Société Choletaise de Fabrication, and asked them if they could send me discarded polyester rope. I received a random selection of hiking boot laces in a diversity of colors and patterns. I bonded these laces together with a black polyurethane paste in order to create a rug. The use of waste always involves the randomness of the leftover and it was interesting to make a piece without being totally in control of the colors – I like to take advantage of this randomness as it always generates unique objects.

What processes does the waste material have to undergo to become the finished fabric?

The Sunbrella selvedges are cut into tiny squares and then reduced to fine fibers. These fibers are mixed with water-based, solvent-free acrylic resin to create a hard material. The acrylic fiber makes the material stronger by bonding with the acrylic paste – and gives the plaster-like resin a color. The resin can be poured into molds or coated onto existing forms. This process transforms soft and colorful textiles into a stone-like building material, extending the spectrum into which the Sunbrella textile can be applied. At this stage, the project is only a promising research project, but I would like to be able to push it further.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

I work step by step, so the first tests were small, flat, samples. They were promising as I liked their materiality and tactility. I was very keen to create molds as they allow production without waste. I designed molds in aluminum and kept the objects interesting, light and yet very abstract so people could envision many more possibilities with them. Everything worked out pretty well and I was very happy with the result. You can see and guess the fibers stuck in the resin – and some details of the colored fibers are quite beautiful as they layer in a very lively composition. It is very important to me that the designs I make are appealing and desirable.

What happens to the products at the end of their lives? Can they go back into the circular economy again?

Neither of the materials (the original waste selvedge fibers nor the resin) is biodegradable and neither can be recycled, unfortunately. However, I have turned a waste material which couldn’t be recycled into something that is made to last and won’t be destroyed easily, extending its lifespan.

How have people reacted to this project?

People were intrigued first and curious about the material – lots of people expected it to be much lighter than it is. It is interesting to notice the new aesthetics that can be created with waste – people could envision them for retail environments, interior design, objects, furniture… They also were craving to touch the material as it is quite tactile. I think these type of alternative materials are increasingly sought after as people become more and more interested in working with them. Companies big and small – be they manufacturers, retailers, or the fashion industry as a whole – will soon have no other choice but to think about their environmental footprint. Customers, then politics and laws, will push industries in this direction. In my opinion, the companies who don’t respond will decline fast.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

The idea is still disgusting for many people, including designers – waste and garbage are not the most appealing things in the world. However, with a little bit more education on materials and how things are made, perhaps people can better envision products made from waste. It is the role of designers to create positive interpretations of waste or discarded products in order to create beauty. I wish that more industries and manufacturers would be open-minded enough to hire designers not only for their main objects, but also to think about their waste. It could be profitable for them on an ecological and economical basis. It is important to create appealing products and not make too much of the “trash aesthetic” that is often associated with waste.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

Waste is the result of the Anthropocene. The amount of garbage is growing while available natural resources are becoming more and more scarce. Waste barely exists in the natural environment as nature works in cycles. Each element has a role and the outputs of one process simply become the inputs for another. It is easy to foresee a future in which waste becomes a raw material and an available resource. Waste is one of the materials of the future. In France a new law against overproduction comes into force next year: manufacturers and companies won’t be able to throw away or destroy their unsold products anymore. These products will need to be either donated or recycled. These very clean waste streams might be the beginning of a new perspective for materiality and production.

Process photos: Neige Thébault. Final presentation photos: GJ Van Rooij. To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Wendy here.

The circular economy is a proposed alternative to our traditional ‘take, make, waste’ model of production and consumption – one that offers hope in the face of environmental catastrophes from climate change to ocean plastic. Designing out waste and pollution, keeping materials and products in use and regenerating our natural environment are so important to contemporary design that we wanted to create a dedicated space for the projects bringing these ideas to life. Circular by Design, a new fortnightly column by longtime contributor Katie Treggiden, will start by exploring the potential of waste as a valuable new raw material.

Portuguese designer Susana Godinho established Sugo Cork Rugs in 2017. Using contemporary design to inject life into traditional weaving techniques, she combines the performance of highly sustainable cork with recycled and recovered fabrics from the fashion and textiles industries. Based in the North of Portugal, the brand is committed to not only working in harmony with the natural world but also providing employment opportunities for people living with disabilities.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education, and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design, and sustainability.

I was born in a small village near the sea, 20 minutes from Oporto. As my parents were very young when I was born, we lived with my grandparents. My grandfather was an excellent tailor and he worked from home. His work must have affected my childhood and education because I ended up studying textile and fashion design. He was, without doubt, the major influence on my life and he only left us recently at almost 99 years old.

How would you describe Sugo Cork Rugs?

Sugo Cork Rugs are traditionally hand-woven rugs with a contemporary design, differentiated by the use of an innovative cork solution and waste textiles in a manufacturing process that brings artisan weaving techniques back to life. Cork is a natural, renewable and very sustainable material. It is light, moisture-proof, extremely flexible, absorbs heat and sound, is hypoallergenic and soft to the touch. It is the perfect material to combine with waste textiles to make high-quality rugs.

What inspired this project?

My favorite skill in my degree was weaving, so I went straight into the rug industry when I graduated and I have worked in the textile industry for almost 20 years now. Weaving is a constant challenge and tapestry captured my imagination because it showcases weaving on a bigger scale. After all these years of experience in the rug industry, during which I have mostly worked with natural and recycled materials, the opportunity came about to introduce a new, and very Portuguese, material – cork.

What are the rugs made from, how did you select those particular materials and how do you source them?

The rugs combine cork and raw linen with recovered and recycled cotton, jersey knit and elastane from large industrial productions – such as the swimming costume offcuts we used in our All The Way collaboration with Ligne Roset. We work closely with our suppliers to ensure a fully rounded ethical process. Our cork is supplied by the world’s largest cork company, the Amorim Group, whose activities are crucial to the sustainable management of Portugal’s cork oak forests and the best environmental and social practices.

When did you first become interested in using fashion waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

I have always worked with wasted cotton, so it’s a natural feeling for me – I look at it as a normal material. I also worked for many years in the fashion industry, mostly in knitting garments, so these kind of waste materials are really familiar – I look at them as any other materials but in smaller sizes or quantities.

What processes does the material have to undergo to become the finished product?

We have a special process to transform the cork into a format which can be introduced to the loom. The jersey is cut into strips and we spin the bouclé or loop cotton into a new kind of yarn from weaving leftovers. These yarns are then threaded onto the loom and woven into rugs using traditional weaving techniques, following contemporary designs.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

This material is so familiar that I look at it as a normal material, so the outcome wasn’t that surprising to me. The real difference is the reduction in waste quantities or cutting edges.

What happens to the rugs at the end of their lives? Can they go back into the circular economy?

Yes, absolutely – in fact, the Ushuaia rug was made from one of the first rugs I originally weaved 18 years ago. That piece had a little accident and was ruined, so I used almost all the jersey material to create a new one.

How have people reacted to the rugs?

The reaction has been great, especially in the last two years as people are becoming more focused on sustainable and eco-materials. But I think my design signature – using graphic details or color-blocks in a classic type of weaving – attracts people too. That and the insertion of the cork in the rugs, which results in a unique and innovative product. Of course, they meet an interior design trend at the moment, so many people come to us exactly for that – we try to stay committed to our cause by creating a product that respects the environment from several perspectives, allied with good practices.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

If you had told me some years ago that luxury and 5-star hotels and resorts would specify rugs made from cork and cotton waste, I will not have believed you. But now it happens – and frequently. Interior designers come to us looking for a concept and a story to tell their special clients. We have proven that you can have quality, design and innovation using waste, raw and ecological materials while being friendly towards the planet and our health. My only question is why this didn’t happen decades ago?

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

It’s a worldwide trend, not only in fashion or textiles and I think it will become more and more prevalent. We have to act to protect our planet – we are all receiving the signals that we need to change our lives, our habits and practices. We do not need to be extreme, we only need to be more conscious and it will come naturally.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Susana here.

The circular economy is a proposed alternative to our traditional ‘take, make, waste’ model of production and consumption – one that offers hope in the face of environmental catastrophes from climate change to ocean plastic. Designing out waste and pollution, keeping materials and products in use and regenerating our natural environment are so important to contemporary design that we wanted to create a dedicated space for the projects bringing these ideas to life. Circular by Design, a new weekly column by longtime contributor Katie Treggiden, will start by exploring the potential of waste as a valuable new raw material.

Eindhoven-based Studio Woojai is run by Korean New Zealander WooJai Lee, a designer motivated by exploring and experimenting with the hidden potential of sometimes surprising materials. We caught up about one project in particular that repurposes waste paper into functional bricks and sculptural furniture.

Tell me a little bit about your childhood, education, and background in terms of how you first became interested in creativity, design, and sustainability.

I was born in Korea and moved with my family to New Zealand when I was 10 years old. Growing up in New Zealand, I was exposed to the greenery and nature all around me. I wasn’t particularly interested or fond of nature as a child, but I guess it influenced me unknowingly. I still find the characteristics and forms of nature very interesting in my design language. Both my parents are from creative backgrounds, so following a creative path seemed quite natural as well. I moved to The Netherlands and studied at Design Academy Eindhoven, graduating with a Bachelors degree in 2016 with my project ‘PaperBricks‘. I have been practicing in my own design studio in Eindhoven ever since. I am also part of Collaboration O, a collective of young designers in Eindhoven. We share a workspace and also collaborate on various projects and exhibitions together.

How would you describe your Paper Bricks, Paper Bricks Sculpt Series, and Paper Bricks Pallet Series?

PaperBricks are made from recycled newspapers. They are very strong and have the stone-like marbling aesthetic of a construction material, and at the same time as having the warmth and soft tactility of the paper. The PaperBricks Pallet Series was created using PaperBricks to show how they can be used constructively. With the PaperBricks Sculpt series, I also wanted to explore the contrasting characteristics of a material. Paper can be both soft and hard, rough and smooth, systematic and irregular, all of which can be seen in this series – the soft surfaces, rigid shapes in contrast to rough and natural forms. The contrast is also in the way of working. The mold manufactured bricks to freely sculpted legs.

What inspired this project?

One day I was taking out my rubbish for recycling and noticed a big pile of paper. Most of the paper was newspapers and advertisements, which we only glance for a few minutes and throw away. I felt pity for this material, which seemed to have such a short life span. Through research, I also found out that paper is one of the most recycled materials, but every time it is recycled, it is down-graded until eventually, it cannot be recycled anymore. I wanted to give this material a new life. A life in which it can be much stronger and used for different purposes, other than the fragile and short life it usually has.

What are they made from, how did you select that particular material, and how do you source it?

In the process of printing newspapers, there are always lots of newspapers which are being misprinted or overprinted. I use these newspapers to create my works.

When did you first become interested in using waste as raw material and what motivated this decision?

As a design or art student, you are constantly faced with the twin dilemmas of using new materials (the cost of which can also be a problem) and producing ‘waste’. I always tried to find different ways to re-use and source materials which are considered ‘waste’ or leftovers from previous projects. Soon, these ‘wastes’ became ‘treasures’ for me to work with.

What processes does the material have to undergo to become the finished product?

The newspapers are first soaked in water and made into a pulp. Then they are mixed with adhesive to create a mixture which is shaped into a mold to form bricks. The PaperBricks are dried and treated for the final form.

What happens to your products at the end of their lives? Can they go back into the circular economy?

To be completely honest, I have not yet seen the end of their lives to give you a definite answer. However, from my experience with samples, they could be turned back into pulp, which could be used again to make other accessories or back into PaperBricks.

How did you feel the first time you saw the transformation from waste material to product/prototype?

It was very surprising to see the strength of the outcome and also how, at the same time, it was smooth and soft in its tactility. I really liked how it held the contrasting characteristics together in one outcome.

How have people reacted to this project?

I really enjoy people’s reaction when I tell them that it is made out of paper. Without any explanation, they tend to mistake it for marble or other mineral material. When they touch it and feel the soft and warm tactility of the bricks, they start to get curious about its true material and are always surprised when I tell them its made out of paper. I would like to see how this project can inspire others to think differently of a material which we are so familiar with. A material which is very much integrated into our lives, such as paper, can also have different potentials if we can just pay a little more attention.

How do you feel opinions towards waste as a raw material are changing?

With the current COVID-19 situation and through the absence of human activity, our negative impact on the natural environment became much more visible. Re-used waste materials have been praised as a concept for a long time, but real belief and trust in them has seemed rather minimal. I think the current situation could really push people to take much more sustainable choices.

What do you think the future holds for waste as a raw material?

As resources become ever more scarce, and our attention to the environment becomes greater, I believe the demand and attention to waste as raw material will continue to grow. Designers and artists are not scientists or engineers but, as creatives, we can always suggest concepts and ideas which look at things from outside the box, showing the hidden potentials of different materials, breaking down stereotypes around a particular material, and giving positive images for new directions.

To read the article at its source click here, or find out more about Studio Woojai here.