Tag Archives: algae

Microalgae packaging becomes biostimulant after use

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Most people (at least those who are thoughtful and aware enough) are now pretty conscious about how we consume things and where all our waste goes. This also means there is no shortage of product designers who have been experimenting on how to recycle and upcycle materials and products that reach end of life. Product waste is something we also need to think about since this will forever be part of human development.

Designer: Laura Bordini

By Osmosis is a project by Laura Bordini that explores how to use product waste and turn it into a biomaterial that can serve a different purpose and then eventually be used to help grow plants, creating a circular process. She used microalgae biomass that came out of the water purification process of a waste disposal center in Lindlar, Germany. Out of that, she was able to create agricultural biostimulants. The microalgae biomaterial can be turned into things like packaging before turning them into stimulants to promote plant growth and create better soil quality.

One of the packaging that she was able to create is a flower holder made from microalgae and wood powder. Since flowers have an end date as well, the packaging can them be repurposed as biostimulant if you’ll not be using it anymore. Another item she was able to create was seed containers, which again, is pretty apt for this circular process of ecological regeneration. We can also see plantable cards with messages like “Nice to seed you” and it’s made up of seeds and microalgae.

Algae is not a major material that product designers think of but with this experiment, she’s hoping that creators can see it as a future material for their products. It’s materials like these as well as the process to extract and create them that make the ecological regeneration a reality and hopefully, eventually become the norm.

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Algae-based material and traditional Korean braiding turn into striking lights, vases

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The world is filled with many things that have the potential to become materials for creating products, and yet we still prefer typical materials like plastics, metal, or wood. Not all of these are sustainable, and those that are sustainable aren’t always easily renewable or require a lot of energy to process or recycle. Admittedly, looking for alternative sources of materials isn’t an easy task, but once in a while, we come across a promising solution both in terms of sustainability and beauty. This rope light and Ikebana vase, for example, are already quite striking in their unique shapes, but they are made even more significant by the fact that they are made using a biodegradable material based on one of the most common and simplest kind of plant on the planet: algae.

Designer: Su Yang Choi

One of the problems with supposedly more sustainable or recyclable materials is that the process of making or treating them isn’t always sustainable, requiring more energy and water than usual. In contrast, this algae-based material isn’t treated with harmful chemicals, has reduced energy consumption during manufacturing, and can easily be shaped using heat. Even better, leftover scraps from the production process can be collected and recycled to reduce material waste at every step.

While the material itself is quite impressive, putting it to good use is the real test. For this purpose, a pair of everyday objects were made not just to demonstrate the usability of this algae-based material but also to show off the complicated designs that can be made with it. And nothing can perhaps be more complicated than knots, especially the beautiful traditional Korean knots known as Maedeup.

This knotting is best exemplified in this Ikebana vase that loops around itself a couple of times in an almost random fashion, symbolizing the unpredictability and cyclical nature of life. In addition to this rather intriguing structure, the biodegradable material used here is mixed with coffee grounds, another sustainable material, to give it that earthy brown color.

On the opposite end of the color spectrum is a long string lamp that uses the algae-based material in a four-faced linear braid that wraps around a flexible LED strip. This segmented structure was inspired by Korean stone pagodas that rise in majesty and grandeur, characteristics carried by this string lamp. These two objects, part of the Slow series of artworks, embody the ingenuity and creativity that spring from combining modern material science and traditional craftsmanship to produce breathtaking designs that do no harm to the planet in return.

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This Natural Air Purifier uses Algae to remove harmful chemicals from the air we breathe

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They say that algae, not trees, help produce a majority of the breathable air around us. Covering large parts of land and sea, this wonder-organism does a remarkable job of purifying the air and enriching it with oxygen… so imagine being able to harness nature’s purifier and have it in your home. Unveiled at Milan Design Week, the AIReactor by EcoLogicStudio is a sleek, three-foot-tall structure with a recycled birch plywood frame. At its heart lies a glass photobioreactor containing a vibrant green liquid teeming with microalgae cultures.

Designer: EcoLogicStudio

Through photosynthesis, algae naturally convert carbon dioxide and pollutants into clean oxygen. The AIReactor continuously pumps air into the bioreactor, mimicking natural water currents for optimal algae growth. As the algae perform their photosynthetic magic, they filter out harmful pollutants, leaving behind cleaner air.

“In addition to capturing pollutants, the microalgae cultivated in AIReactor can be harvested and utilized to produce biopolymers for 3D printing products,” said the studio. “After harvesting, the algae biomass can be dried and then undergo further processing to produce biopolymers, which are natural polymers derived from renewable plant-based sources.”

The biomass generated by the algae after it has filtered the air becomes a valuable resource. EcoLogicStudio harvests this biomass and uses it to create biopolymers, natural polymers derived from renewable sources. The studio recently unveiled the PhotoSynthetica collection, comprising the AIReactor, along with a stool and a ring made from the biopolymers generated during the air filtration process. Building on their 2018 research project, the PhotoSynthetica collection incorporates biomass, a waste material harvested from microalgae, into a series of everyday objects. This innovative approach expands upon the project’s initial exploration, which saw the creation of a large-scale tree sculpture.

The PhotoSynthetica collection is on display from 15 to 21 April as part of Isola Design Festival 2024 during Milan Design Week.

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Turn your bathroom into a sustainable piece of art with 3D printed tiles

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If you’re redesigning your bathroom but you’re bored with the regularly-designed tiles that you see in the market, this 3D printed tile design may be for you. That is, if you don’t mind having some organism looking creatures permanently displayed while you’re taking a bath. It is sustainable and biodegradable so that’s a major bonus if you’re concerned with things like that.

Designer: bioMATTERS

The MYCO-ALGA is an interior tiling system that is made from natural and organic waste that have been upcycled together with actual living organisms. There are different sustainable processes involved in coming up with this including designing them digitally, 3D printing, growing the organisms, enriching them with bio-pigments, fabrication, etc. It begins with the waste materials being ground into a paste-like substrate as a foundation.

Once it has been turned into paste, it is then 3D printed into customized shapes and for two weeks, they are placed and cultivated in a controlled environment so that the mycelium turns into the thing that binds the material together. They are then placed in convection ovens and as they “bake”, they turn into lightweight materials but at the same time, they become strong and rigid. The bio-pigments from the harvested algae which are now gel are then applied to the tiles.

The tiles are definitely unique looking and can be a conversation piece when you have people visit your bathroom. They were designed to specifically look like organisms are crawling all over your space. The mosaic-like design with the non-repeating patterns are visually striking and 100% sustainable.

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