This aluminum bench stands on the shoulders of discarded Mac Pro cases

Apple is not a big fan of reusing its products for something else, at least something that is still close to the original function of the design. It probably won’t object to completely unrelated applications of those designs, especially when it’s for a creative and artistic purpose. The non-functional parts of an iPhone, for example, could be disassembled and framed to be displayed as a piece of tech history. Or one might simply take the empty shells of old Mac Pro and turn them into a piece of structural art, which is exactly what this rather striking metal bench tries to accomplish in a way that will probably make you wonder how strong those old Apple desktops might have been.

Designers: Quinner Baird, Alec Alborg, Ferb Liebana, Berit Levy, Jaime Uriarte (Caliper)

The designs for more recent Mac Pros have been rather controversial, to say the least. The cylindrical 2013 was derided for looking like a trash can, while the boxy 2019 design, though a bit more traditional, is jokingly called a cheese grater. Neither are good foundations for a stable piece of furniture, but the first-ever Mac Pro fortunately fits the bill perfectly. It was a minimalist brushed aluminum box with tapered legs on the front and back to raise it up and equally tapered handles on those same sides for easier lifting.

Made for Manhattan clothing brand Hidden as part of store display, the Mac Pro Bench is exactly what it sounds like. It takes two first-gen Mac Pros, totally gutted of any and all electronic components, and has a folded aluminum plank attached on top. The plan has a tapered shape that fits perfectly between the front and back handles, making it feel as if the desktops were made for this very purpose. Two versions of the bench exist, one preserving the brushed aluminum aesthetic of the Mac Pro, and another thoroughly coated in Hidden’s green motif.

It’s not being sold en masse, which will probably keep Apple’s lawyers happy, though there are also ways to make your own. That said, it’s probably not a good idea outside of making it a decorative piece. It’s actually not tested how much weight the Mac Pros will be able to handle, especially with a bench meant to sit more than one person. The hollow legs of the desktop don’t look reassuring either, and it might have been more practical to have sawed those off, even if it meant ruining the original Mac Pro shape.

That said, it’s possible to reinforce the foundations of the Mac Pro Bench to make it a more usable piece of furniture. More importantly, however, the piece of art could also spark the imagination and creativity of others to make similar designs that reuse discarded desktop PCs in a less conventional and more interesting manner.

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Minimalist aesthetic lamp uses repurposed waste for circular production

According to most existing research, around 60% of discarded materials from homes and businesses in the U.S end up in landfills or are incinerated. Of course there are those who have started segregating their trash and have actually recycled them or sent materials to recycling centers. Of course that’s still a very small percentage compared to those who are just not conscious about their consumption and waste cycle. Fortunately for the earth, there are companies whose main purpose is to come up with products that can address these “waste and pollution challenges” by using circular production.

Designer: Enkei

One such company is a Swedish company called Enkei which refers to itself as a “circular startup” as they aim to change the way we create products from the materials used to how they are actually manufactured. Their very first product is the Reminder (001) Lamp which is both functional and aesthetic but more importantly is majorly made from repurposed waste. The movable textile shade is made from various repurposed materials including high-end fashion deadstock, scrap-based wire, recycled bio-plastics, and 3D-printed fossil-free steel.

The lamp design itself is made up of two contrasting shapes that fit into each other like puzzle pieces. The lamp shade itself can be adjusted as well. It gives off a minimalist vibe that can fit right into your space with its space gray, white and luminous colors. It can look like a simple art piece if not used as a lamp but it also gives off a smart speaker vibe reminding us of Google Home speakers. But of course the selling point of this product is how it is produced with all the circular materials while still maintaining quality and design since of course you’d want a lamp to function as a lamp.

Enkei has also developed its own alternative to the usual concrete materials used in construction. ReCeramix uses ceramic waste from construction sites instead of the sand that is used to create concrete. The Reminder (001) Lamp will be unveiled at the Stockholm Design Week this week although you can already sign up to be waitlisted to buy the lamp.

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Ikea repurposes old uniforms into new lifestyle collection

Over the past years, we’ve “stanned” brands that not only uses sustainable materials but are also able to upcycle and recycle materials to create new products. We’ve become conscious about how we consume things (well, hopefully, we’ve actually become conscious of it) and how this consumption culture affects this planet we’re living in. Ikea is trying to capture our hearts by creating a new lifestyle line created from materials that they themselves had to discard.

Designer: Ikea

The Swedish brand will be launching their newest collection called VÄXELBRUK which is uniquely made from their recycled coworker uniforms that were discarded when they introduced new attire back in 2020. So instead of just throwing these old uniforms into the trash heaps, they came up with new products that were made from 300 tonnes of these “useless” IKEA uniforms. If you’re not a fan of yellow and blue though, you might want to look elsewhere, even though they managed to tone down the colors considerably without dyeing the textile, which can be more expensive and resource-intensive.

The collection features 16 textile-based items that use the aforementioned old uniforms. This includes things like throw pillows, bags, cushion covers, and even curtains. They are not entirely made from the uniform textile though as they are blended with other recycled materials like polyester from used PET bottles. They also even included some of the “faulty” new uniforms so they will also not go to waste. The inclusion of other materials also helped to alter the colors that are normally so bright.

If you didn’t know that they were made from discarded co-worker uniforms, you’ll just think they’re normal Ikea products that use the iconic colors of the brand. But knowing there they come from makes it even more interesting. The VÄXELBRUK (which means interchangeable use in the Swedish language) collection will be released in February 2024 across Europe stores.

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Your Next Package Might Be Cushioned by Upcycled Grain Husk Instead of Plastic Styrofoam

While there’s a conscious effort to remove plastic from our regular consumption, it still manages to play a pretty large (and unavoidable) role in packaging. Whether it’s shrink wrap, bubble wrap, sellotape, or even styrofoam… it seems like getting plastic out of packaging may just be an impossible task. However, a German company is working on an alternative to replace styrofoam in packaging. Their solution? A cushioning material made out of grain husks.

Designer: Proservation

The intended purpose of a product’s packaging is simply to help it cover the journey from factory to consumer. After it’s made this journey, a product’s packaging ends up becoming waste. Scale that up to account for the population of the world and just how many products we buy in a single given day or week, and you’ll realize what a massive problem we have on hand. Sure, it’s easier to recycle cardboard boxes and I can even stretch that argument to bubblewrap or foam peanuts… but it’s nearly impossible to recycle molded styrofoam pieces because they’re specifically designed to hold a certain product and can’t be used anywhere else. Conventional styrofoam is made by passing a foaming agent through plastic, causing it to bubble up into the lightweight styrofoam you use today. Given that it’s essentially made by combining plastic and air, recycling styrofoam as a material is borderline impossible… but replacing it isn’t.

Proservation’s solution is a product called Recou – a ‘molded’ packaging material that’s made from grain husk (which is also what nature uses to package grains!) When grains are harvested, the husk or chaff is removed and either discarded, burned, or used as animal bedding. Proservation has a clever alternative solution – upcycle this husk into a soft, impact-resistant material that does the job of styrofoam, while essentially being biodegradable. The husk is collected and bound together using a proprietary bio-based binder. The overall product has the same properties as styrofoam, but can be easily discarded or even composted.

“Thanks to our specially developed ecological binder, RECOU can be shaped as desired, and due to comparable material properties, it has the potential to substitute petrochemical packaging solutions such as EPS (Styrofoam) and represent an ecologically sound alternative for many applications,” says Proservation.

Proservation is hoping that Recou can replace a major bulk of styrofoam in the current packaging ecosystem. The material has the ability to be molded just like styrofoam, albeit with a few limitations given the size of an individual husk. It takes anywhere from 6-8 hours to make each piece, and the overall product has a density of 120 to 150 kg/m³, which seems to be the one significant limiting factor, given that styrofoam weighs nearly 70% less. Recou is also designed to resist moisture and humidity, showing no signs of mold when stored at 70% humidity for up to a week… “However, if the material is permanently exposed to high humidity or moisture, the decomposition processes start and mold may occur,” the company says.

For industries/companies interested in transitioning to Recou, Proservation does sell a few standard products like corner-cushions for palettes, and is also open to molding specific products based on requirements. The company plans to have an industrial plant operational by some time in 2024, scaling up production for this unique no-waste bio-based alternative to styrofoam.

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The Ultimate Example Of Upcycling: Repurposing Discarded Movie Screens Into Interior Products

In a groundbreaking collaboration with CGV, South Korea’s leading movie brand, designer Haneul Kim has unveiled a remarkable initiative to address the environmental challenge of waste generated by discarded movie screens. These screens, often several meters long, are typically cast aside due to damage, contamination, or the dismantling of theaters. Haneul Kim’s innovative approach transforms these seemingly obsolete materials into stunning and functional lighting designs, marking a significant step towards sustainability in the design industry.

Designer: Haneul Kim

Kim’s inspiration struck when he noticed the perforations on the discarded screens, recognizing a visual similarity to aluminum perforated plates commonly found in industrial applications. This revelation led to the ingenious idea of repurposing the screens’ sound-transmitting function into a source of light emission. The result is a series of portable lamps that ingeniously utilize the small holes in the screens to emit light, turning waste into a source of illumination.

The Waste Screen Recycle project also pays homage to the legendary designer Mario Botta’s iconic shogun lamp. Known for its clean lines and geometric precision, Botta’s lamp incorporates perforations or cutouts, allowing light to diffuse elegantly. Haneul Kim’s homage work demonstrates the potential of waste screens to replace traditional lampshades, showcasing a fusion of sustainability and design aesthetics. The project not only repurposes discarded materials but also reimagines them in the context of established design classics.

The versatility of waste movie screens is further highlighted as Kim extends the project to include furniture pieces such as tables and chairs. These pieces showcase the original patterns found in waste movie screens, adding a touch of uniqueness and character to each creation. By exploring the potential use of these screens as interior materials for the future, Kim is pushing the boundaries of sustainable design and encouraging a shift towards more environmentally conscious practices.

The repurposing of waste movie screens into lighting designs and furniture pieces not only addresses the issue of waste in the entertainment industry but also demonstrates the potential for meaningful utilization across various domains. Kim’s project underscores the exceptional functional and aesthetic qualities of waste movie screens, positioning them as valuable resources for the creation of sustainable and visually striking designs. As the design world continues to grapple with environmental concerns, Haneul Kim’s innovative approach serves as a beacon, pointing towards a future where discarded materials are transformed into objects of beauty and purpose.

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Salvaged E-Scooters Salvaged From The Swedish Canals Make Up This Collection Of Lamps, Seatings & Grills

The world is drastically changing, and it’s affecting the way we live and function. However, the irony is that the world is drastically changing because of our unhealthy practices and us! It’s now imperative to live more sustainably, carefully, and consciously. Integrating sustainability into our day-to-day lives has become crucial. I’m all for swapping my everyday mass-produced products for recycled or sustainable alternatives, but this is the first time I’ve come across something as unique as ‘E-metabolism’.

Designer: Andra Formen

Designed by Andra Formen, a design studio based in Malmö, Sweden, the E-metabolism is a unique and innovative collection of table lamps, indoor garden systems, seating, floor lamps, and a grill made from the salvaged and recycled elements of e-scooters. The studio took it upon itself to research how electric scooters could be recycled into various smaller products. The E-metabolism collection was produced by four designers of the studio’s team along with two divers, who dived into the murky canals of Malmö to salvage electric scooters that had been carelessly discarded. The parts were disassembled to explore their possibilities and utility.

“Our mission is to turn toxic waste in the form of electric scooters from the bottom of the canal into pieces of art,” says Oskar Olsson of Andra Formen. E-metabolism is an effort on the part of the studio to utilize existing waste as resources to build with. “With the project, we investigate how electric scooters can be seen as materials and how their inherent design can create inspiration for new objects. Built of ancient skeletons and artifacts,” concludes Olsson.

The scooters used in the project were collected from remote areas in and around the canals, where they were discovered in a broken state, or in states of disrepair. The design studio transformed the broken-down vehicles into brand new designs with a recycled chic appearance, although certain pieces such as the floor lamp and the desk lamps have a more raw and ragtag style, which intrigues you with their colorful and evocative visual appeal. The E-metabolism collection is on display online, and you can inquire about purchasing them if you’re interested.

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LAYER introduces a collection of eco-friendly chairs and stools made from recycled PET bottles

London-based design firm LAYER designed the ‘Vale’ collection for US furniture brand KFI Studios. The Vale collection is a range of eco-friendly chairs and stool created from recycled PET bottles, and are a protest against the plastic waste that is drowning Earth’s oceans and landfills at an alarming rate. The Vale collection is LAYER and KFI Studio’s eco-friendly solution to this ever-growing issue of plastic waste. In a day and age, where almost 9 million tons of furniture are found in landfills, the Vale collection is a refreshing change and a fine specimen of sustainable furniture.

Designer: LAYER and KFI Studios

The elegant-looking chairs and stools feature shells and seats built from a tactile felt material. The tactile material is manufactured from recycled PET bottles, and it is eco-friendly and quite sturdy, durable, and easy to maintain. The PET bottles are carefully and consciously spun into the non-woven felt, then heat-pressed into the desired shape, creating a soft and impact-resistant material. The felt shells and seats are intricately combined together with the steel frame using simple bolts, to make them super easy to remove if need be. This allows users to recycle the chairs and stools once their life cycle ends.

Besides their eco-friendly nature, the chairs and stools are also quite aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They are inspired by the beauty of nature and the timeless curves of a valley. The curved form of the furniture provides maximum comfort to the user, as well as an impressive visual impact. The artful wrapping of the shell around the steel frames brings to mind the image of rolling hills and valleys. The entire collection has a quaint minimal appeal, which lends it a timeless aesthetic, that will endure the passage of time and the varying seasonal trends.

“The Vale collection is a study in restraint – in materials, form, and design language – that echoes the restraint required to live responsibly in today’s world. In doing so, it celebrates the mindful approach of Layer as a design studio,” says Benjamin Hubert of Layer. The Vale series includes a chair, an armchair, a lounge chair, high and low stools, and an ottoman.

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These clay-like vases and lamps are actually made from eggshells and tapioca starch

Plastics aren’t the only sources of pollution on our planet. It might come as a surprise, but even biodegradable material can become problems if left unchecked. Food waste, for example, can easily pile up, and not all of them are easily recycled or reused. Considering how many kinds of food use eggs for one reason or another, eggshells are prime examples of materials that become not only literal waste but also wasted potential to turn into something more useful. Fortunately, that are always ways to upcycle some of the most common food waste, and this collection of oddly-shaped accessories and vessels demonstrates one such method that takes advantage of the materials’ own properties to create interesting organic forms to decorate your tables or your shelves.

Designers: Zumra Yagmur Cetinler, Damla Ertem

Technically, egg shells aren’t exactly recyclable. Yes, they are biodegradable and serve as excellent compost for gardens. Other than that, however, there are a few other uses for the remnants of widely-used eggs. Unfortunately, most people, kitchens, and food production processes don’t exactly pay special attention to food waste like eggshells, creating problems down the line, even for recycling plants.

Just like the eggs they contain, eggshells can, fortunately, become ingredients for something greater than themselves. Burn’tShell, for example, is more than just a collection of vases and lamps with weird yet interesting shapes. This family of biodegradable and biomaterial products actually uses that often ignored food waste material, giving eggshells a new purpose and helping alleviate their harmful effects on the planet even by a little bit.

Burn’tShell actually uses two kinds of sustainable materials. The egg shells serve as the ingredient for the bottom pieces, while tapioca starch is used for the shell. What makes the design even more special is that processes use the materials’ innate properties, potential, and performance, leading to self-forming pieces that really capture the eye with their odd curves. That’s the same cause for the blight-like color-changing design that the material naturally produces, adding to the clay-like appearance of these vessels.

The vases and lamps are definitely conversation starters. Light brown hues mixed with patches of white create an earthy tone, while their unconventional curvy shapes convey a unique, organic character. They would definitely be fitting centerpieces for restaurant tables, especially ones where eggs are used for the main course.

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Duffy London sustainable coffee table is inspired by candies and aliens

When grownups talk about aliens and flying saucers, they often imagine eerie creatures and skin-crawling aerial vehicles that sometimes induce nightmares. Kids, in contrast, probably have more fun ideas about these otherworldly creatures, conjuring up images filled with all the colors of the rainbow. In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of modern life, we sometimes find ourselves reminiscing those figuratively and literally sweet days of our childhood, free to let our imaginations fly and come up with the most creative answers to the mysteries of the universe. Now you don’t have to wait for stress to make you long for those sugar-infused days with this coffee table that transports you to the past while keeping a close watch on the future of the planet.

Designer: Duffy London

Although they are known to be terrible for our teeth and our long-term health, there’s just no escaping the fact that sweets, especially bright-colored candy, can evoke feelings of joy and fun, calling to mind the simpler days of our childhood. Even things that would normally instill fear or dread are made less menacing when transformed into candies and marshmallows, whether they’re monsters, ghosts, or aliens. That’s why even if the shapes refer to extraterrestrial transportation, the Flying Saucer Coffee Table remains firmly rooted in the harmless, candy-filled tradition of Earthlings.

The entire ensemble is made up of three large UFO shapes in tasty candy colors holding aloft an even larger glass disc that serves as the tabletop. The combination, especially if viewed from the top, is reminiscent of those glass jars holding innumerable gobstoppers that make our mouths water at the mere sight of them. Beneath the UFOs is a steel base plate that creates a perpetual shadow for the flying candies, regardless of the light source.

Candy-like objects are often made from plastic, and the Flying Saucer Coffee Table is no different. What makes it different is that all the thermoformed plastic used in the product is sourced from recycled materials, particularly from food packaging that makes up about 75% of London’s domestic plastic waste. In that sense, the coffee table is an almost ironic reminder to mind the planet we’re on, even while looking to the heavens for inspiration.

The Flying Saucer Coffee Table is another striking addition to Duffy London’s “art-as-furniture” collection, composed of eye-catching yet functional pieces that bring life to any space in more ways than one. Rather than an otherworldly atmosphere that the UFO shapes might suggest, the table’s whimsical design encourages onlookers to live life to the fullest, sprinkle a bit of joy and child-like wonder into their life, and maybe even get a sweet treat once in a while.

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Stone-like tables made from recycled construction wood are inspired by Korean architecture

Wood is a material loved by many designers and creators because of its natural beauty, its distinct texture, and its sustainability. The latter, however, doesn’t mean that there is no waste or damage to the planet involved, especially when the rate of use outpaces the rate of growth of trees. Wood is biodegradable, but it isn’t easily recyclable either. This is especially true for wood used during construction which often becomes useless after it has served its purpose. These tables, however, give new life to these discarded wooden beams, and they ironically take their inspiration and even their appearance from buildings made of stone and concrete.

Designer: Jongwon Lee

There are many ways to use wood in construction, but one of the most basic and most unappreciated types is PSL or Parallel Strand Lumber. These thick wooden beams are used as frames in architecture or interiors for walls. Their rough texture and raw appearance make them less ideal for any other purpose, and they’re often simply discarded when they’ve reached their end of life.

Primitive Structures is a table design that uses those exact same flaws and turns them into strengths and unique features. Every part of the table is made from used construction wood cut into uneven polygonal shapes. Discarded PSL wood often comes with holes made during construction, so these are filled with recycled wood chips to provide not only visual completeness but also structural safety.

The raw shapes of the legs and tops give the table a rather primitive character. Rather than hide the distinctive texture of PSL wood, they are made to stand out instead, making them resemble leaf veins or tiger stripes. This gives the table an almost stone-like appearance, and the arrangement of a slab sitting on top of tall stones is also reminiscent of ancient Korean dolmen or megalithic tombs. When the three-legged tables are stacked on top of each other, they even give the image of a Korean pagoda on a smaller scale.

Primitive Structures is an interesting design experiment on how an often ignored material can be re-recycled and down-cycled to produce something that almost looks like a piece of sculptural art. The tables’ primitive and stone-like forms exude a sense of power and strength, inspiring confidence in their use while also providing some peace of mind in knowing that this beautiful piece of furniture was made from the ground up to help heal the planet.

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