Tag Archives: recycled

These sustainable artificial floes try to stem the melting of Arctic ice

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We might finally be feeling the effects of irregular and extreme climate conditions only now, but global warming has been ongoing for several years already. Its most evident effects, however, are mostly seen and felt in the Arctic, where large masses of ice are melting at a rapidly rising rate. This has a domino effect on the world’s climate patterns and, unfortunately, is something not easily solved in just a few years’ time. Ice masses have to be preserved and regenerated, which is easier said than done. It’s not impossible, though, especially with humanity’s collective intelligence and creativity. A case in point is the idea of a biocomposite structure that could keep the Arctic waters cooler and even build up some pieces of ice over time.

Designer: Niklas Andreasen

Our weather systems have always been cyclical ones. In addition to the usual cycle of seasons, the natural melting of polar ice affects global temperatures, weather patterns, and even the duration of those seasons. When ice masses melt too soon and too quickly, the world’s sea levels rise, and less light is reflected off the Earth’s surface. This causes more heat absorption and rising global temperatures, which, in turn, makes it harder for ice to form in those polar regions, particularly the Arctic.

Of course, we can’t just simply make water freeze faster to compensate for lost ice, but we could at least try to keep the Arctic ocean cooler to prevent ice from melting too rapidly. That’s where Project ARCSTAR comes in, an initiative that will try to deploy man-made floes that are designed to do some of the work that ice masses do in order to let natural sea ice retain its shape for just a bit longer. Even better, these floes are made from biowaste materials and will degrade naturally over time.

The hexagonal floes are coated in a bright white color in order to reflect as much sunlight as possible. This has the effect of lowering the temperature of both the water and the air around it, which means that actual ice masses should melt a little bit slower. ARCSTAR’s abilities, however, go beyond just keeping the ice from melting fast but can even facilitate the formation of new ice masses.

Its shape, which is made up of ridges and perforations, and its sponge-like structure are designed to absorb and store water. And because it effectively lowers the temperature of the water around it, the floe can actually turn that stored water into ice and then retain that ice longer than a regular ice mass. Since it is made from biodegradable materials, the floe itself will eventually decompose without releasing pollutants or harmful chemicals into the ice and, eventually, the world’s oceans.

Those sustainable materials include sulfur-free lignin and calcium carbonate, both of which are waste by-products of wood, paper, fish, and other industries that we use daily. Mixing it with other bio-based materials allows ARCSTAR to be light and strong and, most importantly, decompose faster, allowing the formed ice mass to just be an ice mass in the long run. The project definitely sounds promising as a stopgap measure to stem the rapid melting of Arctic ice, but even the designer warns that it isn’t a long-term solution. That would require changing much of our lifestyle and our industries to embrace more sustainable options, which takes far longer than forming ice in the Arctic.

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These bags that look like designer products are made from express packaging plastic

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Plain, monochromatic bags might be the trademark of some designer brands, but more and more accessories these days are taking on more expressive and complicated designs. Some might even look like an incoherent jumble of colors, texts, and shapes, giving bags, shirts, and apparel some personality and energy. They almost scream, given their unorthodox mix of design elements, letting everyone in the room know and acknowledge their presence. Given those trends and expectations, these bags might be head-turners and attention-grabbers in the most positive ways. It won’t be until you take a closer look, however, that you’ll realize that these bags and purposes aren’t just eye-catching; they’re also an excellent way to reuse the growing mass of plastic waste generated by our newfound online shopping habits.

Designers: Yang Hongjun, Song Jiajia, Su Yunpei, Xiao Kaixu, Lan Cuiqin

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Although it has been around for a long time now, online shopping and deliveries have really taken root in people’s consciousness over the past few years. In addition to convenience, it also generated some safety when people couldn’t go outdoors as freely as before. It created a new economy, which, in turn, also created a new source of waste. Just as we were finally starting to reduce the amount of plastic bags being used in shopping and groceries, express packaging threatens to undo all those wins.

Admittedly, it would be impossible to completely remove plastic from the equation, at least not for products shipped by the masses. As with plastics, mitigating their harmful effects on the environment is the first step in eradicating them, and that usually involves recycling them or, better yet, putting them to use in a different way. Given how distinctive these packaging plastics can be, a group of designers envisioned how they could be used as design elements to make accessories unique and distinctive.

“Re: Express Plastic to Bag” is an attempt to use the varying designs and markings of packaging plastic as a strength rather than the material’s weakness. After removing potentially private information on labels, these plastic pieces are compressed and heated to become more pliable materials that can be cut into strips. These strips of different colors and patterns are then laid out flat and once again baked to be hard enough to be used for making bags.

The final material has the texture of vegetable-tanned leather but the flexibility and water resistance of synthetic materials. A single sheet can be used to create the whole body of the bag, or modular parts can be used to easily swap out damaged areas with recycled plastics. The biggest draw is that while the bags are made from recycled materials, that fact isn’t immediately obvious until you take a close look. And instead of making the bag look cheap, the chaotic patterns and colors of the original packaging designs actually give the accessories their unique visual flavor.

This recycled plastic material has the potential to be used in more products than just handbags and purses, though. They can be used for glass pouches, covers, laptop sleeves, and more. While it does give these non-biodegradable materials a home, it would be better if we actually cut down on their use instead. But since that’s nearly impossible at this point, turning them into something useful and even beautiful is the next best thing we can do.

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Unused fishing containers turned to recycled furniture

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There are a lot of things out there that are not really considered trash but are also not being used or interacted with by anyone. They’re just sitting there, taking up space but not really serving any purpose. A Japanese designer found a lot of disused fishing containers, tangled fishing nets, and other materials in an abandoned warehouse in Owase, what was once a thriving fishing port area. The past decade has not been kind to the fishing industry so now all this discarded material can be turned into something useful, like furniture.

Designer: Takuto Ohta

The designer called his collection Common Neglect Material (CNM), and the goal is to actually repurpose all these unused and disused objects into unique public furniture. For this first collection, he turned the fishing containers into different kinds of chairs: a lounge chair, an armchair, and a stool. He was able to do all this simply by bending plastic and then bolting some of the parts together. It still hasn’t been used yet, but these items are already ready for public use, hopefully in the town where the materials were found.

What makes this collection different from the other designs that used ocean plastic is that he didn’t need to melt them down and turn them into pellets or some other more complicated process. He turned the containers into furniture by still using their original form with a little melting and bolting in. For example, he cut the bottom of one container in half and then heated them in some places to turn it into an L shape. These became the legs of the chair. Then he used bolts to connect it to the seat, another container that stayed as it is.

Since there is a bit of design going on here, he also put an LED light inside the chair so it can have a glowing from within style. The designs for this collection and probably the next few pieces will not be as elaborate and complicated given that it uses the original form. What can be made is simpler but still very much functional. The designer is also planning to make his design open-source so anyone with disused materials can turn them into something useful.

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Tower Blocks bring a more eco-friendly version of Jenga

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One of our favorite games to play during casual dinner parties is Jenga or tower blocks if you want to be generic. It doesn’t take a lot of thinking or physical prowess, although strategy is also important. What if you could have a version of this game that is more eco-friendly and can help reduce plastic waste? Of course, that would be better if you’re conscious of the carbon footprint that you leave behind with your purchases.

Designer: Intops

Korean global manufacturer Intops wanted to lessen its global footprint even as they make products using various materials that, unfortunately, include plastic. So they came up with a “revive project” that will use all of these discarded materials and turn them into something useful. They used materials from discarded, defective items that they manufactured as well as creating composite materials from their production plant, specifically discarded plastic, wood, and leather.

The first creation that they’re currently crowd-funding is a version of Jenga but made from eco-friendly materials simply called Tower Blocks. The composite materials are made up of 540g of discarded plastic and 143g of discarded wood. Compared to making the original game with its regular material, these blocks can reduce CO2 consumption by 81%. They say that a set of these blocks can be compared to recycling 44 disposable coffee cups or 135 disposable spoons.

 

In terms of its design, these Tower Blocks have a leaf pattern for aesthetic purposes embedded on the blocks instead of just the smooth surface on most blocks like these. And instead of just the wooden color that we’re familiar with, the set has off-white (sand), pink (flower), and green (leaf), making it more colorful and pleasant to the eyes. The words “recycled plastic and wood waste” are also etched in each block, lest you forget what it is made from. Even the packaging uses eco-friendly paper made from 100% sugar cane residue with soybean oil link.

The pandemic has reportedly worsened the plastic consumption globally so having projects like these that try to reduce or at least recycle these materials are always welcome. They have already more than met their original funding goal so expect this to become available in the market soon, at least in South Korea.

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Furniture made from recycled fishnets brings awareness to kelp forests’ eradication

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When you’re eating a delicious piece of fish, do you ever think about how it got to your table? Not everyone of course thinks about these things but every once in a while, we should wonder how the fishing industry affects the whole underwater ecosystem. There’s such a thing as “ghost nets” or fishnets that are left in the Baltic Sea and nearby bodies of water and they cause a lot of fishes and other sea creatures to die needlessly for decades afterward.

Designer: Interesting Times Gang

What if these fishing nets can be re-used for something else instead of being left in the seas and oceans for years? The designers came up with the Kelp Collection which uses a material that combines recycled fishing nets with wood fiber to create 3D-printed designs. When they reach their “end of life cycle”, this material will remain within the same ecosystem and can eventually be turned into new bio-materials, therefore completing the circle of life.

The designers were commissioned for a new sushi restaurant concept called Black Milk Sushi, set to open this spring in Stockholm, Sweden. The two-star Michelin chefs who are running the restaurant wanted something extraordinary to adorn their interiors. What came out of this is a furniture series that will not only look beautiful but will bring awareness to the slowly eroding underwater kelp forests that are affected by unsustainable fishing practices. 3D printing technology also plays a huge part in being able to produce this kind of material and furniture.

The chairs that are part of the collection are green in color, the same as the kelp forests, and has organic-looking silhouettes and lines that bring to mind ocean vegetation. It doesn’t look to be the most comfortable-looking chairs but the fact that it will be placed in a restaurant may mean that it is actually pretty good to look at and sit in. The Kelp Furniture line would have been displayed at the Stockholm Furniture and Light Fairs exhibition but it was postponed.

It would be interesting to see the other furniture that they would come up with for this collection. When the restaurant opens, we’ll find out the longevity and sturdiness of such a material with this kind of design as well. But I would indeed like to sit on a chair made from fishing nets as I try to eat my sushi.

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This sustainable folding stool turns wasteful PET bottles into a tool for an agile lifestyle

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Now you can sit comfortably anywhere you go and won’t look out of place while carrying your own stool around. Plus, it helps find a home for one of the biggest sources of pollution on the planet.

Have you ever found yourself needing to sit down only to discover there’s not an empty chair in sight? Whether at parties or meetings, there always comes a time when an extra chair or even just a stool can be a lifesaver. Those scenarios are what gave birth to a class of portable and folding stools, but one new entry in this category tries to keep you looking cool while you carry your stool around. In fact, no one might even suspect you’re bringing along your own seat.

Designer: KRETHO

Folding stools are nothing new, but few actually try to hide the fact that people are carrying something meant to be sat on. In contrast, the TAKEoSEAT flattens down to something that looks like a large portfolio, or at least a stylish bag made of felt. You won’t look odd carrying it around, nor would the seat look out of place in an office space. Designer KRETHO positions this portable stool as a perfect part of an agile arsenal, allowing people to just pick up their seats and move around as needed. No more rearranging furniture or sweating over a heavy chair.

This folding design is admittedly not exactly novel, but what TAKEoSEAT adds to the table is a bit of environmental focus. Each stool is made from PET felt, which is felt that comes from those plastic bottles that we use and throw away without giving a second thought about where they end up. PET bottles undergo a special process (that does, unfortunately, use up water and energy) that results in a material that feels familiar to the touch while also strong enough to support a load of 130 kg. Plus, the TAKEoSEAT itself is recyclable, too!

Of course, it would be better if we reduced the amount of PET bottles we produce and use instead, but this at least finds another way to recycle these harmful products. The beneficial effects on the environment will still largely depend on how many TAKEoSEATs are made and sold, not to mention how efficient the recycling process is as well. If you are in the market for a sustainable and portable seat that you can take anywhere, this might be one option you could consider.

Photos courtesy of Sedus

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UK McDonald’s net-zero carbon restaurant tries to make the environment a bit healthier

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You might have guilty feelings when chowing down on that hamburger, but one McDonald’s restaurant in the UK might at least let you feel good about staying green while you’re there.

Fast-food and health are two words that never really got along well with one another, and it isn’t just about humans’ bodily health either. Sometimes worse than other restaurants because of their nature and their processes, fast-food chains have also become perilous to the health of the planet, particularly through their net carbon emissions. As one of the world’s biggest culprits, McDonald’s is trying to set an example and opened the first net-zero restaurant in the UK, though it still comes up short of being net-zero in the true sense of the word.

Designers: Scurr Architects and AEW Architects for McDonald’s

It’s no longer enough to just say that you’re using recycled materials for cups or utensils these days. Those are important first steps, of course, but not enough to earn you a “net-zero” badge for your building. For that, you’ll need to significantly reduce your carbon emissions in almost every aspect, including the construction, operation, and demolition of the establishment.

McDonald’s Market Drayton branch in the UK tries to check off a few of those boxes, particularly in the materials they used. Wall insulation is made from sheep’s wool, while parking lot kerbstones are each made from 182 recycled plastic bottles. Even the signage is made from McDonald’s own coffee beans as part of the company’s “circular waste solution.” All of these while retaining the same familiar design of McDonald’s restaurants around the world, or at least in the UK.

The day-to-day operations of the restaurant are also almost zero, with power being provided by two on-site wind turbines and 92 square meters (990 square feet) of solar panels. Strictly speaking, however, the restaurant can’t be considered truly net-zero because it doesn’t take into account consumption-based emissions, according to Dezeen.

It’s still an important step forward for the company as well as the UK’s net-zero carbon buildings thrust, especially considering how much foot traffic and how many customers a single McDonald’s branch gets on a single day. That said, it’s also just one in tens of thousands of McDonald’s locations around the world that still have to adopt the fast-food chain’s sustainable programs. It’s just the first step, of course, and McDonald’s plans to move forward in the years to come, including vegan, plant-based menus by 2025.

Photos courtesy of Anthony Devlin/PA.

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Sustainable tiles made of recycled glass gathered from old appliances are reducing electronic waste!

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Everyone is chasing the next sustainable material that will change the design industry, from seaweed to mushroom no stone (or plant) is left unturned given how urgently we need alternatives to combat climate change. But at the same time, very few are looking at how to recycle existing sustainable materials like glass that can give them a second life! Common Sands is a design project focused on just that – recycling glass from consumer electronics and turning them into tiles that would otherwise end up with electronic waste.

Glass is sustainable from its origin to its end. While the process of making it contributes to emissions like most things, we can counteract it by extending the life of the glass as it is infinitely recyclable rather than letting it go to waste only to make more of it. Sand is a crucial resource to our technology-focused society, it does a lot more than lay at the beach! We production of silicon microchips, fiberoptic cables, insulation, solar cells, and it is also the primary ingredient in glass which is used in the production of consumer electronic products such as fridges, microwaves, and computers.

Despite strenuous attempts to extract, transport, refine and process sand into complex electronic components, not much is done to recycle these components when the electronic goods are discarded after use partly because there are no clear directives on effectively processing glass from electronic waste. To address this issue, a Norwegian architectural design office called Snøhetta collaborated with Brussels-based Studio Plastique to research and explore the possibility of recycling as well as utilizing glass contained in electronic waste.

After multiple trials, prototypes, and variations, the team developed a standard process for recycling electronic waste glass components as well as an application that integrates its variable material quality – glass tiles! This is where Italian ceramic tile manufacturer Fornace Brioni came in and brought their experience, industrial know-how, production facilities, and potential for scalability to the project to the table. The team is starting with waste glass from ovens and microwaves to demonstrate the aesthetic depth, function, and potential of the recycled material.

Using recycled glass, the team made tiles in two different sizes that were both opaque and transparent. Each one had a unique pattern and look, but all the tiles showed a deeply complex, terrazzo-like material quality. This determined that they are suitable for a wide range of architectural applications, including both surface coverage and semi-transparent partition elements! Common Sands has now turned potential waste into architectural glass tiles that are scalable, infinitely recyclable, and effectively reducing electronic waste!

Designers: Snøhetta, Studio Plastique, and Fornace Brioni

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These sustainable sneakers are made from fruit waste!

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Sneaker culture is technically a part of fast fashion which contributes largely to the mounting waste problem. But if you can find a cool pair that is sustainably designed right down to its packaging, like the Hana sneakers then we’re all here for it! Designed by Italian sneaker brand ID.EIGHT, not only is this paid unisex and cruelty-free but it is made from materials that are by-products of the food industry and are counted as waste – apple skin and hearts, grape skin, seeds, and pineapple leaves!

Since the textile industry is the second most polluting in the world and intensive farming is a plague for the planet, the brand chose to produce the sneakers in Italy using only ecological and cruelty-free materials. Inspired by the 90s with references to the navy look, the sustainable shoes express the ironic and dynamic style of ID.EIGHT. The contrast between the upper in white recycled polyester and the AppleSkin details in shades of red and blue create a mix of contemporary and light colors.

They use four materials derived from apples, grapes, seeds, and pineapples. Piñatex , made with the waste leaves of pineapple grown in the Philippines; Vegea , obtained from the bio-polymerization of marc in Italy; AppleSkin , obtained from the bio-polymerization of apple peels and cores always in Italy. It features lycra and recycled mesh for inserts on the upper, sole, laces, and the label is also made of recycled materials.

The pineapple industry produces around 40,000 tons of leaves every year and is considered a waste material they are usually left to rot or burn. Today it is possible to recover them to create a biodegradable and cruelty-free material. With 480 leaves (16 pineapple plants) it is possible to obtain 1 square meter of material.

Over 7 million tons of marc are discarded every year by the wine sector, an unacceptable waste

Stalks, skins, and grape seeds are part of the “marc”, the residue of the grape juice extraction process. Today it is a strong, sustainable and flexible material. 310 million new plastics are produced and placed on the market every year, and only 9% of this is recycled which is why they chose to use recycled plastic for some components of the sneakers, such as the laces, the label, and the ribbon. The sole is also made up of 30% recycled rubber!

“In recent years, the amount of agri-food waste used to make sustainable products has gone from 0 to over 30 tons per month. A great resource is used to produce, for example, the ‘paper’ used for handkerchiefs and kitchen rolls, and the material we use for our sneakers,” adds the team. Even the packaging is sustainable, it is made with recycled cardboard and the shipping bags are made from at least 80% recycled polyethylene and are 100% recyclable. You will also find a ball of earth and seeds covered with clay – plant in a pot or throw in a gray area of ​​your city to spread some flower power!

Designer: ID.EIGHT

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Microsoft’s wireless mouse goes sustainable with 100 % recyclable packaging and waste ocean plastic construction

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This ergonomic mouse by Microsoft is made out of the plastic waste recovered from the water bodies that are decimating our planet beyond comprehension. This is another example of mindful recycling effort plays a part in saving the planet from doom.

Microsoft is on course to fulfill its zero waste goal by 2030 and give up single-use plastics in packaging by 2025, as a part of the larger recycling and sustainably goal. Their latest creation in collaboration with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), a global leader in the chemical industry is a testament to their noble efforts. The Silicon Valley giant revealed the all-new sustainable Microsoft Ocean Plastic Mouse at the annual Surface event to mark the occasion.

This first-of-a-kind Microsoft consumer electronic product was initially planned with the aim of infusing at least 10 percent recycled ocean plastic. After formulating the prototypes, the final version’s exterior shell came out with 20 percent recycled ocean plastic. Way more than the initial goal set by Microsoft! The Ocean Plastic Mouse also has packaging made out of 100 percent recyclable material – recyclable wood and sugarcane fibers to be precise. The plastic shell mixed with resin and other materials starts its journey from the oceans and waterways – in the form of waste plastic recovered from these water bodies. The plastic waste is then cleaned and processed into recyclable plastic resin pellets to procure the raw material for the final processing.

To take the sustainability efforts further, Microsoft is also offering a free mail-in program in select regions. Here you can send an old mouse to be recycled with help from Microsoft’s contracted partners. The best thing, this eco-friendly mouse can be pre-ordered right away for a price tag of $24.99.

As for functionality, it has got all the relevant functions of a Bluetooth wireless mouse with an average AA alkaline battery cell life of 12 months. Apart from that Microsoft touts its super responsive left/right-click buttons, fast-tracking sensors, and precise navigation. It also gets the three customizable buttons and the Swift Pair technology for quick pairing with your machine.

Designers: Microsoft and SABIC

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