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Central Saint Martins graduates Brigitte Kock and Irene Roca Moracia have collaborated to create concrete-like tiles that give new "economic and ecological" value to invasive species.
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The material for the tiles, which the researchers refer to as bio-concrete, is made from Japanese knotweed and shells from American signal crayfish. The material can take on a range of different finishes These are among the non-native species that are causing the most ecological and economic damage in the UK. By adding value to them, Kock and Moracia hope to incentivise their removal and help restore local biodiversity. "Invasive species removal and control costs the UK around £1.8 billion annually," Moracia told Dezeen. "The harvested material is incinerated, buried or trashed. We want to stop this waste. We do...
To mark Earth Day, we've rounded up seven materials that designers are using to replace more polluting mainstays such as plastic, concrete and leather in a bid to limit the impacts of climate change.
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With a recent study finding that human-made materials now outweigh the total mass of Earth's living biomass, designers are becoming increasingly aware of how the products they design impact the planet. From using renewable, carbon capturing materials such as cork, algae and latex to turning reclaimed food waste into food packaging, the focus is now on the entire lifecycle of a product. This includes how raw ingredients are sourced and how they can ultimately be reused, recycled or returned to nature once the product reaches the end of its life. Read on for the seven key materials designers are reaching...
Berlin design students Lobke Beckfeld and Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten have developed a translucent fruit-leather bag that dissolves in water and can be used to fertilise plants once it is no longer needed.
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The Sonnet155 is made from two different post-industrial waste materials – fruit skins left over from juice production and short cellulose fibres sourced from a local textile factory. Although it resembles a purse or tote with swooping top handles, the product has a lifespan closer to a disposable paper bag and is designed to degrade naturally with wear before it can ultimately be composted or recycled. The Sonnet155 bag comes in varying sizes, from small purses to larger totes "We designed the bag as an upgrade to the ordinary paper bag but of course, we hope that it appeals to...
French designer Marlène Huissoud asks humans to "Please Stand By" with her first chairs, which are designed to be refuges for insects.
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Called Please Stand By, the project comprises a series of chairs, or "hotels", for pollinators such as solitary bees, wasps and butterflies. Each sculptural object has been made from a combination of nature-friendly materials such as unfired clay, natural binders and wood, and is perforated with holes that measure five to 10 centimetres deep to host the insects. According to the designer, a recent global scientific review of insect populations showed that more than 40 per cent of insect species are declining, a third are endangered, and the total mass of insects is declining by 2.5 per cent each year....
Italian design studio High Society is putting waste from the local beer and coffee industry to good use, by turning it into a range of tubular lights and using profits to fund dependency prevention.
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The Senilia collection was first revealed as part of the Warsaw Home fair last week. Each piece features the same pipe-like shape, bent and twisted into five variations for each of the two colour-ways. The shades are derived from the natural pigmentation of the different forms of waste, which High Society collects directly from the source. The discarded coffee bean peels, also called silver skins, are already dry and can immediately be shredded, while the leftover hops and barley from breweries need to be dehydrated before they can be processed into a powder. "The different powders are mixed with a...