Waste is an environmental and economic problem, but, if we approach the issue from another point of view, we may realise that it is also a resource. At least that's how the exhibition "Waste Age: What Can Design Do?" (until 20th February 2022), currently on at London's Design Museum, is aiming to do.
Organised to coincide with Glasgow's UN Climate Change Conference (COP26; till 12th November), rather than focusing on waste as a final sign of the apocalypse coming, the exhibition actively looks for design solutions using reclaimed and natural materials, presenting great ideas that will put the visitors' wheels of creativity in motion.
In a way, design was responsible for the creation of waste: the starting point for the exhibition is indeed the throwaway culture that followed the Second World War and the emphasis on disposable products – think about plastic cups or carrier bags, not to mention clothes that are often so cheap that we prefer to replace them with new ones as soon as they get slightly damaged.
The event, divided in three sections and displaying over 300 objects, starts with "Peak Waste", a moment that allows visitors to take stock of the disposable objects surrounding us and of the fact that plastic, a durable material that could be used for lasting objects is instead employed to create disposable items. Bottle caps collected from Cornish beaches in one season by the Cornish Plastics Coalition and strung together in the exhibition, prove this point.
The next sections, "Precious Waste" and "Post Waste" look at projects by designers and architects who developed new products from raw materials used in everyday products. These sections will definitely be the favourite of material science fans as they explore new circular methods of production, experimental projects and new materials that can be created from waste including natural, renewable and often biodegradable alternatives.
"Designers are the new alchemists, looking not for gold but degradable materials," reads a quote on one wall and you can't really disagree when you see the experimental projects and designs on display.
Rather than dissecting an object and showing all its parts, Dutch Studio Drift deconstructed a series of everyday objects, including a Dyson vacuum, a VW Beetle, a Nokia phone and an iPhone, identified the materials composing them and displayed them as neatly arranged solids.
Interior design fans will discover the S-1500 chair, designed by Snøhetta for Nordic Comfort Products and made from discarded fishing nets; Tom Robinson's Evolve Chair made with recycled plastic from discarded laptops and Dirk van der Kooij's Chubby Chair, 3D printed from discarded fridges.
Fashion is under the spotlight through a wide range of designs and materials including Phoebe English garments with Codelite buttons made from casein, a protein found in milk, and a dress by Charlotte McCurdy and Phillip Lim covered in algae bioplastic sequins.
Urban spaces and architectures are approached via new no-waste solutions like Totomoxtle, a wood substitute made from corn husk; K Briq by Kenoteq, a brick made from construction waste; Blast Studio's architectural Tree Column made from waste coffee cups and mushroom mycelium turned into sludge and 3D printed, and Fernando Laposse's The Dogs bench made with raw fibres from the leaves of the agave plant.
There are also tiles integrating crushed seashells from the fishing industry waste and water-soluble electronic circuit boards made of natural fibres, while, for what regards the food industry, check out the Ello Jello edible cups, made in Indonesia (the world's No. 2 producer of seaweed) by local start-up Evoware. The cups are ideal for parties and events: made from seaweed and other plant-based materials they are a fun and sustainable alternative to plastic.
Packaging solutions include Sony’s packaging made from bamboo and sugarcane and Notpla's seaweed-based sachets for liquids and condiments.
A new commission, "Fadama 40", from artist Ibrahim Mahama looks at the consequences of e-waste inspired by Ghana's notorious Agbogbloshie rubbish dump, a former wetland in Accra used by other countries to illegally dump electronics. The installation comprises a wall of old TV monitors that play clips from Agbogbloshie.
As there are no proper recycling processes implemented by the nations that dump the items, the e-waste is smashed or burned by local workers to access the metals inside, a dangerous process that results in injury and illness. While highlighting the problem of e-waste, dumped by the West in Africa and Asia, Mahama reminds us that a dump can actually be considered as a rich mine if we think about the gold supplies in the electronic devices. It is estimated that in sixty years' time the largest metal reserves will indeed be in circulation as existing products, so waste is extremely precious.
The exhibition is also interactive as in different sections visitors will be able to follow where their rubbish ends up by tracking different pieces across the world; they will be allowed to examine the problem of food waste through the Bin Burger Project that looks at the impact of meats - from beef to mealworm - on the world, and explore ways in which we can all do something for the environment through small gestures.
Last but not least, the Design Museum has made sure that most of the display materials for this event were sustainably sourced: plinths were built from plain grey bricks, reused from previous exhibitions that will be recycled for future events; texts were also printed directly on the walls using hand-held inkjet printers that employ water-based ink. You feel that, while reducing the environmental impact of an exhibition can be challenging, this is the direction that other museums should take as well, adding in their press releases the amount of CO2 produced for their exhibitions ("Waste Age" has so far produced around 10 tons of CO2), the materials employed and how they may be reused.
There are some brilliant design solutions in this event, but the final message of "Waste Age" is not prompting visitors to immediately redesign their living spaces or add to their wardrobes more sustainable pieces, but changing our collective behavior. As proved by Kamikatsu, a zero-waste town in Japan, about 40 kilometres from Tokushima city, fast moving towards becoming the country's first zero-waste municipality, this is possible. The first step? Discovering the lost value of our trash.
Comments