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Circulate lists eight promising inventions that could soon become part of everybody’s daily life.
You probably haven’t heard about them yet, but these materials could become quite familiar in the near future. The American magazine Circulate made a list of the 8 most promising innovations in the field of circular economy, in collaboration with the Disruptive Innovation Festival. Here’s the list:
1 STONECYCLING: WASTE BASED BRICKS
The Dutch company StoneCycling transforms construction and demolition waste into hand-made bricks that, for brick standards, are honestly beautiful. Sustainable and versatile, the bricks can be use for facades as well as interiors.
2 HOT WIRE EXTENSIONS: RECYCLING MEETS 3D PRINTING
Thanks to a partnership with 3D printing companies, whose main waste product is nylon powder, London-based designer Studio Ilio created Hot Wire Extensions, a series of stools, lights, and miscellaneous products made of waste nylon powder, sand, and electrically charged nichrome wire.
3 THE ART OF RECYCLING NON-RECYCLABLE MATERIALS
Californian artist Mariana Nelson developed a technique to turn plastic yarns and materials impossible to recycle into art works. By braiding, melting, warping, and heat-pressing multiple layers of plastics, Nelson reuses almost 100% of the huge amount of waste materials she collects.
4 TEXTILES FROM PINEAPPLE
After seven years of research in the Philippines, U.K. and Spain, sustainable materials manufacturer Ananas Anam developed Piñatex™, a natural and sustainable textile produced from the fibres of pineapple leaves. The pineapple leaves are a by-product of the pineapple harvest. Some designers have started using the material for their products and accessories, even using it as a leather substitute.
5 TEXTILES DYED THANKS TO BACTERIA
Faber Futures, a British biodesign company, has been experimenting with several products, and the most promising one seems to be ‘Fold’: this project is an experiment in assigning colour and pattern to textiles by placing them inside a small petri dish full of living, pigment-producing bacteria.
6 BOTTLES AND FURNITURE
With her project Joining Bottles, London-based designer Micaella Pedros turns waste plastic bottles into joinery. Using heat and wood scrap, Pedros produces pieces that have been used during her work and volunteering experiences in Uganda and Guatemala.
7 CARDBOARD ARCHITECTURE
Australian architect Tobias Horrocks created an architectural and furniture design practice that relies exclusively on the strength, ease of assembly, disassembly and eventual return to composting of materials such as cardboard and Xanita-x-board, which are made from recycled waste.
8 ECOVATIVE, FROM “DO IT YOURSELF” TO “GROW IT YOURSELF”
Biomaterials company Ecovative decided to go beyond simple “DIY” and introduced a range of mushroom-based materials. Using agricultural waste and mushroom mycelium, designers can grow their own sustainable materials with Ecovative’s toolkit. Some designers have already started using this “GIY” material to create lighting, homeware products, and more.
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