TRENDSAUGUST 2019 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 23Words AMY BRADFORDFrom tackling plastics to curbing our
consumerism, creative minds are focused
on stylish ways to save the planet
Over the past decade, the phrase ‘sustainable design’ has become an
increasingly familiar refrain in our lives. To begin with, it just seemed
like a really good idea; something we should all be supporting in whatever
ways we can. But now the conversation is becoming urgent. The recently
released Global Assessment report by respected UN research body
IPBES (Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Services), which combines the findings of nearly 15,000
international studies, reveals that time is running out to save the plants,
animals and insects that support human life on Earth. Unless we change
our lifestyles (and quickly), some unpleasant shocks lie ahead.
This challenge was one of the main focuses at April’s Milan Design
Week. Its prominence in the minds of designers served as an admission
that the resources the industry consumes represent part of the problem.
Gallerist Rossana Orlandi (left) focused the spotlight on plastics, one
of the most controversial materials of all – according to the Royal
Statistical Society, only around nine per cent of the plastic ever produced
has been recycled. As part of her ‘Guiltless Plastic’ initiative, Orlandi
showcased up-and-coming names such as German designer Alexander
Schul, who repurposes polystyrene to make furniture, and Spaniard
Alvaro Catalán de Ocón, whose lighting is made from plastic bottles.
British duo Barber & Osgerby also addressed the limits of recycling
by launching the ‘On and On’ chair for Emeco. Unlike many plastic
products, which can only be reused a few times – sometimes as little as
once – the duo’s chair can be repurposed indefinitely. It’s made from
rPET, a new material that combines plastic bottles with fibreglass, and
whose strength means that new chairs can be made from old ones.
‘Sustainable design should go beyond materiality,’ says Edward Barber.
‘Thinking about the way products are manufactured, packaged and
shipped also needs be part of the solution.’
The amount of plastic in our oceans, in particular, has been making
headlines of late, and, at Orlandi’s exhibition, designer Brodie Neill
highlighted the issue with his ‘Capsule’ hourglass. Filled with microplastic
granules collected from Tasmanian beaches, the piece critiques our
throwaway culture and serves as a tribute to the environmental workers
who clean up our marine landscape. ‘Designers need to be looking
beyond raw materials and using waste ones, as they are now, unfortunately,
in abundance,’ says Neill. ‘Waste can be redeployed with endless
circularity. We have to consider the impact of materials at every stage
of their existence; the methodology should be cradle-to-cradle.’
There’s a similar philosophy behind Danish brand Mater’s ‘Ocean’
collection, a reinvention of a 1955 range by Nanna and Jørgen Ditzel.
Originally made of timber, it’s been reinvented using recycled fishing
nets and new-generation bioplastics, which can be made from corn
starch, eggs, algae or, in this case, charcoal.
Other designers are seeking to reform our habits by making recycled
plastic seem more precious than the virgin kind. Brighton duo WeezDESIGN
‘Underwater Landscape’
by Arsenio Rodriguez
at Rossana Orlandi GalleryCoasters made from waste
plastic by Weez & MerlPlasticiet produces
terrazzo-like surfaces
from recycled plasticRecycled fishnets are
transformed into the
‘Ocean’ chair by MaterPICTURES: VALENTINA SOMMARIVA, ALICE IDA SALERNI (STYLING), SIMONI FURIOSI