Environment has become a controversial and extremely important theme. Knowing how to respect and honour the eco-system yet working with it, has led to the rise of a clear global trend: living an eco-friendly life. This behavioural shift is happening in everything that surrounds us.
For instance, designers’ way of fighting for the health of the planet is using recycled and natural materials that are both good for the environment and useful for the people.
The challenge nowadays is creating a product with a great aesthetic, functionality and comfort but that incorporates a reused or natural material.
In this article, we have decided to highlight some interesting design products made with natural and recycled materials:
1. Parachute chair by Layer Design Agency and Raeburn Fashion Studio
The Layer Design Agency and the Raebur Fashion Studio worked together to create a completely innovative collection made of used parachutes. Composed of one screen and several chairs, this collection is the contrast between simple geometric lines, texture of the parachute material and bold colours, that create a different and contemporary chair. Once again, reusing materials is a great way to help the environment and to challenge creativity.
2. RH Logic chair by Flokk, Jonas Stokke and Øystein Austad
The designers Jonas Stokke and Øystein Austad collaborated with Flokk to redesign a contemporary office chair into a more conscious product. This chair is 61% made of recycled material such as aluminium, plastic and steel.
3. Ore streams Project by Formafantasma
Formafantasma created a project where they reuse materials from electronic waste.
Transforming gold circuit boards into new surface finishes, the project Ore Streams focuses on discovering how electronic waste can be given a second life.
Even though the jewellery industry has been recycling gold for centuries, the Italian design duo believed more could be done.
4. Recycle Wireless Speakers by Gomi Design Studio.
The Gomi Design Studio is extremely environmentally conscious and wants to bring utility from waste, creating something that is useful, desirable and attractive.
Their last product is a wireless speaker made of 100 plastic bags. With vivid colours and modern lines, the marble designed speaker is a mélange of non-recyclable plastic from plastic bags, converted into malleable swirled and moulded raw material.
The speaker is a combination of traditional craft techniques and digital fabrication, meaning that each product is totally handmade and it is impossible to have two equal wireless speakers.
5. PaperBricks by Wookai lee
The designer Wookai Lee created a new project named PaperBricks.
PaperBricks is a furniture collection made of recycled newspapers. With a bold design yet a raw look, the recycled newspapers provide a random mixture of colours and different textures.
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