{"id":8798,"date":"2019-09-09T09:00:48","date_gmt":"2019-09-09T08:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.trendesignbook.com\/blog\/?p=8798"},"modified":"2019-09-06T11:52:52","modified_gmt":"2019-09-06T10:52:52","slug":"sustainability-circular-design-plastics-2020-consumer-trends","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendesignbook.com\/blog\/materials\/sustainability-circular-design-plastics-2020-consumer-trends\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainability Circular Design and the Repurpose of Plastics \/ 2020 Consumer Trends"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Sustainability and Circular Design \u2013\u00a02020 Consumer Trends<\/span><\/p>\n

The mass production of plastic started in the 1940s and 1950s (around World War II) and has steadily grown ever since. The popularity of plastic is due not only to its low production costs but also to its low weight, acid resistance, and flexibility.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Plastic is a Problem?\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, more than 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually<\/strong> and nearly 8 million tons of it end up dumped into our oceans every year.<\/span><\/p>\n

As standard plastic is not biodegradable<\/strong>, it can take hundreds or even\u00a0thousands of years for plastic to break down. Today mountains of plastic are piling up in the natural world, they don\u2019t decompose and they release an incredible amount of toxins into the air if they\u2019re burned.<\/span><\/p>\n

As consumption increases, there is an urgent need for developing solutions to this problem.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Use of Plastics in Interior Design and Fashion<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Although the main sources of plastic waste are every day, and low-life objects, like soda cans and packaging materials, plastic is used worldwide in many consumer areas like medicine or transportation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interior Design and Fashion are also catching up with this material that is been seen with more prominence on the last seasons as a trend material<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sustainability,
Pink Zig Zag Chairs by CAMPANA BROTHERS<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Leopard Kid\u2019s Chair by CIRCU MAGICAL FURNITURE<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\"Sustainability,
Plump Table by IAN COCHRAN<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Aqua Table by ZAHA HADID (DESIGNER)<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sustainability,
Monet Side Table by BOCA DO LOBO<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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\"Sustainability,
Leelo Side Table by ANOTHER HUMAN<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Celine Bag<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sustainability,
Balmain 2019 Collection<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

RELATED: The Biggest Trends from Milan Design Week 2019<\/a><\/p>\n

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How can we solve the Plastic Problem?\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Biodegradable plastics<\/strong> are one of the alternatives. Made from plant-based raw materials these plastics allow for a natural decomposition process, since they\u2019re all based on natural plant and vegetable extracts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Barber & Osgerby and Emeco go green with a recycled, and infinitely recyclable<\/strong>, plastic chair. The \u2018On and On\u2019 is both a lightweight and stacking chair made from a higher percentage of recycled bottles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Emeco has spent the last 20 years working with recycled materials and invested 4 years into developing a material with Coca-Cola, made out of fibreglass mixed with the brand\u2019s discarded PET bottles. A chair was launched in 2010 as a result of the collaboration, but the team have continued to work on the material, refining its consistency and making it stronger and greener.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u2018It\u2019s been a super challenging material to work with,\u2019 says Buchbinder. \u2018However, we learnt a lot from our mistakes and, over the course of almost a decade, managed to engineer it so that it can be continually recycled \u2013 we can now make new chairs from old chairs.\u2019<\/span><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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\"Sustainability,
Barber & Osgerby \u2018On and On\u2019 recycled chair<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Barber & Osgerby \u2018On and On\u2019 recycled chair<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

During Salone Internazionale del Mobile last April, Rossana Orlandi has presented the first edition of the RO Plastic Prize \u2013 an award that\u00a0inspires the design community to think differently about how our things are made,\u00a0and challenges the designers to create products or textiles\u00a0using recycled plastic, which can also be recycled again.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ro Plastic Prize forms part of Rossana Orlandi\u2019s Guiltless Plastic initiative, which was launched last year.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sustainability,
Rossana Orlandi \u2013 Guiltless Plastics<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As part of her \u2018Guiltless Plastic\u2019 initiative, Orlandi showcased up-and-coming names such as German designer Alexander Schul, who repurposes polystyrene to make furniture, and Spaniard Alvaro Catala\u0301n de Oco\u0301n, whose lighting is made from plastic bottles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even Kartell, a furniture brand that uses plastic as a living, understand the need for change. The brand has released a sustainable version<\/strong> of it\u2019s classic 1967 \u2018Componibili\u2019 storage unit made from\u00a0bioplastic. This new material is\u00a0derived from plant sources such as sugar beet and waste cooking oil.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Sustainability,
Kartell\u2019s Compinibili Sustainable Version<\/span><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It may seem like large amounts of plastic waste are inevitable in the world we live in, but we can help with the plastic pollution issue by being aware of its dangers and taking steps to reduce waste, with sustainability, circular design concepts.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Takeaway:<\/strong>
\nAn increasing awareness of environmental catastrophe and the urgency to prevent it, is inspiring designers to rethink the lifecycle of products. The concept of Sustainability and Circular Design is currently undergoing a reflection in our society as more eco-conscious consumers are awakened to the necessity of creating ethical solutions for objects of daily use and cut excess.
\nBrands are playing a decisive role in this change by using their resources and influence to find innovative ways to create products that are as desirable and functional as they are eco-friendly. Rather than simply recycling materials, companies are looking at how they can be more \u2018Circular\u2019.
\nCircular design deals with the reuse and repurposing of a material to bring it new life and new meaning. A successful circular design cycle works to leave no waste throughout the process of creation and use.<\/i><\/p>\n