The ecological possibilities of the world’s most-hated material
Recyclable bio-plastics have been all but wiped out by their synthetic counterparts, and that’s the problem, according to a new exhibition in Ghent
Plastic isn’t the enemy, bad plastic is
“The title of the exhibition is basically the definition of a plastic composite,” explains Ignaas Verpoest. The professor emeritus of the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) spent 35 years researching composites and co-curated the show.
“It is a strong fibre that is fixed by a liquid plastic,” he continues. “Fibres such as flax, glass or carbon are very stiff. Carbon fibres are even as strong as steel, but they weigh only one-fifth of it. Because the fibres are so thin – 10 times as thin as a human hair – they are very flexible. You can mould them into any shape”.
This flexibility and durability – along with being lightweight – make plastic composites very sustainable materials. They allow electric cars to travel far without having to recharge and dramatically reduce petrol needed by airplanes.
Not new, and not evil
Yet composites aren’t new. “Carbon fibre composites have existed for about 50 years and were commercialised in the 1970s,” Verpoest says. “But back then, it cost the equivalent of €1,000 per kilogram. Today, the price is about €20 per kilo.”
But isn’t plastic bad for the environment? “There are two ways of using plastic,” Verpoest explains. “First, there’s the use for products with a short lifespan, such as packaging. This kind of use should be heavily reduced and the plastics recycled as much as possible and as efficiently as possible.”
The second way “is to use plastic for products with a long lifespan, such as cars. That can actually be beneficial for the environment because there is a huge potential to decrease the weight and, hence, energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Some of the plastic composites are even recyclable.”
Bioplastics have existed for a long time, but the invention of synthetic plastics wiped these materials out
He points to a mini-truck developed by the technical university TU Dresden. “It’s made of glass-fibre reinforced nylon that can be melted and remoulded.”
Fibre-Fixed, a collaboration with the Dutch design collective Envisions, also shows myriad possibilities with bioplastics, which are made from natural products and have zero effects on the environment. “The Flax Chair”, for instance, is an everyday object that is 100% organic and biodegradable. Designer Christien Meindertsma’s chair is made of locally grown flax fibre and a biodegradable polymer.
Tamara Orjola, meanwhile, used the natural resin and the cellulose of pine needles to create a bioplastic she uses for carpets and stools. The result is as beautiful as it is weird. “Bioplastics have existed for a long time,” says Verpoest, “but the invention of synthetic plastics from 1925 to 1940 wiped these materials out.”
Can bioplastics save the world?
But there’s hope. A new generation of designers are embracing recycled plastics and bioplastics. Especially in the Netherlands.
Envisions, based in Eindhoven, is a collective of designers who help manufacturers and other designers to alter their methods. Their own innovative designs serve as examples.
Dave Hakkens has created a shredder for plastic waste, which melts it and forms other objects, like pots or tins. Dirk Vander Kooij is renowned for his beautiful chairs and tables made from recycled plastic, and Basse Stittgen makes bowls using the most lurid of bioplastics: hardened cow blood.
“It is a rebellion against today’s way of producing,” explains Sanne Schuurman, Envisions’ art director. “If you want to change the industry, then you have to change the materials. The Design Academy in Eindhoven pushes young designers towards environmentally friendly materials. During the yearly Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, you see a lot of recycled materials.”
Consumers should start looking at materials differently. Imperfections are part of recycled materials
Envisions took the opportunity of working in Ghent to collaborate with a Flemish business. ECO-oh! in Laakdaal, Antwerp province, recycles domestic plastic waste. “The company offered us a new material made of strong polyester fibres from recycled PET bottles and low-performance plastic waste,” says Schuurman. “We developed it so it can become a commercial product.”
There’s a variety of material samples on display in Ghent, each playing with the intrinsic rawness of recycled plastic. Designers today are beginning to embrace the imperfections of raw material to create a viable finished materials that can be used in manufacturing.
“Young designers are interested in the rough shape and the tactility of plastic,” Schuurman explains. “It’s an aesthetic that not all consumers are accustomed to.”
But it’s time they get used to it, he says. “Consumers should start looking at materials differently. Imperfections and rough edges are part of recycled materials”.
Times have changed. Materials will change. And so, suggests Fibre-Fixed, must our taste.
Until 21 March, Design Museum Gent, Jan Breydelstraat 5
Photos: From chairs to a mobile caravan with wind and solar power, bioplastics can be used to create just about anything
(c)Courtesy Design Museum Gent
