THE NEW ECO MATERIALS
Decor from crop residue, plastic waste cushion covers from the ocean. At the Democratic Design Days in Sweden one thing was clear, all sustainable design really needs is thinking out of the box.
In the Swedish city of Almhult, which hosts the annual Democratic Designs Days by Ikea, the theme of sustainability was splashed all over— in home decor, accessories and food. Reusable coffee sippers and water bottles were handed out to visitors and vegan food flooded the menu including plant-based ‘meatballs. From scouring the seas for plastic waste to
designing new materials using crop residues, it was about smart, sustainable living.
TRASH TO TREASURE
Can you dream of blue skies while sitting in a city that’s shrouded in grey clouds? Ikea’s sustainability team thinks it’s possible. They’ve brainstormed and created a line that uses crop residue as a renewable ingredient for home accessories. The deep blue and grey baskets, mats and lampshades from the Forandring collection are a reminder that waste can be turned to attractive design. The collection uses remnants of the rice crop that is usually burned in north India at the onset of winter. The smoke from this has earned Delhi a rank on the world’s most polluted cities list. So the Swedish furniture giant worked
with local farmers and suppliers to source the rice straws and convert them into pulp that’s blended with recycled cotton pulp to produce a sturdy and durable material. “Every material has its strengths and limitations so we have worked around those,” says Akanksha Deo Sharma, Ikea’s only Indian designer who has worked on Forandring. The material is strong and can be moulded into attractive decor pieces that will be launched in a few stores later this year.
RECYCLE AND REUSE
Sea green, black and salmon pink designs splashed across a table cloth and a bag denote the origin of the design idea for Musselblomma—the ocean. The polyester fabric range of cushion covers, a bag and a table cloth is made from recycled plastic and PET waste that has been caught in fishing nets. The plastic is aggregated at the ports, cleaned, sorted and mechanically recycled with PET bottles to turn it into yarn and fabric. It will release in select markets in the autumn of 2019.
BEYOND DESIGN
Decor isn’t the only way the brand is reducing its carbon footprint. Grow your own food is a concept that Ikea is exploring with industrial designer Tom Dixon. Last year, they collaborated to develop products which can promote hyper-local cultivation of food plants. They are set to launch their first collection two years from now. Then there is the brand’s collaboration with social business, Social Sun to devise a product that reduces dependency on public infrastructure and allows people to harvest solar energy as a sustainable, clean and renewable energy source. Currently in its prototype stage, Sammanlänkad is a set of solar energy stores which can function as table and ceiling lights, all powered by solar power.