Can Design Address Some of the Pressing Eco-Problems of Our Planet? Yes! Meet the Green Grads

In this article, compliments of textiles expert and WhatTheyThink contributor Debbie McKeegan, she asks the question whether design can address some of the pressing problems affecting our planet. She highlights the work of some of the 24 Green Grads, recent graduates from UK Universities, linked by a common concern for the environment, that can help us have a more sustainable industry and a cleaner planet.

(Image courtesy of Texintel)

Can design address some of the pressing eco-problems of our planet?

It’s an overwhelming “yes” from the 24 Green Grads who will shortly parade their brilliant ideas for the future at Yorkton Workshops, the East London gallery of design agency Pearson Lloyd who is sponsoring the show. Diary dates are the weekend of November 16/17.

The Green Grads are recent graduates from UK universities, linked by a common concern for the environment. Given that up to 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage (according to the Design Council), this is a crucial show, revealing the potential of the responsible designers of the future..

Ideas from the Green Grads vary widely, with some projects already up and running and others set to go. You’ll find “leathers” from seaweed, vessels from eggshells, a repairable kettle, “smart” blinds that automatically adjust to heat and light, and—on the wilder side—a dress made from tea leaves and jewelry grown from slime mold.

There’s a strong focus on bio-materials, proposing ingenious alternatives to oil-based plastics.

Food and drink waste has proven to be a good starting point. Green Grad Josephine Drew is making beautiful, delicate bowls out of discarded eggshells, originally collected from her university’s catering services. Ella Sainsbury has fittingly made biodegradable packaging for wine bottles from the waste from winemaking such as skins, seeds, and stalks.

Green Grad Conor McArthur has already used his “seaweed leather” (branded Kelpworks) to build shelters for festivals and events. “These temporary structures are typically made from extractive materials and generate significant waste,” he said. He’s hanging his seaweed experiments on a clothesline in the courtyard of Yorkton Workshops, with tags to explain different types and properties, and samples of his material stitched, laser cut, engraved, and/or printed. And Reeti Roy has made an alternative vegan “leather” which can be embroidered and printed.

Long walks around a nature preserve inspired “natural” furniture by Green Grad Rob Downward, who experimented with multiple materials to find the strength and texture he wanted. “I tried moss, barley, ground-up leaves, and flax before arriving at hemp,” he said. There were more investigations into binders—he looked at pine tar resin, gesso glue, plus hide and fish glue. But potato starch won the day. “It was quick to dry, retained the texture of the hemp, and stayed strong enough to hold weight,” he said. Sturdy flexible cylinders made from hemp now support hardwood tops from a timber merchant’s discards.

Gabriel Kay is showing a repairable kettle, with parts that can be swapped or replaced. “E-Waste is a growing problem globally, and as designers, we are partly responsible for this crisis,” he said. “We cannot ignore the impact of our work and repair could be our salvation.”

Furthermore, around 300 million pairs of running shoes are thrown away each year in the UK alone. They cannot be recycled because they’re stuck together with glue. Green Grad Lewis Broughton has designed ModuRun, a revolutionary shoe that comes apart. “Then it can be adapted for different terrains, and recycled and reused at end of life,” he said.

A radical revamp of traditional upholstery came from Eva Ellis. Her super-slimline Cove chair has an elegant metal frame over which is stretched a 3D knitted “sock.” “I’ve integrated structural support directly into the knitted fabric—look, no foam!” she said. And Michael Dairo makes sturdy furniture from cardboard.

Green Grads come from all over the world, reflecting the diversity of UK Universities. Some work on projects which could directly benefit their home country, but have wider possibilities. For example, Saima Fateh has invented vertical window blinds from smart materials that automatically adjust to changes in temperature and light—no electronics needed. “I’m remembering the intense summer heat in my hometown of Udaipur,” she said.

Project RAW (renewable agricultural waste) by Yohaan Kukreja and Ankita Khanna is a bio-composite made from the rice straw that is otherwise burned in huge quantities every year by famers in India, where it causes deadly pollution. Their new material is strong and flexible and has many applications, including footwear, which the duo have already explored. Also repurposing waste is the Re-block project headed by Yihan Dong. This transforms construction waste into a material similar to concrete.

Sophie Mockridge’s approach is playful—it’s a little bit like a netball hoop. You throw a can in the top and watch it progress through a curvy chute into a container. “Around 43% of UK litter is cans and bottles,” Sophie explained. “Yet aluminum is infinitely recyclable. To create a circular economy, our perspective must shift from ‘waste’ to ‘material’ and from ‘bin’ to ‘collect.’ My aim is behavioral change by making recycling engaging, playful, and thought-provoking.” Also playful is Max Male’s Snapkit toy, already on the market, which has a single design of connector to join discarded card into multiple creations. “Think Lego for waste materials,” he said.

There are bold artworks, too, which celebrate nature and/or use waste. Using discarded fragments of Dutch wax prints, Nigerian artist Tayo Ayelowo creates large textile panels. “I love nature and I advocate through art, which is my weapon to deliver much needed change,” said Tayo.

And sculptor Luke Gill-Harris has welded together all manner of waste metal that he’s collected (nuts, screws, bolts, wire, discarded gates, and much, much more) for an imposing figure which, at 192cm, is even taller than its creator. Standing sentinel in the courtyard, it is a warning of the world’s waste and a call for action. In contrast, a huge blue portrait bust is 3D printed from paper waste by Adriana Tabuenca.

Some projects are still concepts but challenge how we might consider and source materials in the future. Mengyan Guo, for example, has fashioned her ethereal “TeaFab” dress out of a tea leaf-derived textile, while jeweler Louis Wright has “grown” a necklace and earrings from slime mold for his Organic Opulence collection.

*Special Thanks to Fespa and Epson for their ongoing sponsorship, with an ear for Eco Textiles and of course: Anglepoise, Another Country, Benchmark, Camira, Case Furniture, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour (our headline sponsor), Designers Guild, Epson, Heal’s, Informare, Epson UK, Ercol, FESPA, Imageco, Little Red Rooster, Naturalmat, Nick Munro, Planit-ie, PriestmanGoode, Prinfab, SCP, Tom Faulkner, Urge Collective, Viaduct, Zetteler PR.