CIRCULAR DESIGN | RECYCLED PLASTIC DESK ORGANISER
Product design has massively contributed to global waste. Many products are designed to be unsustainably consumed, made for single-use or have planned obsolescence. Waste has significant environmental, social and economic impact, however has potential to be a valuable resource.
This projects takes a Circular Design process, an iterative cycle of 4 phases; understand, define, make and release.
PHASE 01 UNDERSTAND
I begin with research into bio-materials and recycled plastic products. Through experimentation I aim to explore either creating a low tech and context aware bio material or using recycled plastic material and processes. The outcome will be used in a sustainable product.
PHASE 02 DEFINE
I aim to pursue Recycled plastics for this project and use the material to create a sustainable product.
The Problem
- South Africa generates roughly 122 million tonnes of waste per year
only 10% of this is recycled.
- 90% ends up in landfills or is dumped illegally.
The Opportunity
- There is an urgent need to divert waste from ending up in landfills and to instead look to circular approaches
- This happens by trying to eliminate waste or reusing and recycling waste for alternate purposes.
- Potential to stimulate or create economic impacts in the generation of revenue and products and stimulating trade
I aim to create explore the creation of a product that uses recycled plastic in the form of HDPE bottle caps. There is potential to create a circular economy by using HDPE caps to create usable viable products. This diverts waste and creates products that can be useful, long-lasting and still recyclable again. The diagram explores this by looking closer at the existing chains of manufacturing bottled products to its end-use. The green text indicates points of intervention to create a circular opportunity.
PHASE 03 MAKE
In this phase I look into products that can suit the criteria of a a small-scale, viable and valuable, long-lasting product. I sketch and focus on scale, form and thinking about mould shapes and constraints for production.
Sketching | In this phase I explore 2-3 product directions that I aim to take forward including desk organisers, a clock and a combination of the two.
Mockup Models | After initial concept exploration I take 3-4 concepts further by creating 3D printed models. The models test shape, seeing if the features and aesthetic translate well physically and practically
Desk organisers with slot for phone and additional space for desk items such as earphones, pens & other stationary
Desk organiser/tray and clock combination, exploring different clock shapes
PHASE 04 RELEASE
In this phase I build a mould for press forming the plastic into the final product. This is Laser cut out of HDF board and glued together. I then melt plastic and attempt to form the final product by placing it in the mould and using compressive force to create the piece.
Process of Laser Cutting, gluing and joining HDF layers to create the mould.
Process of melting HDPE bottle caps in the oven, and sandwich press, focusing on creating a marbling effect.
The final prototype
FINAL PRODUCT (RENDERS)
REFLECTION
I think what was successful was the design choice and direction of the desk organiser as it is a suitable fit for the recycled plastics theme, I wanted to create something that would divert waste plastic from landfills into a potential product cycle with a high aesthetic value that would use recycled plastic to create an impression, to see recycling as a means to not only create sustainable products but also high value ones.
After going through the process I would improve the mould design to be cnc'd, and outsource this instead of laser cutting layers of HDF, because these layers get stuck in the forming process. I would also collect much more bottle caps in specific color choices black, blue and grey for various effects. I would try using a hydraulic press or workshop vice to add more pressure in forming the final product and lastly I would leave more time for post processing; trimming and polishing to achieve a smooth gloss finish. I would also like to have experimented more with plastic, using the injection machine and making more tests, such as with fusing plastic bags to create material.
I think the project was good in the way that I got to experiment with bio material and recycled plastic to create interesting effects, with this project I learned that recycling plastic is a viable material choice and can be used in projects, however requires careful mould consideration and experimentation.
