Mira Nameth

We live in a world where it’s considered high to have recycling rates of 50 per cent, where eight million tonnes of plastic end up in our oceans each year globally; where it’s considered normal to constantly ship materials and products across oceans. We are overusing the world’s resources – specifically, 1.5 Earths each year. It's financially, environmentally, and existentially unsustainable.

By 2054, 70 per cent of us are projected to live in cities – cities, which consume far more than they produce, prompting the need for local materials and manufacturing. 

Biophilic explores a local urban waste stream combined with a natural binder, making it a fully biodegradable composite material. A rigid and solid material have been explored, as well as initial applications. 

Many eco materials are biodegradable, but not recyclable, or not local – like palm, coconut, banana, and pineapple – which decreases their environmental benefit. Beyond exploring its functional and aesthetic qualities, Biophilic is being developed to be biodegradable, non-toxic, and recyclable, using predominantly local resources. 

Sources

panda.org/get_involved/live_green

shipmap.org

gov.uk/government/statistics/uk-waste-data

oceanconservancy.org/trash-free-seas

un.org/development/desa/en/news/population

fab.city