Explore the possibility of recycling plastics for new products, with the material approach as a start.
In RE-iN project, our team explores the possibility of recycling plastics for new products, with the material approach as a start.
We adopt recycled plastic as materials, balance between the artificial and the natural, and develop between the controllable and the unpredictable. We found out the characteristics of plastic itself including its transparency, plasticity, and color. In doing so, we concretize concepts through weaving techniques and design concepts to redesign the recycled waste to create a series of lighting products.
Plastic Pollution
The annual demand for plastic resources is approximately 13 million metric tons, with around 3.41 million metric tons used domestically.
Recycling Rate
Around 1.04 million tons of materials are recycled, with a recycling rate of approximately 40%.
Single-use Packaging
26% of plastic products are made into single-use packaging. Each year, nearly 12.7 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean, with single-use plastic packaging making up the majority of it.
Plastic is everywhere in our everyday life and plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues. Against this backdrop, the increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the earth’s resilience. I start looking into the daily plastics I have consumed and think of what can I do to raise awareness about plastic waste.
By carrying out a 100-day daily plastic collection project, we devide into two groups: the ‘plastic reduction awareness group’ and the ‘general use group’, we observe the plastics consumed in our daily lives. Through photos and diaries, we record the type, source, and usage of plastic waste.
After 100 days of efforts, we calculate the total amount of plastic in these and focus on the No.5 PP to analyze the data including type, usage and quantity.
In addition, we analyze our user journeys and define our ‘living habits’, ‘key finding’, and ‘thoughts about the future’, to look into the relations between the sources of plastic waste and user habits.
One of my main role is to experiment the material. I classify, clean, separate by color and crush the collected plastic waste. With different methods including heating, shaping, 3D printing, and vacuum forming, I test the ductility, toughness and melting point of different plastic types. Through experiments, I identify the characteristics of recycled plastics, adopt craft techniques and weaving methods, and apply them to final products, presented in 3 main material experiments: (1) No.5 PP hot pressing plastic sheet (2) No.1 PET 3D printing (3) No. 2 HDPE vacuum forming
"From asking friends and family to help collect used plastic waste, to cleaning, sorting, and putting it into the machine for shredding—I felt incredibly excited to watch it transform from something destined for disposal into materials for design!"
"The melting state and hardness vary depending on the heating time, temperature, and type of plastic, resulting in natural and beautiful patterns."
"I experimented with a heat gun, using different temperatures and heating times to stretch and mold the material into various shapes."
"To avoid using chemical adhesives, I experimented with various methods to naturally shape and secure the materials. Weaving is a traditional technique in Taiwan, and by combining this technique with recycled materials, I hope to create stunning designs."
"The machine in the photo on the left was built as part of my previous research project. It’s exciting to test recycled materials with this machine."
"Among all types of plastic, NO.2 HDPE has proven to be the most successful in vacuum forming. It is cut into large sheets, reassembled, and heat-pressed, then heated, vacuum-formed, and shaped with different molds, unexpectedly creating unique and surprising effects."
Through the experiment, we find that the plastic sheet is rich in color, transparent and waterproof, making it ideal for lamps due to its ability to create captivating changes in light and shadow.
We strip the No.5 PP recycled plastic sheet, recombine them with different interweaving methods, and connect the overlapping areas through heating. With different vertical and horizontal arrangement and tying methods without any chemical adhesive gel on the 3D printed lamp base made of No.1 PET, we design various lighting products.
Other applications include charms, guitar picks, and bowls. We cut No.2 HDPE into sheets through vacuum forming, mold them into a bowl shape by heat-press.
We cut the No.5 PP plastic sheet into geometric shapes with laser cut to make charms and guitar picks.
Through the steps of recycling, processing, production, and use, we developed a solution for customers to recycle their plastic.
Sustainable product life cycle: RE-iN manages the recycling process, transforms the materials into products, and customers can then purchase RE-iN's products.
From trash to new product: I hope that through this circular system, plastic can be transformed into beautiful products, contributing to a more sustainable future.
