Sustainable Design: What to Know, From Materials to Recycling

The right materials: biodegradable, recyclable, non-toxic, reusable. The lowest possible environmental impact, both in terms of production and eventual disposal. Constant innovation that prioritizes true sustainability, even over the vagaries of aesthetics.

Index of topics

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN

The concept of sustainable design is constantly evolving and is also expanding to the way homes are built and furnished, and how spaces are used, trying to favor vertical solutions over horizontal ones. In any case, the sustainable designTo truly be so, it must transcend the niche of luxury products, limited editions, and highly attractive yet expensive items, and become a shared lifestyle. By everyone and for everyone.

ALSO READ: Creative Recycling: How to Decorate Your Home with an Old Wooden Ladder (Photos)

OBJECTS

There are so many objects that can be defined as sustainable design and are the result of intelligent recycling. Eco-design certainly begins with... Wood, which is a very versatile, natural material, especially because it comes from a renewable source. Although, obviously, using wood means, first and foremost, ensuring that forest reserves do not suffer irreversible damage. Wood, therefore, can excellently replace plastic even in the most commonly used objects, such as, for example, toothbrushThe Georganics brand offers a wooden one, with a biodegradable beech handle and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification. The toothbrush's wood comes from Swiss forests. Each felled tree is then replanted, and the excess materials become fuel for heating the manufacturing plants. The eco-sustainable design also includes the drawing set square from Bottega Ghianda, a historic Brianza-based cabinetmaker that produces these tools, which are more durable and eco-sustainable. Even toys can be made of wood, just as they were in the past. The project Woody Zoody, born from an idea by designer Giulio Iacchetti, involves the creation of many animal shapes, from chickens to hippopotamus, platypuses, woodpeckers, and many others. They are made of wood, and are truly aesthetically original. Even plastic can be transformed into an eco-sustainable material if recycled. This happens, for example, with plot e HAY, who designed a chair made from a single piece of plastic, also available in a soft felt version. The chair in question has no sharp edges, is easy to transport, and is completely safe. But eco-design is also present in women's wardrobes, for example with Freitag bags made from truck tarps, seat belts, and bicycle tires. And then there are the fiberglass chairs and cardboard tables. And what about the glasses made from wood from the Dolomites? Trees from the Belluno forests become glamorous accessories with a minimalist design.

MATERIALS

There are many eco-sustainable materials. First of all, wood, as we have already specified, is natural and comes from renewable sources. But also Bamboo, which is an excellent alternative to wood; it's durable, grows quickly, prevents deforestation, and is very easy to work with because it's hollow. Sheep's wool, used to make completely natural insulating panels, is also excellent. Sheep's wool is breathable, thermal, absorbs moisture, and provides protection. Cork is also an eco-friendly material; it's used to insulate walls, create coverings, and make furniture and accessories. Linoleum is another material. sustainable Used in homes. This is not synthetic, as is commonly believed, but rather derived from natural materials such as wood sawdust, jute, and linen. It is used to create resilient, shock-absorbent, highly durable, and soundproof floors.

TO KNOW MORE: Old chairs can be recycled into planters, frames, and more (photos)

OUR PROJECTS

Eco-sustainability can affect any area, architecture, building, interior designMany objects considered eco-friendly are used for their versatility and great functionality, because they can be transformed into other things, even unexpected ones. The impact on nature is obviously very small, as is always the case with smart recycling. Take, for example, plastic straws, which Hungarian designer Katalin Huszár, with her project "NOTJUSTUSELESS," turns into curtains, colorful tablecloths, or room dividers. Thus, straws regain a whole new purpose even when it seems they've lost it.

Even orange peels can be transformed into a 100% natural material, as is the case with "OrangeBi," the bioplastic from Italian Ginevra Taccola. "OrangeBi" degrades in four days and is a fertilizer, while in water it disappears in just 25 hours. "OrangeBi" can also be used to create sculptures, cast in molds, and used for 3D printing.

Le bottles glass becomes plates, glasses and lamps, thanks to the brand “Lucirmas Barcellona” by the Italian Lucia Bruni, who creates objects that have now become iconic.

“Ecobirdy” is a startup from Antwerp that makes children’s furniture from old plastic toys.

By recovering a biodegradable material like linen, heat-pressing its various layers and combining them with a biodegradable plastic called PLA, Label/Brred, a Dutch design house, creates chairs that have also received international recognition.

RECYCLING

THEeco design is today the new frontier of design, essentially based on the creative recycling di eco-sustainable materials that have a limited impact on the surrounding environment. Everything produced with eco-design must always take into account (and will increasingly so in the future) all stages of production, distribution, use, and final disposal of the materials themselves, to verify their eco-sustainability. The final product, like its components, must be 100% biodegradable and fully reintegrate into the natural cycle. Eco-innovation must, therefore, push companies to raise the bar in a market that is increasingly attentive to environmental issues. Avoiding energy waste and polluting emissions from transportation: everything becomes fundamental in the eco-sustainability chain. A product is considered design when the combination of utility and aesthetics is its distinguishing feature. It must be made of recycled materials, which make it eco-friendly, but also durable and beautiful to look at. This new design concept is now spreading worldwide, especially in the furniture sector, and is increasingly becoming affordable for everyone. Only in this way can a balance be guaranteed between the environment, people's lives, and the economy, ensuring a more bearable existence for the entire ecosystem.

ECO-SUSTAINABLE ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

Match the word sustainability To architecture and design means believing that, even in this field, everything created must always be considered in relation to its environmental purpose. Therefore, architecture and design are sustainable if they are based on well-defined principles, such as environmental and ecological awarenessIt is therefore important to meet people's needs without harming the surrounding world and others, by harmoniously integrating the final products into the contexts in which they will be used. In short, there must always be a balanced relationship between objects and the environment. Sustainable architecture and design take into account materials. Thus, buildings are constructed, for example, by completely or almost entirely reusing recycled and non-polluting materials. This is why it would always be a good idea to construct buildings that can be broken down into parts for easy reuse and disposal, unlike what happens today. This idea should be supported, given that many stable materials, such as cement Reinforced, they require enormous energy expenditure and pollute when disposed of. In terms of architecture, the location of buildings is also vitally important, taking into account the travel that residents must make to get from one place to another; travel that, naturally, causes pollution. Today, to minimize the negative impact on nature, efforts are also being made to install efficient cooling systems in buildings that reduce water and electricity consumption. In short, the design process is completely changing, right from the start. A valid example of sustainable architecture is the "Solar House," a project developed by students at the Polytechnic University of Turin in 2018. The home is self-sufficient, powered by solar energy, and collects and reuses rainwater.

ECO-CUISINE

A kitchen can be considered ecological when it is built by consuming a minimum of raw materials, which are often recycled materialsWood, for example, must come from FSC or PEFC certified forests. The preferred wood, because it is recycled, is that which comes from pallets, shavings, old furniture, prunings, packaging, and fruit crates. Wood can also be easily reused to generate energy and heat. It is a beautiful and durable material.

Then think about the paints used that must be free from any toxicityThese should always be water-based, with little solvent content. An eco-friendly paint must have a very low percentage of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, which are harmful to health. Some kitchens require the elimination of heavy metals from lacquer paints.

Appliances must be energy efficient, and therefore necessarily class A or higher.

Glass and aluminum can also be considered environmentally friendly materials and therefore suitable for creating an eco-friendly kitchen. They can be infinitely recycled, avoiding waste and promoting significant energy savings. Glass and aluminum for frames and doors are impact-resistant and unaffected by water vapor.

In an eco-sustainable kitchen thelighting should always be at LED , because this is an environmentally friendly solution, certainly more intense and longer lasting.

HOW TO FURNISH YOUR HOME WITH RECYCLING:

Want to see a selection of our news?

Sign up to our newsletter clicking here;
We are also up Google News , activate the star to add us to your favorite sources;
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram e Pinterest.