Cow dung columns and dog hair rugs unveiled at Singapore Design Week

Cow dung columns and dog hair rugs unveiled at Singapore Design Week



There is a waste problem in Southeast Asia. According to the World Bank, this region accounts for the lion's share of plastic pollution. Garbage ends up in rivers and seas. In addition to their own production, countries such as Malaysia and Vietnam are among the top importers of consumer waste from developed countries. CNN.

Perhaps that's why it's not surprising that recycling, reuse and repurposing have become the main themes of this year's Singapore Design Week.

During the 10-day program, which concluded on Sunday, local and international designers battled environmental threats - and design can play a role in mitigating them. Many of the most innovative examples of upcycling were found at the Find Design Fair, dedicated to the work of young creatives from across the region.

The showcase, called Emerge, was broad in scope, although curator Susie Annetta defined its theme as "from trash to treasure".

“Designers are naturally inquisitive — and they are problem solvers,” she said, adding: “There is a high level of understanding of what problems are and the ability to do something small in your own way to try and fight them. ... And I think we would all like these (ideas) to be scalable."

Cow dung accessories

Cow dung may be a natural material, but it also pollutes the water and releases gases such as methane and ammonia. Hoping to counter the impact of agriculture on the environment in the Indonesian province of West Java, designer Adhi Nugraha has developed a method to recycle waste into durable household appliances.

The team, led by Nugrahi, who is also a teacher and researcher at the Bandung Institute of Technology, cleans the manure with water, which in turn removes the odor. It is then mixed with plastic scrap and wood glue in a mould, and then dried at a low temperature to harden.

So far, the project has resulted in bright lamps, chairs, and even home speakers. The manufacturing process is simple and consumes very little energy, which means that locals will soon be able to participate in the production of items and earn income from it.

Dog wool rugs

According to local designer Cynthia Chan, on average Singaporean dog grooming services shear over two pounds of wool per day. Instead of leaving it to waste, a recent designer suggested using felting, tufting, knitting techniques to turn leftover wool into homemade rugs.

Dog fur may not be a major contaminant, but its natural fur products offer a sustainable and safe alternative to synthetic ones. Chang hopes to "further explore the qualities of these fibers



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