Sustainable Design
17 Sustainable Materials To Consider In Your Next Design Project.
As materials are an essential part of industrial design, we share a list of sustainable materials for your next product development.
The world is being digitalized but we still nourish our products and objects. The things we hold and cherish. The products we buy and sell.
To answer the constant challenge to reduce the carbon footprint of the product we design every day, we need to rethink the materials we use and the solutions we drive as designers.
As materials are an essential part of industrial design, together with our community, we created a list of sustainable materials you can consider for all your design projects:
- Pinatex — textile made from pineapple waste;
- Mushroom Mycelium — made by mixing the fungus on mushrooms with metal;
- Parblex™ — bioplastics produced with potatoes waste;
- Solid wool — made of layers of compacted coarse;
- Flax Fiber — biodegradable plant fiber;
- Jesmonite — acrylic-modified gypsum;
- Micro-Fibrillated Cellulose (MFC) — fibrillation process of cellulose fibers;
- Cork — the bark extracted from cork oak tree;
- Coconut Fiber — a natural fiber extracted from the outer husk of coconut;
- Banana Fiber — a natural fiber made from the stem of the banana tree;
- Biofoam (Pla) — polylactic acid (PLA) based foam material;
- Ecovio — Biobased and compostable polymer based on sugar;
- Green cell foam — biodegradable material made from non-GMO cornstarch;
- Bamboo — durable and flexible fast-growing grass for multiple uses;
- Beer waste material — new materials made from spent grain, sediment and hops;
- Kehl Biofoam — foam for thermal insulation without CFC or HCFC;
- Shellworks — compostable materials from Seafood waste;
As designers and creative leaders, we play a crucial role to address some of our planet’s economic, social and environmental biggest challenges.
We must keep reimagining why we create, what we create and, how we create it.
Only by rethinking design we can maximize the value for people and avoid the impact on our planet.
Every small step we do now can make a great impact in the future.
Let’s design a better future together!
What are your favourite sustainable materials?
👉 Highlight the material you like the most and, if possible, please share why.
Read this article to design a more sustainable packaging.