Central Saint Martins, a prestigious art and design school, has partnered with Finnish biochemicals firm UPM to embark on an innovative collaborative design project centered around exploring the potential of renewable circularity. The aim of the project is to reimagine everyday products by utilizing sustainable bio-based materials and showcase a future beyond fossil fuels.
To achieve this, a team of 50 Product and Industrial Design students from Central Saint Martins were given the task of designing everyday products that embrace reduced material use, introduce more sustainable materials, and support recyclability. Their design concepts have the potential to disrupt traditional product norms and promote sufficiency, recyclability, and the substitution of fossil materials.
These design concepts are currently on display at Design Transforms ’23, an exhibition held in conjunction with the London Design Festival. Hosted at the Lethaby Gallery in King’s Cross, London, the exhibition will run until October 15th. The innovative designs were evaluated based on their design quality, contribution to renewable circularity, commercial viability, and potential to challenge conventional thinking in various industries.
Among the standout concepts are a mono-material and modular motorcycle armor, a modular shoe focused on repairability to address the issue of shoe waste, and a transformative rationing stamp that sets strict standards to authenticate sustainability claims.
Martin Ledwon, Vice-President of Stakeholder Relations at UPM Biorefining & Technology, emphasizes the importance of collaboration in achieving defossilization. He believes that creating a vision for a more sustainable future requires collective effort and innovative thinking. Ledwon sees their partnership with Central Saint Martins as an opportunity to tap into the disruptive mindset of designers who are educated to tackle the key challenges of our time. The resulting designs from this collaboration have the potential to inspire brands and designers to shift away from fossil-based materials.
Nick Rhodes, the Programme Director of Product Ceramic and Industrial Design at Central Saint Martins, highlights the real-world engagement that this partnership with UPM provides. Through their collaboration, the design school is pushed to develop compelling propositions that advocate for the urgent transition to renewable sources in manufacturing materials. This aligns with Central Saint Martins’ commitment to using design as a catalyst for a more responsible and sustainable future.
The project not only showcases the talent and creativity of the students at Central Saint Martins but also demonstrates the potential of bio-based materials to revolutionize various industries. By bridging the gap between art, design, and sustainability, this collaboration paves the way for a future that prioritizes renewable resources and circularity. It serves as a reminder of the power of cross-disciplinary collaborations in driving meaningful change and fostering a more sustainable world.
For more information about the Central Saint Martins and UPM collaboration, visit their official website:
Central Saint Martins and UPM.
