Plastic.
Given the wasted materials and the needs in Matosinhos the group decided to explore and research the potential of a “Beach protection kit” that would consist in a range of products that would protect the most common objects brought to the beach by our target group, the tourists of Matosinhos.
The project aims to only use material wasted in Matosinhos, namely bottles, plastic bottle, materials there are present both on the beach with the fishermen as well as in the sculpture of Janet Echelman.
The beach kit seeks to protect personal belongings, to reuse the waste generated by the city as well as to be representative of it. With this concept a set of products was created, a phone case, a card case, a sunglasses case and a bracelet. All products reusing plastic and with te same concept of the production of the 'Precious Plastic', shreding the plastic and heating, to mold it after into the product idealized.
With the same concept there was other products developed by another group of students, a visor, an ashtray and a paraffin scraper.
MATERIALS
The students from FEUP explored and tested some of the waste materials found in Matosinhos and here you can find about the research and products developed so far.
Fish nets.
Being part of the "Beach protection kit" the fishnets were explored to develop the bracelet, a simple solution to a big problem. With this you never again will risk losing your valuable jewellery when taking them off at the beach.
The bracelet is made of polypropylene from recycled fishing ropes, a flexible and strong material to hold the jewellery together and that has a beautiful colour reminding you of the ocean and the beach. The material is easy to work with and
found in a great quantity as waste from the fishermen.
To keep the jewellery safe the bracelet has a plastic snap button to securely close it and also holes for attaching earrings. In order to keep the cost down the snap buttons are bought ready and not manufactured in Matosinhos and to attach the buttons to the bracelet, the bracelet had to be no thicker than 1 millimeter which therefore automatically became a requirement for the shape.
Seaweed.
Matosinhos is characterized by its gastronomy and maritime coast, which, together with fishing activities, acts as a link between the city, the sea and fishing.
It is through this guiding line that we selected Seaweed as a residue. Brought by the sea to the sand, or transported by fishing nets, they are often deposited in a landfill to keep the beaches inviting. In this sense, Algma arises through the reuse of this raw material.
Equally brought by the sea, fish and shellfish make gastronomy the anchor of the city. This way, Algma follows the motto "sea to the table", reflecting the local tradition.
The product consists of a set of small plates that support the local gastronomy in the act of serving, obtained from glass resin that incorporates seaweed. Algma transports the essence of the sea to the table!
Sea Shell.
After visiting and observing the local businesses of Matosinhos, and seen the wasted materials generated by them, the group decided to use sea shells as its base material and be inspired by the marine culture.
With this concept the experimentation of materials began. At this phase, the casting of HDPE with the crushed shells was tried, but the experiment failed, as they didn't come together, but during the sketches and the experiments, two ideas emerged. The first one consists on an object that serves as a sound column, where the mobile phone is placed inside and its walls amplify the sound. The other idea was focused on the kitchen field and it's a lemon squeezer, which is an indispensable object for the seasoning of dishes in the restaurants of Matosinhos. The prototype was made with virgin HDPE and the crushed shells, which turned out to be a positive result for this experiment. The material result of this experiment was used for both objects, yet for the lemon squeezer it would be more convenient to produce it with a ceramic composite.
Coffee.
This study aims to confirm the possibility of using coffee waste to create design objects as well as to document and describe the type of applications that exist today, in different areas, for re-use of this substance and what strategies are carried out currently in the production of materials created based on coffee grounds, with the ability to be used by means of moulding or additive manufacture. The relevance of this study is justified by the coffee sui generis characteristics, such as odor, visual appearance or texture, as well as the huge abundance of this raw material in capability, which is normally discarded after serving its primary function. Therefore, here is presented statistical data regarding the waste in general, with special focus on coffee. This information is intended to show its obvious affluence. It is also demonstrated by experimental work, which is the ideal binder for the creation of the desired material and which methods were used in performing this task. Based on the research done, some design proposals based on the material developed throughout this study are presented, with applications in different areas and a manufacturing proposal by moulding of the developed parts.
Sand and Sugar.
This set of objets made of sugar and sand from the city of Matosinhos, was inspired in one of the most remarkable portuguese comtemporary architect, Álvaro Siza Vieira. Its language was characterized by the simplicity and elegance of forms and color, transporting the individual user into spaces designed by the architect. The warm tones and the connection with the sea, reminds us the best of Matosinhos allied with a sense of environmental sustainability.
Version 2 light detail
Egg Shell.
The "Obo" luminaire aims to represent in a literal way the complete cycle of reuse and "rebirth" of wasted materials, transforming the egg shells in "eggs" with the form of small portable decorative luminaires that interact with the user in a playful way, proposing the already known challenge of placing the egg standing.
Inspired by the tradition of Portuguese sweets, which uses egg yolks as its main ingredient, the "Obo" luminaire is produced entirely with recycled materials, extending the life cycle of materials that would be discarded in the environment, thus reducing environmental impact and contributing to a sustainable planet.
Cardboard.
Based on the concept of a piece to be sold in a tourist office, some ideas were analysed, such as: to know and highlight the culture and the diversity of Matosinhos to tourists and combine this culture into a visually appealing appearance, using wasted materials. Other aspects that have been weighted have been multifunctionality, having as a condition the serving factor as folding or small, in order to facilitate transportation.
With this concept in mind and using wasted cardboard we created DODEMap, a product made with plywood cardboard and textile. It's an object composed by 12 pieces which are offered while visiting the landmarks of Matosinhos. The pieces are fixed to a base, which is given to you in the information center.
Each piece contains a QR Code with the specific history of the location, making it not only a informative object but also a memorable one. When concluding the course the user has the possibility to transform his/hers map into a memento, by taking the pieces and joining them into a souvenir.
Cans.
Thinking about the meaning of the sardine can as a cultural icon of Matosinhos, and also as a residue with a lot of potential to be explored, the idea of reusing it for the production of two products was worked out.
The first made from a sardine can, it's a soap dish also composed by a flexible polyurethane cover, which becomes the water collector base of the soap dish
A soap was also developed to be sold with the soap dish. This soap reuses the sea shells, which are consumed in the restaurants of Matosinhos. The shells are crushed to form a powder, this powder is then mixed with the soap to act as a snubber.
The other product is MasterView, an object that allows the viewing of images through a lens. Inspired by Lomography's La Sardina camera, and the View-Master toy, combining the two items in a sardine can.
Tire.
The tire is a huge waste in matosinhos, either as the use itself in the cars, or as reinforcement and protection of the boats that arrive port. An analysis was made of its constituents, where it was decided to use a tire component, the air chamber.
So the air chambers were used for the development of the product to create a mesh, these were previously washed and opened and then cut 3 cm wide, after cutted in strips, these were twisted vertically and horizontally, forming a strong and concentrated mesh, in a quadrangular matrix of 3 cm.
The created mesh brought the project immense options in the development of products from it. One of the first options explored was a line of handbags for personal items (laptop, tablet, glasses). And from this concept emerged the development of the "Tired", a swing, like a bed net, which allows the person to sit, comfortably accommodating, and using his own body to swing.
Tarpaulin.
These products are all made of recycled tarpaulin. That is why all the products are water refuse water, and they are very resistable.
The collection is made folowing the minimalistic guidelines of sustainable design and includes purchase bag, purse bag, woman wallet, man wallet, pencil case, notebook case and phone case.