Rethinking Plastic Bags

RETHINKING

PLASTIC BAGS

Arti Verma

Sanishka Balasooriya

Material Diversions: Off the Shelf | Spring 2020 | Debora Mesa Molina | School of Architecture In collaboration with Prof. Hyunjoo Oh and Himani Deshpande | School of Industrial Design 1 Georgia Institute of Technology

Material Diversions: Off the Shelf | Spring 2020 Instructor: Debora Mesa Molina Ensamble Studio, Principal Georgia Tech, Ventulett Chair MIT-POPlab, Founder

Project Team: Arti Verma Master of Architecture Candidate Georgia Institute of Technology Sanishka Balasooriya Bachelor of Architecture Candidate University of New South Wales | Georgia Institute of Technology Front and Back Cover: Plastic Patchwork Panel by Arti Verma

Special Thanks to Prof. Hyunjoo Oh and Himani Deshpande from the School of Industrial Design, Georgia Institute of Technology, for their collaboration and support 2

3

TABLE OF

CONTENTS 1. The Impacts of Plastic Bags 2. Experiments with Bags 3. Methods of Fusion

(a) Ironing Samples

(b) Baking Samples

(c) Heat-Press Samples 4. Crafting with Bags

(a) Binding Sheets

(b) Form Finding

(c) Texture Experiments 5. Design and Prototypes

(a) Cardstock Prototype

(b) Patchwork Prototype

(c) Heat-Press Samples

(d) Stool Design

(e) Torqued Ellipses Design 6. References for Future Interventions

4

5 8 11

19

24

30

THE

IMPACTS OF

PLASTIC BAGS

5

10 FACTS about

PLASTIC BAGS 1. Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year, which require 12 million barrels of oil to manufacture.

2. It only takes about 14 plastic bags for the equivalent of the gas required to drive one mile.

3. The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year.

4. According to Waste Management, only 1 percent of plastic bags are returned for recycling. That means that the average family only recycles 15 bags a year; the rest end up in landfills or as litter.

5. Up to 80 percent of ocean plastic pollution enters the ocean from land.

6. At least 267 different species have been affected by plastic pollution in the ocean.

7. 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually.

8. One in three leatherback sea turtles have been found with plastic in their stomachs.

9. Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.

10. It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill.

Unfortunately the bags don’t break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment.

6

HOW are PLASTIC BAGS being

RECYCLED?

• Recycle at grocery stores (only 1%) • Melt into a semi solid consistency and used in products (can only be done in industrial settings due to emission of harmful gases) e.g.

Nike uses them is shoes, used in construction industry • Reusing them in trash cans, for storage, for carrying items until they break. (on an average the lifespan of a plastic bag is 12 minutes)

There are very few instances where plastic bags are being recycled/up-cycled at a household level 7

EXPERIMENTS with BAGS

8

FUSING PLASTIC BAGS an overview

Pros: • Can be done easily at home • Doesn’t require an equipment or special conditions

Ironing

Cons: • Can’t be used for more than 5 bags (10 layers) • Has non uniform pressure and heat due to manual work leading to incomplete fusing.

Characteristics: • Uneven texture • Fabric like consistency

Home Experiments

Baking

Home Experiments

Pros: • Result is very sturdy and lightweight • Can be sanded or cut in band-saw • Can be molded into shape of choice Cons: • Huge reduction in material quantity • After multiple attempts, can cause side effects like itchy throat • Baking is at 300 degrees F which is borderline of temperature at which harmful fumes are emitted • Time consuming Characteristics: • Sturdy • Lightweight

Pros: • Can be used to produce a variety of range of thicknesses • Speedy process as compared to other two • Can be used to fuse up to 400 layers • Variety of temperature and pressure ranges available

Heat Press Fabrication Lab Experiments

Cons: • Can only be done in a location where equipment is availableFabrication Labs or Maker’s Spaces • Requires knowledge of using equipment Characteristics: • Uniform • Significantly lesser reduction in material volume

9

FUSING PLASTIC BAGS an overview

Ironing

Sheets (upto 10 layers) and Flat Rods

Baking

Tiles of various shapes and Rods

Heat Press

Sheets of various layers

Home Experiments

Home Experiments

Fabrication Lab Experiments

10

METHODS of FUSION

11

IRONING SAMPLES SHEETS AND RODS

A first pass at fusing single bags without flattening them first. This was to see the qualities of light and texture that would be generated by the irregularities of the fusion.

The resulting product is mainly translucent with veins and ribs of thicker fused plastic.

The bags were laid flat and the handles sliced off and placed between two pieces of tracing paper or parchment paper and ironed together until they fused together.

Higher ironing heat allowed the bags to fuse together more quickly but generated a more wrinkled surface as the resulting sheet contracted after ironing due to the greater difference in temperature. Using a lower heat setting would generate a generally smoother surface texture but the bags would take longer to fuse.

This sample was made by slicing the sides of the plastic bags to double their length, then twisting these together into a rope-like form. This was then ironed to fuse, hence the flatter shape. The resulting sample has a smoother texture and is more flexible than the previous samples.

12

DIY PLASTIC SHEETS

BY IRONING PLASTIC BAGS 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Scan to watch the step by step tutorial 13

IRONING SAMPLES

EXPERIMENTING WITH SHEETS Another sheet sample, using 6 bags to form a 12 layer end product. This sheet was fused on the maximum heat setting, causing the plastic to melt away in certain areas and develop a network of perforations through the surface. This caused an interesting effect, allowing light to penetrate through these tiny perforations.

A showcase of the bending properties of the sheet samples. The material properties vary depending on the thickness of the sample, which is dependent on the number of bags used. A thinner sheet like this one has more flexibility but less strength than a sample with more layers.

An assortment of samples showcasing the variety of sizes and thicknesses that can be generated from the sheetmaking process.

14

BAKING SAMPLES TILES

Cookie tile This sample was made from the scrapped handles of the bags from the sheet-making process. The scraps were packed into a cupcake mould and baked at 300°F. The resulting plastic ‘cookie’ was very hard and strong but remained lightweight.

Loaf tile This sample is very similar to the previous plastic ‘cookie’. Plastic bags were wrapped and twisted together, packed into a mould and then baked at 300°F. The resulting sample was a hard plastic brick. This sample was also very strong, yet lightweight and had a fairly smooth surface texture from where it had come into contact with the mould. Cutting the sample in half with a bandsaw revealed how the bags had melted and swirled as they baked, creating this interesting pattern.

15

BAKING SAMPLES RODS

This was the first set of rod samples that were made. They were initially made as an experiment in making cable-like plastic forms. Plastic bags were twisted and wrapped around each other, then baked in foil at 350°F. The resulting rod forms are strong with a degree of flexibility in bending.

These rods were another attempt to make cords out of the plastic bags.

They used the same process as the first set of rod samples, except less material was used to try and make them thinner.

16

HEAT-PRESS SAMPLES SHEETS

Test were run on plastic bags and the following factors were modified to study the different results: 1. Number of bags 2. Original thickness of bag 3. Method of Fusing 4. Temperature of fusing 5. Time taken to fuse

Over 100 samples were tested to determine the minimum time and temperature required to fuse bags of layers 10 to 400

17

HEAT-PRESS SAMPLES SHEETS Layers

10

25

50

100

200

400

Note:

18

Thickness in mm Temp.

(Celsius) 0.5 min 1 min 2 min 3 min 4 min 5 min 6 min 7 min 8 min 9 min 10 min 0.22 0.18 120 0.16 0.16 125 0.17 0.16 130 0.18 0.16 135 F 0.39 120 F 0.35 125 F 0.43 130 F 0.36 135 F 0.73 F F F F F F 120 F F 0.66 125 F F 0.80 130 F 0.86 135 F F F F F F F F F F F 120 F F F F F F F F F F F 125 F F F 1.56 130 F F F 1.41 135 F F F 120 F F F 125 F F F 130 3.3 F F F 135 F F F F F F F F F F F 120 F F F F F F F F F F F 125 F F F F F F F F F F F 130 F F F F F F F F F F 4.5 135

To fuse layers above 100, a base sheet of X layers has to be made in the heat press on top of which the additional 100 layers which have also been converted into a sheet are to be fuesd in For this additive process, the following times and temperatures could be used To add on 100 layers 5 mins at 135 degrees To add on 200 layers 10 mins at 135 degrees Fusion in the table top heat press beyond 200 layers was unsuccessful at 20 mins on 135 degrees beyond which fusion could be possible but is not advised as it is extremly time

CRAFTING with BAGS

19

BINDING SHEETS

JOINING SHEETS UNDER HEAT Pros High scalability in Intuitive process

Cons Time consuming and Double thickness at joint

Description Overlapping sheets to join them with an iron/hand held heat press Overlapping sheets to join them in table top heat press

Preparation Separate sheets fused, cut and then overlapped

Creating Zig zag joints and join in heat press

Separate sheets fused, cut, joints introduced in laser cutter and then arranged to fuse

Using the overlap as a way to gain desired thickness

For making a sheet of 100 No prep required layers, 2 layers of 50 plastic bags staggered on Scalable in both top of each other and put directions in the heat press to make way for joining

Using the overlap as a way to gain desired thickness

For making a sheet of 100 Uniform thickness Adds an extra step to layers, layers of 50 are fusion made & staggered. They Sturdy joint are fused in the heat Promotes scalability press to get a seamless sheet of 100 layers

20

No dents

Separate sheets fused, cut and then overlapped

Joint can warp due to excess heat Cannot go beyond 30 sheets High scalability in Low scalability in other one direction direction Less effort and time Double thickness at joint Can be used for many sheets Joint doesn’t add to thickness

Dents possible in higher no. of sheets Doesn’t work with all type of joints especially when there is a continuous line

Non uniform thickness Dents possible in thicker sheets

Image

BINDING SHEETS

OTHER JOINING METHODS Glue gun As glue gun uses a plastic polymer binder, it is the optimum choice for locally fusing plastic sheets quickly.

Stitching

This sample showcases plastic sheets stitched together with a leather sticking kit. The strength of the joint is determined by the thickness of the sheets and the strength of the thread.

Soldering A sample fusing two different plastic bag sheets. The edges of the sheets were overlapped and then ironed to casue them to fuse together. This was the most common method we used to form larger sheet samples as it was the most economical and efficient.

21

FORM FINDING SHEETS

Etching This sheet was made with 50 layers of plastic in the heat press and so was more rigid than most of the other samples. The sample was then engraved in the laser cutter to give it more flexibility, allowing it to bend and hold its shape.

Using Wire

This sheet was made with 12 layers of plastic, allowing it to be significantly flexible. The top and bottom edges were folded over lengths of wire and fused over, then the wire was bent into shape. This sample was an experiment in form-finding for the torqued ellipse design.

Experimenting with Thickness

Different thicknesses can be fused to create flexible joins in this very quick method. They can be joined in heat press or iron. Resultant panel is limited in one dimension when heat press is used. It allows lower flexibility in form due to straighter joints

22

TEXTURE EXPERIMENT SHEETS

Rubber Imprint Using rubber surfaces with an embedded pattern allows for experimenting with imprints of the bags.

Parchment Paper Layer This effect occurs when the tracing paper fuses to the surface of the plastic sheet. The qualities of each material remain distinct, providing a variance in texture on either side of the sample.

Parchment Paper Finish Using different types of parchment paper (glossy and matte) allow for the same finish to be reflected in the sheets

23

DESIGN and

PROTOTYPES

24

CARD STOCK PROTOTYPES

These prototypes were made in response to some of the precedents using slotted cardboard to form pavilion structures. It was one of the first stages of experimentation with the formal potential of the plastic sheets. Card stock was used as a substitute material with the understanding that a more rigid plastic sheet would be required to make this with plastic and scale up the forms.

25

PATCHWORK PROTOTYPE

Scan to watch the step by step tutorial

26

STOOL DESIGN

27

TORQUED ELLIPSES DESIGN

28

TORQUED ELLIPSE PROTOTYPE

This prototype was made from 15 plastic sheets of 20 layers each. Each sheet was 1ft by 1ft, making the final product 5ft by 3ft. This was an experiment in making a large scale sheet-style prototype in order to test the feasibility of our torqued ellipses design. We found that this prototype could stand on its own at 2ft tall but then would fold in and collapse without support at 3ft tall. This is why the final design had rigid members along the top and bottom edges, which would also allow the structure to hold the warping curved form.

29

TORQUED ELLIPSE PROTOTYPE

30

REFERENCES for FUTURE INVESTIGATIONS 31

Richard Serra

Miguel Aririaz + David Moreno, Valencia

Silicon Valley Cardboard Pavilion 32

33