Waste
An Evaluation
Table of Contents Author Biography Introduction
5 5
Part 1: E-Waste Introduction Case Studies Formafantasma Ore Streams Dell Technologies and Nikki Reed Data Analysis Teardown
6 7 8 8 9 12 13
E-Waste Survey Conclusion
14 15
Part 2: Construction Waste
16
Introduction
17
Construction Waste - Then and Now Construction Waste in Design After Pressure - Ammar Kalo K-Brick - Kenoteq Future of Construction Waste
Patchwork - Amy Hunting
18 20 20 22 24 26
Conclusion
28
Appendix 1:
30 30 31
Timber Terrazzo - Foresso Recycling Series - Bentu Design Part 3: Experimentation
32
Introduction Design Proposition
33 33
Process
34 Board A
Board B Final Product
35 37 39
Learning Experience Conclusion
44 44
Bibliography
46
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Author Biography Charlotte Menzies-King is a second year student studying a Figure 1. Image of Author Bachelor of Industrial Design at RMIT. To date her work has varied across a range of areas of interest including exhibition design, 20th century furniture, assistive technology, user centred design and sustainability within design. Living the first decade of her life amidst a drought, climate change has always been an influential factor in her life. This resulted in interests in the world of sustainable fashion and furniture that has lead to projects such as a pendent light made from disposable coffee pods and broken coat hangers. Having family working in architecture, building waste has been a frequent discourse within the family and therefore a growing area of interest.
Note. Charlotte Menzies-King. Menzies-King, C., 2020
by
Introduction Growing up in a world that reaps the effects of climate change, consciousness of waste is inescapable. And whilst city councils and governments begin to introduce new bins and ways to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill, obstructions such as Australia’s recycling crisis continue deter our process. With this resulting in no progress towards better waste management, a question was left: What now? The idea of a circular economy began to appear. The concept is a model that eliminates the use of finite resources by reusing waste to create new products rather than new resources, therefore eliminating the need for landfill (Ellen Macarther Foundation, 2017). This is demonstrated in figure 2. A key to implementing this concept begins with the way we design and construct products, leaving a vast responsibility with industrial designers to use waste and recycled materials in their designs. However, there is a range of waste streams to be utilised and it is our role as designers to become familiar with them in order to progress Figure 2. Circular Economy design in the 21st century.
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Note. Circular Economy. From Clean Up Australia, by PBL, 2016, (https:// www.cleanup.org.au/what-is-a-circular-economy?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9 863zMHI6QIVGayWCh07pgUGEAAYASAAEgIZ1vD_BwE) 5
Introduction
E-Waste
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Electronic waste, or ‘e-waste’, is a growing issue presenting itself in many areas within the modern society we live in, especially within the developed world. It goes without saying that each individual uses a wide range of electronic goods in their daily life. However, this large industry does not go without environmental impact, not only through the raw materials such as gold mined to create such products, but also through the e-waste that is created through consumerist marketing and planned obsolescence (Bernardes & Viet, 2015). According to the United Nations, “the world produces as much as 50 million tonnes of e-waste a year [...] Only 20% of this is formally recycled.” (United Nations, 2019, UN Report: Time to take seize opportunity, tackle challenge of e-waste, para 1.). The data indicates the vast severity of an issue that can be seen in every home and is generally perceived as an annoyance rather than a global issue. However, although e-waste remains a global issue, this presents opportunities for initiatives to transform these issues into a circular production to decrease the environmental impact and make a difference.
Key Terms E-Waste The discard of objects powered by a power cord, or battery operated to function using electricity Planned obsolescence: A term used in industrial design and economics to describe the strategy of designing a product with an arti cially limited useful life in order for consumers to continually buy product (Formafantasma, 2018) Consumerism: The idea that buying, using and owning many goods is benefcial Above Ground Mining: Metals being obtained without mining below ground. This can include recycling, scavenging and reusing of metals found in waste
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Case Studies Formafantasma
Figure 3. Cabinet from Ore Streams
Ore Streams
Formafantasma is a design studio run by Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farrensin. The studio was established in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 2010 the studio set itself up for a reputation for their “material exploration and critical approaches to sustainability and culture” (Formafantasma, 2020). Their project Ore Streams was commissioned by NGV Australia and Triennale Milano in 2017, the premise of the project being the transition from traditional metal mining to the recovery of precious metals from e-waste (or above ground mining). The duo spent a large portion of the project researching, including spending two years interviewing e-waste recyclers, academic researchers, electronics producers and NGO’s. They ultimately discovered that “only 30% of the west’s e-waste makes its way to the appropriate recycling facilities. The remaining 70% are often shipped illegally to developing counties” (Formafantasma, 2019, Ore Streams, para 4). Following the research, the project aimed to create a more ef cient way of recycling e-waste through the promotion of reuse and repair leading to the creation of the Ore Streams of ce furniture. The furniture is made from recycled iron and aluminium together with dead stock and recycled electronic components, as can be seen in figure 4 which is a combination of aluminium, a microwave grid and stacked iPhones. The furniture utilises the electronics as materials, removing their function and giving them new purpose, as seen in the computers in figure 3 which serve a new purpose as draws. Ore Streams uses e-waste not only to create new life for objects that would otherwise go to land ll, but also address consumption by highlighting one of the largest offenders of e-waste – the office.
Note. Cabinet made from clear glass and computer cases. From “Ore Streams”, by Formafantasma, 2019, (http://www.orestreams.com/) Figure 4. Table from Ore Streams
Note. Table made from metalized car paint on CNC milled and folded aluminum, aluminium mobile phones outer casings, gold plated mobile phones outer casings, steel microwaves grid. From “Ore Streams”, by Formafantasma, 2019, (http:// www.orestreams.com/)
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Figure 5. Note. Chair made from metalized car paint on CNC milled aluminium, gold plated aluminum, various components of a mobile phone, gold plated mobile phones outer casings, steel microwaves grid. From “Ore Streams”, by Formafantasma, 2019, (http:// www.orestreams.com/) 9
Dell & Nikki Reed
Figure 7. Bayou with Love Earrings
Bayou with Love
Dell Technologies was founded by Michael Dell in 1984, acquiring enterprise tech rm EMC Corporation to become Dell Technologies in 2015. In 2013, Dell set up their Legacy of Good program, creating a goal to “recycle 100 million pounds of recycled content into its product folio by 2020” (Dell, 2018, Nikki Reed and Dell Turn E-Waste into New Treasures with Recycled Gold Jewelry Collection, para 5). In 2018, Dell proposed actress and environmental activist Nikki Reed with the opportunity to start her own jewellery line made entirely from gold and silver recycled by Dell from their motherboards. This resulted in Bayou with Love, a jewellery brand owned by Reed that is made entirely from e-waste metal and ethically sourced diamonds and gems. Dell proposed the idea based on its research that discovered not only that only 12% of e-waste is recycled annually, resulting in $60 million worth of silver and gold being disposed of, but that 1 tonne of motherboards contained 800 times more gold than 1 tonne of ore mined from the earth (Bayou with Love, 2018). These statistics prove not only allow Dell to create a closed loop for their products, but also increases the ef ciency of the process. This closed loop system for Dell has meant the Bayou with Love jewellery is having 99% less environmental impact than traditionally mined gold, and costs anywhere from $100 to $20 000 making sustainability appealing and accessible to a larger market, increasing the brand’s impact.
Note. Gold ring from Bayou with Love. From “These rings are made from gold salvaged from e-waste”, by Peters, A, 2018, (https://www. fastcompany.com/40505400/ these-rings-are-madefrom-gold-salvaged-from-ewaste)
Figure 8. Bayou with Love Ring
Note. Gold earrings from Bayou with Love. From “These rings are made from gold salvaged from e-waste”, by Peters, A, 2018, (https:// www.fastcompany. com/40505400/these-rings-aremade-from-goldsalvaged-from-e-waste) Figure 6. Note. Medium Oval Chain Bracelet. From “Bayou with Love”, by Bayou with Love, 2020, (https://bayouwithlove. com/products/medium-oval-chain-bracelet)
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Data Analysis
Over the course of researching the causes and effects of e-waste, it has become clear that it is not a clean cut issue and there are many causes resulting in the lack of action. The rst issue begins with planned obsolescence, in order to boost profit businesses design objects not to last for short term financial gain, without perception for the future impacts. Such practice sets up much e-waste to fail from the start. Not only are they set up to stop working within a short period of time, but are impossible to repair with manufacturing techniques being used to make products harder to get into and repair. This became apparent during the tear down, with certain parts, the more important parts, being impossible to completely take apart. This is mostly seen in less expensive items, making it cheaper to replace the object all together rather than fix it, as well as being manufactured to be this way. This idea set up within western culture is one of the routes of the problem. By creating things to break, there is a need to keep draining the earth of resources and then dumping unusable products, creating further environment degradation.
Further, through the e-waste survey, a further problem became apparent. The need to have the latest technology. Within my house there was both an iPhone and iPod, both mostly functional with minor aws that had been abandoned as they were redundant in terms of the perceived technological needs of today. The modern marketing of technology is based on convincing consumers that they must have the new features of new products, and must buy a whole new device in order to possess this. This results in households with boxes and draws full of usable technology that has been abandoned, but not repurposed or recycled because of a lack of accessibility or the thought of an object not being broken. In order for people to want to help the environment, the processes must be accessible, yet consumers’ houses are lled with reusable and recyclable goods as recycling options are not easy or local. As a result, these items hide in draws or end up as hard rubbish. Although projects such as Bayou with Love and Ore Streams give this e-waste new life, these types of programs are not utilising e-waste found in everyday households.
Figure 9. Note. Teardown of bench grinder. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Household E-Waste Survey Figure 10.
Figure 11.
Figure 12.
Figure 13.
Figure 14.
Figure 15.
Figure 16.
Figure 17.
Figure 18.
Figure 19.
Figure 20.
Figure 21.
Figure 22.
Figure 23.
Figure 24.
Figure 25.
Conclusion
6 Unusable cords 2 Broken phones 2 ‘Out-dated’ laptops 1 Camera unable to take SD 2 Household devices in hard rubbish 1 E-reader that won’t charge 1 Old iPod 1 Broken light 1 Broken alarm clock and 1 Broken set of earphones 14
Ultimately, although industry has been aware of the impacts of e-waste for years, there is limited lobbying and proof to hold them liable for actions such as planned obsolescence. Although tech company Apple have recently settled a lawsuit that claimed they intentionally slowed iPhones in an act of planned obsolescence, this is only the beginning to holding corporations accountable. More than this the lack of options for consumers to recycle their e-waste other than hard rubbish increases the severity of the problem, although local councils are slowly introducing more bins and waste options everyday households are left waiting for options for e-waste recycling (further unlikely due to the recycling crisis occurring in Australia). Whilst projects by artists and designers continue to see e-waste given a new life in recycling and renewal projects, there is yet to be a large scale or long term solution for a problem that is harming our planet both economically and environmentally.
Figures 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 & 25. Note. E-Waste Survey. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Introduction As our population continues to grow exponentially, the Australian construction sector is booming. Between 2017 and 2018 alone $49.749 billion of construction was completed in Victoria (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2019). However, this booming industry comes at a cost that is not only monetary. The construction industry in Australia generates 44% of the annual waste across all industry sectors (Park, J & Tucker, R, 2017). How much of this waste is reusable and recyclable, and what is the potential of such a large waste stream? This growing issue opens up the possibility for designers, architects and engineers to combat such a prominent issue.
Key Terms Waste: “Defined by the Environment Protection Act 1970 as any matter, whether solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive, which is discharged, emitted or deposited in the environment in such volume, constituency or manner as to cause an alteration of the environment.� (Environmental Protective Authority Victoria, 2019) Industrial Waste: Waste that is generated from trade, industrial and commercial activities including construction and demolition (Environmental Protective Authority Victoria, 2019)
Research Intention
Construction Waste: Waste including soil, concrete, timber, plasterboard, asbestos, bricks, rock, soil and vegetation that has resulted from construction and demolition within industry as well as home building and renovation (Sustainability Victoria, 2020)
Living in the inner suburbs of Melbourne I am constantly surrounded by building sites and skips full of waste. Construction waste is an area of waste more commonly explored in architecture, however it always intrigues me how interconnected each type of design is. The range of materials found within construction waste also provides a range of opportunities to create a variety of outcomes.
Timber Waste: Waste consisting of wood and timber product (Sustainability Victoria 2020)
Construction Waste 16
Building and Construction Industry: Includes residential and non residential construction, building structure services, installation services, heavy and civil engineering, land development, and site preparation (Commonwealth Government of Australia, 2020) Offcuts: A piece of material (such as wood or paper) that remains after the main piece has been cut (Collins Dictionary, 2020)
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Construction Waste Then and Now
The History of Construction Waste
What happens to construction waste now?
Construction waste has been a growing issue over the last few decades as population increases. In 1970 Victoria introduced the Environmental Protection Act which was then amended in 1996. This aimed to reduce environmental damage and establish programs to protect the environment (EPAV, 2019). However, as the cost of building materials declined, the motivation to deconstruct and reuse rather than demolish decreased (Crerar C, 2019). This trend has been continuing since the 1990’s, which is demonstrated in figure 26. The graph based on information from the Australian Bureau of statistics demonstrates that cheap renovations are doubly as popular as the next most popular price bracket (ABS, 2002).
According to Sustainability Victoria, “Over 75 per cent of [construction waste] is clean, excavated material, such as concrete, bricks and timber which can often be recycled” (2020) however, in Australia between 2016 and 2017 6.7megatonnes of construction waste ends up in land ll with a portion of the other 13.7megatonnes illegally dumped or stockpiled (Khalfan M, Maqsood T, Shooshtarian S, Wong P, & Yang R, 2019). Although designers continue to create interesting design and architecture projects that focus on closed circle use of materials and reduction in waste, the above statistics indicate there is still progress that needs to be made to normalise this practice within the industry.
The increase in environmental awareness in the 21st century led to an increasing amount of studies on the impacts of construction waste. This lead to architects, designers, engineers and environmental bodies to put more time into finding a way to reduce the damage on the environment. This includes concepts such as deconstruction rather than demolition, reuse of materials, and the use of building materials made from recycled construction waste (Park, J & Tucker, R, 2017).
Figure 26. Cost of renovations carried out in the last two years.
Note. Cost of renovations carried out in the last two years. From Housing and Lifestyle: Home renovation, by The Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2002, (https://www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@. nsf/0/062C1F689E72A59CCA2570E C000B922D?opendocument).
Figure 27. Note. Skips full of construction waste at a construction site, by Michelle Mateus, 2020, (https://michelemateus. com/efficient-ways-to-abolish-construction-waste/
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Construction Waste in Design Figure 28. ‘After Pressure’ by Ammar Kalo
After Pressure
by Ammar Kalo for Bee’ah 2018
Note. ‘After Pressure’. From After Pressure, by Ammar Kalo, 2018, (https://ammarkalo.com/After-Pressure).
Commissioned by environmental management company Bee’ah for the 2018 Dubai Design Week, After Pressure is an outdoor seating project designed by Ammar Kalo. Kalo’s intention with the project was to to modify the public’s perception regarding waste and reusing practices. The table and chairs are created from waste construction aluminium, which had been compressed into bales intended for melting. However, by creating furniture from the bales, thus reusing them, the carbon emissions are reduced through eliminating the need to transport and use energy to melt the materials to then create something new. The tabletop is made from glass reinforced concrete for a stable surface for the public to eat and write off.
Figure 29. ‘After Pressure’ in use
Note. ‘After Pressure’ being used. From After Pressure, by Ammar Kalo, 2018, (https://ammarkalo.com/After-Pressure).
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Figure 30. Note. ‘After Pressure’ in city. From After Pressure, by Ammar Kalo, 2018, (https://ammarkalo.com/After-Pressure). 21
Figure 32. K-Brick in Production
K-Brick
by Kenoteq 2020 Kenoteq is a Scottish start up founded by engineer Gabriela Medero. The K-Brick is an un red brick made up of 90% construction waste that has been in the works for over a decade. The K-Brick also generates one tenth of the carbon emissions of the traditional brick, further demonstrating Medero’s mission to reduce the environmental impact of the construction industry (Aouf R, 2020). The brick looks, weighs and behaves the same as a regular brick, making it safe and enticing to the construction industry. The K-Brick is produced locally to its creation, at Hamilton Waste and Recycling in Edinburgh to further tackle the problem of 85% of bricks in Scotland being imported thus saving the carbon emissions created through travel. The Serpentine Gallery’s 20th Pavilion in 2020 is set to use the k-brick, demonstrating its potential to a greater audience.
Note. K-Bricks being produced from construction waste. From Dezeen, by Aouf R, 2020, (https://www.dezeen. com/2020/03/02/kenoteq-k-briq-brick- constructionwaste/).
Figure 33. Creators of K-Brick analysing
Note. K-Bricks being analysed by creators, by Aouf R, 2020, (https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/02/kenoteqk-briq-brick- construction-waste/). Figure 31. Note. K-Bricks being stacked. From Dezeen, by Aouf R, 2020, (https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/02/ kenoteq-k-briq-brick- construction-waste/). 22
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Figure 36. Note. ‘Patchwork’ thumbnail sketches by Amy Hunting. From Dezeen by Hunting A, 2008, (https://www. dezeen.com/2008/08/19/patchwork-by-amy-hunting/).
Patchwork
Figure 34. Ideation sketches of Patchwork
by Amy Hunting 2008 Amy Hunting is a Norwegian born London based designer who graduated from the Department of Furniture and Spatial Design at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Art in 2008. That year Hunting created her work ‘Patchwork’, a series of furniture including a chair, twelve lamps and two bookshelves made from waste wood and offcuts she collected from factories, see figure 36. These pieces of wood were glued together to create a unique patchwork pattern board for each piece of furniture. Hunting used no screws or other materials to make for easy reuse or recycle of the furniture in the future . Amy also being an illustrator uses thumbnails as a big part of her drawing, with her more cartoon style drawings reflected in the furniture she creates, as can be seen in her final sketches for the Patchwork collection (figure 34 & figure 35). In an interview for Little Scraps of Paper (2011), Amy says that she likes to create a map of her ideas starting out complex, then redraw them until she has come to a simple solution that she is happy with. She states, “blank pieces of paper intimidate me” then expanding on her need to quickly fill them. This results in an extensive planning stage to result in a very refined outcome.
Note. ‘Patchwork’ thumbnail sketches by Amy Hunting. From Patchwork Collection, by Hunting A, 2008, (https:// www.architonic.com/en/story/line-numme-patchworkcollection/7000104).
Figure 35. Ideation sketches of Patchwork
Although Amy’s intentions specifically with using the scrap offcuts for Patchwork are not specified as the project was early in her career, Hunting in a later interview discusses her love for discovering new materials and researching them for different projects. We can infer that this interest in different materials sparked the use of the offcuts for patchwork. Perhaps her interest in materials will result in further projects investigating reuse of materials and recycled materials.
Note. ‘Patchwork’ thumbnail sketches by Amy Hunting. From Patchwork Collection, by Hunting A, 2008, (https:// www.architonic.com/en/story/line-numme-patchworkcollection/7000104).
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The Future of Construction Waste
Figure 37.
Potential Future Designs
How can designers lessen their impact?
Following the research conducted surrounding construction waste I tried to use the thumbnail techniques applied by Amy Hunting, as can be seen in figure 37. This allowed me to explore two concepts. Firstly, I explored the possibility of creating a sheet material from construction waste to be used in construction and building, drawing inspiration from projects such as the K-Brick and Foresso timber terrazzo. These concepts can be seen in figure 38. As can be seen in figure 37, my second concept explored using timber waste to create kitchen utensils and crockery such as plates, knives, forks and spatulas. The next stage of narrowing down the project is assessing the quality of the materials I have access to and what is possible with my current tools.
Lessening the impact of construction waste starts with architects, running projects that not only use reused and recycled materials but also making sure any waste material is able to be reused or recycled in other projects. Further, industrial designers can investigate the use of these scrap and recycled materials in creating new shapes and textures that would not have been discovered otherwise. Whilst creating a closed loop of production within the building and construction industry is the most sustainable option, there is always opportunity for projects within industrial design to embrace the concepts of materials not having to be brand new.
Figure 38.
Figures 37 and 38. Note. Sketches of potential outcomes and materials. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Conclusion
Construction waste is a problem that will continue to grow as our cities expand. However as has been demonstrated by the above case studies, there is ample opportunity for design to harness this problem as an opportunity for change. Architects, designers and engineers should aim to create products that not only harness this waste for reuse and recycle but also encourage a culture that values the reduction of excessive and wasteful use of building materials. Education on the statistics and facts surrounding the lost potential of the waste that ultimately sits in land ll could provide will help designers and builders to be able to harness the economic and environmental bene ts of reducing, reusing and recycling construction waste.
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Figure 39. Note. Construction Waste. From Go Smart Bricks by Smart Bricks, 2019, (https://gosmartbricks.com/ construction-waste/). 29
Appendix 1 Additional Case Studies
Figure 42. Sheet of Ivory Duo
Timber Terrazzo by Foresso 2020
Recycle Series
Figure 40. Recycle Series KUI Pendant Lights
by Bentu Designs 2015 Bentu Design is a Guangzhou based design studio founded in 2011. Recycle series is an experimental series intending to capture how rapid the development of infrastructure and construction waste has become. Recycle series consists of lighting and small objects made from recycled concrete and stone from construction sites. Although Bentu do not specify exactly how the objects are created, they discuss using more traditional techniques to create the rustic nishes seen in their lights. The simplistic nature of the forms is also a re ection upon overcomplicated designs of the present day that use excessive materials, demonstrating aesthetic and functional design can be achieved with limited waste.
Foresso is a Birmingham based surfaces manufacturer. Designer Connor Taylor created Foresso, a timber terrazzo type material that is created from timber and plaster waste, after he observed a “culture of disposable interiors and the waste produced in manufacture� (Grif ths, 2020). The sheet material combines wood waste, plaster waste, resin and pigment cast onto plywood to create a material perfect for tabletops, wall coverings, flooring and a range of applications. The waste used for Foresso comes from the local sawmill and bronze foundry, by keeping the materials local further decreasing the environmental impact of the material. Not only this but the company have a series of goals listed on their website to become more environmentally friendly including investing in on site renewable energy and 0% land ll by the end of 2020.
Note. Sheet of Ivory Duo Foresso. From The London Collection, by Foresso, 2020, (https://foresso.co.uk/ londoncollection). Figure 43. Sample of Ivory Duo
Figure 41. Foresso Table Tops at 83 Hanover Street
Note. Recycle Series KUI Pendant Lights. From Minimalist Housewares Made From Recycled Construction Waste, by Bentu Designs, 2015, (https://www.core77.com/ projects/55034/Minimalist- Housewares-Made-FromRecycled-Construction-Waste).
Note. Ivory Duo Foresso used for table tops at restaurant 83 Hanover Street in Edinburgh. From 83 Hanover Street, by Foresso, 2020, (https://foresso.co.uk/83hanover-street).
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Note. Sample of Ivory Duo Foresso. From The London Collection, by Foresso, 2020, (https://foresso.co.uk/ londoncollection).
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Introduction Construction waste encompasses a broad spectrum of materials that could be applied to a variety of contexts. This created flexibility to explore different forms and materials to compare the ways in which construction waste can be interpreted. During the third task I aimed to challenge myself in prototyping, an area I would personally like to expand on. My goal was to create simple forms that highlighted materials explored during my research. As students there is not a lot of money to spare on materials, therefore being able to effectively prototype using waste materials was a goal I aimed to achieve. This is especially as design transitions to a landscape that highly values sustainable products.
Design Proposition For the final experimentation I sought to explore both the concepts I proposed during the second task. The aim is to create two chopping boards from the same wood, one using Amy Hunting’s wood gluing technique and the other exploring the Foresso timber terrazzo through the use of resin and the wood. I will then be able to compare the two materials to weigh up their pros and cons. As the wood has been exposed to 8 years of weathering it isn’t as strong or stable as materials traditionally used for creating furniture and kitchen tools. Therefore, the wood gluing technique may now be strong or stable enough. However, the introduction of resin makes the material difficult to recycle or reuse again not matching a circular economy model. Ideally a biodegradable resin would be used however this still does not match the circular economy model hence testing both materials.
Experimentation
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Process
Board A
Step One
Step Two
Step Three
Step Four
The initial piece of wood. This is a piece of left over wood from the construction of my partner’s house. It was left out in the weather for a long time, like much construction waste hence the weathering.
The plank was cut into smaller pieces using a circular saw to make them then easier to cut up with a hacksaw.
Cut the wood to smaller pieces. As the wood was very weathered, this could be done by creating a small cut along the top then hitting the piece with a hammer
The wood was then formed into an approximate layout to a satisfactory level
Figure 46.
Figure 47.
The pieces were between 10mm and 15mm thick. I did not want to cut them all too evenly to create a more realistic sense of the construction waste that can be come across in life
Cutting the wood revealed a red coloured wood underneath that was very beautiful and an amazing contrast to the grey wood on the outside.
Figure 44.
Figure 45.
Figures 44, 45, 46 and 47. Note. Images from process of cutting waste wood. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 48.
Figure 49.
Step Five Figure 50.
Figure 51.
Mix the resin and the catalyst in a cup
Mix catalyst through thoroughly
Figures 48, 49, 50 and 51. Note. Images from process of creating board A (resin). by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Board B Step Four
Step Three
Step Six
Figure 56.
Figure 57.
1ml thick of resin was placed down, left to gel, then the pieces were placed in and covered in resin and left to cure.
The initial pieces of wood cut would not suit the pattern planned for this board. So I cut the sides off this remaining plank to create perfect 90 degree angles using a circular saw
The wood was then cut into 20mm thick pieces to create an even surfact on the top of the board
Step Seven
Step Eight
Step Five
Step Six
The resin came easily out of the mold as it was polypropylene. It took 4 days to cure, I believe because I should have put more of the catalyst in
Lastly I coated the board in a layer of benchtop varnish in order to render the product food safe and create a nice finish
Once the pieces were trimmed to 20x60x120mm pieces I laid them out in the planned pattern and labelled them. I chose a herringbone pattern to tie to Amy Hunting’s ‘Patchwork
The excess wood was cut to size. Wood is then glued together using wood glue before being clamped and left to cure overnight
Figure 52.
Figure 53.
I decided to use this polypropylene container as I have never made a silicon mould and didnt have time for trials of making one. It also has a lid to protect the resin Figure 54.
Figure 55.
Figures 52, 53, 54 and 55. Note. Images from process of creating board A (resin). by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 58.
Figure 59.
Figures 56, 57, 58 and 59. Note. Images from process of creating board B (glue). by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Final Product Step Eight
Step Seven Figure 60.
Figure 61.
I sanded the surface by hand as I didn’t have access to an electrical sander. I began at 240 grit and went up to 320.
After sanding I applied a layer of benchtop clear varnish as this is food safe, therefore ideal for a chopping/cheese board
Figures 60 and 61. Note. Images from process of creating board B (glue). by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 62. Note. Board A (left) and Board B (right) complete. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 63. Note. Board A complete. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 64.
Figure 65.
Figure 66.
Figure 67.
Figure 68.
Figure 69.
Figures 64, 65, 66, 67, 68 and 69. Note. Board A complete. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 70.
Figure 71.
Figure 72.
Figure 73.
Figure 74.
Figure 75.
Figures 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75. Note. Board B complete. by Menzies-King, C., 2020
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Figure 76. Note. Board A complete. by Menzies-King, C., 2020 43
Learning Experiences This task posed a lot of new experiences to me as prototyping skills were something I planned to develop over the course of this task. The first major point of learning was about making resin blocks, I don’t believe I put enough of the catalyst in therefore resulting in a longer than anticipated time to cure. The task also introduced me to many of the positives and negatives to using waste building materials for creating smaller products. Firstly, because the wood was so weathered for the board we glued we had to trim off the outside, which could only be done with a circular saw as the wood is so hard and dense as it’s suited to building. The weathered parts of the wood were incredibly weak and crumbly which was perfect for the resin board as that was make using offcuts. However, this was unideal for the second board. The task also taught me the difficulties of innovating using waste. One problem of my project was that I introduced new products such as resin and glue, which potentially limits the products potential to be used again or recycled. If I had planned my time better, I could have been able to think more critically and experiment more methods with limited use of new materials. This would be a great concept to explore more in future tasks.
Conclusion This experimentation with waste construction timber allowed me to compare different approaches to reusing waste. Board A (the resin board) allowed me to use offcuts and broken pieces of wood that would likely be thrown out otherwise. However, the introduction of the resin introduces a non waste substance, making it difficult for the board to then be reused or recycled again to continue a circular waste cycle. Board B (the glue board) allowed me to introduce glue which is more likely to mean the materials of the board can be reused or recycled again. However, to create a board the shape I did the wood plank had to be trimmed down because of the weathering, meaning not the entire plank was used which would be the ideal. Ultimately the task taught me a lot about the positives and negatives of working with waste materials. Although construction waste continues to be a growing issue it was rewarding to discover how designers have and continue to work with this waste stream and how possible it is for me to use the materials over a variety of future projects.
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Figure 77. Note. Board A (left) and Board B (right) complete. by Menzies-King, C., 2020 45
Bibliography After Pressure – the minimal to no impact furniture by Ammar Kalo. Herskhazeen. http://www. herskhazeen.com/after-pressure-the-minimal-to-no-environmental-impact-furniture-by-ammarkalo/ Ajayi, S., Akinade, O., Alaka, H., Bello, S., Bilal, M., Oyedele, L., Owolabo, H., Qadir, H., & Pasha, M. (2016). Big data architecture for construction waste analytics (CWA): a conceptual framework. Journal of Building Engineering. 6, 144-156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2016.03.002 Aouf, R. (2017, December 19). Formafantasma explores “above ground mining” with Ore Streams office furniture. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2017/12/19/formafantasma-above-groundmining-ore-streams-office-furniture/ Aouf, R. (2020, March 2). Kenoteq launches brick made almost entirely of construction waste. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/02/kenoteq-k-briq-brick-construction-waste/ Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2002). Australian Social Trends 2002. https://www.abs.gov.au/ Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/062C1F689E72A59CCA2570EC000B922D?opendocument This study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics was helpful to my better understanding of why construction waste is an increasing issue within Australia. Although the study was from almost 20 years ago, this further aided my understanding of how much damage this increasing issue has had over time. Not only that but how a priority and the popularity of cheap and fast renovations has affected the nature of construction waste over the last 20 years. The graphs provided also helped to better illustrate my argument that sustainability is not a priority. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2019). Construction Activity: Chain Volume Measures, Australia, Dec 2019. https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/ EDD60A6A5408DD1BCA2576B00014308C?Opendocument Bayou with Love. (2020). Home. https://bayouwithlove.com/ Behar, K. (2014). E-Waste. Lateral, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.25158/L3.1.4 Bentu Designs. (2020). Introduction. http://www.bentudesign.com/index/index/about/category_ id/20.html Bernades A. M. & Veit H. M. (2015). Electronic Waste: Generation and Management. In H. M. Veit & A. M. Bernades (Eds.), Electronic Waste (pp. 3-12). Springer International Publishing. https:// doi-org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/10.1007/978-3-319-15714-6 Bertoli, R. (2017). Formafantasma creates a furniture collection from technology scraps. Wallpaper. https://www.wallpaper.com/design/formafantasma-ore-streams-melbourne Block, I. (2020, February 26). “It’s not enough to ask designers to be sustainable” says Formafantasma. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/02/26/formafantasma-interviewsustainable-design/ 46
Braitback de Oliveira, E. L., Gabriel, A.P., Kasper, A.C., Juchneski, N.C., & Veit, H. M. (2015). Electronic Waste Recycling. In H. M. Veit & A. M. Bernades (Eds.), Electronic Waste (pp. 87-127). Springer International Publishing. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/10.1007/978-3-31915714-6 Brink, N. (2015, March 26). Bentu Design’s Recycle Series lamps built with construction waste. Design Boom. https://www.designboom.com/design/bentu-design-recycle-serieslamps-03-26-2015/ Chapman, W. (2019). What is a circular economy. https://www.cleanup.org.au/what-is-a-circulareconomy?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9863zMHI6QIVGayWCh07pgUGEAAYASAAEgIZ1vD_BwE Collins Dictionary. (2020). Offcut. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/offcut Commonwealth Government of Australia. (2020). Building and Construction Industry. https:// www.business.gov.au/Planning/Industry-information/Building-and-construction-industry Core 77. (2018). A communal table made from up-cycled construction aluminium. https:// www.core77.com/projects/88377/A-Communal-Table-Made-From-Up-cycled-ConstructionAluminum Core 77. (2015). Minimalist housewares made from recycled construction waste. https://www. core77.com/projects/55034/Minimalist-Housewares-Made-From-Recycled-Construction-Waste Cotton, A. (n.d.). From electronic waste to fashionable jewellery. HOBI. https://hobi.com/fromelectronic-waste-to-fashionable-jewelry/from-electronic-waste-to-fashionable-jewelry/ Crerar, C. (2019, March 29). Inside the war on construction waste. Sanctuary. https://renew.org. au/sanctuary-magazine/in-focus/inside-the-war-on-construction-waste/ This more informal article for sustainable building magazine Sanctuary explores the history of construction waste in Victoria and Australia. Crerar uncovers the journey to where construction waste is now, and what affect it has had on environment and industry. The more informal style helped me better understand the direct affects of different events during the development of construction waste to create a more informed summary of this within my writing. This knowledge of where construction waste started also allows me better comprehend the key players in construction waste which is necessary to come up with solutions to create a closed loop system. Crowther, P. (2000). Building Deconstruction in Australia. Overview of Deconstruction in Selected Countries. Int Council for Research and Innovation in Build, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 1. 14-44. Dell. (2018). Nikki Reed and Dell Turn E-Waste into New Treasures with Recycled Gold Jewelry Collection. https://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/press-releases/2018-01-09-nikki-reedand-dell-turn-e-waste-into-new-treasures-with-recycled-gold-jewelry-collection Edwards, A. (2016, April 12). Homeware made from recycled construction waste by Bentu. Upcyclist. https://www.upcyclist.co.uk/2016/04/homeware-made-recycled-construction-waste/ Ellen Mcarther Foundation. (2017). Circular Economy ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/concept 47
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Environmental Protection Authority Victoria. (2019). Acts administered by EPA. https://www.epa. vic.gov.au/about-epa/laws/acts Environmental Protection Authority Victoria. (2019). Waste. https://ref.epa.vic.gov.au/yourenvironment/waste Etherington, R. (2008, August 19). Patchwork by Amy Hunting. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen. com/2008/08/19/patchwork-by-amy-hunting/
Hunting, A. (2016, August 17). Interview: Amy Hunting of Hunting & Narud/Interviewer: Ali Gitlow. [transcript]. Retrieved from https://www.zetteler.co.uk/news/2016/08/17/interview-amy-huntingof-hunting-narud Informit EduTV. (2019, September 27). Man Made: On the E-Waste Trail [Video]. http://edutv. informit.com.au Kalo, A. (2019). After Pressure. https://ammarkalo.com/After-Pressure
Foresso. (2020). 83 Hanover Street. https://foresso.co.uk/83-hanover-street
Kenoteq. (2020). Kenotech. https://kenoteq.com/
Foresso. (2020). The London Collection. https://foresso.co.uk/londoncollection
Khalfan, M., Maqsood, T., Shooshtarian, S., Wong, P., & Yang, R. (2019, July 19). We create 20m tons of construction industry waste each year. Here’s how to stop it going to landfill. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/we-create-20m-tons-of-construction-industrywaste-each-year-heres-how-to-stop-it-going-to-landfill-114602
Formafantasma. (2020). About. https://www.formafantasma.com/about Formafantasma. (2019, February 8). Design Strategies, 12:28” – Formafantasma, Ore Streams – 2018 [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/318819091 Formafantasma. (2019, February 8). Planned Obsolescence, 06:35”- Formafantasma, Ore Streams – 2018 [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/316096504 Formafantasma. (2019). Ore Streams. http://www.orestreams.com/ Formafantasma. (2020). Shop. https://www.formafantasma.com/filter/shop Formafantasma. (2019, February 8). System of Recycling, 03:11” – Formafantasma, Ore Streams – 2018 [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/316097891 Gershon, L. (2017, April 10). The birth of planned obsolescence. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor. org/the-birth-of-planned-obsolescence/ Gibson, E. (2020, April 4). Serpentine Pavilion 2020 postponed until next year due to coronavirus. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/04/24/serpentine-pavilion-postponed-2021coronavirus/ Go Smart Bricks. (2019). Top 8 Types of Construction Waste. https://gosmartbricks.com/ construction-waste/ Graham, K. (2018, January 12). Dell selling jewellery with reclaimed gold from e-waste. Digital Journal. http://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-and-science/technology/dell-selling-jewelry-withreclaimed-gold-from-e-waste/article/511972 Griffiths, A. (2020, January 26). Foresso creates timber terrazzo using recycled materials. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2020/01/26/foresso-timber-terrazzo-design/ Heater, B. (2018). Dell is making jewellery with reclaimed gold from recycled computer guts. Tech Crunch. https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/10/dell-is-making-jewelry-with-reclaimed-gold-fromrecycled-computer-guts/ Hunting & Narud. (2018). About. http://www.huntingandnarud.com/home 48
This piece written by a series of RMIT professors and lecturers is an informed overview of the state of construction waste in the Australian landscape. Finding information that surrounded the state of construction waste, specifically in Australia was difficult so finding an article that was not only about Australia but written by RMIT professors was extremely helpful to my research. As it is a more informal article the language made it easy to understand and visualise the state of construction waste in Australia. The article provided an array of great statistics and ideas that helped build my argument of the destructive nature of sending these amounts of waste to landfill. Klee, K. (2018, November 8). Bentu Design creates Wreck furniture from ceramic waste. Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2018/11/05/bentu-design-wreck-furniture-ceramics-china/ Leach, T. (2011). Little Scraps of Paper|Norwegian Prototypes – Amy Hunting [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/15101598 Little Scraps of Paper is a series of short documentaries which explore creative people and how they sketch and explore ideas. The film that featured Amy Hunting, titled ‘Norwegian Prototypes’ was key to helping me better understand Hunting’s design process. The documentary interviews Hunting, allowing her to discuss how her career as an illustrator has affected her work as a designer. The interview also allowed me to see how her sketches relate to her furniture, creating a clear link between her clean but playful sketches and her very refined yet youthful furniture. This resource not only allowed me to better understand Hunting and her work, but also to explore new methods to my design. Linnenkoper, K. (2018). E-waste fashion: are you wearing dell?. Recycling International. https:// recyclinginternational.com/non-ferrous-metals/e-waste-fashion-are-you-wearing-dell/16514/ Marchese, K. (2017). Formafantasma uses electronic waste to create office furniture concepts. Design Boom. https://www.designboom.com/design/formafantasma-ore-streams-nvgtriennial-12-13-2017/ Mateus, M. (2020). Efficient Ways to Abolish Construction Waste. https://michelemateus.com/ efficient-ways-to-abolish-construction-waste/ McDougall, E. (2018). Jewellery Made from E-Waste. Stylus. https://www.stylus.com/vcftsn 49
Meloni, M. A. (2020). A Circular Economy for Consumer Electronics. In G. H. Eduljee & R. M. Harrison (Eds. ), Electronic Waste Management (2nd ed., pp. 66-100). Royal Society of Chemistry. https://doi-org.ezproxy.lib.rmit.edu.au/10.1039/9781788018784 Moreland City Council. (2020). Asbestos. https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/environment-bins/ato-z-guide-to-waste-and-recycling/asbestos1/ Moreland City Council. (2020). Building Waste. https://www.moreland.vic.gov.au/environmentbins/a-to-z-guide-to-waste-and-recycling/building-waste/ Numme, L. (2008). Patchwork Collection. https://www.architonic.com/en/story/line-nummepatchwork-collection/7000104 Park, J,. & Tucker, R. (2017). Overcoming barriers to the reuse of construction waste material in Australia: a review of the literature. International Journal of Construction Management. 17(3), 229-237. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2016.1192248 This academic article from the Journal of Construction Management gave a reliable and interesting summary of the state of construction waste at present. The researches reviewed a range of literature surrounding the topic in Australia and went on to create an article that summarises the issue’s history and make more broad comments on its nature. The article’s contents allowed me to gain great background knowledge to begin my writings on construction waste. Being able to gain that background knowledge early in my research meant I was able to create a more rounded summary of the issue within my writing. Peters, A. (2018, January 9). These rings are made from gold salvaged from e-waste. Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/40505400/these-rings-are-made-from-goldsalvaged-from-e-waste Reed, N. (2019). Nikki Reed’s honest essay about engagement rings will have you rethinking diamonds. InStyle. https://www.instyle.com/fashion/accessories/jewelry/ethical-sustainablediamonds Remodern. (2020). Bentu. https://remodern.com.au/bentu/ Sonnemaker, T. (2020, March 3). Apple will pay up to $500 million to end a lawsuit claiming it intentionally slowed down iPhones. Business Insider Australia. https://www.businessinsider. com.au/apple-batterygate-500m-lawsuit-settlement-2017-iphone-intentional-slowdown-20203?r=US&IR=T Sustainability Victoria. (2016). Construction Waste. https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/Youand-your-home/Waste-and-recycling/Household-waste/Construction-waste Sustainability Victoria. (2020). What is E-Waste? https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/Campaigns/ eWaste/What-is-ewaste United Nations Environmental Program. (2019). UN Report: Time to take seize opportunity, tackle challenge of e-waste. https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/ un-report-time-seize-opportunity-tackle-challenge-e-waste
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Industrial Design Ecologies Semester One 2020
Charlotte Menzies-King