Vita

karen wei product design

parsons school of design summer 2004

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

sustainable design products and services that have been designed to cause less harm to the environment

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

sustainable materials paper cork veneer cornstarch bamboo recycled products flax straw clay polyurethane foam recycled polythene natural rubber silicone coconut fibers cotton

hemp jute kevlar polyester fleece soybean composites mdf felt live plants degradable materials water powered wind powered solar powered food beeswax …and the list goes on

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

plastic and uses

‘plastic’ is used to describe a number of polymers with different properties and uses

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

the plastic bottle water bottles are typically made of PET or polyethylene terephthalate which constitutes 44% of all bottles produced bottles fabricated through blow molding or injection molding to create different shapes

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

the plastic bottle bottled water is the fastest growing beverage industry in the world increasing 500% in the last decade 1.5 million tons of plastic are used to bottle water every year 3.5% of all plastics generated is recycled (34% paper, 22% glass, 30% metals) most plastic products that have been recycled cannot be recycled more than 6 times

growth in plastic bottle sales (USA)

8000 7000 millions of pounds

it requires 20000 plastic bottles to recycle 1 ton of plastic plastics account for 6% of household waste in UK

6000 5000 4000 3000

1991

1993

1995 year

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

1997

1999

2001

why recycle? when compared to creating virgin plastics, recycling helps: • conserve non -renewable fuels and energy • reduce solid wastes • reduce emissions of CO2 and nitrogen oxide

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

reuse & rethink the plastic bottle has a lifespan of 6 or 7 generations. rethinking and reusing these objects seems to be the more eco - friendly, long term solution.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

current products there are some products out there currently that take old PET bottles and reuse them in very different ways, such as fleece, carpet, bottle boats, and bird feeders to name a few‌

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

concept ideation

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

concept ideation

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

concept ideation

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

concept ideation

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

concept ideation

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

mock ups many different materials were explored, such as wax and gummy bears. the forms were molded over used plastic water bottles. the wax was found to be too brittle and the candy too soft for a long-term vessel.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

mock ups the previous explorations directed the project towards the plastic water bottle. not only is there an environmental need to rethink the use of this waste product, but the bottle provided a simple and sturdy structure from which to build.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

final product rethink and reuse

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

concept the creation of a product which both reduces solid waste and stimulates awareness of wasteful objects and practices. education is the key to change.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

issues

extracting virgin plastics consumes more energy and produces more toxic by - products than recycling or reusing plastic 9 billion plastic bottles are produced annually in the US – 2/3 end up in land fills recycling of plastic PET bottles can only occur for 6 or 7 generations most consumers have not learned proper recycling practices nor have attractive, eco -friendly choices for reusing waste

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

target the product would be sold at retailers that market • • • •

affordable design conscious eco - friendly simple

products. the internet and smaller eco – conscious boutiques are also likely retailers.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

scenario jeni has jumped on the bottled water bandwagon. the bottles are so convenient, inexpensive, and everywhere. however, with such a habit, jeni is left with mounds of empty bottles collecting in her room. she knows the plastic is incredibly wasteful so she doesn’t want to throw them in the trash. what is she to do?

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

design

sustainable stackable mass producible educational functional aesthetically pleasing Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

process

used bottles

cutting bottles

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

melting drinking edge

final product

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

family the vita family encompasses a variety of different products:

• vitacup • vitabowl • vitaplant • vitalight an informational cd accompanies each vita product about being green.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

cup vitacup reuses old plastic bottles that can no longer be recycled which helps reduce waste accumulation. the bottles are treated with a protective, anti -bacterial coat and polished for long term use. the screw cap allows for easy cleaning and dispensing excess liquid. stacking is a cinch either on their own or in the vitabag for people on the go.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

educate all vita products are accompanied by an informational cd. the contents of the cd include further information on the vita product line and inspirations, recycling how to’s, the environmental impact, and other products reusing PET bottles today. in this way, vita hopes to promote an eco - friendly lifestyle and eco – smart society.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

multipurpose many uses, many functions, many settings. vita has been used at cafes, restaurants, and for people on the go. use your imagination, a cup is where vita begins but not where it ends.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

future currently, vita is focused on reusing bottle tops. however, we are also looking into ways of reusing the rest of the bottle. we also plan to investigate other avenues of reuse design beyond the water bottle.

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004

sources • • • • • • • • • • • • •

http://www.recoup.org/shop/product_documents/33.pdf http://www.designboom.com/eng/education/pet/recycling.html http://cyberg.com/fw/ecofurn.htm http://bradcalv.customer.netspace.net.au/petbot.htm http://www.opos.it/eng/eng_mostre.htm http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/environment/recycling/factsheets/plasticbottles.htm http://www.wasteonline.org.uk/resources/InformationSheets/Plastics.htm http://www.kingston.ac.uk/~kx19789/rematerialise/html_and_flash/searchwelcome.htm http://bottledwaterstore.com/vitaminwater.htm http://www.tbshs.herts.sch.uk/curric/dt/learn/project/eight.htm http://www.ball.com/bhome/pet/ballrde/products.html http://www.tufts.edu/tuftsrecycles/more/USstats.html http://www.eveandersson.com/photos/photo-display?photo_path=%2Fphotos%2Fgermany%2Fberlin-recycle-bins&photo_size=large

• • • • • •

http://www.greenaction.org/gallery/gallery009.shtml http://3rbuilders.net/ http://www.pnl.gov/breakthroughs/win-spr02/mission.html http://www.ratical.org/coglobalize/giveback.html http://www.hiddenart.com/news.asp?ar_id=614 http://www.agroplastics.com/research/research.html

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http://www.container-recycling.org/plastic_facts.htm

Karen Wei | Parsons School of Design | Product Design Summer 2004