This week, we are focusing on a tiny substance called plastic. Plastic is a material that humans take pride in for its ease of use, yet it is also a hotly discussed contributor to the environmental disaster. According to the requirements of the workshop, I attempted to produce various pieces of jewellery out of plastic bottles. Unlike exquisite ornaments created from other materials, I think the plastic ornaments I manufacture are inexpensive. Indeed, plastic appears to have minimal to do with ‘luxury’ from manufacture to be thrown away. And that got me thinking: can we reimagine plastics via art and design, transforming plastic from a cheap byword into a valuable asset?
Due to their lightweight, durability, and low cost, plastics were once considered a symbol of technological innovation. However, the advent of mass production and single-use consumer culture has resulted in a substantial increase in global plastic output, from 234 million tonnes in 2000 to 460 million tonnes in 2019, and plastic waste, from 156 million tonnes in 2000 to 353 million tonnes in 2019 (OECD, 2022). As a result, plastics have come to be associated with low cost and pollution. Because plastic is so common, closely related objects frequently ignore its distinct design potential and artistic expression. However, repurposing plastic and giving it a second life can benefit the environment. According to UNEP (2023), by adopting systemic reforms to limit the use of problematic and superfluous plastics, as well as expanding on three major market shifts—reuse, recycling, and repositioning and diversification—plastic pollution can be reduced by up to eighty percent by 2040.
为什么 iPhone 12 蓝色有种「塑料感」？塑料感究竟是什么感？ (2020) SUiTHiNK. Available at: https://suithink.me/2020/11/10/iphone-12-blue/ (Accessed: 01 December 2024).
And converting plastic into luxury items can benefit the environment. First and foremost, the luxury version of plastic products will make buyers value them more, minimizing the potential for single-use consumption and waste and reducing the manufacture and use of throwaway plastics. Second, the quality of more carefully designed plastic items will improve, and users and manufacturers will be more likely to maintain or recycle such products, promoting a successful closed-loop system. Furthermore, plastic luxury products will create a new market, stimulating designer innovation; the uniqueness and artistic design of these products will easily spark discussion and generate heat, deepening people’s understanding of the environmental harm caused by plastics. Some designer firms are already challenging this stigma through creative empowerment, reinventing plastic as a sustainable luxury commodity ranging from fashion accessories to high-end furniture. Examples are Balenciaga’s plastic-textured sheepskin purses and Kartell’s plastic furniture. This transformation not only adds new value to plastics, but it also has the potential to significantly reduce the environmental impact of waste plastics and revitalise the circular economy.
Women’s Crush Medium Tote Bag in Black (no date) by Balenciaga. Available from: https://www.balenciaga.com/en-gb/crush-medium-tote-bag–black-742941210IT1000.html (Accessed: 1 December 2024).
Kartell Kartell ghost buster crystal (no date) Kartell. Available at: https://www.kartell.com/gb/en/ktgb/shop/product/ghost-buster/kar03210b4 (Accessed: 01 December 2024).
While the conversion of plastics into luxury items is encouraging, it confronts numerous hurdles. For one thing, it may intensify consumerist impulses, causing buyers to see high-end plastic products as fashion showcases rather than eco-friendly solutions, deviating from the original objective of sustainability, as with the Balenciaga tote I mentioned earlier. Furthermore, the production costs of high-end plastic products are considerable, and it is unclear whether they can widely replace single-use plastics. More importantly, society’s “cheap” notion of plastic has become entrenched, and even with artistic design, it remains impossible to properly attain the identity of luxury items.
Plastics have the ability to be transformed from a cheap commodity to a valuable asset through art and design. However, while seeking innovation, we must be aware of the potential economic and practical consequences. We must continue to make a significant contribution to environmental preservation and the circular economy by repurposing plastics and other problematic materials through responsible design and education, as well as encouraging the public to value resources and engage in sustainable activities.
Bibliography:
1.Global Plastics Outlook (2022), OECD iLibrary. https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/environment/global-plastics-outlook_de747aef-en (accessed on December 1, 2024).
2.UNEP (2023) Turning off the tap: How the world can halt plastic pollution and create a circular economy [preprint]. Doi: 10.59117/20.500.11822/42277.
