Investigative Materials Prize
Mineralloop
Individual
Description
A collection of a series homeware made with discarded materials and objects from Netherlands. Many products in second-hand shops aren’t sold and are then sent to the incinerator. Erco Lai thus decided to give a new life to glass and ceramic products. For that, he developed new coatings made with waste minerals from Local.
What to design for a world of plenty? Natural resources are getting exhausted. Erco Lai believes in alternative ways designing, using what is already there. The response to our current context is a local and circular production.
Detailed explanation of the submitted project or idea.
Mineralloop is a project about fixing minerals with minerals. This new technique is based on a material research of “Neostone”, also known as geopolymer, and is developed to give broken or imperfect glassware and ceramic a new touch, similar to kintsugi.
Erco Lai collected unwanted glassware from second-hand stores in the Netherlands and covered them with “Neosone” that he developed using mineral-based industrial waste, like marble powder from stone factories, limestone powder from quarries, sand from construction sites, lime pellets from the water softening process and glass chips from urban mining. This material doesn’t require firing or adding cements inside, and adds a new layer and feeling to the object.
Many products in second-hand shops aren’t sold and are then sent to the incinerator. The designer thus decided to give a new life to glass and ceramic’s products. For that, he developed this new craft to give them coatings made with waste minerals. Moreover, this will be a potential business model to run social enterprises.
What to design for a world of plenty? Natural resources are getting exhausted. Erco Lai believes in alternative ways of designing, using what is already there. This results in a local and circular production.
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Comments from Judges
Yeliz Mert
Knowledge Sharing Coordinator at Global Landscapes Forum
Investigative Materials Prize
I like this project because it opens doors to new possibilities that can change and adapt to the times' asthetic needs without causing wasteful harm on the way - that's mainly thanks to the nature of reusing the existing resources. Given that looking for virgin sources cause harm and unnecessary resource use, it's awesome that this project finds ways to mine it from existing sources. That's actually why I find this project so interesting: It sheds light on what's available to us in our proximity. Urban mining is a concept that can be developed so much further as a helpful instrument to help localizing our material cycles and lowering our impact.
Furthermore, this project has potential to build place-based relationships and community on the way, build consumer awareness on what urban mining is and what new ways we can think of engaging with raw materials.
I'm curious if this project considered creating exhibitons in schools, hospitals, train stations, public institutions... Because it has an artistic element which can help to communicate with others in a positive and intriguing ways.
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