These looks at decomposition range from revolting to uplifting and eco. While decomposition is usually considered as an unglamorous part of life, there are some that are using it to create interesting products, turn waste into something new and others who, well, are using it to freak people out.
In the eco category, there are dozens of innovations based around decomposition. For example, trash bins that make energy from compost and shoes that are biodegradable so that when you're through with them, all you have to do is throw them outside.
In the bizarre category, we've found many examples of artists and even designers using decomposition as inspiration, whether it's decomposing trash as art or cupcakes meant to look like a pile of dirt.
63 Interesting Looks at Decomposition
63
Everlasting Burger Photography
McDonald's Happy Meal Lasts Six Months Without Decomposing
62
Compact Compost
NatureMill's Kitchen Compost Automatically Tranfers Waste
61
Bio-Conscious Drink Containers
Corn-Based Renew X Can Could Replace Aluminum
60
Cutting-Edge Composting Kettles
Re-Can Turns Food Scraps into Plant Snacks
59
Mini Compost Systems
Conserving Made Easy with Jarst Tabletop Composts
58
Mobile Phones Made from Hay
The 'Natural Year Phone' for Green Geeks
57
Eco-Friendly Cola Pouches
The Coca-Cola Bag is a Brilliant Solution
56
Eco-Origami Coffee Cups
Coffree Biodegradable Brew Eliminates a Cup of Waste a Day
55
Grenade Planters
These Seed Bombs are Grenade Exploding Gardening Tools
54
Hip Kitchen Composting
The 'Bio Pod' for Organic Waste
53
Decomposition Time Lapses
'The Elephant: Life After Death' Studies the Decay of an African Giant
52
Fast Food Structures
Ben Campbell Crafts Mummy Sculptures from McDonald's Meals
51
Decomposing Tables
The Auto Cannibalistic Table by Atema Architecture is Made with Egg Cartons
50
Cuddly Decomposing Critters
Zombified Stuffed Animals are Adorable Brain Eaters
49
Chic Composting Cans
The Dry WC Waterless Toilet Makes Eco Johns Appealing
48
Twirling Waste Sculptures
'Thrown to the Wind' by Wang Zhiyuan is a Trash-Art Compilation
47
Rotting Fruit Photography
The Heikki Leis Afterlife Series Gets Personal with Decomposition
46
Eco-Friendly Philanthropic Flip Flops
Hari Mari Footwear Donates Money to Battle Cancer
45
Compostable Corporeal Remains
Bios Urn by Martin Azua Creates a Tree, Not a Tombstone
44
Planet-Friendly Flip Flops
Feelgoodz Footwear Is Constructed Using Socially Responsible Methods
43
Chic Compostable Dinnerware
Verterra Leaf Dishes
42
Funky Decomposable Footwear
Stella McCartney Reveals ‘Biodegradable' Heels
41
Chic Compost Cans
Eva by Francois Hurtaud Gives You a Stylish Way to Stay Green
40
Decadent Decomposing Cakes
These Compost Cupcakes are for Chocolate-Lovers with Green Thumbs
39
Greener Fast Food Packaging
Quiznos Bellies Up to Eco-Friendly Takeout Containers
38
Intentionally Decayed Art
Mutilated Masterpieces by Valerie Hegarty
37
Compostable Baby Products
gDiapers Flushable Disposable Diapers
36
Tangy Tangerine Peel Artwork
Tangerine Peel Figurines by Yoshihiro Okada are Sweet
35
Compostable Coffee Cups
The 'PLAnet' Cup is Made With Forest-Friendly Paper and Biofilm
34
Bio-Conscious Drink Containers
Ecologic Sustainable Packaging Can be Recycled
33
Manure Furnaces
Combustion Heater Turns Cow Dung Into Energy
32
Compostable Soda Cups
Coca-Cola's Eco-Friendly Fountain Cups Debut at UW
31
Daring Decomposing Companies
Vokashi Composting is a New Business that Never Wastes
30
Decaying Digital Illustrations
Matheus Berbel Depicts Inevitability in These Haunting Pieces
29
Composting Toilet Concepts
Pot Up_Pop Up Turns Human Waste into Nutrient-Rich Soil
28
Moss Carpets
Biodegradable Moss Planter is Mother Nature-Approved
27
Scorching Trash Installations
The Luzinterruptus 'Plastic Garbage Guarding the Museum' is Bold
26
Biodegradable Body Cleansers
Brad Pitt Partners with Kiehl's for New Orleans
25
Coffee for Your Garden
Starbucks Pushes Coffee for Your Plants
24
Distinctive Decomposed Portraits
Lucas Simoes Creates Bizzarre Portaits With Photographic Layers
23
Compostable PCs
ReCompute Features Corrugated Cardboard Case
22
Decomposing Doll Houses
Daniele Del Nero Creates Creepy Rotting Scale Models of Structures
21
Bodacious Biodegradable Kicks
OAT Shoes Limited Skin Collection Uses Compost-able Leather
20
Upcycled Plum Containers
InPlum Reclaims 'Fruit Waste' to Fabricate a New Building Material
19
Decomposing Birdography
Chris Jordan Midway Collection Captures Plastic Problems
18
Lawn Art Composters
The Kellee Kimbro 'Kompost' Adds Flavor to the Garden and Grooms It
17
Food Harvesting Trash Cans
The Nepenthes Planter Makes Food Out of Compost
16
Energy-Outputting Composters
The Eva Wet Waste Shredder Helps You Dispose of Scraps Resourcefully
15
Compostable Incandescent Branding
Westinghouse Lightbulb Packaging Returns to the Soil
14
High Rise Composts
Vermicondo
13
Decomposing Soles
Simple Shoes' Soles Biodegrade in 20 Years, as Opposed to 1,000
12
Dissolving Golf Balls
These Eco Golf Balls Won't Take Forever to Decompose
11
Compostable Corn Bags
BioBags
10
Plant-Based Coffee Cups
Repurpose Compostables Brings World's Greenest Mugs to Bed Bath & Beyond
9
Paper Wine Bottles
Chateau GreenBottle Would Help Alleviate Stuffed UK Landfills
8
Biodegrading Dinner Devices
The Gaia Automatic Composter Creates Soil-Friendly Scraps
7
Festering Fruit Installations
John Dilnot Explores Mortality's Beginning and End Through Apples
6
Gross Garbage Captures
The 'Pourri' Series by Frederic Delangle is Artistically Disgusting
5
Brilliant Biodegradable Water Filter
Botl Filter Filters Your Water While You're On the Go
4
Biodegradable Cutlery
Aspenware Lets You Have Your Fork And Compost It Too
3
Compostable Snack Bags
SunChips Will Roll Out Compostable Bags by Earth Day 2010
2
Toys Made of Grass
The Muwi Lawnmower Makes Lawn Frisbees
1
Socially Conscious Eco-Gardens
GrowNYC Survey Shows Evidence for Optimism
Related Ideas
Cartoon-Transformed Algae Exhibits
Hello Kitty and Algae Collide Worlds for Expo 2025 in Japan
Recycled Tiny Houses
Shadow House by Matti Kuittinen Uses Waste Materials for Full-Scale Living
Sculpturally Formed Jewelry Collections
Taras Yoom Designs the Cyber Zombie Collection
Seafood Waste Bioplastics
Natnov Bioscience Has Turned Seafood Waste into New Bio-Economy Products
Home-Compostable Coffee Cups
Starbucks is Rolling Out a New Hot Cup & Lid in Select Markets
Algae-Made Slippers
These Vegan Slippers by Giestas Have a Food-Grade Form
Sustainable Design Materials
Mycoworks' 'Reishi' is Transforming Sustainability in Interior Design
Defiant Hair Color Collections
Tha Aging Disgracefully Collection by Manic Panic Celebrates Grays
Surrealist Phone Cases
The Salvador Dalí x CASETiFY Collab Elevates Everyday Accessories into Art
Eco-Friendly Textured Lighting Series
Lanova Designs the Sustainable Terra Lamp Series
Organically Inspired Light Fixtures
Tom Rossau Explores Geometry, Natural Materials & Light
Adaptive Furniture Displays
The USM Haller Re-Framed Exhibition Explores Reuse and Modularity
Black Metal-Inspired Lip Balms
e.l.f. Cosmetics and Liquid Death Launched "Lip Embalms"
Eco-Friendly Root Vegetable Packaging
This HUID Compostable Packaging Concept is Made with Onions
AI-Powered Recycling Systems
The Conceptual 'Binko' Recycling Machine Automates Sorting
3D-Printable Packaging Pastes
Engineers from University of Washington Developed a Printable Paste
Glowing Organic-Waste Sustainable Lamps
NOI Creative Designs the LANOVA TERRA Biowaste Table Lamp
Avant-Garde Biomimicry Fashion Designs
Iris Van Herpen Debuts the Fall 2025 Haute Couture Capsule
Design-Forward Funerary Urn Exhibitions
Alessi's Il Tornitore Matto Project is Thought-Provoking
Textile-Topped Table Design
The Tumble Tables Elevate Sustainability Through Sculptural Form
Recyclable Apple Packaging Initiatives
Superfresh Growers Introduces a New Sustainable Packaging
Rice Straw Fashion Collections
Siam Kubota and Greyhound Original Launch 'Turn Waste to Agri-Wear'
Cigarette Waste Hats
Olivia Gino Turned an Abundant Source of Litter into a Shearling-Style Hat
Inflatable Portable Toilets
Kunrui Peng Designs the AirPot, a Lightweight Toilet Design
Everyday Sustainable Bags
Out of the Woods Offers Versatile Bags for Essentials
Unique Burl-Inspired Furniture
Don Heston Studio Unveils a New Range of Furniture
Biomimetic Fashion Lines
Nonhuman Life is a Collection by P.Andrade Inspired by Organic Forms
Organic Ancient Design Furniture
The Earth To People Furniture Collection is Naturally Crafted
Dream-Adorned Mosaic Benches
Kite and Alisha B Wormsley Create a Range of Cosmologyscape Benches
Waste-Minimizing Household Cleaners
The Grove Co. Spring Collection Has a Special Launch Partner
Sustainable Cork Installations
Forest for the Trees Showcases Cork Sustainable Furniture
Compostable Sole Sneakers
Stella McCartney and Balena Updated the S-Wave Sport Sneaker Style
Imaginative Modern Outdoor Furniture
Thomas Heatherwick Designs the In-Side Collection for Magis
Dumping-Like Fashion Bags
Esenes Worldwide Bag Mimics Edible Textures Through Sculptural Design
Fridge-Decorating Trend Guides
The Takeout Published a Professional Chef's Guide on Fridgescaping
Mycelium-Made Biodegradable Urns
Mush and Furf Design Studio Creates the sail Funerary Urn
Collaborative Recycling Initiatives
National Mall Introduces a Comprehensive Recycling Program
Bio-Based 3d Building Materials
CORNCRETL by MANUFACTURA Turns Corn Waste into Construction
Textile Recycling Devices
The ByBye Converts Discarded Clothing into Rigid Flower Pots
Carbon-Derived Polyethylene Partnership
L'Oréal Teams With Dioxycle To Convert Emissions
Marine Biotech Skincare
Dulcie's Packaging Uses a Bio-Based, 100% Home-Compostable Material
Shrimp Waste Carbon Materials
Researchers at the University of Sharjah Craft CO₂-Trapping Material
Aesthetic Interior Fridge Trends
Country & Town House Published a Guide to 'Fridgescaping'
Dog-Shaped Furniture Sets
Elanco’s Pet Collection Turns Flea Awareness into Sculptural Seating
Poetic Secondhand Campaigns
Depop's Where Taste Recognizes Taste Celebrates Style Doppelgangers
Stackable Flat-Pack Furniture
The Bug Collection Reimagines Modular Furniture for Sustainability
Artful Sculptural Umbrella Stands
Inbetween Umbrella Stand Soaks Rain & Elevates a Mundane Moment
Orange Peel Waste-Made Lamps
Alkesh Parmar Designs the Sustainable Apeel Pendant Lamp
Mycelium-Crafted Organic Tables
Studio TOOJ Introduces the Duk Series of Table Designs
3d-Printed Rubble Furniture
Inorganic Growth by Bentu Design Transforms Demolished Urban Villages
Eco-Friendly Bread Packaging
Modern Milkman Debuted Compostable Bread Bags
Discarded Shoe-Created Stools
The WU Series by BENTU Design is a Sustainable Alternative
Utensil Waste Lighting
Fold Oslo Nytt Lys Capsule Shows How Light Can Emerge from Old Materials
Entryway Deodorizing Stools
Comodo Entryway Stool Brings Drying and Deodorizing to Your Shoes
Waste-Transformed Biomaterials
Laura Bordini's By Osmosis Project Explores Product Waste
Wearable Art Streetwear
A Day’s March Transforms Jan Håfström’s Artwork into Wearable Streetwear
Biodegradable Cheese Packagings
Nestlé Joins Oglivy Colombia on the Self-Packing Cheese
Soil-Powered Light Sources
The Soli Garden Light by Milú Brunell Glows from Living Soil Power
Microplastic-Fighting Fabric Innovation
CiCLO Technology Boosts Biodegradable Textile Adoption
Fungi-Inspired Multidisciplinary Art Projects
Black Void Presents the Ethereal Biosphere 3
Organic Furniture Collections
Ensemble Translates Nature into Sculptural Seating in Collaboration
Carbon-Negative Building Materials
WPI’s Enzymatic Structural Material Turns CO2 Into Strength
Large Capacity Composting Facilities
Montreal Opens It's Own Organic Waste Processing Facility
Mask-Made Art Installations
Tidal Stories by Design PY Turns Medical Waste Into Public Seating
Surreal Artist-Inspired Tech Accessories
CASETiFY Presents a New Salvador Dalí Collection
Urban Debris-Crafted Portable Lamps
We+ Designs the Beautiful Remli Lamp Using Rubble and Debris
Prairie Fibre Bioplastics
Saskatchewan Polytechnic & EnviroWay Turned Flax into Plastic
Mycelium-Based Artful Tables
Fefostudio and Kamilla Csegzi Create the Ephemeral Table
Upcycled Fruit Chews
Climate Candy Turns Unharvested Imperfect Produce into Sweet Treats
Urbanite Worm Compost Systems
The 'Revermi' Vermicomposter by Sam Kauranen is Easy to Use
Creative Cancer Awareness Campaigns
F Cancer Debuts the 'Pick Up Your Poop' Campaign
Biotransformable Cup Designs
The Verigreen Plus Biotransformable Cup for Single Use Packaging
Mycellium Material Art Exhibitions
Seven Designers Showcase Reishi at the Mycelium Muse Exhibition
Futuristic Museum Exhibitions
The Unnatural History Museum of Singapore Shows Mechanical Creatures
Expanded AI Cleaning Solutions
Plastno Expands its Eco-Friendly Cleaning Line and Debuts an AI App
Recycled Seating Installations
This Show of Atlanta Airport Chairs Made from Campus Waste
Hollow Terracotta Pillared Gardens
Formafantasma Creates the Biodiversity Island in Champagne
Organic Light Sculptures
The Lapso Bacteria Cellulose Lamp Rethinks Material in Lighting
Upcycled Plastic Furniture Series
Kasper Kyster Presents the Crafting Plastic Series
Fungi-Powered Diapers
HIRO's MycoDigestible Diaper Comes with Plastic-Eating Fungi
Organic Ceramic Sculptures
Janny Baek's Life Forms Exhibition Presents Evolving Clay Structures
Abandoned Bikes-Turned Art
Objects from Frames by Cara Campos Repurposes Bicycles into Furniture
Reimagined Familiar Design Objects
Lichen + Karimoku Reimagine Familiar Forms for Today’s Living
Miniature Household Cleaners
The 5% Collection by Grove Co. Shares an Important Recycling Reminder
Business-Friendly Efficient Composting Technologies
Emerald Ecovations Partners with Octoen
Palaeolithic Art-Inspired Collections
Taras Yoom Unveils a New Capsule Dubbed Echoes of Time
Living Structure-Based Pavilions
The Picoplanktonics is This Year's Canada Pavilion
Archival Furniture Exhibits
The Grain Pile Show by Max Radford Gallery X Ercol Reimagine Furniture
Home-Compostable Beauty Pipettes
Shellworks' Compostable Pipette Consists of Plastic-Free Material
Organic Furniture Series
The Roots Collection is Furniture Made to Look Like It Grows and Evolves
Waste-Derived Fashion Materials
Detox Bio-Embellishments Sequins Turn Dye Sludge into Design
Eco-Friendly Organized Containers
Furf Designs the Sustainable Tronco Storage for Qeeboo
Japanese-Inspired Recycled Pavilions
Second Edition's Love Shack is Made of Recycled Materials
Tree-Based Material Products
Wax Atelier's Abney Effect Features Objects Made by Bio-Based Waxes
Compressed Paper Furniture
The Paper Log: Shell and Core Reuses Pleating Byproducts
Adorable Public Rubbish Bins
SWNA Created a Set of Rubbish Bins for Design Seoul 2.0
Air-Infused Material Experiments
Project Ara Explores Air and Biomimicry as Lightweight Material
Fungal Foam Solutions
Swinburne Uses Mattress Foam and Fungus to Make Heat‑Resistant Insulation
Charming Creepy Collectibles
Deddy Bears Unbox from Coffins with Autopsy Reports
Eco-Friendly Whimsical Textile Collections
Pallas Textiles Creates the Sustainable Reve Collection
Cohesive Waste Management Systems
Caraway Home Debuts the Trash & Recycling Collection
Biobased Dog Poop Bags
The Finn 92%c are Sustainable and Durable
Visual Inspiration Searches
Braindead Search Helps Users Discover Web Design Ideas By Vibe
Redesigning Restful Moments
The ANEW Project Turns Daily Objects into Mini Retreats
Crop-Residue Mailer Materials
Amazon And IIT Roorkee Launched a Compostable Mailer
Mushroom-Inspired Dining Designs
Grybova Hata Evokes Mycelial Growth Via Bio-Based Materials
Biophilic-Inspired Rug Collections
Bodo Sperlein Designs the Botanica Rugs for GAN
Process-Driven Fashion Capsules
Mystephenm Vol. 4.0 Unravel Captures the Process of Becoming
Mushroom-Like Wooden Pavilions
The Carbon Garden Pavilion at Kew Gardens Nods to natural science
Storage Box-Transformed Furniture
Postalco Design Studio Presents the Chunks and Blocks Exhibition
Food Waste Management Awards
Denton, Texas, Wins an Award for Its Food Waste Composting Program
Biomaterial Interior Design
Spring Studio Forms Sustainable Interiors for World Heritage Centre
Mycelium-Clad Pavilion Housing
Studio Weave Creates the Intelligent Garden and Building with Cox
Alien-Inspired Metal Stool Concepts
Riley MacKay Designs the Sustainable Metal Stool Concept
Sculptural Object Series
Lim Wooteck Studio EGOSYSTEM Dip Series Reimagines Tools as Furniture
Biodegradable Paper Ashtrays
Ekoroll Introduced the Paper Ashtray for Biodegradable Smoking
Living Moss Humidifiers
The Moss Humidifier Concept Boasts Living Ecology with Home Wellness
Living Mycelium Installations
The Flight into Shadow Installation is Aesthetically Pleasing
Kombucha By-Product-Formed Leathers
Nishtha Luhadia and Aditi Shinde Uses SCOBY for an Art Exhibit
Nature-Inspired Modern Furniture
Alcarol Introduces its IMPRINT Collectio in Milan
Reimagined Monolithic Furniture Designs
Dmitry Kozinenko Creates Fossil Furniture for oito design
Tree Sap-Binding Timber Furniture
Earth to People Introduces Salvage and Sap Collection
Eco Cork Organizers
The Stackable Cork Boxes Offer Eco-Friendly and Tactile Storage
Time-Layered Wood Displays
The Age of Wood Explores Ageing and Memory in Wood Through Sculptures
Recycled Lighting Designs
The Nytt Lys Collection Presents Lighting Made from Reclaimed Materials
Explosion-Damaged Sculpture Series
Light into Darkness Reconstructs Damaged Ukrainian Artefacts
Playful Accent Tables
The Bug Tables Bring Digital Glitch Design into Tactile, Everyday Furniture
Artfully Playful Morphed Flooring
Bolon's Exodus Exhibition Promotes its Flooring in a Playful Way
Playable Oak Sculptures
Funeral for a Tree is a Sound Sculpture by Steve Parker
Bio-Based Packaging Concepts
UPM Specialty Materials and Paramelt Debut Paper-Based Packagings
Plant-Based Wax Lighting
Soft Solids by Daydreaming Objects Uses Vintage Objects and Natural Wax
Mud Clad Restaurants
Petti Restaurant by Wallmakers Uses Earth and Marine Waste Construction
Repurposed Factory Studios
Tengbom Uses Existing Elements in the 1930s Factory as a Studio
Immersive Light Exhibits
Spencer Finch Exhibition Maps Time and Place Through Color and Light
Biodegradable Burial Caskets
The Living Cocoon by Loop Biotech Offers a Fungus-Based Coffin
Sprouting Chair Designs
The Wood Chair on Grass Piece Reimagines Furniture Fusing Art and Nature
Styrofoam Furniture Capsules
TRASHY Turns Recycled Styrofoam into Elegant Concrete Tables
Smart Waste Sorters
AI Snap&Sort Guides Users To Recyclable, Compost, Or Landfill Bins
Nature-Connecting Design Installations
OMCC and Diez Office Unveil the Vert Installation
Biodegradable Pet Urns
Paw Pods Sells Ethical Pet Memorial Products Rooted in Sustainability