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
Cooling Mushroom Packaging
Mushroom Packaging Creates Customizable and Compostable Solutions
Sustainable Repairable Sneaker Designs
Disassembly Lab Footwear is Easily Repaired by Consumers
Multi-Material Home Composters
The Conceptual 'Toggle' Compost Bin Accepts Food Waste and Paper
Compostable Coffee Tumblers
The Earthmade Aromacup is Made from Bamboo-O Material
Deadstock Denim Clogs
Levi’s x Crocs Upcycles Fabric Into One-of-a-Kind Footwear Designs
Seaweed-Based Shoe Packaging
Ales Grey & Sway Partnered on Sustainable Footwear Packaging
Bacteria-Stitched Lab-Grown Shoes
Modern Synthesis Uses Plant Waste to Grow Microbial Textiles
Compostable Suede Sneakers
Puma Re:Suede 2.0 is a Commercial Version of an Experimental Sneaker
Next-Gen Food Scraps Bins
Mill is a New and Revolutionary Kitchen Food Scrap Bin
Transparent Waste-Filled Chairs
The 'No Waste Chair' by Kees Dekkers Puts Garbage in the Spotlight
Food Waste Sneakers
Hellmann's Canada Launched 1352: Refreshed Sneakers with Food Waste Items
Deadstock-Derived Footwear Collections
These 'Dr. Martens' Shoes Are Made From Surplus Materials
Efficient Composting Systems
Homepost Emphasizes Sustainability, Both in Design and Purpose
Plastic Waste Ice Creams
Eleonora Ortolani Proposes a Different Way to Recycle Plastic Waste
Recycled Waste Speakers
Gomi Transforms Old Plastic Waste Into Bluetooth Speakers
Deep Sea Funerals
Mondial Boasts Another Way to Scatter the Ashes of Loved Ones
Seafood Waste Seed Packaging
'SEAD' Biodegradable Seed Pods are Made with Chitin
Zero-Waste Vegan Cosmetics
Siita's Biodegradable Plastic Containers Turn Into Organic Compost
Crystal-Adorned Crushed Cans
Sam Keller Glamorizes Food Products and Packaging
Microbe-Rich Kitchen Composters
The GEME Composter Breaks Down Foods in Six to Eight-Hours
Eco-Friendly Waterless Composting Toilets
Harvest Moon Introduces the Luna Compost Toilet
Furniture Waste-Made Toys
ÉCAL Students Redefine What a Sustainable Toy Is
Upcycled Beauty Retail Interiors
Nina+Co Uses Salvaged Materials and Biotextiles for This Project
Upcycled Ingredient Ice Creams
Salt & Straw's Upcycled Foods Series Rescues Wasted Food
Hyper-Fast Countertop Composters
The Vitamix FoodCycler Eco 5 Reduces Organic Waste by 90%
Apocalypse Post Pandemic Art
The Apocalypse Inspired a New Collection of Paintings by Mishfit
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Mycelium Sustainable Bright Partitions
Interesting Times Gang and OBOS Drop the Veggro Collection
Biodegradable 3D-Printed Shoes
ROOTS Features a Fully Compostable and Biodegradable Elastomer
Playful Modular Mops
Staff and Clorox Created a Colorful Wet Mop with Rubber Hat Topper
Biodegradable Mailing Satchels
Better Packaging's comPOST Packs are Biodegradable After 2 Months
Recycled Clothing-Crafted Furniture
Hemingway Design Transforms London's Traid Store
Recyclable Component Shoe Designs
The 'Knitted Colors' Shoes Allow for Easy Style Changes
3D-Printed Recycled Material Furniture
The 'LOOM' Furniture Collection is Visually Soft
Vibrant 3D-Printed Designs
UAUPROJECT Uses Only Compostable or Recyclable Materials
Biomaterial Fashion Textiles
Modern Synthesis Creates Microbial Materials with Nanocellulose
Repurposed Vintage Apple Computers
Aquariums, lamps, and clocks made out of Apple iMac Computers
Scrap Material Footwear
Merrell Created a Scrap Shoe Collection for Zero Waste Week
Upcycled Mycelium Clothing
Helena Elston Debuts the Intriguing FI (Fungal Integrated) Project
Stunning Biomaterial Exhibitions
Natural Material Studio Stuns with Floor-to-ceiling Biotextiles
Waste-Reducing Produce Stickers
Grey Colombia & Makro's Stickers on Produce Suggest Recipes
Upcycled Book-Made Marbled Furniture
Willem Zwiers Designs the Tranformed Remnants Series
Resurrected Used Smartphones
Think Tank Team Makes Artifacts with Project Afterlife
Compostable Fragrance Caps
EAUSO VERT Created Industry-First Sustainable Fragrance Packaging
Smashable Biodegradable Cups
GaeaStar Develops a New Cup From Only Three Ingredients
Biodegradable Beauty Packaging
MOB Beauty's Earth-First Packaging Turns into Dirt
Biodegradable Glass Materials
Researchers from the IPE Created Glass that Naturally Decomposes
Biophilic Air Purifier Collections
ecoLogicStudio Creates the Photo.Synth.Etica Collection
Big Bang-Inspired Fashion Collections
COMME des GARÇONS' FW23 Looks to the Origins of Life
Rewilding Running Shoes
Kiki Grammatopoulos' Rewild the Run Disperses Plants During Activity
Coffee Grounds-Made Home Accessories
Sarah Christensen Uses Coffee Grounds as Material
Discarded Wood Construction Materials
Woodoo Uses Wood in Place of Glass, Leather and More
Cinnamon-Scented Biodegradable Slides
BioCir Slides are Naturally Colored and Scented
Eco-Friendly Consumable Packaging
This Biodegradable Composite Packaging is Transparent and Edible
Recycled Mini Golf Courses
Lab La Bla Made a Miniature Golf Course with Denim & Wine Corks
Usable Human Hair Materials
Green Salon Collective is Revolutionizing the Biomaterial World
Upcycled Textile Dye Platforms
The 'FiberColors' Technology Converts Textile Waste Into Colors
Carbon-Negative Pigment T-Shirts
The Vollebak Wooden T-Shirt is Made with Compostable Fabric
Bacterial Cellulose Jackets
Ganni & Polybion Created an Alt-Leather Jacket Grown by Bacteria
Compostable Smartphone Cases
The EcoBlvd Mojave Collection Cases are Made of CornBo Material
Vegan Sportswear Pop-Ups
Hylo Athletics' Pop-Up at Harrods Includes a Recycling Component
Upcycled Object Exhibitions
Nendo and Daniel Arsham Design, Break, and Create Functional Objects
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Eco-Friendly Bakery Packaging
Flax4Life Compostable Bakery Packaging Reduces Waste
Biodegradable Banana Bark Bags
FOReT Creates Sustainable, Plant-Based Fully Biodegradable Bags
Plastic Waste Artful Installations
Studio Karyn Lim Presents So Plast!c at SaloneSatellite
Compostable Food Packaging Brands
Shanghai Timeco Industrial Uses Sugarcane Bagasse for Packaging
Innovative Seaweed Fabrics
PhycoLabs Harnesses the Potential of Seaweed in Textile Production
Raw Material Objects
Marusela Granell and Manu Bañó Experiment with Raw Materials
Sustainably-Focused Experimental Fashion
Noki & the NESTT Showcase an Upcycled Fashion Collection
Zero-Plastic Regenerative Sneakers
UNLESS DEGENERATE is Made with 100% Plants & Minerals
Food Waste Polyester Alternatives
ALT TEX Presents a "Radically Sustainable Polyester Alternative"
Microbial Home Composters
Reencle Gravity Launched During CES 2024
Food Waste Bioplastics Factories
Agrorenew is Transforming Watermelon Waste into Bioplastics
3D Printed Mycelium Tiles
bioMATTERS Presents the MYCO-ALGA Tiles Inspired by Nature
Edible Construction Cements
Japanese Scientists Produce Edible Cement from Food Waste
Odorless Compost Kitchen Bins
The Mill Kitchen Bin Automatically Recycles Food Scraps
Renewable Circular Trash Cans
Mill Offers a New Way of Circular Food with a Shrunken Technology
Intricate Food Waste Teahouses
Mitsubishi Jisho Design Uses Food Waste Materials for Its Pavilion
Sustainable Artful Local Furniture
PROWL Joins Model No. On the Endless Loop: Waste to Wanted
Recycled Ocean Plastic Lighting
LightArt Presents the Ocean Coil Collection of Lamps
Sustainable Food Material Sneakers
ID.Eight Brings 90s-Inspired Sneakers with Food Materials
Plastic-Exploring Art Exhibitions
The Everlasting Plastics Exhibition Explores Plastic Dependency
Upcycled Algae Makeup
The Unseen Beauty's Absorption Collection Uses Living Ink's Algae Black
Compostable Sheet Masks
Masque BAR's Eco-Friendly Sheet Masks are Home-Compostable
Potato-Made Compostable Cling Wraps
Great Wrap Offers a New Biodegradable Cling Film
Fungi-Based Building Materials
Mycocrete is an Eco Material Developed by Newcastle University
Innovative Biobased Fabrication Brands
Algreen Creates Bio-Based Polyurethane Out of Food Waste
Rodent-Preventative Trash Bins
Group Project Designs a New BetterBin for New York City
Bio-Based Plastics
Biotic is Developing Biodegradable Plastics from Macroalgae
Odor-Busting Waste Composters
This Compact Machine Allows For Convenient Indoor Composting
Apple Leather-Based Footwear
Trash Planet's New Shoes are Made from Vegan Apple Leather
Upcycled Stool Designs
Space Copenhagen Designs a Stool with Coffee Shells and E-Waste for Mater
Plastic-Free Compostable Sportswear
Community Clothing's Organic Athletic Uses Natural Materials
Urban Waste-Made Furniture
Javier Guzmán Cervantes and Ex Soup Join on an Exhibition
Experimental Biomaterial Art Exhibitions
Copenhagen Contemporary Opens the Reset Materials Show
Artist-Crafted Upcycled Fashion Collections
Noel Mercado Launches the 'Earth Tones' Capsule
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Electronic Packaging-Made Stools
Razeen Mohammed Designs the Portable EDGAR Stool
Ocean-Friendly Upholstery Textiles
The 'Sport' Textiles Are Crafted From Shoreline-Sourced Plastic
Reusable Classical Artwork Exhibitions
Recycling Beauty at Fondazione Prada is a Remarkable Study
Microplastic Particle-Transformed Designs
The Tyre Collective Creates Products from Particles
Festival-Based Mycelium Pavlions
Simon Carroll Creates the Hayes Pavilion at Glastonbury
Mushroom-Constructed Room Designs
Côme Di Meglio and La Succulente Design the Mush Room
Battery Recycling Solutions
Gisele Azimi Experiments with Captured Carbon Dioxide
Tomato Stem-Based Boxes
The ICP Created Corrugated Cardboard out of Tomato Stems
Music Festival Fabric Installations
Do Lab Created a Range of Fabric Mushrooms at Coachella
Sawdust-Created Biodegradable Casts
DART Lab's BioMatters Project Creates a Concrete Cast
Ready-to-Wear Biomaterial Fashion
Deadwood Studios SS24 Debuted MycoWorks' Reishi on the Runway
Colorful Sustainable Recycled Stools
Alexander Latersztain Designs the Stump Recycled Stools
Interactive Weaved Jacquard Installations
A Team of Designers Create the Dung Dkar Cloak Project
Eco-Friendly Styrofoam Furniture
we+ Designs the New Range of Recyclable Sleek Furniture
User-Friendly Kitchen Composters
Compost Genie is a Simple Solution for First-Time Composters
Sustainably Constructed Garbage Cans
Vipp's New Rubbish Bun is Made from Recycled Materials
Sustainable Wooden Natural Materials
Studio Yumakano Develops the ForestBank Eco-Friendly Material
Olive Tree-Sourced Auto Parts
Ford Works with COMPOlive on a New Sustainable Project
Biological Recycling Parkas
Stella McCartney & Protein Evolution Create Designs with AI & Biology
Carbon-Negative Concretes
This Eco-Friendly Concrete is Infused With Organic Materials
Artful Climate-Themed Installations
Michael Pinsky & Studio Bark Unveil the Making a Stand Design
Biodegradable Glitter Innovations
USask Researchers Develop an Innovative Bio-Glitter Alternative
Biodegradable Nail Polishes
Re:soil Nail Polishes are All-Natural and Water-Based
Junkyard-Inspired Art Projects
ÉCAL and Philippe Malouin Unveil the Junkyard Diving Project
Food Waste-Combatting Smart Stickers
Grey Colombia Unveils a Set of Progressive Produce Stickers
Playful Camouflage Patterns
Kohler and Mossy Oak Partner for a Special Capsule
Algae-Dyed Sustainable Clothing
Vollebak Joins Living Ink on a New Experimental T-Shirt
Mushroom Leather Fruit Bowls
MycoWorks Presents a Fruit Bowl by Heron Preston Home Decor
Biodegradable Nail Tips
These Vegan Nail Tips Return Back to the Earth
Biomaterial Color-Changing Installations
Crafting Plastics Studio Presents the Sensibiom 2 Exhibit
Biodegradable Mycelium Living Structures
Côme Di Meglio Designs the MycoTemple Structure
Squishy Clay-Made Daybeds
Niveau Zéro Atelier Designs the Soft Soil Daybed From Waste Clay
Repurposed Furniture Design Exhibitions
Honoka Presents the Tatami Refab Project Exhibition
Plastic Waste Textural Benches
The New Raw's Knotty Project Stems from Sustainable Values
Compostable Foodservice Lines
The New Veridian™ Collection Targets Composter Contamination
Failed Digital Product Databases
Dead Product Marketplace is a Graveyard for Abandoned Projects
Mushroom-Derived Hybrid Meats
Mush Foods Upcycles Food Waste to Grow Nutritious Mycelium Protein
Sustainable Wooden Cutlery
Eco-Products Unveils Its New Compostable Wooden Cutlery
Leather Waste Beanbag Chairs
Studio Simone Post Joins Yoon Seok-Hyeon on Four-Tenths
Upcycled Down Furniture Series
Christoph Kurzmann Breathes New Life to Old Furniture
Hopeful Design Installations
Annemoon Geurts Presents the Evolving Harmony Exhbition
Organically Shaped Furniture Capsules
Kelly Wearstler Deisgns the Echo Collection of Furniture