Bottle Vases by Foekje Fleur, an industrial designer hailing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, is a series of ceramic containers that were inspired by common product packaging. As a student at AKV Sint Joost in Den Bosch, the designer came across an article about the plastic soup in the Pacific Ocean, a place where all floating trash collects and remains forever. Inspired to make a difference, even if it was a small one, she visited the banks of the local Maas waterway and started to collect bottles to transform them into something that can be used again.
The result were the Bottle Vases by Foekje Fleur, which was submitted for a school project. They were so well-received that she went to Jingdezhen--the Chinese capital of porcelain--and went into production with the help of local craftspeople.
Plastic-inspired Porcelain Containers
The Bottle Vases by Foekje Fleur Helps Reduce Waterway Trash
Trend Themes
1. Upcycled Product Design - Creating new products from discarded materials, like Foekje Fleur's Bottle Vases, offers a sustainable solution to reduce waste and promote environmental consciousness.
2. Plastic Recycling Innovations - Bottle Vases exemplify the growing trend of finding creative uses for plastic waste, stimulating further exploration into innovative recycling techniques.
3. Ocean Conservation Efforts - Foekje Fleur's inspiration from the plastic soup in the Pacific Ocean highlights the increasing focus on protecting oceans, driving innovation in clean-up methods and plastic reduction strategies.
Industry Implications
1. Product Design - The upcycled product trend presents a disruptive opportunity for product designers to create sustainable and eco-friendly designs like Foekje Fleur's Bottle Vases.
2. Environmental Services - Innovative approaches to plastic recycling, such as the Bottle Vases, open up possibilities for companies in the environmental services industry to develop advanced recycling technologies.
3. Marine Sustainability - The need for ocean conservation, sparked by projects like the Bottle Vases, provides an opportunity for businesses in the marine sustainability sector to develop solutions for cleaner waterways and plastic-free oceans.