Studio Nienke Hoogvliet succeeded in transforming wastewater into bioplastic, effectively creating a sustainable cremation urn.
During Dutch Design Week this year, the Dutch Water Authorities shared a method to create plastic derived from wastewater. Polyhydroxyalkanoate, or PHA, is the bioplastic that may be produced from the bacteria found in sewage water, making for a unique new material.
As compared to regular plastic, the bioplastic has similar properties, but biodegrades more closely in composition to wood. Since soil processes nutrients at different rates, especially if the soil quality is rich, poor or fertilized, the studio created three different types of urns that biodegrade at different rates. As Hoogvliet says: "The release of nutrients and toxins can be regulated by the shape of the urn—a solid shape will take longer to degrade than a slender shape."
Repurposed Wastewater Urns
Studio Nienke Hoogvliet Used Wastewater to Create a Cremation Urn
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Bioplastics - Creating bioplastics from wastewater presents an opportunity for sustainable packaging and storage materials.
2. Circular Economy Innovation - Using waste products to create new, functional items such as cremation urns is a disruptive innovation opportunity in the circular economy.
3. Regulated Dissolution Materials - Designing materials that dissolve at different rates has potential applications in various industries, from agriculture to medical implants.
Industry Implications
1. Packaging - Wastewater-derived bioplastics can be used to create sustainable packaging for consumer products and food.
2. Funeral Services - Cremation urns are an obvious industry for making biodegradable products from wastewater.
3. Agriculture - Creating regulated dissolution materials could have applications in the agriculture industry for things such as slow-release fertilizers.