Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 462,330 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,242 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,986 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,242 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 320,986 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,213 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 462,330 cutting edge ideas.

Human Sewage-Derived Pens

Garrett Benisch Presents the Sum Waste Pen Which Relies on Biosolids Use

— July 22, 2019 — Eco
The Sum Waste pen is an interesting and, in some ways, outlandish concept.

The object is conceptualized by Garrett Benisch as a thesis project to round up his education at the Pratt Institute in New York City. The designer's concern was to utilize "organic matter that derived from treated sewage, which regularly ends up in landfills." In New York's case, this amounts to an average of 2.8 million pounds.

The Sum Waste pen is made of and operates entirely on biosolids. The projects called for a collaboration between Garett Benisch and the Department of Environmental Protection, as well as a California-based start-up that supplied the graduate with PHA derived from wastewater. Sum Waste's ink, on the other hand, was crafted with carbonized biosolids.

Photo Credits: Garrett Benisch
Trend Themes
1. Sustainable Materials - Opportunity for using alternative materials derived from organic waste to create eco-friendly products like pens.
2. Circular Economy - Potential for closing the loop by repurposing treated sewage and other waste materials to create innovative products.
3. Biodegradable Packaging - Growing trend of developing packaging solutions that are made from environmentally friendly materials, such as biosolids.
Industry Implications
1. Design and Manufacturing - Creating new design processes and manufacturing techniques to incorporate sustainable materials like biosolids into various products.
2. Waste Management - Opportunity for waste management companies to explore ways to repurpose treated sewage and other waste materials in a circular economy model.
3. Eco-friendly Consumer Products - Innovation opportunities in the development of eco-friendly consumer products, such as pens, that are made from sustainable materials.
4.1
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness