The disposable tableware Biotrem is completely biodegradable – through composting – in a mere thirty days. Wheat bran is a by-product, which forms during the milling of wheat grain. Biotrem’s pro-duction process uses only pure, edible wheat bran and a very small amount of water. No chemical additives are used, giving the table-ware no adverse human health effects and no negative environ-ment impact. About one ton of wheat bran can make up to 10,000 disposable plates or bowls. The Biotrem tableware can be used for hot and cold meals, and is also suitable for oven or microwave use.
Tuberous potatoes, carrots with three legs, oversized courgettes – vegetables and fruit that do not meet aesthetic standards for sale are often rejected and disposed of on a massive scale. The Culinary Misfits project intends to counteract this waste of food. Through a series of workshops, the people behind the project familiarise companies and private groups, children and adolescents with a food culture in which food can be appreciated once more. Culinary Misfits also offers a catering service. Vegetables and fruit are exclusively sourced from local organic farms.
The tableware Kaffeeform consists of coffee waste mixed with wood shavings and biopolymers. In cooperation with a Berlin based sheltered workshop, the coffee grounds are retrieved from local restaurants and cafes, and dried, packaged and sent out. The grounds are then processed at a production facility in Baden-Württemberg, where the waste is turned into a new product. The coffee-scented tableware is light, durable and easy to clean. Kaffeeform can be ordered online or purchased from selected cafes and businesses.
RePack is a circular packaging service for online retailers and shoppers: delivery packages can be conveniently returned, and then reused. RePack users return their packaging by folding it into letter size and dropping it into a postbox anywhere in the world, free of charge. Once returned, users get an automatic refund on their deposit as a voucher, which can be redeemed at any participating store. The shipping bags can be used up to twenty times. The circular packaging service reduces packaging waste by over 90 per cent and CO2 by 80 per cent. The project improves the web store user experience, increases sales and avoids trash.
soulbottles are refillable glass bottles with stoppers made from stainless steel, ceramic and natural rubber. By not using plastic, drinks remain free from pollutants and softening agents. The bottles are produced in Germany, under fair conditions and in a climate-neutral manner. The various designs on the bottles were created by designers from all over the world. The project also supports drinking water initiatives: for every bottle sold, one Euro goes to the Hamburg based organisation Viva con Agua St. Pauli.
Almost half a ton of household waste is generated per capita in Germany annually – not least as a result of food packaged in plastic. The Original Unverpackt supermarket offers an alternative to this problem: No disposable packaging is used, and the goods can be packaged at packing stations instead – from beans to liquids to grain. Along with the specific avoidance of waste, the project informs about topics like recycling and ‘zero waste’. Original Unverpackt also offers an online course, in which participants learn how to launch a package free supermarket on their own. There is currently a supermarket in Berlin as well as an online shop.
GIRIA is a homeware collection made from leaves and the bark dust of ash-, oak- and pine trees. The used materials give it a unique texture, varying in colour and roughness of the surface. The tableware is shaped by hand, oiled and dried over a span of weeks. Every item is one-of-a-kind and changes over time, depending on use. As a material study the project enhances natural waste by turning it into precious items.