This potato is too big, this one too small, this one too thin, and this one too spotty.
With the assumption that nature only provides us with "perfect" food, unfortunately, the majority of our society still lives. This results in an incredibly large proportion of agricultural residues, prompting us to contemplate.
What actually happens to these sorted-out food items?
With this question, we began our research, leading us from local farmers to incineration plants, to startups, and large industrial companies. We gathered our findings and formulated our idea:
In Switzerland, there is such an abundance of agricultural residues that we have a surplus of compost. Compost itself is not a bad thing, but with too much, unfortunately, there isn't much one can do. So, we decided to develop an intermediate step that interrupts the path from agricultural residue to compost. The idea was to create a material that consists largely of agricultural residues and can, at the same time, compost itself after its lifespan.
Leathery, rigid, elastic, transparent, brittle.
Through experimentation, a variety of different materials emerged, each with its unique properties. Not every material had equal potential for further use, so we decided to focus on one in particular.
It was important for us to contextualize the resulting material. Specifically, to create a connection between the agricultural residues and us, the people who actually produce these residues. An object that, through its aesthetics, captures attention and serves as an enlightening element.
Through experimentation, a variety of different materials emerged, each with its unique properties. Not every material had equal potential for further use, so we decided to focus on one in particular.
It was important for us to contextualize the resulting material. Specifically, to create a connection between the agricultural residues and us, the people who actually produce these residues. An object that, through its aesthetics, captures attention and serves as an enlightening element.
