The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a sustainable materials and products-focused nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif., has announced the five winners of its 5th Cradle to Cradle Product Design Challenge.
The Design Challenge entries, recognized across multiple awards, provide viable product solutions that make use of “Cradle to Cradle” design principles. This year’s Challenge is the fifth of six in an initial annual series presented by the Institute in collaboration with Autodesk and Arconic Foundation; it attracted 94 entries from 141 designers in 17 countries.
The Best Student Project & Best Use of Aluminum was awarded to MyEcoWall, a mobile acoustic wall made from biodegradable organic materials. Developed by Caterina Vianna & Ferran Gesa Zaragosa, students at EINA, University School of Design and Art in Barcelona, MyEcoWall is designed for workplace use. Its size, durability, and mobility allows for the easy redefinition and adaptation of workplace settings without the high levels of waste that results from layout changes.
The wall is made from wool, cork, and Evocative’s mushroom-based MycoFoam & MycoBoard, with an aluminum frame. Every part of the wall is reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable.
The Plano Chair is Cradle to Cradle’s Best Professional Project, developed by Brandes en Meurs of Utrecht, Netherlands. The origami-inspired chair can be recreated from any rectangular sheet of material. In Brandes en Meurs’ model the made from a single sheet of polypropylene material, supported by durable hinges. The polypropylene is recycled and fully recyclable, and is designed to be produced and unmade easily.
The S(h)aving the World Personal Razor by RIT Engineers for a Sustainable World in Rochester, N.Y. has been recognized for the Best Student Use of Autodesk Fusion 360. The Rochester Institute of Technology-based team, led by Daniel Rouleau and Morgan Mistysyn, used Autodesk Fusion 360’s modeling capabilities and Cradle to Cradle principles to create a 100% recyclable shaving razor. The razor is designed to be easily disassembled, use less water than customary razors, and produce less material waste that is easier to handle.
Designer Bartłomiej Gaczorek of Custom Shapes in Poland is recognized for the Best Professional Use of Autodesk Fusion 360 in the design and development of the LOOP Supply Medusa Spool, which addresses the issues of materials and waste in the rise of 3D printing. While many consumer-level 3D printers use polymer supplies coiled on bulky, non-recyclable spools, the Loop Supply Medusa Spool is up to 80% lighter than conventional spools and is entirely foldable, reusable, and biodegradable.
New to this year’s Challenge is the Best Use of Cradle to Cradle Certified Materials, which was awarded this year to the Scout Rain Jacket by Alexandria Jones, Jordan Jones, Natalie Ouma and Melissa Shuford at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. This design addresses the issue of sizing-related clothing waste, especially in childrens’ clothing, which requires replacement on a regular basis as the child grows. The Scout Rain Jacket model is size-adjustable vertically and horizontally, and uses Natura Sewing Yarn and DyStar Textile Dyes from the Cradle to Cradle Certified Fashion Positive Materials Collection to ensure material health and reusability. These features ensure that the jacket can grow “with” its owner. It can even be used by multiple children of different ages and sizes at once.
The next challenge will open for entries in September of this year.
