Plastic Society

The effects of our activities as designers and consumers are becoming more and more apparent. Every year the UK alone produces 5 million tonnes of plastic products, of this only 22% goes to recycling facilities and it is now estimated that there are over 150 million tonnes of plastic waste in our oceans today.

Our actions as designers is the cause of this ever increasing amounts of waste within our environment. As designers we have a responsibility and an obligation to design products which are sustainable and do not have a negative impact on society.

Tŷ Syml questions why we are using materials that go through intense manufacturing processes and take hundreds of years to break down only to produce single use products. We believe that all designers should focus on the long-term impact of their products and production methods. They cannot (and we will not) create products with short lifespans and without a secondary purpose. Nature should not be burdened by designers who are using its materials but be given something back in return.

This project aims to highlight the impact that much of the current design world is having on the environment. A short trip to a local beach (unfortunately or fortunately) resulted in the collection of enough plastic to create a new functional object. Here we have showcased how a circular system is possible and how plastic waste, that would otherwise harm the environment, can become a benefit to society.