Challenge
Today’s urbanised economies and lifestyles follow a linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model, which leads to a myriad of destructive impacts for our planet. With the goal of rethinking urban development models – from resources drains to restorative ecosystems for nature and people – the REFLOW project explored alternative circular and regenerative practices in six European pilot cities.
As regenerative biomaterials experts, Materiom were engaged to focus specifically on exploring the use of unavoidable food waste for biomaterials production in textiles and packaging in the cities of Milan, Amsterdam, and Vejle.
Approach
In collaboration with the pilot cities, we mapped existing urban manufacturing, innovation and recycling infrastructures to understand current urban resource flows and metabolic processes.
- With project partner Metabolic, we conducted material flow analyses that identified large volumes of unavoidable food waste in all project cities.
- This enabled us to determine potential availability of biopolymers in the waste that could be relevant for biomaterial production. Four biopolymers were selected for further research and development; cellulose, gelatine, and starch because of their large volumes, and chitin for its high market value.
- The Materiom team then conducted workshops with a range of stakeholders in each city to understand how best to source and extract the biopolymers for use in regenerative biomaterial alternatives to petrochemical plastics.
- Through this process, we developed a set of biomaterial prototypes adhering to Life Friendly Chemistry Principles – thereafter analysed according to their mechanical properties to determine their suitability for biobased applications in packaging and textiles.
- We then recommended potential digital fabrication techniques – to be rolled out across Fab Labs and maker spaces – for the development of these applications.
Outcomes
The project spotlighted biomaterials production as a valuable opportunity to use untapped resources from city waste flows, specifically unavoidable food waste streams.
- The systems developed are a useful starting point for designers, makers and SMEs working in biomaterials. With the material palettes, reports, and guides produced, creative and entrepreneurs can make and test these materials, and compare their properties and characteristics with commercially available petrochemical materials and products.
- Though the project was aimed at providing designers, makers and entrepreneurs with a solid starting point for biomaterial innovation that facilitates a regenerative economy, it also highlighted potential challenges in creating circular models around these materials. Opportunities for further research include:
- analysis of the whole supply chain, energy consumption, and the implications of scaling up production.
- from a life-friendly chemistry perspective, further studying the Life Cycle Assessment of material biodegradation, disassembly via microorganisms, enzyme technology or biochemical breakdown, subjected to surface and degradation experiments, and durability additives.
Partners
Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Arslonga, Metabolic, Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), MCS Datalabs, Politecnico di Milano, Open Dot Lab, Cluj-Napoca City Hall, Aries Transilvania, P2P Lab, Waag, Fab City Paris, We Make, INCDTIM, Pakhuis de zwijger, Fraunhofer Fokus, Danish Design Centre (DDC), Prototypes Berlin, BMA-Techne, Municipality of Vejle, Volumes Paris, Comune di Milano, Ecovala, dyne.org, City of Amsterdam, and City of Paris.
Learn more
To dive deeper into REFLOW, view the project reports below:
- Technical Introduction to Biomaterials
- Biobased Textiles in a Circular Model
- Material Development and Properties
