Nuclée

Lamp from banana and bamboo fibers – Designer Dorian Etienne learned about a way of processing banana fiber in Hualien, a city on the east coast of Taiwan, and incorporated this method into the design of his lamps. The banana flesh is given a high strength by drying and refining and can therefore be used in many ways. Subsequent sublimation provides[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Nuclée Lampe Dorian Etienne MILK-MaterialLab-Nuclée-Lampe-Dorian-Etienne-5

Piñatex

Leather from pineapple scraps – Piñatex® was developed by the British company Ananas Anam, a manufacturer of natural textiles from the by-products of the pineapple harvest. With her development, Dr. Carmen Hijosa not only wanted to give an unappreciated waste a use, but also to generate maximum benefit with the smallest possible ecological footprint. The cradle-to-cradle aspect was a[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Ananas Aman Piñatex Dr. Carmen Hijosa MILK-MaterialLab-Ananas-Aman-Piñatex-Dr.-Carmen-Hijosa-7

Ventri – Cow Stomach

Cow stomach textured leather – Dutch designer Billie van Katwijk produces special handbags from cow stomachs using an elaborate tanning process. For her project “Ventri”, luxurious accessories are created from the slaughterhouse leftovers that were previously processed into dog food. Particularly surprising is the visual appeal and extraordinary texture of the waste product. Accordingly, the different properties of the[...]

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VEIO

Textile shells – The scarf series VEIO, processed by turning, was created by Kathin Morawietz’s idea of pressing the layers of old textiles together by a thin layer of glue. In the process, these become a dense block that retains the feel of the fabric and makes it a visually unique piece. Once the material is strong[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Veio Kathrin

Foldtex

Wood for folding
and bending
– Foldtex is an innovative material that has similarities to cardboard, wood and sheet metal, while surpassing their respective characteristics in terms of material properties. Due to its special processing, from light to very thin wood thicknesses, which receive a textile-like coating, this material acquires its special flexibility and foldability, similar to that of textiles,[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Foldtex Foldtex

MERDACOTTA

Cow dung terracotta – The pottery of the Italian dairy farmer Gianantonio Locatelli was created in collaboration with the architect Luca Cipelletti. Together, they sought a recycling method for the 100,000 kilograms of cow manure generated each day. The material previously used as fertilizer and for plaster comes from Locatelli’s 2,500 cows, which henceforth provide for the production[...]

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Fish Leather

Fish leather – Waste products from the fishing industry are used to make a thin, flexible leather that is just as durable as cowhide. The Fish Leather undergoes a demanding 30-45 day manufacturing process: The natural oils and scales of the fish skins – from salmon, cod or perch – are separated by shaking and soaking, so[...]

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MILK MaterialLab Fish Leather NYVIDD