crafting
crafting
plastics!
studio
“We are merging design and natural science together”
It’s safe to say that none of us think of plastic as something beautiful. It has become the poster child of pollution, populating oceans in vast numbers, harming wildlife, and even making its way into our food. While the use of eco-plastics has been gaining momentum, most of these materials are created for single-use purposes, such as coffee cups or packaging material. Vlasta Kubušová and Miroslav Král of crafting plastics! studio envision a different future for plastic: one where it is not only earth-safe, but multi-functional, durable and even beautiful. “One of the biggest problems with eco-products is that the color is always green or brown. We wanted to think differently about a new generation of materials,” Kubušová notes. Function over beauty has been the dominant rule in this realm, but crafting plastics! intends to change that, and soon. “Our aim is to integrate sustainable and responsible materials in the products now and not in 10 years.”
“We are trying to look at projects not just from the visual aesthetic perspective, but we want to be sure about the whole life cycle of products”
Coming from the worlds of fashion, production and product design, the duo worked alongside scientists at the Slovak University of Technology to create a new generation of eco-plastic. Nuatan is a bioplastic solution that is manufactured with a blend of PLA and PHB derived from cornstarch. The bioplastic blends are durable, biodegradable and made of 100% renewable raw resources. Used to create an eyewear line in 2016, Nuatan comes in a variety of textures and colors (not just brown!), utilizing natural pigments such a turmeric, indigo and coffee waste. The second edition of the line was produced using 3D printing technology, another arena the studio sees potential for working in. “We're exploring a new bioplastic material for 3D printing. This is one big processing group we'd like to go to,” says Kubušová. In a field where so much plastic is wasted producing prototypes, an eco-friendly material seems like the most “natural” next step in 3D printing.
Kubušová sees the potential uses of their bioplastic creations on a much wider scale. “We hope to find 2 or 3 fields where we can really optimize the material, so that it can be produced on a bigger scale. The best case would be within fashion or design, but it could also do very well in the toy industry, where the materials need to be more sensitive in terms of chemicals.” The studio has already touched industries that range from fashion and accessories to 3D printing and design, creating object-like invitations for the COS installation at Milan design week in 2019. Given the right technology, Kubušová says there could be a future in design, noting “there is a very wide range for which we could use these materials. It could include small pieces of furniture and much more, like intermediate and bigger objects for interiors, toys, etcetera.”
Nuatan’s current endeavor is to collaborate with a bank to create eco-safe credit cards. The project has the potential to make a massive global impact, as it is projected that upwards of 1.2 billion plastic credit cards will circulate the globe by 2022. Says Kubušová, “We are just at the beginning, but once it works, hopefully it will be applied in other banks across the country or the world.”
crafting plastics! studio represents a refreshing image of the future of eco-safe design, creating a niche where sustainability and aesthetics converge. Tapping into the world of plastic, one that permeates every aspect of our lives, it continues to create innovative, new materials – without compromising aesthetics. Transcending the necessity of sustainability, the studio has made beautiful bioplastics that have boundless potential. We hope to join the crafting plastics! revolution and hope you will too.
“With this work we hope to inspire other designers and young graduates”
