Mindful Consumption
Sustainability driven project focused on material and dye exploration.
Sponsored Studio
This project was part of a sponsored studio with Proctor and Gamble. We received feedback throughout the semester from members of their design team and finished the project by presenting at their headquarters.
Prompt
Mindful Consumption : Employ sustainable design methods such as circular design or mutualistic design which include sourcing, energy, water and materiality in order to explore ways that eliminate waste, make waste to work, employ renewability and ensure business viability. Students will work individually for their design projects and will identify projects of their choosing to redesign through the lens of sustainability.
The Problem
Food Waste
1 / 3
of all food produced globally for human
consumption goes to waste
40%
of food waste comes from restaurants, grocery stores, and food service companies
$161 Billion
value of food wasted annually in America
14%
of restaurants currently compost
How Might We...
Redirect the waste produced by small food and beverage businesses in a way that benefits the business while fostering community and encouraging circularity?
Partnership
With this project I aspire to offer circular solution that can be adapted and used within any community to turn waste into a valuable resource.
This starts here in Cincinnati. I reached out to multiple small food and beverage businesses, pitching my idea and seeking out interest for collaboration. Mom 'N 'Em was excited about the idea, and happy to help.
Mom 'N 'Em
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Camp Washington & Madisonville
Serve coffee, breakfast & lunch foods, wines, and tinned fish
Family & community oriented business started by the Ferrari Brothers.
Emphasis on using locally produced ingredients
Ferrari Brothers have run multiple businesses within the food and beverage industry in both Cincinnati and San Francisco. They also own Fausto, located within the CAC.
Waste Analysis
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Currently use up everything as much as they can then compost the rest.
Coffee grounds go in their own bin along with a few receipts and miscellaneous items.
Remaining food scrap is all put into one.
Open to selling a batch of products or hanging a one off that represents a strong story in the shop
Mom 'N 'Em's
Abundunt Food Scraps
Coffee Grounds
70-80 lbs per month
Avocado Pits
1000+ per month
Product
Use food waste to make a collection of naturally dyed goods branded for the business of origin
Benefits
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Extends the usable life of food scraps
New revenue opportunity for restaurants
Show’s businesses commitment to sustainability
Branded merchandise is a great marketing opportunity
Sourcing Considerations
Textiles
20%
of pollution in our soil and water ways comes from textile production
200 Tons
of water are used per ton of fabric in the textile
industry.
Post-production water containing residual dye, mordants, chemicals, and micro-fibers is expelled into water streams as untreated toxic waste.
Water that is densely polluted from residual dye materials hiders sunlight’s ability to pass through and stunts growth of aquatic flora and fauna.
90%
of food waste comes from restaurants, grocery stores, and food service companies
Textile Sourcing
Textile waste is abundant, it’s time we utilize it as a resource. Sourcing textiles for this project will be done entirely second hand.
Resources
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St. Vincent De Paul Outlet Store In Northside. Here, clothes are sold as bulk goods before being sent to the landfill. They have a by the pound pricing system which makes this a very affordable option
SFI Scrap Closet is a resource within DAAP that saves and organizes textile scraps to be repurposed.
Life Cycle
By interrupting two existing waste streams, the life span of this perceived waste can be extended through giving it a new use and keeping it out of landfills. This concept would encourage a more circular approach to waste management on a localized scale.
Process
Using the food scraps collected from Mom 'N 'Em's, I began to experiment with different natural dying methods.
Color Modifying
Through experimentation of adding different acidic and alkaline substances, I found ways to alter the color of the dye bath.
Iron Solution
I made an iron solution by leaving rusty nails in vinegar for several weeks. When added to the die bath, this solution made the most dramatic shift in color. It caused the light pink avocado dye to instantly turn a deep purple blue.
Printing Discovery
Fabric is often presoaked in a mordant solution prior to going in a dye bath. This process improves the fabric's ability to take on dye and frequently results in slight alterations of color. Soy milk is a natural non toxic mordant alternative that is commonly used during the natural dying process.
Through my research I found people painting soy milk onto their textiles to create simple marks and patterns. I sought out to refine the capabilities of printing with soy milk. Through experimentation, I was able to thicken the soy milk mixture and use the paste to clearly screen print detailed designs onto the fabric. I later use this method to print Mom 'N 'Em's logo.
Mom 'N 'Ems Brand
Through conversations with Mom 'N 'Em, we decided that a tote bag would be a good product for this process and their business. I turned to their exsisting brand language and beautiful interiors for inspiration that could be translated into the bag.
Planning & Construction
Final Product
Composed of second hand textiles that were in route to landfill and dyed with salvaged food scraps, this bag is an example of how we can create value out of perceived waste.
My hopes are that this process could be adapted and implemented among other businesses to help tackle our food and textile waste crisis's in a localized manner that fosters community collaboration between local restaurants and makers while bringing in new opportunities for revenue and marketing.
Thank you for looking!