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This project started by looking at a simple question: why is recycling still so difficult, even though most people know it matters?
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From there the work expanded into a more future focused idea about how materials, products and everyday habits might need to change as climate pressures increase.
What stood out to us was that recycling right now often feels inconsistent. It can be inconvenient, unclear and easy to ignore. People are expected to do the right thing, but the systems around them are not always designed to make that easy.
A big part of the discussion was around the idea that climate change will keep getting worse unless behaviour and production systems shift in a serious way. If that happens, recycling may no longer be seen as a good habit, but as something built into daily life.
We identified a few reasons people still do not recycle properly now:
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That led to a more interesting design question: what would happen if recycling was no longer optional, but expected?
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From there the project moved into a future scenario where products are designed from the beginning with reuse, repair or recycling in mind. Instead of creating waste and dealing with it later, materials would stay in circulation for as long as possible.
We explored how that could affect:
A lot of our thinking centred on new materials. ****This included compostable natural fibres, lab grown alternatives, recycled ocean plastics and other materials that reduce environmental harm. We also considered how industries could move away from disposable culture through things like repair first systems, replaceable components and closed loop manufacturing.