At Alusid, we like to get out and about to meet our peers. Because when it comes to innovation, we believe the more people throwing their ideas into the mix, the better.

So, when we were invited by Form Us With Love to explore the ways a ‘waste’ stream from a new process developed by EasyMining could be upcycled, we jumped at the chance. We recently presented the work-in-progress at a collaborative event held during Stockholm Design Week 2023 - the aim being to exchange knowledge, ideas, experiences, and visions to further inspire sustainable material development.

Read on to find out more, and to discover our other top sustainability spots at Stockholm Design Week 2023…

The fact that the world is currently facing a sand shortage sparked the inspiration for this project, which fuses resources from EasyMining with the creative expertise of Form Us With Love. As the second most consumed material, globally, sand does not regenerate at the same pace at which it is consumed. As a result, illegal sand mining is currently the planet’s third biggest crime.

Utilising a co-product of EasyMining’s Ash2Phos process of turning sewage sludge ash into phosphorus products, Form Us With Love invited companies to explore the re-purposing of red silica sand in architectural applications, with the work-in-progress, so far, shared at last week’s event in Stockholm.

As part of the material application research, each company focused on a different architectural element, from paint and wood wool insulation to terrazzo, tiles, and outdoor concrete furniture.

We investigated three potential applications for the ‘waste’ within our Alusid surface products: as an ingredient in our terrazzo solid surfaces; as a colouring component in ceramic glazes; and finally, and most successfully, to produce terracotta tiles, where we were able to achieve a 60% inclusion rate for a fully vitrified tile, with a reduced firing temperature.

EasyMining plans to develop multiple plants across Europe using their proprietary technology and estimates each plant will produce 16,000 tonnes of this co-product per annum. This is enough to manufacture approximately 1.4 million square m2 of floor tiles.

“Imagine being able to use an industrial co-product to replace materials, lowering the CO2 footprint and reducing use of virgin resources. As the construction industry consumes huge quantities of sand, there is great potential to be had in replacing such a scarce commodity with this climate friendly, recycled sand.” – Form Us With Love

To find out more about this fascinating project, click here.

Turning its attention to another contributor of the ecological crisis, Form Us With Love supported Orkla in addressing the reduction of plastic waste entering the environment.

På(fyll), which launched to the Swedish market on a trial basis during Stockholm Design Week, aims to challenge the norm of FMCG packaged in single-use containers and dispensers.

The creation of Norwegian conglomerate Orkla, in collaboration with Æra and Bakken & Bæck, På(fyll) is a digital platform providing a circular, accessible subscription model for households, in an efficient reuse and refill service - to help actively promote a more sustainable future by reducing plastic waste across the supply chain. Currently they cite that “26 million tons of plastic waste is produced yearly within the EU – 70% of which is sent to landfill.”

Form Us With Love was tasked with the design of a durable and versatile container that could hold various brands’ products, including liquids of different viscosities. The solution had to be easy-to-use, store, and pour. And whilst traditional containers may compete on aesthetics and brand features, the container for På(fyll) had to prioritise functionality and usability.

The resulting concept for På(fyll) enables customers to order and receive freshly filled containers directly to their doorstep. The QR code tracking system ensures transparency and accountability throughout the container’s journey, from warehouse to delivery.

“På(fyll) enables the guilt-free consumption of any home and personal care product, free from single-use plastics – a problem that today dumps at least 1 garbage truck’s worth of plastic waste into the ocean every minute of every day. Refillable containers are re-used over and over again for years to come. Containers are delivered and able to pick up right at your doorstep to make shopping more convenient, affordable, and sustainable.” - Form Us With Love

To find out more, visit formuswithlove.se.

An exhibition that celebrated “all the opportunities in considering waste as an untapped material resource”, designer Kajsa Willner explored how different methods can inspire the implementation of systems where residual materials can achieve their full potential.

Taking by-products from furniture manufacturer Fogia’s making process, this exhibit delved into possible applications that could see the reintroduction of residual materials back into production.

To kick off her research, Kajsa looked at Fogia’s residual material streams and the lifecycles that exist in the Fogia factory. Putting a spotlight on some of these waste materials, Kajsa began to test their attributes across tactility, form, and function.

Through both small-scale and large-scale case studies, the designer illustrated the potential of the different residual materials to be refined through numerous approaches, from material development to upcycling, and collaboration through to implementation.

Discover more about Kajsa’s investigation here.

Did you visit Stockholm Design Week? If so, let us know your highlights!