Designing out industrial waste

Designing out industrial waste is key to achieving UN Sustainable Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Industrial facilities generate significant waste, like cutouts and off-quality products. Though recycling is improving, it consumes a lot of energy to transform scraps to new raw material . Upcycling, which reuses materials without breaking them down, offers an alternative with great potential for resource savings.

For example, Apple's MacBook design transformed screen cutouts into keyboards, adding value. Our project pairs 40 companies with design experts to turn waste into valuable products, aiming to discover strategies for reducing waste through innovative design rather than optimization.