Blog : eco product

Upcycling Ideas …Turning Trash into Quality Products

Upcycling Ideas …Turning Trash into Quality Products

Who would have thought it! Discarded plastic bottles and jars could transform into cute whale-shaped napkin box covers. Not to mention water-saving glass drying trays for the kitchen. Plenty of fantastic ideas for modern home décor and accessories to make sure everything is organized and in place!

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Stoty: Samutcha Viraporn, Photo: Press

Disposable plastic bottles become trash after a single use. In the manufacturing process, some of them are discarded without seeing the light of day. The good news.  Designers have come up with ingenious ideas to turn waste into products of better quality and higher value than the original.  And the sky’s the limit.

Many transparent plastic bottles are made from a type of plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET. What we don’t see is the plastic packaging that doesn’t make it to the shelf. In the manufacturing process, bottle samples are taken out and evaluated. By law, the plastic packaging that fails quality control testing cannot be recycled into bottles and jars again. So they become raw materials to make different types of goods instead.

The Qualy manufacturer brand, in collaboration with the beverage company Ichitan, is able to breathe new life into unusable industrial waste, turning it into reusable raw materials. Its main forte lies in design capabilities that turn unwanted materials into upcycled products that meet the higher expectations of modern customers.

Its expert skill in recycling earns it a reputation for creative new products for a chic home update. One of them is the cute whale-shaped napkin box cover called “Moby” that takes 28 recycled plastic bottles to make. It takes pride of place in the bathroom, or serves as a reusable plastic bag holder for the kitchen. Anyway only biodegradable plastic bags are recommended. The design is stimulated by whales that have died from plastic waste in their stomach. It’s the tip of the iceberg that reminds us all to use less plastic to protect the environment.

Also worthy of attention is the aptly named “Oasis Tray”, a drinking glass drying rack made from 56 recycled plastic bottles. It doubles as an irrigation system that supplies small amounts of water to houseplants.

Other interesting products include a beautiful array of indoor planters, each made from about 8 to 10 recycled PET bottles. Not to mention greenhouse supplies and cute containers designed to encourage people to start growing for a better, healthier home environment.

Together, they convey a rich and subtle message. Reduce plastic waste now, or turn it into new materials for creative reuse. After all, we still have plenty of discarded PET plastic packaging to deal with.

Creative New Products from Recycled Ocean Debris

Creative New Products from Recycled Ocean Debris

Looking for a new pair of shoes? You’ve come to the right place. Tlejourn, an ocean-friendly brand of footwear, has unveiled creative new products made from waste recycled from the ocean.

 

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Story: Samutcha Viraporn / Photo: Sitthisak Namkham

Before and after. Nattapong shows his work, an old rubber flip-flop he found at a beach, left; and a new sandal after a complete makeover, right.

Tlejourn is the brainchild of Dr. Nattapong Nithi-Uthai of the Rubber Tech and Polymer Science Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkhla University at Pattani. He’s co-founder of Trash Hero Pattani, an active environmental group in southern Thailand.

Trash Hero Pattani is the spearhead of a program that collects waste materials washing onto beaches every Wednesday. A lot happens from there. First, marine trash is separated into two categories. Then, non-recyclable items are put through the proper channels, while rubber parts from old shoes, boat fenders and side protectors are converted into reusable raw materials. The recycling process includes reducing them to fine particles and putting them through a heated press to make rubber mats. They become the raw material from which Tlejourne sandals and other products are made.

Dr. Nattapong Nithi-Uthai (left) and Dr. Singh Intrachooto (right) collect pieces of waste on a beach. Photo: Facebook Singh Intrachooto
Pieces of ocean waste are pulverized, mixed, and put through a heated press to make rubber mats, the first step in the recycling process.
Recycled rubber mats from a heated press on their way to the assembly line.
Recycled rubber mats are cut using die cutting tools, a step in the manufacturing process that’s passed on to cottage industries in the local community of Pattani.

Besides its in-house footwear industry, Tlejourn also supplies reusable raw materials to leading manufacturers, among them the Thai-American designer Pring Paris. Tlejourn footwear products are available at Soda, one of Thailand’s well-known fashion houses.

The brand also offers women’s shoes by means of co-branding with the designer group Muzina of Japan. Known as Muzina x Tlejourn, their joint products recently made its world debut in a fashion show that was part of the annual Tokyo Fashion Week. Tlejourn is collaborating with the shoe manufacturer Nanyang to offer the Khya brand of sandals made from recycled ocean waste and materials left over from the industry.

Ladies slippers with recycled rubber sole and fluffy hair from the Thai-American designer Pring Paris. Photo: Press
A Muzina x Tlejourn joint product makes it world debut at the Tokyo Fashion Week. Photo: Press
Colorful Khya flip-flops, a joint product from Tlejourn and the leading footwear manufacturer Nanyang. The sole is a mix of recycled rubber and materials left over from the industry.
Designed for everyday wear, Tlejourn casuals are made by co-branding with local footwear manufacturers.

On the future of the natural environment, Dr. Nattapong said: “We know that in the next three decades, ocean trash could be more numerous than marine life. In three months, Trash Hero Thailand volunteers collect more than 80 tons of trash washing onto beaches, of which about 8 tons are old shoes and other footwear that people have discarded.

“In the last four years we sold more than a hundred thousand shoes. As a result of that, a half of ocean trash have disappeared from local area beaches. but heaps of refuse remained. It’s an almost incredible tale of a waste crisis. Everything is on a grand scale. By making Tlejourn footwear out of recycled ocean waste, we join other environmental groups in a wider effort to rid the ocean of discarded materials. It’s a formidable challenge. Everyone can chip in to make the problem go away, and we are campaigning to turn those heaps of ocean waste into creative products, not just shoes.”

Tlejourn founder, Dr. Nattapong Nithi-Uthai of the Rubber Tech and Polymer Science Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkhla University at Pattani.
Flip-flops and keychains in lively colors are made from recycled ocean debris.

Needless to say Tlejourn has turned crisis into opportunity. As countries in the ASEAN membership struggle to cut down waterborne debris, each and every one of us must do our share of the joint campaign. Let’s make the sea beautiful again.

A pair of Tlejourn sandals with recycled rubber sole. Photo: Press
Trash Hero Thailand volunteers gather for a good cause. Photo: Trash Hero Thailand

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LOTTERY RECYCLING IDEAS / NOTHING GOES TO WASTE

 

Modern Vernacular Homes
CONTEMPORARY VERNACULAR HOMES
Eco Flooring by Deesawat

Eco Flooring by Deesawat

After the research, Deesawat used many kinds of waste materials to combine and create building materials as the new way.

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eco flooring by Deesawat

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For the eco flooring, basic materials will be cut in various timber species such as teak, white oak, rosewood, and walnut. Deesawat also add up eco board which is recycle material from the trash(aluminum and PE) from UHT milk pack, press into board and profile into another material. With this combination, the product is presented as an interesting combination of materials that can create a good reusable design for project requirement.

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Eco Flooring by Deesawat received the DEmark Award in the industrial category from Thailand and also received the Good Design Award from Japan which guarantees the quality of the produce.

link: http://www.deesawat.com/home.html

 

Flexible Stone Veneer / The New Innovation of Natural Stone

Flexible Stone Veneer / The New Innovation of Natural Stone

Flexx Stone – Flexible Stone Veneer // Light, Thin and Flexible to apply

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A project in Thailand, designed by Studio B
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Flexx Stone at the counter

Flexx stone is a veneer with layers of natural stone and polymer composite. This innovation makes it thin, light and yet strong. It is used for both interior and exterior and especially where bending to a curved surface is required. Flexx Stone can be applied on any surface: concrete, masonry, wallboard, metal, plywood and drywall. It can be glued by PU adhesive, silicone and epoxy. Its surface can be treated like natural stone, glossy or matt.

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More than 15 color variation of Flexible Stone Veneer

Benefit of Flexx Stone:

Very light – 0.3 kg per square metre

Very Thin – 0.1-0.3 mm

Easy to cut and work with

Flexible to install on wall, ceiling, door, cabinet, furniture and decorative item

Cost effective

Water proof material

High Strength and durable

Every stale is unique

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Columns which was covered by Flexx Stone at PLATO X Mobella Showroom Ekamai, Sukhumvit
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The project in Canada

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Left: ceiling application, Right: Translucent serie

 

Nowadays, Flexible stone veneer was installed in many countries in Europe, America and Asia. Flexx Stone in Thailand was distributed by Plan X Co.,Ltd.

Distributor: Plan X, Thailand – https://www.facebook.com/Plan-X-668377643313198/

 

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From Rice Husk to Bio-composite Tile and Solid Surface

From Rice Husk to Bio-composite Tile and Solid Surface

Husk Collection

Cosmos

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Husk Collection was created from discarded outer shells of rice during milling process. Sonite’s new Husk mosaics and solid surface incorporate significant quantities of agricultural waste. The collection’s advanced bio-composite design yields coverings not only beautiful but also ecologically friendly. Husk is available in four organic tones, balance between natural warmth and contemporary chic. Eco-Friendliness: Despite being polymer-based, the materials are exceptionally eco-friendly. Tests have proved a carbon footprint equal to or less than the lowest among mosaic tile manufacturers. In Europe, Husk furthermore has received a highest attainable A+ score in tests for VOC emissions.

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Additionally:

*Rice husks take very long to decompose and thus are not appropriate for composting or manure. Therefore the 100 million tons + of husk produced globally begins to impact the environment if not disposed of properly. (“Rice husk Ash”by Nick Zemke Emmet Woods June 2009 California Polytechnic State University)

* In Vietnam, rice husk has been dumped in local rivers, causing a big problem. (http://irri.org/rice-today/a-second-life-for-rice-husk)

* Rice husks are composed mainly of cellulose, silica + lignin and are a ‘Class A’ thermal insulation material. Husks are difficult to burn and are unlikely to propagate mold. (http://esrla.com/pdf/ricehullhouse.pdf)

Tile-40x180-mm

 

Photos : Press

Manufacture : Sonite Innovative Surfaces, Thailand – www.sonitesurfaces.com

 

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