Raw-Edges Design Studio‘s table appears to magically carry ceramic dishes from which food was served at the opening party. 60 were invited, 100+ attended!

Oscar Narud ‘s crafty slotted Keel tables 002 and 003.

Very Good & Proper‘s ‘Canteen Table leg set’ found value in a discarded science lab table that the designers salvaged in their university years. This set of modular legs can be attached to reclaimed wood pieces such as old doors to convert them into tables.

Scott Jarvie‘s One Cut Chair has been designed to minimize energy and manufacturing time by using water-jets to create a single continuous cut into a single sheet of plywood. The chair can be adjusted slightly to suit the sitter. Jarvie is a finalist in the British Council’s UK Young Design Entrepreneur award for 2009.

Made from flax-viscose non woven fabric, these 60 bags biodegrade after 60 days, offering a commercial friendly solution to the plastic bag problem. The material was developed and manufactured in Poland.

Tomás Alonso‘s light experiments continue the Mr Light aesthetic in a smaller series, inspired by energy-efficient T5 LED dimmable light tubes.

Seating for Eating by Studio Ilse produced by De La Espada.

Buon Appetito is Andrew Haythornthwaite and Jordi Canudas‘ creation. Feeding off unwanted paper waste, the sculptural funishing grows, providing a place to sit and rest.

Inspired by Martin Hocking research into reusable vs. disposable cups, Australian company KeepCup, take on the throwaway paper coffee cup problem. KeepCup‘s Jamie Forsyth explained how each paper cup takes approximately 1000KJ of energy to produce, whereas their plastic cups take 9000KJ each to produce and can be recycled once at the end of their lifespan. Including washing, it would take 20 – 30 uses to break even with paper cup consumption. This is quite impressive when compared to a 1000 break even point with a re-usable steel coffee cup, which lasts approximately 5,000 uses. KeepCup pointed out that as fervent espresso-coffee drinkers, in the UK alone, we throw away 1.7 billion paper coffee cups each year. They have sold 50,000 to Australian public services in the last four months.

Owen Wall‘s Once Fired bowls. While ceramics are usually fired at 1080 degrees centigrade, and then a second time wit a glaze at 1220 degrees C, the glaze used in these once-fired bowls has been diluted with clay to go straight in to the kiln at 1220 without the need for an energy-intensive dual stage process.

Bokja by The Quirico Company is a piece of found furniture reupholstered with beautiful vintage fabric.

Tye + Co introduced me to ReUSE, the first in a series of explorations into reusing existing industrial tooling by Decode London.

Kyeok Kim‘s Chair (left) made from reclaimed materials. The Easy Willow chair (right) by Cornish-based designers Boex is made from sustainable wood and British grown willow.

+ London Design Festival

Note on writer’s clothing featured in photos:
Thank you to Melissa Shoes and My Only One for allowing me to showcase some of their ethical fashion!

Striped playsuit by My Only One. My Only One is a new remade brand stocked in leading high street retailers and independent boutiques throughout the UK. The brand ethos is to take discarded vintage clothing and remake it in an accessible way so it can be loved again. The fact that each piece is one of a kind adds to the novelty of the brand.

Red Lady Dragon Peeptoe Bow Shoes were made by Vivienne Westwood Anglomania, in collaboration with Melissa Shoes. Besides being 100% recyclable, Melissa shoes are made from MEFLEX, a revolutionary breathable and non-toxic plastic and are totally cruelty free and devoid of animal products. Plus, a startling 99.9% of Melissa’s factory water and waste is recycled and the Brazil-based company’s employees are paid above average wages and benefits.

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