Sustainable innovation for interiors: highlights from season 1

Sustainability is an articulated journey. Experimenting with uncommon materials and processes is an essential aspect of it that uncovers new opportunities.

This is what inspired Sustainable Innovation for Interiors, an interview series I’ve had the pleasure to host, meeting inspiring designers, discovering fascinating stories of willpower and dedication, and discussing the future of the design industry…

The meaning of sustainability

Sustainability is a term that holds several meanings. Interesting aspects have emerged during the interviews:

Material use and reuse
Knowing the technical properties of materials is the first step to make the most out of them. This includes considering landfills as rich material warehouses, looking at all waste types as valuable resources.

Economy, environment, and society
The term sustainability has a three-fold meaning. Economy, environment, and society are equally essential in achieving successful activities without depleting the planet or denying fundamental human rights.

Long-term outlook
True sustainability can only be achieved if everyone starts considering the long-term effects of present actions. True for producers and consumers alike, this mindset shifts day-to-day perspectives with one single question: what will happen next?

An outdated objective?
One of the first formal definitions of sustainability describes it as the ‘ability to meet present needs without compromising the lives of future generations’. Unfortunately, this point has already been overcome, making the whole concept of sustainability potentially outdated. An alternative is considering it as a future target while focusing on having positive impacts today, restoring ecological and social balances on our planet.

Sourcing waste

Using waste as a raw material opens the practical problem of having to source someone else’s trash.

During our conversations, it has emerged that this is in fact a moment that initially generates skepticism and that takes some explanation. Yet in the end, “suppliers” are usually happy to support a brave and mindful project.

Reacting to the pandemic

The pandemic has changed everyone’s plans – at least to some extent. Yet this is not always bad.

Through the interviews, I’ve heard a variety of positive reactions: writing a book, developing a new project with local resources, re-evaluating and redirecting career objectives, and even starting a new career altogether. An inspiring lesson on the value of stillness.

The sustainability transition

No matter the industry, a sustainability-centered approach requires multiple changes and priority resets. Through the interviews, many interesting aspects have come up as per what could speed up or facilitate change in the design industry:

Personal choices
Becoming more informed consumers, voting with our wallet, and only supporting realities that we believe deserve it are all actions that give a strong signal. And in every market, the offer goes where the demand is…

Economic accessibility
Sustainable materials and methods often result in higher prices. Finding ways to make them more affordable would also turn them into a more widely accessible choice.

Regulations, accountability systems and public funding
Updating rules and regulations is a crucial theme and a way to quickly move a whole industry in the right direction. But since policymaking is an inherently slow mechanism, it will likely follow and complement the powerful force of bottom-up change.

The interview series

Ep 1 - w/ Sara Howard. With Circular Ceramics, Sara reuses waste from several industries (glass, stone, construction, and ceramics) to make tableware that diverts resources from landfill.

Ep 2 - w/ Rashmi Bidasaria. Born as a by-product of lockdown, Dross is an experimental project where Rashmi challenged herself to make new furniture using only scraps found in her family’s steel processing factory.

Ep 3 - w/ Francesco Cantini. With Endèmica, Francesco explores the potential of natural materials native to the Mediterranean area, from seagrass to bio-resins.

Ep 4 - w/ Nina Salsotto Cassina. With Unurgent Argilla, Nina carries out a careful study of different geographic environments and crafts pottery collections based on local clays.

Ep 5 - w/ Carissa Ten Tije. With Bottom Ash, Carissa gives new life to the waste of waste: ash coming from trash incineration.

Ep 6 - w/ James Haywood. Challenging a widely used material, James bases his lighting collections on a new concrete formula that uses iron slag instead of cement.

anooi studio x Isola Design District.
This interview series is an editorial collaboration with Isola Design District, hosted as part of Milan Design Week 2021. A video version is also available: ep 1 - w/ Sara Howard, ep 2 - w/ Rashmi Bidasaria, ep 3 - w/ Francesco Cantini, ep 4 - w/ Nina Salsotto Cassina, ep 5 - w/ Carissa Ten Tije, ep 6 - w/ James Haywood.
Cover image: anooi studio