How do we create value from something considered waste?

Waste, akin to materials, constitutes an intrinsic element of human development, serving as one of the evolutionary legacies transmitted to next generations. It provides multifaceted insights into an individual’s lifestyle and habits. In this context, planned obsolescence has gradually integrated into our purchasing habits. It is a system that perpetuates our existences, insidiously infiltrating to the point of escaping our awareness, making its eradication equally challenging.

Therefore, this project contends that research on materials and our interaction with them is fundamental for a more responsible and conscious production approach. To delve into this extensive topic, and to propose a design model focusing on the recovery of an industrial waste, I chose to work with microalgae biomass, resulting from the waste water purification process of the Metabolon (Lindlar, Germany) waste disposal centre. From the biomass derived from the death of these microorganisms, it is possible to generate a biomaterial to stimulate plant growth by creating products that can be planted and act as agricultural biostimulants. The project strives to elucidate the potential of growing materials in fostering ecological regeneration. In a broader context, it aspires to serve as a model for interdisciplinary practices, amalgamating diverse knowledge and skills from various disciplines to yield innovative outcomes.