Leaf Skin
Useful information
- Team members
- María Roig
- Country
- Spain
- Keywords
- Biomaterial bioplastic biobased biodegradable circular experimental material natural design.
Short Description
Leaf Skin is a Biomaterial that focuses on giving a second life to fallen tree leaves.
Detailed Description
Leaf Skin is a project that explores the possibilities of leave-based bioplastics, focusing on one of the most common tree leaves in Spain: Platanus Hispanica.
As an experimental material, its rigidity and flexibility varies according to factors in drying, such as: temperature, humidity and material of the surface.
Its future applications vary from packaging, insulating material and other uses as decorative garments.
Leaf Skin is both biodegradable and bio-based.
Before it dries, it is quite flexible and maleable. Perfect for molding and creating ergonomic shapes to later be used in product design.
The possibilities to Leaf Skin are endless, seeing as this material takes on many shapes and treatments, apart from being resistant and durable.
Project Details
- Does your design support sustainable production, embodying circular or regenerative design practices?
In nature there is no waste, everything has a function and serves for something else. But humans have broken this circle, and resources such as autumn foliage are discarded and cleaned in stead of going back to nature. Leaf Skin focuses on re-introducing natures "waste" into the circle of production, by offering an alternative to single use plastics and other chemically processed materials and once it's purpose is done, biodegrading into soil.
- Does your design use principles of distribution and open source?
Yes, this biomaterial can be produced and manufactured locally. As to this point, the manufacturing process is quite simple and can be done anywhere, and the leave ingredient has been tested with other species. This means that other deciduous tree leaves can be used in its production, although causing some variations in its final properties.
- Does your design promote awareness of responsible design and consumption?
This design aims to increase the user's awareness of the afterlife of the products we consume. Thinking about what impact its disposal might have on the earth, as well as inviting to consider other not so damaging processes in the production of the designs we use daily.
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