Consumer concerns about plastic pollution have led many designers to consider sustainable solutions in their creations. At the third edition of the World Plastic Connection Summit, happening this week in Sao Paulo, Brazil, international designers presented their takes on what’s trendy in plastic.
A roundtable on design in Brazilian plastic products reminded the audience that plastics have played a key role in fulling the main goal of design: improving people’s quality of life. “The emergence of plastic has democratised the use of many products,” said Brazilian designer Cecilia Consolo. The versatility and low cost of synthetic polymers derived from petroleum oil made them hugely popular after the 1940s but a plethora of regrettable mistakes and waste mismanagement has more recently led to the demise of their popularity in the public eye.
Plastics have a PR problem – ‘but no one wants to buy an ugly product no matter how sustainable it is’, said Finnish designer Susanna Bjorklund. Designers thus face the challenge of using materials combining the attractive properties of traditional plastics with sustainability.
The favourite solution for the designers at the World Plastic Connection Summit are bioplastics. ‘I think most innovation will happen with biomaterials,’ said German designer Sascha Peters, pointing to President Biden’s pledge to replace 90% of fossil fuel plastics with biomaterials by 2043 in the United States. Presentations throughout the two days of the international seminar were filled with suggestions of biomaterials to replace traditional plastics. Ecodesign and takeback schemes were also often quoted as promising sustainable strategies.
Increasing the use of recycled plastics was surprisingly absent from the designers’ list of trends. Given that bioplastics make up around only 1% of the overall plastics industry, it is unlikely that even a steady growth rate in their market share will result in a significant contribution to the circular plastics economy in terms of volume.
It is not clear why designers perceive recyclates as a less trendy sustainable option. Perhaps it is easier to sell the idea that a PLA product, typically produced from corn, is more sustainable than one made with, say, 70% recycled PS plastic.
Be that as it may, something that might help improve the public's perception of plastics, both virgin and recycled, is colour. The launch of the colour trends for plastics 2024 was one of the highlights of the World Plastic Connection Summit. A video of the launch is available at the top of this page.
World-renowned designer Jum Nakao curated the palette inspired by the colours of Brazil. “Brazil is a cradle of light, of exuberant colours,” he said on stage. The book includes colours named after typical Brazilian landscapes, animals, foods, artefacts, and drinks, including the world famous caipirinha. “Let the name of these colours become a recognition of Brazilian nationality,” Nakao urged.