Further experimentation – this time happening as part of Beirut Design Week as Seetal Solanki, our resident materials expert delivered a bio-plastics cooking workshop, exploring how plastics can be made from simple cooking ingredients such as tapioca flour, corn starch, vinegar, water and oil. Highlighting the potential for making sustainable plastics from waste materials, the session provided an insight into bio-factoring and how to create with the circular economy in mind.

Designers exhibiting as part of the Design Week were responding to the theme of Growing Sustainably, and the garbage crisis the country is facing. The lack of landfills means that there is an increased abundance of waste materials. Local designers are now using wood glue, plastic bags and fruit leather amongst other materials to create products that relate to their environment and surroundings.

Pictured above are some furniture pieces made by local designers from plastic created from 3600 waste plastic bags. If you’re interested in new forms of plastic in general, its worth checking out preciousplastic.com. Seetal will be curating a programme of talks and workshops in September to launch the British Council’s Maker Library here at Blackhorse Workshop.