WEBVTT - Here’s how your table at home can be made from cardboard

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to AC N A podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>We've all seen the rise of fast fashion and its

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<v Speaker 1>negative impact on the environment. But have you ever stopped

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<v Speaker 1>to think about the chairs and tables that furnish our

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<v Speaker 1>homes and offices? It turns out fast furniture, our obsession

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<v Speaker 1>with swiftly changing styles and budget friendly buys but also

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<v Speaker 1>be adding to the climate crisis more than we realize.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, a 2018 EU report found that nearly 11

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<v Speaker 1>million tons of furniture is thrown

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<v Speaker 1>away every year. That's roughly five chairs for every house

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<v Speaker 1>in the eu only 10% is recycled. The rest is

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<v Speaker 1>incinerated or sent to landfill

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<v Speaker 2>waste is an opportunity you're doing any process in your

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<v Speaker 2>business at your home and you're generating this waste that

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<v Speaker 2>you're unhappy with. Don't just assume that it's inevitable, but

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<v Speaker 2>that's an opportunity to do something else with that

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<v Speaker 1>waste. That's Peter Ortner,

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<v Speaker 1>assistant professor of architecture and sustainability design at the Singapore

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<v Speaker 1>University of Technology and Design. He's the mind behind the

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<v Speaker 1>zero waste folded shell furniture crafted entirely from discarded cardboard

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<v Speaker 1>can sustainable design. Rescue us from drowning in a sea

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<v Speaker 1>of disposable furniture. Peter joins us today. To share his

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<v Speaker 1>insights and solutions

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<v Speaker 1>Peter. Welcome to the Climate Conversations.

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<v Speaker 2>Thank you really glad to be here.

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<v Speaker 1>I mean, let's first delve into what's put you on

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<v Speaker 1>this journey of invention and sustainable design. Sure.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm a professor at SUD. I teach architecture and sustainable design.

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<v Speaker 2>I've always been interested in sustainability, but since I started

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<v Speaker 2>at SUTD, I've had a chance to kind of put

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<v Speaker 2>that into practice. When I was first starting at SUTD,

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<v Speaker 2>they invited me to design their open house. This is

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<v Speaker 2>a regular event. They hold it every year

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<v Speaker 2>and they invite the faculty to design it as this

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<v Speaker 2>kind of fun way to show off that we're makers,

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<v Speaker 2>we can design things. So I was new in Singapore.

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<v Speaker 2>I had just started at this university and I looked

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<v Speaker 2>at what happened in the past and I said, OK,

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<v Speaker 2>I want to do something different and I want to

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<v Speaker 2>create something that has the maximum utility but has the

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<v Speaker 2>minimum impact on the environment. And from that initial position,

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<v Speaker 2>I started just looking at materials, I looked at

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<v Speaker 2>what can I use, what can I work with to

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<v Speaker 2>make something that's really useful but is going to have

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<v Speaker 2>this minimal impact. And the answer turned out to be paper,

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<v Speaker 2>which it's not conventional for furniture, it's not conventional for architecture.

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<v Speaker 2>But the reality is it can be quite strong, it

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<v Speaker 2>has a low environmental impact, especially if you get it

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<v Speaker 2>from the right supplier, it's from a renewable resource. And

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<v Speaker 2>if you're in the right location, it can be recycled

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<v Speaker 2>as well, which is really ideal.

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<v Speaker 2>But then of course, you're stuck with a sheet of

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<v Speaker 2>cardboard or paper. And this problem, how do I make

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<v Speaker 2>something that's useful that's strong, can be reused that people

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<v Speaker 2>will actually like and respond to.

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<v Speaker 2>And that design challenge has been really fun to work with.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that it's going to be kind of

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<v Speaker 2>an ongoing project for myself. And also I think for

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of people, it's kind of an interesting project

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<v Speaker 2>to engage with.

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<v Speaker 1>So the idea was initially sparked from paper and evolved

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<v Speaker 1>into cardboard eventually. That's

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<v Speaker 2>right. I've done a few generations of this actually. So

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<v Speaker 2>just for some background, the first generation I built like

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<v Speaker 2>a tank because I was really afraid of what's going

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<v Speaker 2>to happen with something made out of paper or cardboard

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<v Speaker 2>with people

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<v Speaker 2>that I don't know using it in situations that I

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<v Speaker 2>can't foresee. So I went through the design process from

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<v Speaker 2>kind of a defensive position. I built something that was big,

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<v Speaker 2>it was sturdy, it was thick, the joints were extra

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<v Speaker 2>strong and that design was really successful and those tables

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<v Speaker 2>are still in use four years later

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<v Speaker 2>for something made out of cardboard, I didn't anticipate that.

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<v Speaker 2>That's amazing that it's still around four years later. But

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<v Speaker 2>the other thing that I hadn't anticipated was I cut

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<v Speaker 2>the budget in half, more than in half. It was

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<v Speaker 2>like 30% of the budget because

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<v Speaker 2>the cardboard was much cheaper than the materials that we've

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<v Speaker 2>been using in the past. And this was really exciting

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<v Speaker 2>for me in retrospect, because it showed us that we

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<v Speaker 2>could do sustainability in a way that was really cost effective.

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<v Speaker 2>That's also really exciting when we talk about green business

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<v Speaker 2>and business opportunities and getting out of this trap of

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<v Speaker 2>the green premium. But the story from this year is

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<v Speaker 2>I came back to this design and I said I'm

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<v Speaker 2>going to do a new generation. And this time I

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<v Speaker 2>want to show that

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<v Speaker 2>sustainable design doesn't need to be minimal. It can be fun,

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<v Speaker 2>it can be playful. We can have a variety of

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<v Speaker 2>different shapes and forms that we can play with. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>talk to us about the range of possibilities here. Can

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<v Speaker 1>it be adapted to other design

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<v Speaker 2>needs? Yeah, in terms of different design needs, the first

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<v Speaker 2>generation was designed as a podium which is a display

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<v Speaker 2>podium for an exhibition. So it's kind of boxy and

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<v Speaker 2>the current generation, the paper shell

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<v Speaker 2>table. This version is a table with legs that you

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<v Speaker 2>can put your feet under. It can be used as

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<v Speaker 2>a study car but also can be used as a

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<v Speaker 2>display podium. And for this, I went and looked at

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<v Speaker 2>the paper fold. So this idea that if you fold

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<v Speaker 2>a sheet of paper in half, it becomes very strong,

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<v Speaker 2>it can stand up on its own. You can remove

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<v Speaker 2>actually some of the material that still stands. This allowed

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<v Speaker 2>me to move away from something that was of this

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<v Speaker 2>kind of rectangular

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<v Speaker 2>box to something that was a series of folded triangular

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<v Speaker 2>shells that could combine together into something that was more

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<v Speaker 2>freestanding that you could put your legs under as

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<v Speaker 1>well. And you're making these furniture solely relying on folding.

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<v Speaker 1>I find that fascinating. I mean, how do you fold

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<v Speaker 1>them into something sturdy without needing extra support?

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, there's a couple of factors here. One thing

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<v Speaker 2>is the technology that I'm using.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm not actually cutting these by hand. What we're using

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<v Speaker 2>is a digital cutting tool called a Zoomed. It's a

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<v Speaker 2>knife cutter and it cuts out the piece, but it

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<v Speaker 2>also can cut at different angles which allow us to

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<v Speaker 2>achieve a very strong folds that stay at a specific

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<v Speaker 2>angle while the piece is assembled. What I found in

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<v Speaker 2>this case was when I took these triangular shelves and

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<v Speaker 2>I laid them out on the flat sheets of material

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<v Speaker 2>for fabrication.

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<v Speaker 2>I was getting a ton of leftover wasted material cutoffs

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<v Speaker 2>is what they're called. I went back to the drawing board.

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<v Speaker 2>I calculated how much was being wasted. It was almost 30%.

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<v Speaker 2>And this was really unacceptable to me from this kind

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<v Speaker 2>of starting position that I want to create something with

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<v Speaker 2>maximum utility but minimum impact for the environment. So I

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<v Speaker 2>had to rethink the whole process for this generation of

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<v Speaker 2>the design.

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<v Speaker 2>And what I did is I kind of redesigned power.

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<v Speaker 2>The pieces were laid out in the flat sheet so

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<v Speaker 2>that the pieces that were left over were shapes that

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<v Speaker 2>were usable in the end. So I was able to

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<v Speaker 2>combine them together to make a stool. So an additional

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<v Speaker 2>piece of furniture,

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<v Speaker 1>I did see that very intricate layout of your designs.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you call this a blueprint?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, that's the cut sheet. So that's the file that

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<v Speaker 2>you send to the machine that

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<v Speaker 2>sit out. It's called the cut sheet. You know, in

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<v Speaker 2>the past, I've done research on using optimization to create

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<v Speaker 2>these cut sheets. So using an algorithm to do it.

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<v Speaker 2>But in this case, I did it largely manually where

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<v Speaker 2>I was moving these pieces around and looking at the

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<v Speaker 2>shapes that were generated and thinking. Yeah, this could make

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<v Speaker 2>a great stool. You know, maybe I can find another

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<v Speaker 2>piece that can fit into this. Did it

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<v Speaker 1>help that the fact that you're an architect who has

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<v Speaker 1>a sort of a unique perspective to envision structures in

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<v Speaker 1>a multidimensional way?

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe if I were to flatter myself on it. But no,

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<v Speaker 2>I think that this is something that everyone can engage with, right?

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<v Speaker 2>Is this idea that waste is an opportunity. If you're

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<v Speaker 2>doing any process in your business, at your home and

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<v Speaker 2>you're generating this waste that you're unhappy with. Don't just

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<v Speaker 2>assume that it's inevitable, but that's an opportunity to do

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<v Speaker 2>something else with that waste, that waste can become something new.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think that design training is great. Maybe it

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<v Speaker 2>can help you think through that. But I don't think

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<v Speaker 2>that we should say that this is something that only

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<v Speaker 2>designers should do. I think everyone can do this.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that's very encouraging. How easy or hard is it

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<v Speaker 1>to make them? Can we put it together?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. Ok. So from the beginning, I have designed this

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<v Speaker 2>furniture so anyone can assemble it.

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<v Speaker 2>The furniture is actually made with no glues and no fasteners.

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<v Speaker 2>I did this because I want it to be recyclable

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<v Speaker 2>at the end. Right? And if you're gluing things together

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<v Speaker 2>then like have to rip it apart and it's terrible

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<v Speaker 2>to recycle. So these are all designed with friction based

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<v Speaker 2>tab slot joints, which means if I give you the

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<v Speaker 2>pieces in about 10 minutes, you can fold it up

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<v Speaker 2>and slip the tabs together and

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<v Speaker 2>it holds together, it's quite strong.

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<v Speaker 1>So how much weight can cardboard actually

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<v Speaker 2>hold? Right? Ok. Well, so in this case, I'm using

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<v Speaker 2>something that's pretty thick. It's 1.6 centimeters thick and it

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<v Speaker 2>can hold the weight of a person sitting on it easily, comfortably.

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<v Speaker 2>So that was the kind of test for me, right?

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<v Speaker 2>Is I want this when somebody who doesn't know what's

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<v Speaker 2>going on shows up and like

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<v Speaker 2>on this is not going to collapse and has passed

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<v Speaker 2>that test multiple times already.

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<v Speaker 1>Ok. So let's talk about durability and maintenance. What happens

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<v Speaker 1>if I let's say accidentally spill something on it, what

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<v Speaker 1>would happen? Ok.

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<v Speaker 2>This was also a big worry for me and actually

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<v Speaker 2>brought in a second material to handle this, right? Because

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<v Speaker 2>when you have these temporary events, you have a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of people running through. If it's an open house, it's

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<v Speaker 2>an exhibition.

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<v Speaker 2>They always have a cup of coffee and some percentage

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<v Speaker 2>is always going to spill that cup of coffee. So

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<v Speaker 2>in this case, I selected another material that was waterproof.

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<v Speaker 2>So there's a cardboard top surface and then on top

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<v Speaker 2>of that, I have a recycled pe t felt sheet.

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<v Speaker 2>It's

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<v Speaker 2>recyclable, right? It's a plastic, extremely resistant to any kind

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<v Speaker 2>of scuffing or tearing or bending in a way that

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<v Speaker 2>the cardboard isn't and it's also waterproof.

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<v Speaker 1>And of course, we are living in a humid place

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<v Speaker 1>like Singapore. How long can these furniture

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<v Speaker 2>last? Yeah, I don't know. You know, the first ones

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<v Speaker 2>that I built in December 2019, they're still around. We

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<v Speaker 2>should probably set a lifespan for them. I think four

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<v Speaker 2>years is probably reaching the maximum life span pretty soon,

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<v Speaker 2>but it's surprisingly durable. It's exceeded my expectations, which is

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<v Speaker 2>exciting and interesting. But, you know, I think we have

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<v Speaker 2>to be realistic as well. It's cardboard furniture and it

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<v Speaker 2>can take a certain amount of use, it can take

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<v Speaker 2>a certain amount of disassembly and reassembly. But after a

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<v Speaker 2>certain point, it does reach the end of its life,

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<v Speaker 2>then we can recycle it again. We need to responsibly

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<v Speaker 2>recycle it.

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<v Speaker 1>So Peter, let's talk about the aesthetics. How do you

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<v Speaker 1>approach making furniture look good when it's all recycled materials?

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah. So the material that I'm using has recycled content

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<v Speaker 2>in it but it's remanufactured. So it looks like a

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<v Speaker 2>new material. It's not something that is reused from a

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<v Speaker 2>previous application. What's the aesthetic for this? I think that

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<v Speaker 2>what I would love is for a design that when

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<v Speaker 2>people see it,

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<v Speaker 2>they respond to it as something that is telling a

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<v Speaker 2>sustainability story, they look at it and they say, oh,

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<v Speaker 2>I can see this is made from cardboard and also

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<v Speaker 2>I can see how this cardboard joint works.

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<v Speaker 2>And maybe then they can ask, you know, why is

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<v Speaker 2>it cardboard or can I take this apart? Can I

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<v Speaker 2>have a relationship that's more interactive with it than just

0:10:57.270 --> 0:11:00.570
<v Speaker 2>looking at it and saying table, maybe that's more than

0:11:00.580 --> 0:11:03.988
<v Speaker 2>just an aesthetic or different from the anesthetic. But yeah,

0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:06.409
<v Speaker 2>that's my goal is when you look at the construction,

0:11:06.419 --> 0:11:09.049
<v Speaker 2>you start learning the story about this object and maybe

0:11:09.059 --> 0:11:11.849
<v Speaker 2>it helps you understand what is sustainability or what sustainability

0:11:11.859 --> 0:11:12.169
<v Speaker 2>can be.

0:11:12.244 --> 0:11:15.325
<v Speaker 1>Who does this sort of work appeal to? You said

0:11:15.335 --> 0:11:17.505
<v Speaker 1>the reaction's been great so far.

0:11:17.515 --> 0:11:20.625
<v Speaker 2>I think that there's interest in terms of any kind

0:11:20.635 --> 0:11:23.244
<v Speaker 2>of application where it's got a shorter lifespan or a

0:11:23.255 --> 0:11:25.965
<v Speaker 2>lot of turnover or a lot of change. So this

0:11:25.974 --> 0:11:28.944
<v Speaker 2>isn't necessarily just at events, but it could also be

0:11:28.955 --> 0:11:32.465
<v Speaker 2>for people that are living short term in a rental

0:11:32.474 --> 0:11:35.104
<v Speaker 2>space or have a new apartment or something

0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:39.239
<v Speaker 2>and are interested to have some kind of quick, easy

0:11:39.250 --> 0:11:42.250
<v Speaker 2>furniture that they can assemble and use. So I think

0:11:42.260 --> 0:11:44.919
<v Speaker 2>there's interest in this, I think it's definitely a possibility

0:11:45.239 --> 0:11:47.950
<v Speaker 2>and there's also some risk with that too though because

0:11:47.960 --> 0:11:50.440
<v Speaker 2>I think that you have to watch out for it

0:11:50.450 --> 0:11:52.939
<v Speaker 2>becoming something that's seen as disposable.

0:11:53.349 --> 0:11:56.020
<v Speaker 2>You know, a big issue in the furniture industry, like

0:11:56.030 --> 0:11:59.520
<v Speaker 2>the fashion industry is fast furniture. This idea that cheap

0:11:59.530 --> 0:12:02.539
<v Speaker 2>furniture is so cheap that you have it for a

0:12:02.549 --> 0:12:04.210
<v Speaker 2>year or less than a year and you throw it

0:12:04.219 --> 0:12:07.089
<v Speaker 2>away afterwards. It generates a huge amount of waste. I

0:12:07.099 --> 0:12:09.299
<v Speaker 2>think even more serious than the fabrication waste that we

0:12:09.309 --> 0:12:10.289
<v Speaker 2>were talking about earlier.

0:12:10.799 --> 0:12:15.460
<v Speaker 2>So as designers, we have an ability to influence that

0:12:15.469 --> 0:12:18.419
<v Speaker 2>a bit. I think the fact that I'm making furniture

0:12:18.429 --> 0:12:20.579
<v Speaker 2>out of paper doesn't mean that I want it to

0:12:20.590 --> 0:12:23.179
<v Speaker 2>be used irresponsibly. And I hope the fact that it

0:12:23.190 --> 0:12:25.979
<v Speaker 2>can be reused, that it can be used for multiple

0:12:25.989 --> 0:12:28.849
<v Speaker 2>functions that it's easily assemble and disassemble

0:12:28.924 --> 0:12:31.924
<v Speaker 2>will encourage people to keep it longer. In theory, you

0:12:31.934 --> 0:12:34.385
<v Speaker 2>want to look at that whole life cycle of the object.

0:12:34.395 --> 0:12:35.825
<v Speaker 2>And really think it through carefully,

0:12:35.835 --> 0:12:40.174
<v Speaker 1>let's talk about commercializing this idea. How much are we

0:12:40.184 --> 0:12:42.075
<v Speaker 1>talking about in terms of cost? Well,

0:12:42.085 --> 0:12:44.205
<v Speaker 2>the design. So one I think, I think the material

0:12:44.215 --> 0:12:46.945
<v Speaker 2>is extremely affordable. The fabrication

0:12:47.270 --> 0:12:51.200
<v Speaker 2>is fast with this digital cutting machine, it can happen

0:12:51.210 --> 0:12:53.348
<v Speaker 2>almost anywhere. You know, you don't need a massive factory

0:12:53.359 --> 0:12:55.880
<v Speaker 2>to do it. So it's something that in theory could

0:12:55.890 --> 0:12:59.549
<v Speaker 2>be fabricated in many sites around the world. I think

0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:02.280
<v Speaker 2>that a lot of sustainable design has what we call

0:13:02.289 --> 0:13:05.580
<v Speaker 2>the green premium. This idea that you can get a

0:13:05.590 --> 0:13:09.809
<v Speaker 2>normal product or object service or you can get the

0:13:09.820 --> 0:13:13.570
<v Speaker 2>sustainable version, which is 20% more expensive or two times

0:13:13.580 --> 0:13:15.609
<v Speaker 2>more expensive. Sometimes it's really a lot

0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:19.039
<v Speaker 2>and oftentimes what you're getting in return for paying that

0:13:19.049 --> 0:13:22.289
<v Speaker 2>premium is intangible. But it's because I selected the most

0:13:22.299 --> 0:13:26.349
<v Speaker 2>sustainable material that I could find it's actually more affordable. Wonderful. Wow,

0:13:26.359 --> 0:13:30.140
<v Speaker 2>that's exciting. And also on top of that extra bit

0:13:30.150 --> 0:13:33.728
<v Speaker 2>of sustainability that's added to it isn't invisible anymore, right?

0:13:33.739 --> 0:13:35.719
<v Speaker 2>You can see it, it's tangible, you can touch it

0:13:35.729 --> 0:13:38.119
<v Speaker 2>and feel it interact with it. That's also really exciting

0:13:38.130 --> 0:13:39.699
<v Speaker 2>for a sustainable product is

0:13:40.219 --> 0:13:44.010
<v Speaker 2>you can kind of physically experience that sustainability. I think

0:13:44.020 --> 0:13:47.840
<v Speaker 2>that going forward thinking projective about sy architecture in the future,

0:13:47.849 --> 0:13:49.530
<v Speaker 2>that's what we want for architecture as well. That's what

0:13:49.539 --> 0:13:51.929
<v Speaker 2>we want for our built environment. Is that

0:13:52.190 --> 0:13:55.189
<v Speaker 2>sustainable building is the most affordable building right. It's a

0:13:55.200 --> 0:13:57.510
<v Speaker 2>no brainer that you want to do the sustainable building.

0:13:57.520 --> 0:14:00.270
<v Speaker 2>It makes business sense as well. And not only that,

0:14:00.280 --> 0:14:03.709
<v Speaker 2>but it's this wonderful experience where you can touch this

0:14:03.719 --> 0:14:06.989
<v Speaker 2>building and say, wow, this is sustainable. This is from

0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:10.530
<v Speaker 2>a responsible source. It's a passive design. I can feel

0:14:10.539 --> 0:14:13.090
<v Speaker 2>it and I have this enjoyment of the object because

0:14:13.349 --> 0:14:15.159
<v Speaker 2>it is sustainable actually. And

0:14:15.169 --> 0:14:19.260
<v Speaker 1>Peter you are not alone in this sustainable furniture game.

0:14:19.429 --> 0:14:22.090
<v Speaker 1>There are those who are making furniture out of discarded

0:14:22.099 --> 0:14:26.450
<v Speaker 1>chopsticks or sofas, made of discarded clothes or a cabinet

0:14:26.460 --> 0:14:29.109
<v Speaker 1>made of scrap timber and so on. So as an

0:14:29.119 --> 0:14:32.369
<v Speaker 1>architect and also sustainability advocate, how do you see the

0:14:32.380 --> 0:14:34.289
<v Speaker 1>future of furniture evolving? I

0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:39.599
<v Speaker 2>think that the real future trend for sustainable furniture is

0:14:39.609 --> 0:14:42.890
<v Speaker 2>in terms of transparency in supply chain

0:14:43.169 --> 0:14:45.729
<v Speaker 2>so that you buy a furniture and like a piece

0:14:45.739 --> 0:14:47.549
<v Speaker 2>of furniture and like a piece of clothing or an

0:14:47.559 --> 0:14:49.960
<v Speaker 2>article of clothing, there's a tag on it and that

0:14:49.969 --> 0:14:52.460
<v Speaker 2>tag allows you to understand where it was made, what

0:14:52.469 --> 0:14:56.070
<v Speaker 2>it's made from? What's the carbon footprint of those materials?

0:14:56.080 --> 0:14:57.929
<v Speaker 2>You know how much transport was required to bring it

0:14:57.940 --> 0:14:58.640
<v Speaker 2>to where you are?

0:14:59.219 --> 0:15:02.409
<v Speaker 2>I think that that is an increasing trend with a

0:15:02.419 --> 0:15:05.390
<v Speaker 2>lot of building materials. I think in the eu environmental

0:15:05.400 --> 0:15:09.309
<v Speaker 2>product declarations are now required for public procurement at least.

0:15:09.330 --> 0:15:12.820
<v Speaker 2>So there's regulatory pressure in certain parts of the world

0:15:12.830 --> 0:15:15.200
<v Speaker 2>for this to happen. I think consumers are also really

0:15:15.210 --> 0:15:17.820
<v Speaker 2>interested in this as well. What is this time bringing

0:15:17.830 --> 0:15:19.599
<v Speaker 2>to my house and what has it done to the

0:15:19.609 --> 0:15:21.130
<v Speaker 2>world to reach me? So where

0:15:21.140 --> 0:15:22.719
<v Speaker 1>are we in the process right now? Are we

0:15:22.820 --> 0:15:24.840
<v Speaker 1>the baby step phase or,

0:15:24.849 --> 0:15:27.260
<v Speaker 2>you know, I think that we've just passed through a

0:15:27.270 --> 0:15:28.979
<v Speaker 2>baby step phases and I think that we're going to

0:15:28.989 --> 0:15:32.789
<v Speaker 2>be taking big steps soon from a personal standpoint. When

0:15:32.799 --> 0:15:35.479
<v Speaker 2>I was working on this furniture, I wanted to know

0:15:35.669 --> 0:15:38.000
<v Speaker 2>what's the carbon footprint of the material that I'm getting.

0:15:38.330 --> 0:15:41.239
<v Speaker 2>And when I was first starting, it was quite hard

0:15:41.250 --> 0:15:44.419
<v Speaker 2>to find materials where there was declared numbers for carbon

0:15:44.429 --> 0:15:47.590
<v Speaker 2>footprint for the environmental product declaration. But as I've been

0:15:47.599 --> 0:15:50.250
<v Speaker 2>working on this for four years, it will be five

0:15:50.260 --> 0:15:50.760
<v Speaker 2>years soon.

0:15:51.090 --> 0:15:55.010
<v Speaker 2>That information is becoming increasingly available. There's also really interesting

0:15:55.020 --> 0:15:58.059
<v Speaker 2>developments like software that now allows us to create our

0:15:58.070 --> 0:16:01.460
<v Speaker 2>own environmental product declarations for our products, right? Like analysis

0:16:01.469 --> 0:16:04.200
<v Speaker 2>software that almost anyone can use and it allows you

0:16:04.210 --> 0:16:07.070
<v Speaker 2>to declare I made this furniture. But look, this is

0:16:07.080 --> 0:16:09.750
<v Speaker 2>third party verified. This is the carbon footprint of this

0:16:09.760 --> 0:16:10.710
<v Speaker 2>design that I made.

0:16:11.159 --> 0:16:13.460
<v Speaker 2>So just like a few things like that, I think

0:16:13.469 --> 0:16:15.960
<v Speaker 2>really grease the wheel and hopefully has a snowball

0:16:15.969 --> 0:16:19.070
<v Speaker 1>effect. Any other cool alternative materials that you see?

0:16:20.270 --> 0:16:24.169
<v Speaker 2>So, OK, folded paper, great, very sustainable. Uh I have

0:16:24.179 --> 0:16:27.400
<v Speaker 2>a colleague, Carlos Bon at SUTD who creates designs out

0:16:27.409 --> 0:16:32.940
<v Speaker 2>of 3D printed, recycled plastic, even including ocean plastic, amazing

0:16:32.950 --> 0:16:36.950
<v Speaker 2>work and really cool sustainability concept. We also have a

0:16:36.960 --> 0:16:38.419
<v Speaker 2>group at SUTD that works

0:16:38.520 --> 0:16:41.929
<v Speaker 2>with textiles which are custom fabricated textiles that can be

0:16:42.039 --> 0:16:45.950
<v Speaker 2>knitted into any form or configuration and strengthened in specific ways.

0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:49.130
<v Speaker 2>And this is really materially efficient because you can have

0:16:49.140 --> 0:16:52.580
<v Speaker 2>this very thin membrane that you strengthen in very strategic

0:16:52.590 --> 0:16:57.539
<v Speaker 2>points that can create enclosures or furniture or artwork. So

0:16:57.549 --> 0:17:00.239
<v Speaker 2>those are two areas that I think are really important

0:17:00.250 --> 0:17:03.549
<v Speaker 2>on the horizon as well for sustainable furniture and sustainable design,

0:17:03.559 --> 0:17:05.780
<v Speaker 2>3d printing with recycled materials

0:17:06.069 --> 0:17:08.069
<v Speaker 2>and digital textiles as well.

0:17:08.079 --> 0:17:11.399
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, fascinating stuff. Sounds very promising, Peter. Thank you so

0:17:11.410 --> 0:17:14.489
<v Speaker 1>much for coming in. Shedding light on this very innovative

0:17:14.500 --> 0:17:16.930
<v Speaker 1>world of sustainable furniture design.

0:17:16.939 --> 0:17:18.729
<v Speaker 2>Thanks so much for inviting me. It's been a great pleasure.

0:17:20.369 --> 0:17:23.739
<v Speaker 1>Special thanks to my guest, Peter and to our listeners.

0:17:23.749 --> 0:17:26.738
<v Speaker 1>We hope you enjoyed this episode. The team behind this

0:17:26.749 --> 0:17:33.058
<v Speaker 1>podcast is Tiffany Sn Joanne Chan and Christina Robert. Till

0:17:33.068 --> 0:17:35.498
<v Speaker 1>next week, I'm Julie Yu signing off.