Our relationship with waste and what is considered trash has been slowly changing out of necessity to rethink material sources and their planetary implications.

In 2014 in a report called Modesty Solutions I discussed tableware and lamps made from bacteria, in a new bid to redefine our relationship with the unthinkable: waste and microbes. Fast forward to 2020 and today, as our planet's resources diminish and our waste has the potential to become a prime design material, there is a growing number of innovative and creative solutions being hailed by emerging designers and more established brands. They transform waste into a playful tool rich with colour, texture and possibilities.

Being resourceful isn't new to all regions in the world. In Africa and India, designing from re-used materials is common practice, and something experts have called "Frugal innovation". The Western world has not embraced this since war times but this year, under systemic pressure during the pandemic, we saw hospitals use upcycled diving masks that had been hacked into respirators and sports brands create masks from factory available sneaker materials.

In this week's research diary we focus on trash and why it is one of the most important materials of the future. Discover the projects we have come across from pioneering make up artists, interior designers, fashion designers and writers using waste as their palette.