Waste Coat
Outdoor Industry Waste Transformed into Outdoor Apparel
Individual Project
RISD Wintersession 2020
Discarded Retail Polybags, Snowboard Packaging
Waste Coat is a piece of outdoor apparel made solely from pre-existing outdoor apparel waste. This is a discursive piece made to promote awareness and conversation about the amount and types of waste created by the outdoor and sporting industries. As part of my thesis development I examined the many ways in which these industries negatively impact the planet, and while I am not suggesting that this exact methodology is a scalable solution, it has served as the tangible catalyst for many educational and empowering conversations.
Problem
Roughly 180 billion polybags are produced annually, almost all of which are destined for landfill. While these bags—used as protective covers during transportation of clothing—are in no way the most environmentally impactful component of the production and sale of clothing, they do have a significant environmental footprint. Personally, I find polybags an especially interesting opportunity for a sustainably-motivated design intervention in both fast and slow fashion. (Source)
Material Use Precedents
Industry Material Research
Concept Exploration
Jacket Design
Material Process
Unaltered Poly Bags
Heat-Pressed Poly Bag Sheet
Sewn Poly Bag Sheets
