Lamp
Bright Futures
A fully recyclable desk lamp based on advanced bio-composites.
Design + materials
This project is the starting point of a new way to design and develop products in which only environmentally friendly materials are used. “Identity 560” (designed by Jörn Behage) is the first fully recyclable product in which it is possible to go back to the initial molecules and use the recovered material for the next generation of products without losing any material performance.
The goal of this project is to develop a fully recyclable desk lamp made mainly of self-reinforced bio-composites based on polylactic acid (PLA). PLA is a natural polyester where it is possible to reverse the polymerization and bring the material back to its original building blocks. Because of these properties, the composite provides the possibility to use a fully recyclable material for the application in durable goods. Once the molecules are recovered in a recycling process, they can be re-used in a next generation of products without losing the original properties.
Below you find the first prototypes.
Inspiration
The concept of “Identity 560” combines local cultures with high-tech materials and design.
As a starting point, we looked at the mining industry in the south of the Netherlands. This is where Arapaha is located. This project intends to combine new technologies (hybrid PLA yarn-based composites) and create a local identity to which people of the region feel attracted to and familiarize with.
The original coal shovel transforms into a slim lampshade with OLED technology and the composite arm of the desk lamp is an analogy for coal. The glass base refers to the lights used in the mines.
The cool thing is, the same concept would look very different in other parts of the world. Every city, village, region has its own characteristics and history. The idea of “Identity” is an ever-changing project, eager to uncover identities all around the globe.
Partners + Manufacturing
This design is a collaboration with the Worth Project (EU) partnership.
To make recycling of PLA possible a substantial amount of post-consumer PLA is needed. To solve this problem cooperation between companies with different waste streams is needed to create enough input material for a recycling run. So, the success of recycling a desk lamp depends from other waste streams such as packaging (yoghurt cups…), textiles and foams, etc.
Present + Future
The “Identity 560” project is the starting point for a large collection of products. The “Identity” collection will be completed in the future with three other lamps: a desk lamp, a standing lamp and a ceiling lamp. We look forward to expanding the knowledge gained into further product development.