In this talk, Hydro [R100] designers Sabine and Stefan, Erika Ahlqvist from Hydro and moderator Gertrude van den Brink will discuss how it was to turn waste into tomorrow's design language and how they were able to express their design philosophies with recycled aluminium.
A showcase of hyper-local production
The Hydro [R100] project started with the harvesting of post-consumer aluminium from decommissioned greenhouses and light poles in the Eindhoven area. Turning locally sourced aluminium scrap into design objects showcases urban mining in practice, and the exhibition features new works from designers Sabine Marcelis, Keiji Takeuchi, Cecilie Manz, Daniel Rybakken and Stefan Diez. Each design object is brought to life within a self-imposed limit of a 100-km production radius in the Benelux region.
By making products entirely from post-consumer aluminium, the emissions from the production of the material are drastically reduced, and this has allowed Hydro to shift its attention to transportation emissions.
The main hypothesis was that the 100-km radius would result in a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions related to transportation while also potentially reducing lead times and increasing efficiency.
The hypothesis held true. Comparing transportation emissions with last yearβs project, the [R100] project shows a staggering 90% reduction in carbon emissions from transportation.
About Hydro
Hydro employs 1,200 people across nine locations in the Netherlands and Belgium, including five extrusion plants, three recycling units, a Building Systems hub, Hydro Pole Products, mechanical and surface treatment facilities, and administrative offices in Rotterdam and Brussels.