On 27 May, we announced the 85 nominees of the What Design Can Do No Waste Challenge. During the open call, creatives submitted ideas responding to at least one of three design briefs, each one tackling a different aspect of our take-make-waste economy. Participants applied to either the Global track or to specific city tracks aimed at finding solutions in Amsterdam, Delhi, México City, Nairobi, São Paulo & Rio and Tokyo.
Today, we take a closer look at the 5 outstanding projects nominated for the Tokyo track. Developed in collaboration with our partners in Japan, this track emphasized local perspectives on waste and was open to all participants designing from or for the region.
TAKE LESS
The following nominees responded to the first design brief, which focuses on the root causes that are fueling our waste problem. It suggests questions like: How can we consume more mindfully and inspire a shift in societal habits and values? Could design help us envision alternatives to buying and owning products?
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Plastic Sorting App: TiplaSUBMITTED BY: Wilson Ko (Japan) | STRATEGY: Communications, Services or systemsA mobile app that uses AI technology to help consumers sort plastic products for recycling. It also offers incentives to create awareness and reduce plastic consumption in the long term. This project is also tagged as Brief 3: Handle Smarter. |
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Golden Joinery GameSUBMITTED BY: Margreet Sweerts (Netherlands) | STRATEGY: Products, Services or systemsInspired by the Japanese art of Kintsugi, Golden Joinery is a fashion initiative that advocates for the beauty of repair. In the Golden Joinery game, players are invited to mend their broken garments with golden threads. |
MAKE BETTER
The following nominees responded to the second design brief, which focuses on reducing waste through rethinking how things are made and what they are made of. It suggests questions like: How can we encourage the use of more innovative and sustainable materials? Could we redesign the life cycles of products, so that they are more restorative and/or regenerative?
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Project “R”SUBMITTED BY: Yasuyuki Fukatsu (Japan) | STRATEGY: Communications, Products, Spaces, Services or SystemsAn upcycling centre and ‘living lab for sustainability’ inviting people to learn about circular design techniques and lifestyles. This project is also tagged as Brief 1: Take Less, and Brief 3: Handle Smarter. |
HANDLE SMARTER
The following nominees responded to the third design brief, which focuses on the so-called ‘end of the line’, and asks for creative ways to redraw it so that all waste is disposed of in a way that’s safe and sustainable. It suggests questions like: How can we better track and manage the different forms of waste we produce? Could we empower people to view and use waste as a resource?
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The only textile “ANOHI”SUBMITTED BY: Yumiko Kosugi (Japan) | STRATEGY: Products, Services or SystemsA project collecting fabric scraps from factories all over Japan and processing them into new and unique textile products. This project is also tagged as Brief 1: Take Less, and Brief 2: Make Better. |
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VegemeSUBMITTED BY: Kohei Mitsunami (Japan) | STRATEGY: Services or SystemsA full-circle composting initiative which collects food waste from schools and offices in Tokyo, converts it to fertiliser, then uses it to grow fresh produce for the community. |
WHAT’S NEXT?
Nominated teams now have the time to improve their submissions before the final jury review in July. Visit our platform for more information about the competition, award package, and to view all the nominees in our project gallery.