As always, there was a stunning array of design and homeware on display at Tent London this year. The only downside is coming away wanting to own everything in sight – they must be doing something right.
One of the stands that stood out was Smile Plastics. Not only do their recycled plastic panels come in beautiful colours and patterns, the differing appearance of each type is down to the waste stream it derives from. ‘Bottle’ pictured above is made from recycled plastic bottles and features beautiful flecks of colour that have the quality of a painting.
The handmade recycled plastic panels are made from 100% recycled plastic and are 100% recyclable. They can be used at any scale, be it for construction or for jewellery. ‘Yoghurt’ above, is made of waste from the manufacturing of yoghurt pots.
Smile Plastics also creates limited editions such as Explorer, a hybrid of recycled yoghurt pots and seed trays, launched at Milan Design Week 2016. But it’s not all about looks. The material feels smooth, warm and luxurious to touch. It’s hard to imagine that it’s made out of plastics that we throw away every day.
Blue Dapple (above) is made from offcuts and scrap from the manufacture of chopping boards. Blue veins are added during the recycling process.
Want to see some real life applications of this material? Go to the Smile Plastics gallery. Pictured above is a beautiful interior object by Margot Hamelin.
Stay tuned for more picks from London Design Fair 2016.
Images via Smile Plastics
