The circular economy comes to hospitality with Zero Waste Bistro where food and waste management, as well as water efficiency, is paramount.
February 21st, 2019
The Scandinavians have done it again! Commissioned by the Finnish Cultural Institute in New York as part of the NYCxDesign program, the Zero Waste Bistro breathed new life into the largely oversaturated sustainability conversation.
Co-curated by Harri Koskinen and Linda Bergroth, and designed by Bergroth, the pop-up restaurant focused on new material innovations and making sustainable design cool again. Guests walked into a mottled silver-blue space composed of Durat panels made from recycled Tetra Pack – a packaging material commonly used for milk cartons. Durat is a unique, sustainable solid surface material that contains recycled plastic and is 100 per cent recyclable. The whole concept behind the four-day project was to pop-up and disappear without a trace. The Zero Waste Bistro managed to achieve this in every conceivable way, including the completely repulpable coffee cups by Koktamills. From the long communal dining table, which has since been rehomed to The Cooper Hewitt Museum garden. The construction materials themselves, such as the Durat panels have been donated and given another life.
The Finnish company has been pioneering in the circular economy, minimising the need for virgin raw materials. As an additional nod to sustainable design through longevity, famed Finnish design brand Artek, known for its clean and minimalist pieces that last for generations, provided the furniture for the space (also now being reused). This project highlights through its careful materials selection and acute attention to detail just how easy (and cool) it can be to design sustainably for a circular economy.
–
Get design inspiration every week, join our mailing list. And read other stories about sustainability here.
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Create a configuration to suit your needs with this curved collection.
Savage Design’s approach to understanding the relationship between design concepts and user experience, particularly with metalwork, transcends traditional boundaries, blending timeless craftsmanship with digital innovation to create enduring elegance in objects, furnishings, and door furniture.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
A hair salon in the Japanese capital blends a language of metal and water in a distinctive, original design.
A hospitality venue in the heart of Osaka comprising four dining options – a place where nostalgic pastimes meet high-end dining.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Melbourne’s Wall to Wall festival has just taken place, transforming neglected urban spaces into vibrant hubs of creativity through large-scale mural works by renowned artists.
DKO’s Interior Design Director on how to create community and specificity in interior design, and how apartment living is being reconceptualised.
Welcome to the year of the Design Effect. This year’s theme aims to showcase the profound ripple effects that exceptional design can have on people, place and planet. Join in shaping this narrative by contributing your perspective before May 3, 2024, and become a part of the Design Effect movement.