Leveraging on the usage of discarded industrial cling wrap, Lunar is a series of light vessels that preserves the crinkled texture naturally created during the packaging process.

Individual sheets of cling wrap are carefully layered and heat compressed in an industrial oven, whereupon they are shaped and ironed to seal the edges together.In doing so, this creates a sensuous silhouette which both frames and celebrates the material's lightness and transformation.

Motivation: Transforming Trash to Treasure

Industrial waste is a prevalent problem in our world today. In the plastic industry alone, it is estimated that 22-43 percent of plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills, where approximately 10-20 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans annually. Industrial waste causes environmental pollution, where it blights communities, takes up valuable space, and affecting marine and wildlife.

A major contributor to this issue is industrial cling wrap - commonly used to package and compact commercial goods during shipping and delivery, where after each use is often discarded and rarely recycled.We wanted to challenge this perception of industrial waste - to be looked at as materials of potential, rather than simply industrial waste to be recycled and discarded.

Lunar is an embodiment of this idea: a series of light vessels created from discarded industrial cling wrap.

Transformation Of Material

Post-use industrial cling wrap maintains a unique crinkled texture created naturally after the packaging process. By heat compressing multiple layers of this crinkled industrial cling wrap together at a specific temperature and pressure, we managed to transform it into a unique material that not only maintains the properties of plastic, but also preserves its unique texture prior to the transformation.

To highlight its distinct potential, lunar was created as a series of light diffusing fixtures. However, there are bigger possibilities: retaining the properties of plastic makes it ideal for use as a material source in existing furniture and products. This makes it scalable as a competitive material of choice.

Challenges Current Product Cycle Conventions

Conventional product cycles usually consist of the introduction of new materials, which results in their disposal and becoming industrial waste. Lunar challenges this convention by reusing and reintroducing waste material as the new source in current product cycle ecosystems.

This not only creates a sustainable product by tapping directly into the current ecosystem, but also emphasises on the potential industrial waste has as an existing material source.

Tinkering Process

The process of making the material from industrial waste is inspired from thermoforming: individual sheets of cling wrap are carefully layered and heat compressed in an industrial oven between two metal plates, creating a sheet of the ideal material.

This material can then be laser cut and shaped, and reapplication of heat and pressure allows the bonding of separate layers together. Lunar's lighting fixtures are created through this process, creating a sensuous silhouette which both frames and celebrates the material's lightness and transformation.