Glasstromen

Design agency KUYCKXMEERS carried out research into the possibilities and uses of glass that is difficult or impossible to recycle by starting with a glass stream from the Lommel glass recycling company Maltha. The glass, which contains particles of ceramic, stone and porcelain, was crushed into a powder so that all the particles were dissolved again. The glass was transformed into a light, solid and easy to process material by means of a foaming process. The end result is Glasstromen [Glass Streams], a series of vases that can be ground again into powder to be foamed back into a new vase.

The jury on Glasstromen:

“These very aesthetic objects are designed from a sustainable perspective and have a surprising design.”

What does this award mean to you?

KUYCKXMEERS: Like any award, this is a token of appreciation for what you do or make.

How did the idea for this project come about?

KUYCKXMEERS: By participating in the BKRK Award #glas, our Glasstromen project was created. At KUYCKXMEERS, we are always carrying out research into how we can approach and design a product in a zero waste manner. On the one hand we do this by avoiding waste, and on the other by starting from a waste material. For this project, we investigated which glass streams are inferior and not recycled. For this, we came to the glass waste stream ‘KSP’ (glass with residues of ceramics, stone and porcelain). Through a series of foam experiments, our collection of vases was created.

What makes the project so special?

KUYCKXMEERS: The special thing about our project is that every object is unique. Some parameters are controllable such as height, colour and density. The organic form language arises naturally. This is an uncontrollable process. We let the material speak for itself instead of trying to force it into a shape.