Top-flight design
Judging by a current example from the travel and transport sector, design is making a difference. "PriestmanGoode, a world-renowned design company, has developed a sustainable concept for airlines aimed at reducing cabin waste.
Every year, air travel generates tonnes of waste from meals, drinks and other single-use travel items, such as crockery, cutlery, headphones and comfort kits. Design studio PriestmanGoode is proposing a different way of looking at things.
Organised at London's Design Museum - a world-renowned museum focusing on contemporary architecture and design - the exhibition "Get Onboard: Reduce. Reuse. Rethink." by PriestmanGoode is based around a sustainable concept for airlines, designed to challenge not only the resources used on board planes and airports, but also our travel behaviour.
Form to serve weight and environmental awareness
In-flight catering underpins these product ideas. For the tray and crockery, the studio decided to use recyclable, edible and commercially compostable materials in a bid to save weight and reduce single-use plastics. For the lids, plastic is replaced by seaweed, banana leaves or sustainable materials with a waffle texture. Drinks and sauces are served in soluble seaweed capsules on a tray made from coffee grounds and lignin binders rather than in plastic cups.
The water supply is another priority. The design studio has developed a lightweight, compact multi-use water bottle for airlines - made from bioplastics and cork that are both biodegradable and compostable - with a view to reducing plastic waste before and during the flight.
In addition, PriestmanGoode is proposing to install fresh water distribution trolleys in the aircraft's galleys, so that passengers with their own water bottle can refuel.
The exhibition - which runs until 9 February 2020 - encourages people to understand their role in the problem of waste generated during a flight and to travel more responsibly. One person can make a difference when the means have been deployed. According to Jo Rowan, deputy strategy director at PriestmanGoode, "Design is about using creative thinking and problem solving to discover how to make things better, spare resources, minimise waste and encourage good consumer behaviour."
We can't wait to find out which airline will be the first to introduce this tray. To date, the design studio has worked with travel and transport brands including Airbus, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines. Although the exhibition is primarily focused on air travel, these ideas are applicable to all modes of transport within the travel sector. The designs are currently only prototypes, but the studio will continue to develop them in the future.
I regularly feature articles relating to the theme When form serves function. If you want to stay up to date, just follow me.
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.