Our world of cheap, disposable hosuehold goods is a sad state of affairs. Think about it. You buy, say, a new toaster, which lasts maybe three years before kicking the bucket. It’s probably not hard to fix but it’s easier to buy another cheap one, so you get rid of it (hopefully at an electronics recycler). And on it goes.
French product designer Gaspard Tiné-Berè intercedes in this ludicrous cycle with a project called Short Circuit, in which he creates new kitchen appliances from the working electronic components of old ones, along with recycled glass and cork:
Cheap household appliances such as kettles, coffee makers or toasters, are typical of goods that are thrown away while in perfect working order. But, even when damaged, the electrical components unlike the casing are easily fixable; therefore, landfill sites are increasingly becoming sources of viable and perfectly working complex electrical and electronic components. Moreover, these same components represent a major waste problem, due to their composite and toxic nature.
Cork is one of the of the world’s great sustainable design materials, with water-resistant, anti-bacterial, and insulating properties that make it a perfect fit for kitchenware. It’s also highly renewable and doesn’t require a mould for shaping.
The glass is factory seconds and Gaspard uses common pieces such as wine bottles and chemistry beakers that are easy to find and replace if they break.
The beautiful, functional, and sustainable Short Circuit collection presents a great blueprint for future product design. Allons-y Gaspard!
(via It’s Nice That)