Tech Day 2022: Circular Biowaste Packaging

(Notice updated on March 16, 2022)

This year's Tech Day conference series, under the title 'Circular Biowaste Packaging', has emphasized design engineering, sustainable biodesign and experimentation as part of the creative process to envision and propose new environmentally friendly products in the packaging industry.

The conference has reflected on the use of biological systems in the packaging sector. To observe and exploit the potential of organic waste for the design of biomaterials that reinforce the circular design approach in the packaging sector. Consider sustainable perspectives in production systems to promote balance in the environment in a natural way. From industrial design engineering we can manage and incorporate knowledge and tools from different disciplines such as biology or biotechnology, in the process of materials selection, through practical experimentation, to propose sustainable alternatives to current production processes. 

The Tech Day is part of the programme of teaching activities of the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering, and the subject of Design and Product organizes annually a knowledge event focused on a particular topic. The aim is to offer a broad overview of all possible factors for the inspiration of new design proposals to students and professionals related to the subject.

The day has featured presentations by industry professionals, outstanding projects of Elisava Alumni, Master students and students of the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.
 

Programme

10 a.m. Access.

10.10 a.m. Introduction to the day:

• Oscar Tomico, Head of Studies Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.
• Jessica Fernández, Director of the Master in Industrial Design Engineering / Cap of the project area of the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.
• Javier Camino. Director of the Ateneu de Fabricació de Gràcia.

10.30 a.m. Remix el Barrio, Food Waste Biomaterial Makers / Anastasia Pistofidou, Marion Real

Anastasia is the co-founder of the FabTextiles research lab since 2013 and co-founder of Fabricademy, A new Textile and Technology Academy since 2017, a worldwide educational program that combines Digital Fabrication, Textiles and Biology in a 6 month intensive flexible program. She also works as a content curator for Fab Foundation and as a curator of the annual global exhibition: Digital Fashion and Wearables Showcase since 2014. She promotes open knowledge and sharing practices with various open publications in the field of material making, additive manufacturing, digital fabrication and sustainability.

11.10 a.m. Naifactory LAB / Joseán Vilar, Silvana Catazine

Joseán Vilar, Spanish architect and Silvana Catazine, Brazilian multidisciplinary designer, run Naifactory LAB, a creative studio/workshop based in Barcelona specialized in sustainable solutions applied to ephemeral architecture, installation design and craftsmanship with a special focus on the development of biomaterials and strategies for the implementation of circular economy principles.

Founded in 2008 they have worked for festivals such as Primavera Sound or Sonar Kids, in fairs such as Playtime Paris, Maison & Objet, Kline fabrik or Pitti Bimbo. Between 2012 and 2019 they develop a wide trajectory in Brazil where they make ephemeral installations for the São Paulo City Hall in events such as Virada cultural (2013, 2014, 2015, 2015, 2016, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019), fairs such as Opera, FIT or MADE. 

In 2019 they return to Barcelona and work for the MAC festival and for the Festival El Culturista. 

Naifactory LAB arises to research and develop biomaterials and since then they teach courses, workshops and seminars for universities such as IED, Elisava, ESDA, Dawrin (India) and participate in exhibitions such as Neomateria at MatterFad in Korea, Visionarias at Centro Etopía, they are selected to represent Catalonia at the Joya fair of crafts and contemporary jewelry, Materia Gris at the Centro Centro hall in Madrid or the Valencia Pavillion during the Madrid Design Festival. 

Together with the collective Remix el Barrio, of which they are part, they exhibit their work at the DissenyHub, Bozar in Brussels and now at the ARS Electrónica festival where the collective has just been awarded the S.T.A.R.T.'s Price prize.

11.45 a.m. Break.

12.00 p.m. "AGRO" by Berta Daina (Elisava Alumni)

Agro is a brand that generates products made with biomaterials from organic waste as a solution to food waste and as an alternative to synthetic materials. All this with the aim of raising public awareness to establish ethical and sustainable values as a way of life.

To this end, a Biomaterials Kit has also been designed, consisting of the necessary ingredients so that the user can make their own bioplastics at home. It is designed so that only water and organic waste need to be added. The fact that from home you can create a new material from waste gives rise to a change of mentality.

12.20 p.m. "PLUMA" by Marta Gómez Gispert, Laura Lorenzo Rivero and Valentina Masallera. (Students of the Master in Industrial Design Engineering)

Every year, in the European Union, the fishing industry generates 5.2 million tons of food waste. With the intention of reducing the impact, the Pluma project proposes a line of impermeable and biocompostable packaging derived from this organic waste. To this end, the design of a material that considers bone waste from the fishing sector as a raw material has been developed with the aim of replacing single-use plastic in the current fishing industry.

12.30 p.m. Round of questions. 

12.45 p.m. Dialogue and debate.

1.15 p.m. Presentation of students of the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering.

2.00 p.m. Final.