Eight possible approaches in help people reduce their use of non-recyclable plastics
devised by International Management and Design Innovation Nadysa Nawardin
International Management and Design Innovation Nadysa Nawardin has looked at how to get people to ditch the plastic, particularly one use, unrecyclable plastics. The Indonesian student is particularly aware of the issue of discarded plastics as she lives close to the sea.
“As a human-centred design discipline, design innovation’s focus is on people – what they do, how they do things, why and when they seek to engage with the world around them through private or public sector services,” explains Nadysa
“Trying to force people to change habits can often produce a backlash, so it is important to create a “supportive environment” – one where people can be encouraged to cut back on plastics.”
Identifying one the most obvious places where we acquire plastics, Nadysa looked at what might be done in supermarkets to help change buying behaviour, and proposed a number of possible approaches.
“The Supermarket offers a supportive environment and it is one where include knowledge and information regarding plastic waste can be shared, and using that knowledge giving people option to choose,” she adds
Among the approaches tested were using images of people disapproving of plastic in the supermarket; improving the recycling information by including the amount of plastic in your shopping on till receipts; a plastic container donation scheme and a packaging deposit scheme. The approach most likely to be a success is to Separate out produce in recyclable and non-recyclable containers in the supermarket so people can choose.
“People really seem to like this idea,”says Nadysa. “It’s because they want a more direct solution and it particularly helps for people who are not aware of the alternatives that already exist out there
Images: from Serious Games Master’s student, Ibari Abani’s Climate change project
Meanwhile, Serious Games Master’s student, Ibari Abani has used transmedia story-telling to look at climate activism.
“Climate activism is going mainstream and more and more institutions are making official declarations of climate emergency,” explains Ibari. “The focus of my project was to design and implement a transmedia game to try and drive policy change within The Glasgow School of Art”
“Higher Education institutions have a responsibility to prepare students for a future now undoubtedly affected by climate change. As such, their policies should reflect sustainable practices.”
“Before this project, I was a person who thought they knew about the issue of climate change. I heard about the seas rising, had felt the summers get hotter each year, and had taken the plastic straw ban very seriously. I thought I knew enough. I wasn’t even scratching the surface.”
The game that Ibari has designed asks player to imagine that in 2010, students at The Glasgow School of Art attempted to set up a ‘people’s assembly’ where they could discuss the topic of climate change. Having uncovered a poster from 2010 about one of the ‘assembly’ meetings, this leads players on a journey through the experience from the perspective of two students who were a part of the assembly.
Through a collection of voice notes, tweets, and posters left by students players get a tangible sense of destruction climate change has brought about.
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| Flexible designs by Fashion and Textiles Design student, Anya Aldred |
Fashion Design student, Anya Aldred, has addressed sustainability throughout her design studies both as an undergraduate (at Kingston University) and postgraduate at The Glasgow School of Art.
Her Masters of Fashion & Textile Design collection is inspired by celebrated former socialite Edith Bouvier Beale whose change in fortune led her to repurpose her old garments through knotting and wearing them in unconventional ways. The collection features four looks of multifunctional garments which can be worn in a plethora of different ways.
“Sustainability is very important to me,”says Anya. “My undergraduate Degree Show was all about celebrating mending and protecting clothing, and I have taken this a step further in my Master’s collection.”
“Both of my collections are about the issue we face at the moment in the fashion industry of people buying clothing and quickly and easily throwing it away to landfill.By creating garments which can be worn in many ways and by any gender I hope to encourage people to keep and wear them longer.”
The garments in Anya’s collection, which have been knitted on the GSA’s historic Industrial double bed (Dubied) machines, are fashioned from 100% Scottish pure wool made by Todd and Duncan, which is produced at Loch Leven and dyed using environmentally friendly dying process.
See these projects and more in Graduate Degree Show at The Glasgow School of Art from 23 – 29 August 2019. Architecture in the Bourdon Building (Garnethill), Design in the Reid Building (Garnethill) Fine Art in the Tontine Building (Merchant City) Innovation and Simulation & Visualisation in McLellan Galleries (Garnethill). Open daily: Mon – Thurs 10am – 8pm Sat – Sun 10am – 6pm. Entry free
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For further information, images and interviews contact:
Lesley Booth,
07799414474
press@gsa.ac.uk
@GSofAMedia