Hasta La Ideas

Greek designer Savvas Laz used pieces of styrofoam packaging discarded in dumpsters to create this sculptural chair that aims to raise awareness of packaging waste.

The Athens-based designer developed the Trashformers project in response to the amount of waste packaging that is generated in his home city.

“There are no proper recycling facilities here in Greece,” Laz told Dezeen, “so I thought about collecting this trash and turning it into functional objects that give it another value.”

Laz wanted to highlight the issues caused by packing items made from a disposable material that has no value after its initial use and is therefore typically discarded by the customer.

The designer collected examples of the moulded styrofoam blocks that are often used in combination with cardboard boxes to protect products and electronic goods such as televisions, fridges and washing machines.

By combining the styrofoam pieces in different compositions, Laz was able to convert the material gathered from the streets into unique objects including Trashformers chair.

The scavenged pieces of packaging are used as they are found, without any cuts or interventions. Laz designed the chair around the characteristics of the material, using it like Lego blocks to create an appropriate form.

The styrofoam is fixed together using polyurethane foam, before a layer of water-based resin mixed with powder, pigment and fibreglass is added to give the chair sufficient structural strength.

According to the designer, who is currently developing a collection of chairs, tables, lamps and objects using the same process, the main objective of the Trashformers project is to draw attention to the wastefulness of packaging.

“My project is not aiming to solve this environmental issue but it’s trying to make us think a little bit,” Laz added.

“The design industry is all about creating new materials, but for me it should also be about thinking about what happens to the materials that we trash, the leftovers.”

Laz, who graduated from the Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in Design for Luxury & Craftsmanship at Switzerland’s ÉCAL art school in 2017, previously created a collection of furniture that references bondage products and fetish wear.

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