Lettuce fight the war on waste

Lettuce fight the war on waste

An industrial design graduate who repurposed scrap lettuce leaves to make biodegradable plates was a winner at the 2019 Victorian Design Challenge.

maddison ryder with the lettuce plate Maddison Ryder with the Lettuce Eat plate.

Bachelor of Industrial Design (Honours) graduate Maddison Ryder’s ‘Lettuce Eat’ project was the winner in the Tertiary category at the Victorian Design Challenge, held at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) on Tuesday.

Teams from three different categories presented a live pitch in front of host Craig Reucassel from ABC’s War on Waste to determine which designer provided the best solution to reduce, recover or eliminate waste.

Ryder’s project was developed as part of her final-year thesis.

She said she was inspired to develop a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics after watching the ABC War on Waste program.

“Via the program I heard how much food waste there is every year in Australia, so I wanted to find a solution.”

Ryder said the project had potential for a commercial future and that she’d already received interest for funding to continue research into developing the project.

“At the moment producing a plate is a very labour-intensive process. It takes a few days to produce a plate. But with more development we’ll be able to rethink the product for commercial production.”

Producing the plates involved collecting raw lettuce scraps from a supermarket, and then putting these through a process of drying, mixing and rolling to be turned into workable sheets.

These were then cut into shape using a laser cutter from the Exertion Games Lab at RMIT and coated with a mix of linseed oil and beeswax before being ready for use.

Maddison Ryder interviewed by ABC Maddison Ryder interviewed by ABC in the Exertion Games Lab at RMIT.

Ryder said her studies in the School of Design gave her the broad range of skills she needed to tackle real-world design problems.

“The ability to think out of the square and see the broad picture is so important. You have to be able to look at every angle of the product and see more than one opportunity,” she said.

Her advice for those wanting to help combat waste was that every little bit counts.

“Things like recycling properly, like rinsing out your recycling so it’s not contaminated. If we all make these small changes, it’ll allow us to create better systems and we’ll be able to support more sustainable products,” she said.

The ‘Lettuce Eat’ project was also featured in the Welcome to Wasteland exhibition as part of Melbourne Design Week, which challenged exhibitors to create everyday items from waste.

Other projects in the exhibition included a plate made from animal blood and furniture made from coffee.

Welcome to Wasteland and the Victorian Design Challenge are part of Melbourne Design Week 2019, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.

 

Story: Jasmijn van Houten

20 March 2019

Share

20 March 2019

Share

  • Alumni
  • Awards
  • Design
Engage

Related News

Screenshot from “We breath underwater” by Vigo

Creative video works envision inclusive futures for Arts Centre Melbourne initiative

Artworks by RMIT students have been selected to feature in Alter State, a disability-led arts initiative celebrating Deaf and Disabled artists, creativity and culture.

5 people standing together in front of wooden wall

How stories and poetry are reconnecting cultures across the Asia-Pacific

A series of events in Melbourne this October bring together First Nations and non-Indigenous writers, poets and scholars from across the Asia-Pacific.

streaming-1220x732.jpg

What does Australian film and TV look like after nearly ten years of streaming?

RMIT University brings together researchers and screen industry to look at changes in our film and TV audience habits, streaming strategies, and policy recommendations.

laurene-vaughan-thumbnail.png

Design expert joins RMIT Europe

Professor Laurene Vaughan, a practising designer, researcher and educator, has joined RMIT’s European Innovation Hub in the role of Research Director.

Show more
aboriginal flag
torres strait flag

Acknowledgement of Country

RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

More information