How can we responsibly build products from discarded materials?

The Need

Building new products is a big part of product design, but it's not without certain costs. A particularly large issue with mass produced objects is the environmental overhead that comes with it. First you have to gather raw materials. These raw materials are shipped in trucks or boats to factories where final products are manufactured. Those products are then shipped out to stores where they are purchased. A few months or years later, the product is thrown away and the cycle ends. 

The goal with Peck was to explore how I could make a product that leveraged this weakness in current supply chains by using materials that are undesirable and constructing something of high value from them. To gain insight into mass production of Peck, I would build a limited run of twenty and sell them at a local design shop.

Materials

As I searched for discarded raw materials I found that there are lots of materials that people throw away that are otherwise completely useable. In the case of these pan lids, the pans wear out much faster than the lids do. Consumers are left with a lid but no pan to accompany it and the lids are thrown away as a result. Upon further research I found that because the glass that is used in these lids is Pyrex and melts at higher temperatures than regular glass, it can't be recycled. Once the metal ring and the handle was removed, I found a unique and beautiful spherical section of glass that was incredibly durable.

Wine bottles are another raw material that has a short lifespan. By pulling bottles from recycling bins I was able to reduce the energy required to melt down the raw silica and form new bottles. 

Production

Form

The Peck bird feeder has been crafted with glass pot lids and white wine bottles. These two commonly discarded materials are often overlooked as viable post consumer materials. Both consistently outlive their primary use and both are consistently recycled or thrown away. When combined, they produce a beautiful bird feeder that will keep birds fed and look great doing it.