ONE TILE, ONE DAY

Abstract: In this project I have created a practical, decorative and educational system of HDPE tiles and connections as a material for walls and floors in climate-smart housings. In doing so, I want to send a message about changing the perception of plastic as a disposable material and minimize the amount of plastic that ends up in the wrong places. To make the message credible, I analysed politics, arts and different areas of a circular economy. One problem is that most plastics are made from fossil fuels and are used for disposable products. Another problem is that 8 million tons of plastic are released into the ocean every year. When plastics end up in nature or oceans, it contributes to climate change and affects the environment and ecosystems. By researching exciting problems, solutions, insights and production methods, I was able to make decisions about the project that consider a minimum waste of plastics. The result is a system of modular and versatile HDPE tiles and connections for walls and floors. The production of the tiles considers different aspects of a circular economy, by using waste as a resource, as a production method and enable material recovery (once end of life) by avoiding binding fixtures. Each tile, by its weight, represents one day of plastic consumption by one person. The tiles can be combined in quantity to illustrate days, weeks or years (depending on space) to create a strong message. A tile with written message ”ONE TILE, ONE DAY” can be added. The system of plastic tiles and connections won’t change the world, I strongly believe politicians should set up frameworks and regulations so that a circular economy is favoured. Yet, I still believe my project can tell about our contemporary and hopefully encourage to recycle and minimize the amount of plastics that ends up in the wrong places – to come a bit closer to a future with zero-waste.