Lately I have come across some interesting applications for conventional materials. Just to mention a few:

I received a packet last week and I tried to reuse the packaging chips that came with it for some domestic purpose. What a surprise when I realised they melted under water! they even somehow smelled of crisps…

 starch chips melting away

After some research I found out there is a wide range of packaging chips made of  vegetable starch in the market. It happens to be an envionmentally friendlier alternative to the plastic ones, also fulfilling the product requirements.

I didn’t know it, but bamboo is still used for scaffolding in many countries in South-East Asia, and even for skyscrapers. It is resistant, quick to assemble and disassemble and it also "tells you in advance" when it is going to crack down, not like steel structures (at least that is what its supporters say…).

Bamboo scaffolding in Singapore, bottom view

Well, bamboo is getting into a lot of new applications. You’ve probably heard about ASUS new nature friendly laptop; eventually only a part of the housing will be made of bamboo, but it was a nice try. There is a lot of other interesting approaches such as Amadana’s bamboo earphones, all kinds of speakers and modern crockery.

Adobe is basically a mixture of clay, sand and straw and it used to be a construction material for modest houses.  At some point it fell into disuse, being substituted for other materials, but now it has gained interest again mainly because of environmental reasons;

picture by Leto A.

Its good thermal and insulating properties (passive solar architecture).

It is a natural resource that goes back to nature at the end of the cycle (though I´ve discovered some new applications in which they mix it with asphalt).

Its manufacturing process is clean and simple.

It is usually a local resource, so minimum transportation is required.

A traditional local industry is revived.

When we design we are often limited by current conventions, and when it comes to material selection many of us designers tend to go for a safe choice. Experimenting with unconventional materials can turn into a nice new product. Here is an ICSID article that approaches the issue from a wider perspective.