One of the world's major problems of the day is what to do with all the waste plastic. Throwing it into landfill is the old solution. We know that landfill sites are highly toxic to the environment, even years after they've been recovered. Down to earth methods take care of the environment and now we do our best to recycle things. Plastic only has so many uses, and once it's been formed and used, the number of things it can be used for is decreased further. Unlike glass, which can be smashed and ground into dust, plastic retains its shape. It has to be literally cut apart with blades and teeth in order to break it into small bits. These bits still retain their original shape, so the bits are made as small as possible. Flakes and tiny balls are common substances these days. Some types of plastic can be reshaped once warmed up, the material can melt and be bent or stuck together. Other types do not do this.


According to The Guardian, Lego intend to release new blocks made of recycled plastic within two years. The toy company have designed a new beige coloured block that's made from plastic recovered from plastic bottles. It's a simple 4 x 2 oblong that we've likely all played with. The block itself also contains additives to make it the same strength as regular pieces. Traditional Lego is made from plastic that likes to grab the surface when placed together. This is how the blocks stick so well but can still be easily pulled apart.


Getting this new recycled material to behave like normal Lego bricks has taken three-years of research. Many combinations of materials were used and tested to find the perfect match. A team of 150 scientists and engineers have been employed to continually find more sustainable and down to earth forms of their popular and useful product. There's no substitute for Lego when it comes to learning how to use your imagination and follow instructions, however the plastic they are made from needn't be a drain on the planet's resources.


It was in 2018 when the Danish brand moved into using recovered oil to make their bricks, putting a cork in the well once and for all. However, the amount of waste plastic in the environment is alarming so it was in everyone's best interests to go ahead and find out how to use it. Let's hope many more industries discover ways to fully utilise this abundant and durable material. If it can be turned into bricks for toy houses, how far is that from the real thing?

Locked up with no-where to go? Our daily walking has been a much needed respite during the pandemic. So we can't spend money at fancy places? There's so much more on offer. If you're lucky enough to live near a forest, a world of expression and adventure can be uncovered. A little bit of excitement and a dash of imagination can make any natural environment a magical place. Perhaps we look to the artists of the world to help make this a reality.


Hamburg's Jörg Gläscher is a keen photographer and artist. Combining his talents with hand-made natural sculpture and assemblage, Jörg Gläscher presents a series of images inspired by waves. As long as his creations are left alone, visitors will no-doubt find them and maybe take their own pictures. During the pandemic, the artist created a photo-journal titled C19,1-20. These woodland waves are a popular element of this wider work.


Called The Second Wave, after the dramatic return of infection rates since the initial closing of business, these stick assemblages are laid out in flowing lines that build and curve like waves on the ocean. Across the woodland glades of Hamburg, during the winter of 20/21, Jörg created nine waves made of dead-wood. These monuments of timber are intended to express to massive power of nature.


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Read an interview with Jörg Gläscher on Demilked.

If you know them, chances are it's a love-love relationship. Famous the world over, the Memphis Milano brand of design has divided opinion and set the scene for forty years. Their trademark style that stands out can be found everywhere, and their definitive ethos has been mirrored by many up-and-coming and established designers.


Memphis: 40 Years of Kitsch and Elegance has hit the Vitra Design Museum Gallery in Germany. It's here to stay, at least until January 23rd 22 anyway. As reported in Design Boom, visitors will become enthralled and submerged in the playful and conservatively exotic vibrancy of the show. All the things you'd expect like lamps, tables, and chairs will be there. Also, you'll find inside knowledge like sketches, photographs, and drawings. The entire spirit of the design house will be laid bare when you walk into the room.


Works exhibited in the 40 Years of Kitsch and Elegance include those by artists such as Ettore Sottsass, Michele de Lucchi, Martine Bedin, Michael Graves, Barbara Radice, Peter Shire, Nathalie du Pasquier, and Shiro Kuramata. What began in 1980/81 was a monumental shift away from the design ethic of the day. A group of young and intellectual visionaries decided to define the future. A love of functionality and conformity was shown the door and in came fresh ideas and new applications.


Ideally, the design concepts wanted to reinvent the idea of taste and function at the same time as making a home or space look and feel great. A side-step away from stuffy upright and flat, angular colours and novel traditions refresh the mind and its space. The design group had to work hard and were met with an uphill slope. Everything changed for them in 1982 when high-brow public figure and fashionisto Karl Lagerfeld chose Memphis Milano to furnish his flashy apartment in Monte Carlo.


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