FI B E R S
T HEM ED ENT ERTAINM ENT DESIGN
FIBERS
T HEM ED ENT ERTAINM ENT DESIGN
FIBERS
D R EA M TE A M
MICHELE GELLING
ELIZABETH MCCLAIN
MARY FEDELE
LUISA SOLANO
EMMA ROSENBERG
D R EA M TE A M
MICHELE GELLING
ELIZABETH MCCLAIN
MARY FEDELE
LUISA SOLANO
EMMA ROSENBERG
FI B E R S
DESIGN FO R S US -
FAS HI ON MARKETI NG
TAINABIL IT Y
DESIGN FO R S US -
FAS HI ON MARKETI NG
TAINABIL IT Y
PROBLEM
Many stuffed animals are made of synthetic materials that are harmful to the environment and spend most of their days sitting in landfills.
SOLUTION
Develop a new stuffed animal option for kids entirely made of sustainable materials.
CONCEPT Create a collection of sustainable stuffed animals that could share components, be an educational tools for kids to learn about the environment and promote the development of sustainable behaviors from an early age.
COMPETITORS By Campaign Approach
By Sustainable Approach
COMPETITORS - What materials are they using? By Campaign Approach
By Sustainable Approach Hand sewn in the USA
Polyester Fibers Polypropylene Pellets
100% organic cotton Recycled milk jugs Recycled plastic bottles
APPROACH We selected to design 5 different stuffed animals based on endangered species to be sold in two business models: B2C - Business to Consumer through e-commerce B2B - Business to Business distributing them in aquariums, zoos and other tourism & educational institutions.
TARGET AUDIENCE Couples who are not completely radical about sustainable products, but are concerned about their children’s safety and education. They are completely conscious about their eating habits and the materials that the products they purchase are made of. They are college level educated and have a high to medium income.
TARGET AUDIENCE
s
ial ater M e bl s aina Sketche t s u S ect 2 Proj Fedele y Mar
PRODUCT SKETCHES
PACKAGING SKETCHES
Scanned by CamScanner
tainable Materials ect 2 Book Sketches y Fedele
ACCESSORY SKETCHES
Concept Art
Product Components
Materials Chosen 3 D P RI N T E D P L A USED FOR “HARD PARTS”/WHISKERS/ BULK SHIPMENT • Polylactic Acid is the substance made from the carbon extracted from plant material. Plants range from corn to sugar cane but must be starch based. • The starch is separated from the raw material, refined and fermented to form PLA. PLA can be processed in many standard plastic forming methods including foam extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming and calendaring. • PLA can be modified for various applications including fibers, foams, emulsions and chemical intermediaries. Polylactic Acid is compostable, strong and versatile but is still more expensive than petroleum based plastics. • The whiskers and eyes will be 3D printed and attached to the form
Materials Chosen W OOL USED FOR FUR/STUFFING A biodegradable material that comes naturally through sustainable practices. It is versatile and can be used for different types of fabrics or for soft stuffing. Source: Ballyhoo Farm- Bagdad, KY. Transport: truck shipping to factory Manufacturing: sheep is sheared and wool is sorted by quality such as length, color, fineness, wave. Wool is cleaned with detergents. Machines comb out and separate fibers. Wool is untangled in carder machines. For fleece: wool is spun into yarn, yarn is woven into looped fabric, fabric is dyed and then put through machines with points that cause the fabric to become fuzzy and soft. Qualities: durable, repels moisture, resists wrinkles, retains shape, resists flames, resists soiling, takes dye well. Pros: strong, elastic, resilient, dyes well, natural, sustainable. Cons: expensive, prone to distortion by excess agitations, stains easily
Materials Chosen B I O- F A B R I C A T E D DY E S USED FOR COLOR/DYE • PILI is focused on the biofabrication of a wide range of colors produced by microorganisms as an alternative to the petrochemical versions (non-renewable, toxic to work with..) and without the drawbacks of the vegetal ones (non scalable, expensive, dependent on weather.). • A lot of industrial sectors have been waiting for such a product and they are now cooperating with us, eager to use our living colors, from textile to cosmetic factories, to develop the future of colors in which we can already predict that affordable and sustainable products will lead the way!
Materials Chosen OR GA N I C C O T T O N USED FOR THREAD/BAG Cotton is a natural and biodegradable material that can be spun and woven into a multitude of fabrics and materials. It is an inexpensive and commonly used material. Source: cotton grown organically in the USA. Manufacturing: cotton is grown in boll, washed, and spun into thread on site of farm. Qualities: strong, durable, widely used, inexpensive, easily spun, natural, biodegradable. Pros: biodegradable, dyes easily, inexpensive, stronger than wool thread would be Cons: precautions must be taken to ensure it is grown sustainably
Materials Chosen PINEAPPLE L E ATH E R USED FOR “TOUGH PARTS” / STRAPS An innovative textile made from the leaves of the pineapple plant. It is a strong, lightweight and flexible alternative to tradition animal leathers. The leaves of the pineapple plant are a byproduct of farming that would otherwise go unused. The fibers of the leaves are extracted by used a system called decortication. The fibers are then cleaned, degummed, and sent to Spain to be manufactured into their final leather state. Pineapple Leather is used for a variety of purposes including footwear, accessories, and furnishing. Holes will be cut into the back page of the book where to strap can loop around and secure in the front with a buckle. This enables the strap to be removed and the book to be stacked on a shelf easily.
“Tough Parts”/Straps
Materials Chosen R E C Y CL E D P A P E R P U L P USED FOR BOOK/ROPE • Molded fiber, also known as paper pulp is a common packaging material used in many consumer applications, such as egg cartons, beverage carriers and protective product packaging. • Because molded fiber is produced from recycled paper or fiber, it is 100 percent recyclable and biodegradable, making it an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic packaging. • The production of paper pulp packaging is an automated, quick and low-cost manufacturing process. A mixture is made from ground recycled paper or fiber dissolved in water. Then a mold is dipped into the slurry and a vacuum on the backside pulls the slurry onto the mold to form the shape of the package. Type two molded pulp manufacturing involves another step, transferring the piece to a second mold on the opposite side, which is suctioned by an additional vacuum. Then the piece is ejected from the mold and placed in a drying oven. • Paper pulp pages will be individually molded then bound together with cotton thread.
Materials Chosen C OR K USED FOR: BOOK Comes from the bark of cork tree. Each mature cork tree is harvested when the bark naturally expands away from the tree. The bark is extracted and processed using a method similar to plastic compression molding. Cork is a renewable, natural and biodegradable resource. It has elasticity and is shock-absorbing. Liquids cannot penetrate it. It is also lightweight, and relatively inexpensive. Can be machined, routed, latheworked, and cut in a similar technique to woodworking. Can also be compression-molded.
REJECTED MATERIALS Cotton Sherpa Considered for Fur, rejected for poor durability.
Recycled Denim Considered for Fur, rejected for undesirable texture and look.
Mycelium Considered for Tough Parts, rejected for undesirable texture and look.
EcoDown Considered for Stuffing, rejected due to not being biodegradable.
Silk Considered for Thread, rejected due to production cost.
FINAL PRODUCT
ACCESSORIES Each animal will come wearing a informational booklet talking about the animal’s habitat and why they are endangered. Made out of sustainable materials.
B2C PACKAGING Cotton bag used when ordered online and shipped directly to consumer. When shipping to stores, products will be instead be packaged in bulk, wrapped in a starch-based bag, and placed within a cardbox box.
END OF LIFE Biodegradable vs. Compostable vs. Recyclable Our product is made out of natural materials that are 100% biodegradable. We thought this solution would not only be healthier for the children that play and snuggle with the animals, but would also be less impactful on the environment and simpler to deal with at the end of the product’s life.
Take-Back Program To ensure that our product biodegrades at a fast rate in a natural setting, the zoos and aquariums that we distribute to will also have a take-back program, where the worn toys can be composted, used for animal enrichment, or have parts salvaged for use in other BioBuddy products. As an incentive to participate in this program, the institution will offer a discount on your next “BioBuddy” purchase. This could also draw customers back to the institution.
WHERE NEXT? After this trial line, there are plenty of endangered animals sponsored by the WWF that could be added to the collection. Subsequent product lines could cover animals in different areas of the world, focus in on a particular species, or introduce a more themed or stylized line (ex. baby animals).
SOURCES
https://www.filastruder.com/collections/pellets https://www.indiamart.com/mohanyarns https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/2016/07/01/sustainable-fibres-what-is-cotton https://www.cotton.org/pubs/cottoncounts/fieldtofabric/fabric.cfm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEYsmzophTA https://d1cqrq366w3ike.cloudfront.net/http/DOCUMENT/SheepUSA/CharacteristicsOfWool.pdf https://albemarlecarpet.com/consultation/choose-your-carpet/fiber-types-pros-cons/ https://organiccottonplus.com/products/wool-bolus-stuffing-1-lb-bag https://tangible.media.mit.edu/project/cilllia/ https://www.dezeen.com/2016/05/16/mit-researchers-create-3d-printed-hair/ https://labiotech.eu/pili-bacterial-ink-twb-inra/ http://www.pili.bio/ http://www.toulouse-white-biotechnology.com/en/twb-pili-partners-for-the-production-of-dyes/ http://www.monarchtextiles.com/products/needlepunched-felt/wool https://civileats.com/2014/02/13/soil-to-soil-sweaters-investing-in-local-wool/ https://www.thoughtco.com/wool-the-common-cloth-1788618\ https://depositphotos.com/76224225/stock-photo-paper-pulp-protective-packaging-box.html https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Molded-Pulp-Packaging_696972366.html https://www.fastcompany.com/3059190/this-gorgeous-sustainable-leather-is-made-from-pineapple-waste https://thefashionplatemag.com/2017/03/18/5-cool-things-we-discovered-about-pinatexs-new-pineapple-based-leather/