Light Soy
Portable Lamp
Made with Recycled Ocean-Bound Plastic
Designed to Inspire Sustainable Sushi
-
Name of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)
Light Soy
-
URL of a video introducing the work（under 5 minutes）
-
Detailed explanation of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)
Light Soy is a portable lamp made with recycled ocean-bound plastic & designed to stop ocean-plastic at the ‘sauce. The lamp is inspired by the iconic soy sauce bottles used with sushi around the world. Although the small packets are convenient, they are unsustainable and contribute to ocean plastic pollution.
Designers Angus Ware and Jeffrey Simpson both grew up by the ocean in Australia, and saw the packets as an ironic symbol of a wasteful convenience culture that was trashing the ocean.
The pair sought to highlight single-use plastic and make a difference to plastic pollution through a playful, positive design object.
The lamp is made with recycled ocean-bound plastic collected in regions in SE Asia that contribute up to 80% of ocean plastic pollution. The designers also fund an additional 2kg cleanup of plastic in the same areas. To date Heliograf has funded the cleanup of over 16 tons of plastic - equal to 16 million soy fish.
As well as directly preventing ocean plastic, the designers hope the lamp is a positive reminder that good design & better materials can make a big difference to our oceans.
The lamp was designed over a period of 3 years in collaboration with Andrew Simpson and Nila Rezaei from Vert Design Studio, with careful attention given to reducing waste.
The design is modular, so parts can be repaired or upgraded as needed, and the lamps are shipped in plastic-free, biodegradable packaging, including a recycled sugarcane insert that protects the lamp during transport. The lamp is currently made with 75% recycled ocean-bound plastic in the shade, and post-industrial plastic for the remainder. The designers are working toward 100% recycled material.
In 2021, Light Soy received a Gold Good Design Award and longlisted for the Dezeen Awards in 2020. -
How does your work address the 3 P’s (for Planet, for People, for Profit) for Sustainability?
Planet:
Light Soy makes a direct impact on ocean plastic pollution by upcycling waste into a functional, beautiful object. By using a certified recycled material from regions that contribute most to ocean plastic, the lamp makes a difference at the source of the problem, and funds improved waste management in those regions. As well as this, the design intends to inspire change amongst consumers and businesses and encourage them to think and act more sustainably.
People:
Light Soy directly supports communities conducting waste management and cleanup efforts in developing regions in SE Asia. These programs improve the health and environment for people most affected by the plastic pollution crisis. The design also inspires others around the world to think about their impact on the planet.
Profit:
The certified recycled plastic that goes into Light Soy financially supports the local communities most affected, and also provides an economic incentive to manage waste & recover valuable resources. -
Where (country, region, etc.) have you primarily carried out your project?
Malaysia, China
-
What is the timeline your project has taken place over?
2018-Present
-
Keywords
#material #plastic #oceanplastic #recycled #upcycled
-
If you have a website for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL
https://heliograf.com/lightsoy
-
If you have a social media account for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL
https://instagram.com/heliograf.design/
-
Special Prize Question 1: Is there a mechanism in place to inherit culture and industry as assets for people living in that area 100 or even 1000 years from now?
-
Special Prize Question 2: What is the positive impact on biodiversity? Is the project creating a cycle not just from a human-centered perspective but for the entire ecosystem?
By reducing plastic pollution and protecting the oceans we hope to protect ocean biodiversity from further degradation.
Our hope is that the project inspires other designers and makers to consider the environmental / ecological impact of their work when selecting materials and manufacturing methods. -
Special Prize Question 3: Are you enabling new forms of collaboration with others? New forms of collaboration might include cross-industry cooperation, co-creation with consumers, or role transformations within the supply chain.
Yes - typically recycled plastic has been used for low-value items and we are enabling new forms of collaboration between plastic recyclers and manufacturers and the designers of high-end products.
