Circular Design For All: Materiom

Photo: Atlas of the Future

Materiom is an innovative materials company pushing for the popularization of regenerative materials. The company likes to say point out that for billions of years habitats and organisms have thrived without producing landfill waste and we must take note in order to survive. Materiom is committed to eliminating the excessive amounts of waste generated by humans every year and replacing it with a circular system which works in harmony with the earth. Through open source ‘recipes’ and data on materials created with natural ingredients, the company is able to make sustainable textiles accessible to all.

By making this knowledge open, we accelerate materials development and lower barriers to entry in materials markets around the world.

In addition to their fight for grassroots change, Materiom works with other companies, cities, and communities to implement biomaterial processes. Their online library features materials which utilize easily sourced ‘abundant biomass.’ This further backs up their claim of being an entity focused on information sharing rather than exclusivity.

Photo: Materiom

Agar bioplastic is one of Materiom’s most well-known inventions. The material is made from agar agar (a jelly-like substance sourced from algae,) gelatin, water, and glycerol (a compound commonly used as a sweetener in food.) In three easy steps, the company explains how to make your very own bioplastic. This material was created in Santiago, Chile by industrial designer Margarita Talep Follert, design brand maquinar.io, and research lab Fab Lab Santiago. With just a few household items and a handful of key ingredients, the collaborators have given a revolutionary recipe to the world.