SLAM!
Responsible Innovation Projects
SLAM! (Swedish for sludge) is a concept that transforms wastewater sludge from the cider factory Kiviks Musteri, into bioplastics. This project started with What matter_s 2.0; a group of designers paired with manufacturing companies based in southern Sweden, with the task of developing new sustainable materials from their industrial waste. We chose to focus on their waste water sludge which is a big challenge to work with, very wet and extremely smelly. We experimented with this and we found that from this kind of sludge it is possible to produce a biopolymer; PHA, a polymer that unlike most bioplastics is completely biodegradable. The specific PHA type from this kind of biomass is called PHBV. In this project we worked with a cider company, but the process could potentially be used by other industries that produce a lot of wastewater and bio sludge. With Kivik’s apple orchards in mind, we have designed a collection of cultivation objects, like pots and plant clips. The products are designed to be treasured and used over and over, but if they break or disappear outdoors, there is no harm done. Our closed-loop system starts as a fruit on the orchards, passes through the stages of juice, sludge, bioplastics and lastly soil — apples to apples.