Cupcrete 纸杯制绿色混凝土 by Samira and Sepideh Kharazan is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 A' Design Award 铜奖 in 可持续产品、项目与绿色设计 Competition Category.
铜可持续产品· 2024
Cupcrete 纸杯制绿色混凝土
by Samira and Sepideh Kharazan
Client: Heavenly
A' Design Award 铜奖 Winner in 可持续产品 Category
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- Verified Award Winner
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The Design
About Cupcrete 纸杯制绿色混凝土
该项目展示了"Cupcrete"，这是一种由两姐妹开发的环保材料，作为纸杯回收的解决方案。它通过将水泥与回收纸杯和水混合制成流动混合物，倒入模具后干燥成砖块、瓷砖、板材、家具和配件。Cupcrete质地轻盈，提供隔音和隔热性能，降低成本，并具有显著的环境效益。
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award 铜奖
Cupcrete 纸杯制绿色混凝土是 A' Design Award 铜奖得主，这是授予以创造力、独创性和敏锐见长的杰出设计的极具声望的认可。铜奖得主是技艺娴熟、创意惊人的作品，印证了其设计师丰富的经验、想象力与机智。预计Cupcrete 纸杯制绿色混凝土将成为一件备受推崇、令人钦佩且被珍爱的物品，兼具显著的专业性与创新性。这件赢得 A' Design Award 铜奖的设计融入艺术、科学、设计和技术领域的最佳实践，并因注重细节而出类拔萃。Cupcrete 纸杯制绿色混凝土出色地满足需求，触动渴望，迷住情感，并吸引好奇心。
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Cupcrete represents an environmentally friendly variant of concrete crafted from recycled paper cups and Portland cement. Through a novel process for recycling paper cup waste, we have generated a new material akin to cotton, to formulate a green concrete dubbed 'Cupcrete'. This methodology offers an ecological solution for mitigating the consumption of natural resources and reducing waste production. The versatility of Cupcrete allows for numerous potential variations.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Cupcrete is formulated by combining cement, shredded paper cups, and sand (if required), which are then mixed with water to create a fluid mixture. This mixture is subsequently poured into blocks or panels and allowed to dry. Cupcrete offers lightweight construction and demonstrates outstanding acoustic and thermal insulation properties. It is distinguished by its cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and notable characteristics such as high ductility, energy absorption capacity, and low density.
- Tags
- global warming, papercups waste, sustanable, upcycle, recycle, concrete, new material, innovation, construction, green
- Production Technology
- After the upcycling process of paper cups, which are transformed into a cotton-like material, this substance can then be blended with other recycled or sustainable materials such as cement, sand, or recycled textile fibers to enhance its strength and durability. Essentially, the constituents, when mixed in different proportions, produce concrete with varying properties, making it a versatile material for buildings, furniture, and accessories.
- Design Challenge
- The toughest aspect of the research was turning cups into a cotton-like material, mainly done at home. Another major challenge is properly collecting and sorting waste at the city level, requiring coordination with bureaucracy and adherence to local regulations. Collaborating with municipal authorities or relevant organizations is essential for program implementation. To address these challenges, we've developed smart bins for municipal presentation. This initiative aims to enhance city recycling and waste management efforts.
- Research
- This abstract explores the transformation of paper cups into reusable options to address environmental issues.
Cupcrete is formulated by combining cement, shredded paper cups, and sand (if required), which are then mixed with water to create a fluid mixture. This mixture is subsequently poured into blocks or panels and allowed to dry.
With parental support, especially from our mother, a solution was found through thorough examination. Motivated by sustainability, the study delves into technical details such as cup materials and recycling challenges.
It emphasizes innovative approaches like upcycling to reduce paper cup waste and promote sustainability.
It's super light and keeps noise and heat out of buildings. You can use it for walls, floors, even furniture! It's awesome because it's eco-friendly and saves resources. It works better than regular concrete because it's lighter, cheaper, and better for the environment.
Currently, we are engaging an Italian engineering team to work on obtaining detailed properties of this concrete. - Inspiration
- This project, sparked by a TV program, addresses the environmental impact of paper cups. Despite being labeled recyclable, less than 1% of paper coffee cups are actually recycled due to the polyethylene coating inside. This is because of the complexities of separating plastic from paper during recycling, coupled with the high costs involved. Over 269 billion cups (weighing as much as one million elephants) end up in landfills yearly, taking over 20 years to decompose and releasing harmful pollutants.
- Project Duration
- This project commenced in September 2022 in Milan and concluded in June 2023, also in Milan.
- Operation Flow
- Cupcrete is like the magic of turning paper cup waste into concrete! Just mix it up with cement and water, pour it into molds, and watch it transform. It's incredibly lightweight yet strong, keeping buildings quiet and cool. From walls to floors, even furniture, Cupcrete does it all! What's truly awesome is its eco-friendly nature, saving precious resources with every use. It outshines regular concrete with its lighter weight, lower cost, and superior environmental benefits. It's not just concrete; it's a revolution in building with heart and conscience.
- Team Members
- Samira Kharazan
Sepideh Kharazan - Image Credits
- Main Image #1: Samira Kharazan, 2024.
Image #1 : Samira Kharazan, 2024.
Image #2 : Samira Kharazan, 2024.
Image #3 : Samira Kharazan, 2024.
Image #4 : Samira Kharazan, 2024.
Image #5 : Samira Kharazan, 2024.
Video : Samira Kharazan, 2024.
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