The Power of Waves
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Hertfordshire
Department Name: School of Creative Arts
Abstract
The Power of Waves, embedding the circular economy between traditional furniture manufacturer Wood Bros, utilising Harris Tweed Hebrides network of home weavers and mill workers and Fishy Filaments recycled fishing nets to meet green transition goals and create new revenue streams through the design and manufacture of unique home products.
| Description | The nature of the project has captured people's imagination and that stems from a strong conviction from all the project partners including Wood Bros Furniture, Harris Tweed Hebrides and Fishy Filaments. Being part of a project investigating sustainability and having commitment from all involved to understand the issues, address the difficulties and make a difference continues to have a significant impact on the part of those organisations who have elected to tackle this difficult area, overcome the challenges and continue to benefit through the collaboration. We've created a unique platform that uses the chair as a storytelling medium/stage. This enables us to define a new narrative and write new stories that we can share with our communities about the environment, green transition, and production methods in a format that's both understandable and has the potential for long-term impact, beyond that of the project. |
| Exploitation Route | The uniqueness of the project where 3 distinct industry partners came together to solve a problem around the use, reuse and circular models in the production of furniture applies to many industries. Our findings have illustrated not only the amazing opportunities these types of problems, but also the challenges. This allows for collaborative working to try to find resolutions through differing areas of expertise where thought processes may differ, but where the ultimate goals are shared. Projects like these should inspire more diverse groups to work together for the greater good. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy Creative Economy Education Environment Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Retail |
| URL | https://futureobservatory.org/news/furniture-is-a-platform-whereby-we-can-tell-new-stories-about-the-environment |
| Description | The findings of this project have had a significant impact on our industry partners, enabling them to better understand the combined challenges faced in addressing environmental concerns in production and manufacturing processes. The investigation of sustainability has made a significant impact on those organizations that have chosen to tackle this difficult area, overcome the challenges, and continue to benefit through collaboration. A unique platform has been created that uses the chair as a storytelling medium/stage, allowing for the definition of a new narrative and the sharing of new stories with our communities about the environment, green transition, and production methods in a format that is both understandable and has the potential for long-term impact beyond the project. For example, Wood Bros, a company with a rich manufacturing tradition, has been encouraged to take a different look at the manufacturing process by participating in this project. The use of sustainable materials and 3D printing has brought both challenges and benefits, including the challenge of manufacturing longer components through traditional means in oak/hardwood and the challenge of using a material that provides the right level of robustness for use in the consumer market. Commercial viability has also been a challenge to ensure components are produced in a cost-effective way. However, the introduction of such technology has brought greater flexibility in manufacturing, removing some of the historical barriers, particularly when a Just In Time approach is taken. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2023 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Education,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Retail |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Economic |
| Description | Going Circular |
| Organisation | Harris Tweed Hebrides |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Design and manufacture, and understanding the complex supply chain surrounding the distribution of raw materials, finished materials and finished products. The contributions made include the important dissemination of information surrounding specific skills of craftmanship in relation to Harris Tweed Hebrides unique production process to a community of design students and production workers who will typically not otherwise have access to this information or opportunity. In addition knowledge about circular models and how to address them within a commercial context was also shared with the intention of realising this project as one that has the potential for a commercial market. |
| Collaborator Contribution | partners supplied their knowledge of distinct areas of the supply chain including recycling, material up-cycling, design, manufacture |
| Impact | The vision of the project, one that was realised, was to find purpose for excess Harris Tweed® and to transform it into unique and/or bespoke products and at the same time support the rehabilitation of women prisoners through training to produce the products. The focus has been multifaceted in that it addresses the notion of sustainability in a number of ways. Specifically, the use and reuse of excess cloth through the application of circular models that sustain the HTH community workforce and at the same time build further off-island community reach through upskilling an emergent workforce in prisons. The project outcomes have far exceeded our expectations. We set a student project as part of the student Design Sprint in collaboration with Harris Tweed Hebrides. The brief was to design a collection of products with net-zero, waste, reuse and repurpose at the core of their decision making. The Student Brief The Harris Tweed Act (1993) enshrines in law that Harris Tweed® fabric must conform to exact standards and always be produced in the Outer Hebrides. This inextricably connects Harris Tweed Hebrides and the fabric they produce to place. This is underlined by the fact that the superior quality wool used in its manufacture is often derived from the hardy breed of sheep that are free to roam this rugged and sometimes unforgiving wild and natural landscape. Harris Tweed Hebrides is unique as it is one of very few remaining fully vertical textile weaving entities that focus on community driven production, at the same time maximising the reputation of island crafters through championing the craft and artisan skill of the Harris Tweed® weavers alongside the traditional textile skills of the Harris Tweed Hebrides mill-based production team. As with any manufacturer Harris Tweed Hebrides (HTH) has a small amount of excess stock at the end of each production run. Increasingly, and in line with island living, the weavers and HTH are looking to address notions of sustainable practice and circular models through their working practice methods. Outcome This challenge requires the innovative use of surplus fabric in the design of a collection of products with an associated Harris Tweed® fabric that captures the landscape, husbandry, craftsmanship, quality, sustainability and timelessness of Harris Tweed®. The Collection The collection, initially designed by a group of students, featured five products; a rucksack, a tablet holder, a 'bumbag', drinks holder and accessories case. A distinct feature of the collection is the consideration given to the Outer Hebrides landscape in that the colour pallet, one that Harris Tweed Hebrides considers as a grounding inspiration for their collections that is incorporated into every piece produced. Unfortunately this project did not materialise due to the student lack of engagement. However the project continued with the Research Supervisor, The CEO of Harris Tweed Hebrides and the Director of Social Responsibility at London College of Fashion. A collection of bags has been completed ready for market. |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Power of Waves - reuse recycle |
| Organisation | Harris Tweed Hebrides |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Understanding the complex dynamics of coastal and island communities, particularly their distinct needs, was essential for devising effective and pertinent solutions within an environment that brought together many collaborators all with different approaches to the project, and different expectations regarding impact and outcomes.. Climate change is a huge problem and it was our intention to unite individuals around green transition goals where their actions add up to have real positive impact and solve those problems. The use of narrative, telling stories of what a greener, more sustainable future looks like was an important first step and our project did that. It Goes as far as to embody some of the sustainable manufacturing methodologies that will be instrumental in redefining that transition. Communicating new knowledge and understanding along with managing expectations for what seemed like a relatively simple task at the beginning has revealed how complex the challenge is. This revelation was also a significant contribution as it further highlighted the strength of the partnerships and emphasised the capacity of the team to innovate in areas of for example 3d printing a chair frame from recycled fishing nets, and training teams to work together on solving the problems through innovative thinking, and practice. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The intention for the project was to produce a chair made from recycled waste materials; recycled nylon fishing nets, dead textile stock and all with the intention of reducing waste, and the need to constantly use virgin materials in the production of furniture. Fishy Filaments provided the material for the 3d printing component, Harris Tweed Hebrides provided the textile for the covering and Wood Bros provided the expertise and manufacturing capabilities to produce the end product. All partners contributed significant time and expertise based in their knowledge of their respective business sectors. This included access to their businesses, including factory visits, introductions to the relevant experts in their companies whose knowledge would prove invaluable to the project. We were also given access to the factories, and in the case of Harris Tweed Hebrides, to the weavers on the island of Stornoway. It was incredibly important for all partners to share their knowledge to ensure the success of the project - and having such diverse partners with such diverse interests all shared, made the project rewarding in its execution - and also in understanding that this is only the first phase of a much bigger endevour |
| Impact | Key outcomes of the project are illustrated through the production of a finished patch-work chair manufactured by Wood Bros that has become a vehicle for discussion around sustainable manufacture. The chair was exhibited in collaboration with Harris Tweed Hebrides at the renowned interior design trade fair, Decorex, held at Olympia in London. The sustainability focused show had 230 exhibitors and over 13,000 attendees across the four days. Harris Tweed Hebrides focused their discussions around our collaboration and their circular strategy. Postcards were produced for visitors to take away and a web page has been set up to encourage further engagement and to provide additional information about the project. https://allgatherround.com/pow/ Working with 3 partners enriched the project as each had their own personality, perspective and aspirations. Working together has been a very rewarding experience which we hope to continue. |
| Start Year | 2023 |