Bottle-Up made its debut during the current Dutch Design Week, presenting a new perspective on glass design. The project was initiated by Hubert and Elisabeth van Doorne, with the dual goal of increasing awareness of Zanzibar's acute waste problems and offering a recycling solution to the local population.
The tropical East African island is widely regarded as a tourist paradise, and most of its glass waste comes from visitors (beach drinking is a common tourist experience here, explain the van Doornes). The country is not equipped to recycle it, which in the past years has led to an increase of glass detritus abandoned across the island.
Six young Dutch designers visited the island to take part in the initiative last month, presenting the initial glass experiments in Eindhoven this week. Os ∆ Oos's Sophie Mensen and Oskar Peet, Klaas Kuiken, Stonecycling’s Tom Van Soest and Ward Massa, and Pim van Baarsen and Luc van Hoeckel from Superlocal traveled to Zanzibar and collaborated on designing objects that could give new life to the waste material, thus helping solve the waste problem. The group explored manufacturing techniques in collaboration with local craftsmen and the objects, from lights to table top items to drinking vessels, will be sold to tourists throughout the island. Production of the pieces will begin in the coming months, in a purpose-built factory employing local people. Future steps will include re-investing profits in initiatives that will further help process the waste material.
The initiative brought six young Dutch designers to Zanzibar – their initial experiments in glass were presented in Eindhoven this week
The project was initiated by Hubert and Elisabeth van Doorne, with the dual goal of increasing awareness of Zanzibar's acute waste problems and offering a recycling solution to the local population.
The tropical East African island is widely regarded as a tourist paradise, and most of its glass waste comes from visitors. The country is not equipped to recycle it, which in the past years has led to an increase of glass waste abandoned across the island
The group explored production techniques in collaboration with local craftsmen and the objects – ranging from lights to table top items to drinking vessels – will be sold to tourists throughout the island.
Pictured left: a terrazzo experiment with blue glass. Right: a set of nesting candle-holders.
Various glass techniques were explored by the group, who collaborated on each piece produced. Pictured: another view of the candle holder.
A collection of glass hanging lights.
Production of the pieces will start in the coming months, in a purpose-built factory employing locals. A further step will include re-investing future profits in initiatives that will help process the waste material.