The Second Life of Straw

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, open straw-burning emits as high as 47.7 million tons of carbon annually in China , causing great damage to the ozone layer.

The Second Life of Straw is a series of carbon neutral home furnishing products made by straw, aiming to subvert the "worthless" stereotype of straw and to raise public awareness on carbon emissions.

The first one of the series, the Straw Masterpiece, is a planter designed to be hung on interior walls like a ‘painting’ that allows users to plant various collections of seeds in the curve shaped cracks on the surface’s wave pattern. Second, the Round&Square Armchair implements the local Laizhou straw-braiding techniques into a modern armchair design. Last, the Mountain Fog Screen is a space divider inspired by the layering and depth effects of traditional Chinese inkpaintings.

Through converting straws, which used to be a burden of agricultural production, into high-profit home furnishings, the series gross new incomes for the locals, celebrates indigenous cultures, and enhances the communities’ awareness on responsible production.