Two forward-thinking organizations in Australia have partnered in the development of a unique design project titled, Create from A Crate. The Victorian Woodworking Association and the Waste Converters Recycling Company organized the competition for the second straight year to promote the re-use of solid wood waste that is currently going to the landfill, particularly on post-industrial timber packaging waste.
The intriguing aspect of the 2013/2014 competition is that entry designs must use shipping pallets and crates made in the USA! Pallets used in the import to Australia of rolls of heavy metallic film used to make food packaging were specifically targeted.
The aim of the program is to make people aware of the potential that this waste material has for being re-used and recycled into more functional, higher-value ways rather than timber waste to be discarded or “mulched”. The competition criteria requires contestants to design and construct functional or artistic objects from the USA-manufactured pallets and crate materials, while a maximum of 10% of the total amount of the finished work may be other materials such as, glass, steel, or other timbers. The idea is to “emphasize” rather than hide the recycled origin of the material!
Take a look here at this year’s winners. Here’s a short video that talks about the competition.
Ship any pallets or crates to Australia in 2013?