REEL COLLECTION

Reel Coffee Table

Waste removal and recycling are topics that are widely discussed and imperatively growing at the moment. Reel was a project that David Elia designed to highlight the research that he has studied regarding recyclables and how it impacts society especially in Brazil.

This project involves gathering waste statistics and the study of lithology. Not many Brazilian Municipalities have official waste recycling or management programs. The recovery of recyclable material is largely left to waste pickers, who earn a living by collecting recyclables and selling them to private recycling companies. One can see that the infrastructure of Brazil is not always able to handle the large amounts of waste, but in an interesting and ironic way individuals will personally gather these recyclables whilst earning income and assisting this issue.

In some cities like Rio de Janeiro cleaning contracts for low-income communities are established and every effort is made to guarantee that local labour will be employed. This creates local jobs and develops community awareness of public health and environmental issues.

The material is called Concrete-Terracotta a mixture of organic materials that ties in with the use of graphic patterns from Lithology. It is a reference to stratigraphy and geology which highlights the Concrete – Terracotta, an earthen material. The graph represents each material: glass, cardboard, plastics and metal indicating how much is currently being recycled in the city of Rio. The shape of the table was inspired by the Reel cardboard tray which was made by using pieces of cardboard packing material. The Reel cardboard tray was sold at the MoMA design store during the Spring of 2012.

Elia has chosen to fuse both design and the importance of recycling and the study behind it. He hopes that people will be reminded every day of the importance of this.

Designed in 2017

Brass, Concrete Terracotta.

Unique