It’s in the Bag: Exhibition Graphics recycled into Carrier Bags

When the studio designed the Design With the 90% exhibition for the Gates Foundation Discovery Center, the team specified sustainable materials wherever possible including kraft eco-board for most of the display structures. For a series of large hanging banners, they printed black and white images onto Tyvek, a durable, non-tear construction
material. When the exhibition came down, they retrieved the banners and reached out to the Refugee Artisan Initiative (RAI) for a craft collaboration. RAI partners with refugee and immigrant women for artisan skills training and small batch manufacturing. The Tyvek banners were cut down into sections and, after working out the best design and
fabrication approach, were sewn into a series of large and small tote bags and carrier bags. When it comes to sustainability, exhibition graphics can be some of the worst offenders. They are typically made from plastic and are thrown away after very limited use. This project was self- initiated by the studio, and made possible through careful planning from the start of the original exhibition design and specification process. It was the teams intent to show how creative, life- cycle thinking can not only decrease waste but can add to the overall design value of a project.