Week 8 Learn from China As part of research final project

Learn from China
As part of your research for your final project, find local craft techniques, and find local materials that Chinese people have been using. Is there any technique we can replicate using plastic? Do you think we can replicate those materials using plastic?

 

The Chinese crafts that I have always been interested in are blue and white porcelain. Blue and white porcelain is a treasure of the Chinese ceramics firing process and one of the mainstream varieties of Chinese porcelain. It first appeared in the Tang and Song Dynasties,

 and the mature blue-and-white porcelain appeared in Jingdezhen in the Yuan Dynasty. It developed to a peak in the Qing Dynasty. Blue-and-white porcelain is made of cobalt ore-containing cobalt ore, which is painted on the ceramic body, and then covered with a layer of transparent glaze, which is fired once by high-temperature reduction flame. The cobalt material is blue after being fired and has the characteristics of strong coloring power, bright color, high firing rate, and stable color. Through data search and practice comparison, I found that the pattern and status of blue and white porcelain can be made of plastic, but its transparency and luster are never comparable to plastic products, so this Chinese handicraft is especially precious.

 

 

Find References
Research about plastic solutions and post it in your journal.
Everyone has to find at least three interesting solutions that already exist and their impact on a sustainable world. Evaluate them, using the information from the lectures and readings. Choose one between “Design Is The Problem” and “Bio-Thinking” as an evaluation framework or tool for assessing the sustainability of these solutions. 

 

 

 

1 –Metal/glass pipette

Many years ago, through such a video (https://www.bilibili.com/video/av3226450), the damage of plastic straws to marine life has received international attention, and reusable metal straws have become very important. Recall that in daily life, we drink beverages with straws, which are usually used for a short period of time, but they have great consequences of non-degradability. In addition to destroying marine animals, their decomposition of micro-plastics and harmful substances seriously affects them. It is the health of our bodies. From the perspective of Bio-Thinking, we have increased the frequency of use of straws and no longer manufacture a large number of straws. It is a beneficial invention for biological, environmental and human considerations.

 

2 –Leaf plate (https://www.bilibili.com/video/av5695072)

In order to solve the problems of excessive waste and environmental damage caused by the proliferation of disposable plastic products, the Germans want to make changes from the perspective of production. Through years of research and improvement, they have proposed Leaves are made into plates, no plastic, no chemical reagents, no need to cut trees, only leaves. From the perspective of Bio-Thinking, this invention can definitely replace the plastic plate. However, I believe that this product is not very practical, and has the disadvantages of being unsanitary and smelly, and it is not easy to spread widely. In addition, the raw material of leaves is also seasonal and difficult to collect. Therefore, this design is a good idea, but I am not optimistic about its development, but rather semi-processed products made from biomass such as straw and a small amount of chemical reagents are easier to develop.

 

3 –Edible spoon

Plastic spoons are often found in takeaway boxes and are now a growing class of plastic waste. Many years ago, Indians invented edible spoons, which were mainly made of millets, rice and wheat, using special techniques to achieve the hardness of general plastic products and to achieve a longer shelf life. From the perspective of Bio-Thinking, this invention is inventive. The cost of manufacturing edible spoons is not high, equivalent to ordinary snacks, but with reference to the price of plastic spoons, the profit of this product may not be satisfactory. However, with the deepening of environmental protection concepts and the global call, I believe that this type of products will be popular.