Sustainably
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Sustainably
Archive of sustainable & traditional designs, materials, practices and products

Welcome to an ever-expanding worldwide archive

 

we compile sustainable & Traditional DESIGNS, materials, Practices and products from around the globe into an Ever-Expanding ARchive

While living, working and traveling around the world, we often marveled at the plethora of sustainable and traditional designs and practices, and the ingenious ways to re-use, re-cycle or up-cycle objects, products and materials, just as they were before plastic came along.

We set out to document traditional, and sometimes also modern and high-tech alternatives to single-use plastic. These sustainable solutions are often delightfully simple, or just a knack away from the worn-out paths of todays consumer society.

With this ever growing archive we hope to inspire individuals and the consumption industry to re-think existing solutions towards more sustainable and often well-tried and time-tested ones.

The Archive

Featured
Leaf Plates
traditional, compostable, packaging, food, disposable, single-use, tropical
Leaf Plates
traditional, compostable, packaging, food, disposable, single-use, tropical

Leaf Plates have a long tradition in South Asia and recently gained popularity as eco-friendly alternatives for disposable takeaway and single-use tableware. The fully biodegradable, water-resistant and compostable plates have many uses of serving food and more.

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traditional, compostable, packaging, food, disposable, single-use, tropical
Tiffin Box
traditional, food, re-usable, packaging
Tiffin Box
traditional, food, re-usable, packaging

Originally used as durable lunch boxes for workers, the ubiquitous tiffin carriers, so-called dabbas, come in a variety of shapes and sizes with stacked compartments to hold as many dishes as the heart (and belly) desires.

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traditional, food, re-usable, packaging
Furoshiki
traditional, food, packaging, re-usable, multi-functional
Furoshiki
traditional, food, packaging, re-usable, multi-functional

Furoshiki stands for the Japanese tradition of artfully wrapping items in a piece of cloth. The minimalist, versatile, multi-functional, and environmentally friendly technique has traditionally been used for over 1000 years to wrap and transport clothes, gifts, or other items.

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traditional, food, packaging, re-usable, multi-functional
Clay Cups
traditional, compostable, food, tropical, disposable, single-use
Clay Cups
traditional, compostable, food, tropical, disposable, single-use

The ubiquitous bhar, an unbaked, disposable and eco-friendly clay cup, used to be found all across India, as the vessel of choice for drinking chai: a milky sugary tea that fuels India. Still made by hand from river silt, it is a vital part of the traditional economy of Eastern India.

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traditional, compostable, food, tropical, disposable, single-use
Banana Leaf Produce Wrapper
traditional, compostable, food, packaging, tropical, single-use, disposable
Banana Leaf Produce Wrapper
traditional, compostable, food, packaging, tropical, single-use, disposable

Banana leaves are some of the most versatile materials in the tropics and subtropics. Among other uses, the eco-friendly disposables are an easy and sustainable way to bundle up or wrap vegetables and fruit for sale at shops and supermarkets.

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traditional, compostable, food, packaging, tropical, single-use, disposable

sus·tain·a·bly

“In a way that avoids the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”

sustainability
Pioneers

World natives and part time nomads, Sara-Duana and Ando have been working on spreading the good word about living sustainably for a while. Their diverse backgrounds and life lessons learnt along the way prompted them to work on solutions that tackle the failure of purely growth-oriented thinking and the severe imbalance of the human/environment relationship. Their aim is to contribute to the making and shaping of a sustainable present and future. This collective archive, that provides freely accessible information and inspiration, is one of those contributions.

Human societies lived in a well-balanced, sustainable system within their environment for eons. Glimpses of that intrinsic balance still remain, and in some places are thriving. Today, new research and development is giving rise to many kinds of sustainable products as well.

As habitually curious, research-savvy innovators, we are collecting in-depth information about those practices, products and processes and are working on archiving them here, for the world to enjoy and get inspired in order to develop their own, modern versions of traditional solutions. We hope companies, individuals, and groups are able to use this information to enrich their lives and communities, and provide value to their customers.

Please get in touch if you’d like more information or have a suggestion. You can also follow us on social media.