Common Sands is a design initiative focusing on recycling glass from consumer gadgets and converting them into tiles that would otherwise wind up with electronic debris.
Glass is sustainable from its inception to its conclusion. While the process of creating it adds to emissions like most things, we can counterbalance it by prolonging the life of the glass since it is eternally recyclable rather than letting it go to waste merely to manufacture more of it.
Sand is an essential resource to our technology-focused world, it does a lot more than lie at the beach! it is the principal constituent of glass which is used in the construction of consumer electrical items including as fridges, microwaves, and computers.
A Norwegian architectural design studio named Snøhetta teamed with Brussels-based Studio Plastique to examine and explore the idea of recycling as well as repurposing glass found in technological trash.
After several trials, prototypes, and revisions, the team established a standard procedure for recycling electronic waste glass components as well as an application that combines its changeable material quality – glass tiles!
They developed tiles in two distinct sizes that were both opaque and translucent. Each one had a distinct design and style, yet all the tiles displayed a very intricate, terrazzo-like material quality.
This determined that they are suited for a wide range of architectural applications, including both surface covering and semi-transparent partition components!
Common Sands has now transformed potential trash into architectural glass tiles that are scalable, indefinitely recyclable, and successfully decreasing electronic waste!
Reference- Studio Plastiques website, Snøhetta website & PR, Yanko Design website