Japanese Knotweed
How to transform a problematic plant into new opportunities?
Japanese Knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) is a non-native plant in the UK classed as an invasive species due to its ability to spread easily creating a hostile environment. It is considered a controlled waste, so after its removal, it must be taken to a licensed landfill for its disposal. The plant is widely spread in the UK and it is estimated to cost the economy £166 million per year.
The system of nature operates in a way that its waste is used as a food source, showing that there is no waste in nature. The Japanese Knotweed project aims to reverse the concept of wastage by treating the plant as a valuable source of raw material. Through a zero-waste design system and open-source approach, different colours and materials were developed revealing how many opportunities can be extracted from a single plant. What is considered waste for an industry can be an ingredient for another. By adding value to this abundant natural resource located in 45 countries, connected and circular production systems between different industries can emerge, reframing attitudes surrounding this species as well as promoting more resilient and self-sufficient production models and cities.
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Marina Belintani
Marina Belintani graduated in Textiles at the Royal College of Art in 2020. She is a multidisciplinary designer working across the disciplines of textiles, biomaterials and circular economy. Placing research and sustainability at the core of her practice, her goal is to collaborate with the development of circular economy systems in the field of materials for a range of industries. She believes that investigating what we have in abundance has the potential to contribute to the development of alternative production systems more efficient with the current world.
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