Magic Wand by CCA from portugal

MAGIC WAND
“Rising mountains of waste have become a major issue of our time.” (Toepfer, 2004).
Along with growing world population, the production of waste is dangerously increasing. In 1950 an average global daily waste production was around 1,5 millions of tones, it reached the number 4 millions of tones in 2000, and it’s expected to arrive to ~ 10 million in 2100. Around 13% of these values is the plastic waste, Its accumulation affects words oceans and rivers causing flooding in developing-world. Furthermore the global plastic production is constantly growing.
Through a move towards more sustainable, biodegradable materials on the daily basis we can bring peak waste forward and down. The change can start in a scale of a single household.
Cork, usually associate with the production of bottle stoppers (70%) is a high quality material used among others for construction and aerospace industry. It is fully biodegradable completely natural, reusable and recyclable. Unfortunately we observe a tendency of substitution natural stoppers with other materials that can cause serious harm to the industry and consequently environment. Cork oak landscapes help to sustain rich biodiversity and traditional livelihoods, enhance development in economically and socially disadvantaged areas, and play a key role in ecological processes, such as water retention, soil conservation or carbon storage. (Montero and Torres, 1993).
We believe in the necessity of seeking for new uses of this unique material. Magic wand is an object which manifests the anticipation of transience. The container produced with 100% natural cork (without addition of any chemicals) becomes a home for a new plant that penetrates the material, firstly conditioned by the given position, gradually taking the control over the original object. With time cork starts the proses of biodegradation and consequently the object and the plant become homogenous organism. The design piece made by a man reintegrates itself with nature, leaving behind minimal waste. Its form is not controlled giving space for the dynamic of natural process. Magic wand manifest anticipation of change and calls for environmental consciousness; it is a silent reminder that we are a part of nature.
References:
TOEPFER,K., 2004, Vital Waste Graphic, United Nations Environment Programme, Nairobi,
MONTERO, G; MUÑOZ, M.; AGUDO, R. 2005. Cuantificación del CO2 fijado por las principales especies forestales arbóreas de Andalucía. In: La Ciencia Forestal: Respuestas para la Sostenibilidad. 4º Congreso Forestal Español. Edited by Sociedad Española de Ciencias Forestales. Spain