‘the first ever sustainable mahjong set’

 

EDITECTURE has collaborated with EDIT THE BRAND to create a biodegradable mahjong set composed of 28% of fabric offcuts. the project highlights pollution caused by the fashion industry while celebrating the centuries-old game with an art installation in hong kong titled ‘an ode to mahjong’.

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mahjong is a centuries-old, tile-based game

 

 

giving fashion waste a new use

 

in addition to water consumption and CO2 emissions, the fashion industry is responsible for 92 million tonnes of waste every year. EDITECTURE says that in hong kong alone, an average of 110,000 tonnes of discarded garments are collected annually, which equals 1,400 t-shirts per minute. with this in mind, the design studio decided to work with its in-house fashion company, EDIT THE BRAND, to find another use for these fabric offcuts.

 

the team gathered all of the waste fabric that had been discarded for various reasons such as quality control and pattern cutting. they then sorted out all the collected material according to the color and design aesthetic of each mahjong set. the offcuts were then shredded down further and merged with 100% biodegradable materials before being molded together to create the exclusive mahjong tiles. a total of 30kg of waste fabric has been upcycled so far.

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view of the ‘an ode to mahjong’ installation in hong kong

 

 

an ode to mahjong

 

not only did EDITECTURE and EDIT THE BRAND make this new mahjong set, but they also celebrated the game with an installation in hong kong. complete with table and chairs, ‘an ode to mahjong’ captures the moments of joy and friendly chatter that go hand in hand with the game and that have been passed down from one generation to the next.

 

the installation also pays homage to the fine craftsmanship of traditional mahjong tiles. ‘mahjong tiles carving is now a rare trade, with many masters of the craft retiring or feeling that their role is soon to be made redundant with technological advancements,’  says EDITECTURE. ‘the ode to mahjong pays homage to the craftsmanship of these masters who have dedicated their lives to preserving the craft, beauty and culture of the game.’

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bespoke handmade timber chest

EDIT MAHJONG is a 100% biodegradable set made from fashion waste
the timber box pays tribute to traditional chinese chests of drawers

EDIT MAHJONG is a 100% biodegradable set made from fashion waste
the EDIT MAHJONG set is 100% biodegradable

 

 

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project info:

 

name: EDIT MAHJONG – an ode to mahjong
design: EDITECTURE

 

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: lynne myers | designboom