I - CONCEPT | ARAKUAA¶
This work is inspired by the Guaraní Isoseño culture of my hometown Santa Cruz de la Sierra - Bolivia.
1.Finding a concept¶
The idea
A little introduction:
As you know my background is in electronic engineering and systems, I specialize in the design and construction of machines, there is a section in Fabricademy which is fiber into yarns where we produce machines using open technologies such as Arduino.
I am from Santa Cruz Bolivia, I would say that my country is very diverse, we have many cultures and the ethnic groups of the Lowlands such as the Guaranies and Ayoreo groups interested me to be able to focus and inspire the following machine.
For my final project I thought about making a machine that will allow us to
converts plastic bottles into Textile Fibers.
This is how it was born...
I want to make a machine that allows us to generate fibers that have textile applications using ancestral techiniques from Lowlands culture.
In order to combine these three parameters
CULTURE/ RECICLYNG/ DIGITAL FABRICATION¶
Research¶
State of Art:¶
Pollution by Plastic¶¶
According to the research, 158,943,925 tonnes of plastic waste will be created in 2023 and 43% of global plastic waste will be mismanaged at the end of its life, amounting to 68,642,999 additional tonnes of plastic in nature. The global average consumption of plastic per person per year is 20.9kgs, the report also states.
Over 40% of the world’s populations since 8 January 2023 have been living in areas where plastic waste generated has already exceeded the capacity to manage it, according to new research.
Some consequences¶¶
Plastic pollution wreaks havoc on our planet, affecting everything from wildlife to human health. Here's a breakdown of some of the most concerning consequences:
• Harm to Wildlife: Plastic debris ends up in oceans, rivers, and on land, where animals ingest it or become entangled. This can lead to suffocation, starvation, and internal injuries. Seabirds, fish, and mammals are particularly vulnerable [UNESCO ocean plastic pollution].
• Disrupted Ecosystems: Plastic pollution disrupts natural processes in ecosystems. It can clog waterways, smother coral reefs, and alter habitats, making it harder for ecosystems to adapt to climate change. This can also affect fisheries and food security [UNEP plastic pollution].
• Human Health Risks: Chemicals used in plastic production can leach into our food and water, potentially affecting human health. Microplastics, tiny fragments of plastic, have been found everywhere from seafood to tap water, raising concerns about their long-term effects [Earth Day plastics and human health].
• Climate Change Contributor: Plastic production itself is a major contributor to climate change. It relies heavily on fossil fuels, and the process releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere [UN plastic pollution and lives].
• Economic Impact: Plastic pollution isn't just an environmental problem; it's an economic one too. Cleaning up plastic pollution costs billions of dollars each year, and it also harms industries like tourism and fishing that rely on healthy ecosystems.
The issue of plastic pollution is complex, but it's clear that we need to find ways to reduce our reliance on plastic and develop better waste management strategies.
How is this pollution in Santa Cruz – Bolivia?¶¶
DATA. 10% of the solid waste generated in the Municipality of Santa Cruz de la Sierra is plastic. That is to say, of the 1,900 tons of solid waste that are collected, 190 are plastic and very little is recycled.
References:
•Santa Cruz generates 190 tons of plastic garbage per day - El mundo
ways to recycle plastic in the fashion industry¶¶
The fashion industry is starting to embrace plastic recycling in a few innovative ways:
• Pre-consumer and Post-consumer Textile Waste: The industry is looking beyond plastic bottles. Fabric scraps and leftover materials from garment production (pre-consumer waste) and old clothes (post-consumer waste) can be shredded and turned into new fibers for clothing. This reduces textile landfill waste and gives new life to existing materials.
•Chemical Recycling: Traditional mechanical recycling can sometimes limit the quality of the recycled fibers. Chemical recycling breaks down plastic waste on a molecular level, allowing it to be reborn as high-quality virgin plastic again. This is a developing technology with promise for the future of plastic recycling in fashion.
•Take-Back Programs: Some brands are offering take-back programs where consumers can return unwanted clothing. These clothes are then sorted and recycled or used for other purposes. This helps keep clothes out of landfills and allows the materials to be reused.
•Upcycling and Redesign: Upcycling takes pre-consumer or post-consumer waste and transforms it into new, unique clothing items. Redesigning existing garments also reduces the need for virgin materials.
• Recycled Plastic Fibers: This is a big one! Plastic bottles and other plastic waste are collected, cleaned, and broken down into flakes. These flakes are then melted and spun into new fibers that can be used to create clothing. This process, often using recycled PET (rPET), reduces reliance on virgin plastic and lowers the environmental impact of clothing production.
Currently there are brands that work with textiles based on fibers from plastic bottles.
Challenges of Plastic Recycling in Fashion:¶
• Sorting and processing different types of plastic can be complex and expensive.
• Not all types of plastic are easily recycled.
• Chemical recycling is still in its early stages.
• Consumer education is needed to encourage participation in take-back programs.
Despite these challenges, recycling plastic in the fashion industry offers a promising approach to a more sustainable future. As technology improves and consumer awareness grows, we can expect to see even more innovative ways to give plastic a second life in the world of fashion.
Landtowns ethnies¶
The word to know in Guarani is Arakuaa, a compound word that means: the clarity to understand life, which implies growth in a time and space from which one perceives and feels. It goes beyond just knowing the world through the senses of the body.
In a study conducted with indigenous sages from lowland Bolivia (Villalta, 2016) Enrique Camargo states that there is a distinction between knowing and wisdom, since knowing refers to knowledge through experience or cognition, however, wisdom is the ability to understand life, it implies a higher level of reflection and attitude.
The ways of access to knowledge are: prayer, rituals, dreams, observation and conversation. The knowledge can be expressed, donated in an elaborate ritual or in an everyday event full of meaning.
Another of the ways of access to knowledge are dreams, where the soul receives the word "soul" and lodges it in order to know more about a specific occupation or understanding of life when waking up.
Mboi ichi - The mother snake¶
Mboi ichi, the mother snake. Who gives 3 designs to women who are prepared to listen, to see, to feel. The teacher arrives when the student is ready to learn the lesson.
In dreams, there may be an older woman who speaks to the apprentice or only sees her hand, which shows her in detail her learning path. If a weaver has difficulties learning to weave, she takes her hand and they do the things together. movements to assemble the warp and weft. An apprentice in dreams can learn the properties of colors, the paths of the thread in the assembly of the weft or warp. The person lives the dream as if he were awake and to the person who dreams, it seems that much more time has passed.
Creation materials¶
Cotton¶
At the beginning of the textile cycle we find cotton, which in Guarani is Mandiyu which comes from Amandi (rainwater) and yu (yellow, pine, etc.) Agua de lluvia pina.
This term refers to one of the most important products on which the Guaraní society was based. The textile cycle began from the moment of choosing the cotton seed to sow, thus choosing the color of cotton with which to weave. There was brown and white cotton. They took the cotton from the plant and removed the seed, hulls or branches or any dirt it might have.
Creations¶
In an interview, one of the weavers explained that the designs are messages, it is the history and the relevant and significant aspects.
My grandparents, my grandmothers, used to say that each design has a story to tell () They told us that our ancestors lived as one, they told us about the stars and they used to say when we look at the stars there will be abundant food they said, but Sometimes when we don't do our weaving it's because there won't be this joy, happiness that those things they told me. (Interview Mary Morales, 09/2017) HERE
Here there is an example of how they do this...
How to use digital fabrication to create machines?¶¶
Generating PET plastic fibers is not something new, it has been done for decades, although it remained an industrial area. The machinery that is excessively large and expensive did not allow this technology to reach a common craftsman's workshop.
How can we reduce the cost and generality of this technology in any Fab Lab?¶
Digital manufacturing is a design and manufacturing work process in which digital data allows manufacturing teams to create various part geometries. This data usually comes from CAD (computer-aided design) which is then transferred to CAM (computer-aided manufacturing) software. The output of CAM software is data that drives a specific additive and subtractive manufacturing tool, such as a 3D printer or CNC milling machine.
There is a wide variety of digital manufacturing tools, from hobbyist machines to industrial equipment used in manufacturing. This guide focuses on the most common tools suitable for professional workspaces, machine shops, and conventional workshops.
Accessible digital manufacturing tools bridge the gap between design and manufacturing. As the barriers to accessing professional technology ease, it becomes easier for anyone with the right skills to design a product to design it too. This empowers engineers, product designers, and businesses of all sizes to produce anything from prototypes to finished products.
Knowing that I can use these tools to make a low-cost design, I began to make the first sketch.
Where¶
I want to work with the ArteCampo society , which has direct contact with the artisans who practice the Isoseño Guarani weaving technique.
I also have the support of the Fab Lab Santa Cruz to carry out the assembly in their laboratory.
All this in Santa Cruz de la Sierra Bolivia.
Why¶
Visibility for the Isoseña Guarani community and its art.¶
Currently in the city of Santa Cruz there is not enough visibility about this culture that is older than the city itself.
This leads to the population itself not knowing history, its own history. With this project, in addition to applying these ancestral techniques with a new material based on plastic bottles, I also want to show the world how these patterns are produced, the history with dreams and the mother viper - Mboi ichi.
Perhaps in this way its story will be even more popular and the effort of each creation that comes from the hands of a Guarani weaver will be valued. Since currently this is the livelihood of some families. They are also sold in the ArteCampo gallery and the price is defined by an Assembly of ArteCampo members from time to time.
Even so, many times the economic value of textile production is devalued.
I hope that making your art visible helps as a strategy so that its value can increase enough to become fair. Since currently it has been greatly devalued.
Generate a new way to recycle plastic bottles¶
Plastic bottle pollution is a significant environmental issue with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, human health, and the planet as a whole. Several key reasons highlight the importance of addressing plastic bottle pollution:
Environmental Impact: Plastic bottles, primarily made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), are durable and lightweight. However, they are not easily biodegradable. When improperly disposed of, plastic bottles can persist in the environment for hundreds of years, contributing to visual pollution in landscapes and water bodies.
Marine Pollution: Improperly discarded plastic bottles often find their way into rivers and oceans, causing severe marine pollution. Marine life, from small organisms to larger animals, can ingest or become entangled in plastic, leading to injuries, death, and disruptions in ecosystems. This pollution has cascading effects on the entire food chain.
Microplastic Generation: Over time, plastic bottles exposed to sunlight and environmental factors break down into smaller particles known as microplastics. These tiny particles can contaminate soil, water, and air, posing potential risks to ecosystems, wildlife, and human health.
Resource Depletion: The production of plastic bottles requires the extraction of fossil fuels, such as oil, and energy-intensive manufacturing processes. This contributes to resource depletion and greenhouse gas emissions, further exacerbating environmental problems and climate change.
Health Concerns: As plastics degrade, they can release harmful chemicals and additives. When plastics enter the food chain, these substances may accumulate in animals and, ultimately, reach humans through consumption. The potential health risks associated with the ingestion of microplastics and the chemicals they carry are still being studied, but concerns have been raised.
Waste Management Challenges: The sheer volume of plastic bottles adds to the challenges of waste management. In many regions, recycling infrastructure may be inadequate, leading to improper disposal and increased pressure on landfills. This, in turn, affects the overall effectiveness of waste management systems.
Global Awareness and Advocacy: Increased awareness of environmental issues, including plastic pollution, has led to a growing global movement advocating for responsible consumption, waste reduction, and the development of sustainable alternatives. Addressing plastic bottle pollution is part of a broader effort to transition to a more circular and environmentally friendly economy.
Efforts to combat plastic bottle pollution involve promoting recycling, reducing single-use plastic consumption, developing alternative materials, and implementing policies to encourage responsible waste management. The significance of addressing this issue lies in protecting ecosystems, preserving biodiversity, and ensuring the well-being of both the environment and human populations.
Generate new knowledge in techniques to produce textile fibers based on plastic bottles.¶
Not having so much documentation about these processes, I see a lot of value in collecting these experiments and data to share them with the maker community so that it can continue to be improved.
So one day it can be applied in different parts of the world.
References projects, research papers, expos, performances etc¶
Going through the internet I found this Mexican man, his name is Jose Luis Cardoso. Which shows us an empirical model of a machine that produces textile fibers based on PET plastic bottles.
And yes, we can say that this method is very similar to others that we have already seen in our lives and that is the machine to make cotton candy.
By heating the sugar, melting it and having a resin, the speed when rotating creates a centrifugal effect that causes fibers to be generated.