Dutch designer Foekje Fleur found inspiration for her latest line of products from a collection of plastic garbage taken from the Maas river in Rotterdam. She was aware of an area of the North Pacific Ocean known as the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”, where a large concentration of discarded plastic has amassed in its circulating currents. Plastics, which are not biodegradable, are causing considerable harm to the ecosystems of oceans everywhere by infiltrating the the food chain and threatening numerous species of animals. Fleur believes she can draw attention to this worldwide pollution crisis by emphasizing the beauty she sees in the faded plastic bottles that contribute to the problem.
After considering a variety of bottles shapes, she made casts from their forms and created exact reproductions by using pigmented liquid porcelain. This particular production uses lead-free materials and helps employ up to seven people. "Our modern throw-away society still produces objects of beauty and permanence – you just need to know where to look,” says Fleur. The collection’s pastel palette and matte finish was derived from the weathered plastic bottles that she found. Once you understand the important environmental threat they represent, these handsome, colourful containers become even more appealing.