We take our lights and lamps for granted; we reach over and turn on a switch but never think about what our lighting fixtures are made of (or where our electricity comes from).
Pens, plastic bottles, spoons, e-waste and wine bottles. These are just a few of the recycled materials artists and designers are working with to create stunning low impact lamps and lights. We have gathered a selection of our favorite alternative lamp materials to help you green your home.
Wine Bottle Lights
Re-lights from artist Jerry Kott are stunning handmade lights and lamps created from recycled wine bottles. “I started experimenting with empty wine bottles simply because I had them and I like wine,” explains Kott.
He adds, "The project has evolved and now covers a range of reuse of empty containers that we discard with little regard.” Kott’s wine bottle lights have been sold around the world and featured in numerous art and design magazines.
Steam Bent Wood
UK artist Charlie Whinney is considered to be one of the world’s experts on steam bending wood. Whinney’s wooden lamps are created by steam bending locally sourced wood, from renewable sources, around a central frame. The steam bending technique is low impact, energy efficient and eliminates the use of toxic glues and resins. The lamps are designed for low energy light bulbs.
N+EW Lights
Electronic waste is a growing global problem and talented Chilean artist Rodrigo Alonso Schramm has come up with a novel solution to the problem – recycle the discarded e-waste into stunning lamps. N+EW Lights (No More Electronic Waste) are created by “rotomolding”, a process where low-density plastic is mixed together with crushed electronic waste. Smelted recycled aluminium beer and drink cans are used for the N+EW Light’s base. The results are fabulous.
Plastic Bottle Lights
Waste plastic drink bottles are creatively upcycled into decorative lighting by British artist Sarah Turner. Three types of lampshades have been developed in the ReDesign Lampshades' range and they reuse varying numbers of drinks bottles.
“The bottles are collected, cleaned, sandblasted and then with some clever cutting they are transformed into decorative shapes, totally unrecognizable from their original state,” explains Turner, of her ReDesign Lampshades.
Spoon Lights
Japanese born, London-based architect and designer Daisuke Hiraiwa takes disposable plastic spoons to create stunning contemporary artwork. Working with the design of flowers for inspiration, the artist has created sculptural pendant lighting made from plastic spoons that gently evoke the petals of a flower.
The Sy-Box
British designer Bradly Hood has created, as part of a university project, an elegant recycled circuit board lamp - the Sy-Box. The light was created as a school project requiring the designers to follow strict guidelines including the use of recycled materials.
“The materials used were disused circuit boards and acrylic plastic. I made sure the plastic had come from a recycled source…as for the circuit boards, these were obtained from a circuit board manufacturer,” explains the young designer. “The shape of the light was designed to generate the least amount of waste whilst still looking aesthetically pleasing and ergonomically suited for the user.”
Recycled Lamps
Lane Patterson is an American artist working in reclaimed materials. His sculptures, functional lamps, fountains and trashcans are all made with recycled metal and various other unexpected reclaimed objects. Lane includes unusual materials such as reclaimed lobster trap floats, part of a lawn sprinkler, recycled lawnmower blades, corrugated tin roofing, a surveyor’s tripod, billiard balls, ashtrays, school bus turn signals, bronzed baby shoes and various salvaged parts from corn planting machinery. The result is stunningly sustainable lamps.
Toothpick Light
Architect and designer Daisuke Hiraiwa uses ordinary toothpicks to create his lamp designs. Elegant Stamen Chandeliers are made from painstakingly gluing thousands of toothpicks together to create sensually shaped chandeliers.
Pen Lights
Spanish designers Lucas Muñoz and David Tamame have come up with an innovative and somewhat green use for disposable Bic Pens. The designer duo takes the disposable pens and metal paper clips and transforms them into trendy lamps.
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