If there's one common lesson that we in the green community learn over and over again, it's that there is seemingly infinite potential for the vast majority of the objects that we use in our daily lives. Rather than use items once and throw them away, we are well aware of the fact that they can take on a new life when we apply a little clever repurposing inspiration.
Water bottles, while the bane of many environmentalists' existence, are capable of morphing into reusable cutlery, luminescent jewelry, graduation gowns, light pendulums, lunch bags, various artsy crafts, funky chairs, seed sprouting systems and even sailing vessels.
The ubiquitous t-shirt, a wardrobe staple in virtually everyone's closet, may become a little tattered around the edges as time marches on but most of us know that there are countless ways to repurpose them, whether via handmade necklaces, bikinis, scarves, yarn, men's shorts, reusable t-shirt bags, festive gowns or simple cleaning rags.
Once we move onto larger items, the challenge of transforming them into something beyond their original purpose may seem a bit more involved...but it doesn't have to be when you really take a moment to think outside the box.
A 12 week furniture design project entitled Mercado Negro -- Spanish for Black Market -- was launched by LA-based multimedia visual designer Ramon Coronado in an effort to explore the repurposing possibilities of the humble abandoned shopping cart.
The absolutely indispensable 73 year old invention might be the sole reason why consumerism has spread so effectively around the globe -- it has offered us a far more convenient way to carry items to the check out stand (as opposed to two outstretched arms or now archaic hand-held baskets).
While I'm not quite sure that stores will appreciate the type of transformational hocus pocus that can be cast on their personal (ahem..."permanently borrowed") property, considering how many of these consumer relics generally litter the nooks and crannies of our urban landscape, it is remarkable to see them reworked in so many diverse and potentially practical applications.
Instead of allowing them to persist as unwanted eyesores, Coranado demonstrates that shopping carts can morph into functional recreational staples such as tables, chairs, lighting fixtures and swings that will actually benefit communities and enhance lives.
I wonder if he's open to future design themes because I'd love to see what kind of magic he can conjure up when repurposing the frequently discarded ginormous wooden cable spools that always seem to be cast aside along the highway.
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