Waste Reconsidered – Waste Dream by Cult and Mater

For Melbourne Design Week 2023, Cult presents Waste Dream – a circular design exhibition created with Danish brand Mater. The collaborative exhibition examines methods of revolutionising circular furniture design by using green-tech processes to transform waste into beautiful and sustainable furniture.

An embedded focus on sustainability is critical owing to the current needs of the planet. This extends to a demand for an evolved approach to furniture-making and the design world more broadly. Richard Munao, Cult Design Founder and CEO, says “it is evident our industry has a long way to go to truly shift gears and prioritise sustainability.” Waste Dream offers a timely exploration of the tangible need to transform our overconsumption and waste into productive, re-born parts.

Waste Dream offers a timely exploration of the tangible need to transform our overconsumption and waste into productive, re-born parts.

Cult, specialising in furniture, lighting and objects from iconic brands, and Mater, a global brand founded in Copenhagen with a mission to create beautiful designs in a responsible way, collaborated to create the exhibition. Taking place in Melbourne from 18th to 24th May, Waste Dream explores how different waste streams from industrial production can evolve into new, re-inspired materials, immersing visitors in 70 square metres of circular waste installations.

Visitors can also discover Mater’s Conscious Collection. The series of innovative products are made with Matek, a revolutionary suite of new materials developed by Mater that takes fibrous waste material, such as fishing nets, sawdust and beer kegs, and up-cycles it into a unique composite material, similar to stone or marble, that can be press-moulded to create new furniture. Richard says, “I am really proud to shine a spotlight on the important work Mater has achieved over the last decade with their Conscious Collection and Matek technology. They have truly set a leading example for what sustainability can look like in the furniture industry.”

The exhibition presents a timely hypothesis on the potential of innovation in materiality and circular production, without comprising quality and aesthetics.

Driven by a circular-economic approach to production, the exhibition highlights the need for furniture design to be suitable for reprocessing. For example, Mater has introduced a take-back scheme for their products where anything made from Matek can be recycled and made into new furniture up to five times. “The technology behind Matek allows us to capture carbon in our furniture by recycling waste into timeless classics using resources already available to us, instead of virgin materials,” says Henrik Marstrand, Mater Founder.

Waste Dream poignantly rethinks traditional design and production processes to help minimise their environmental impact. As such, Cult and Mater present a timely hypothesis on the potential of innovation in materiality and circular production, without comprising quality and aesthetics. The exhibition is on show from 18th to the 24th of May, 2023, from 8.30am to 5.30 pm on weekdays and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays. Smaller versions will also be on show at Cult Sydney and Cult Brisbane over the same period.