2021 Galleries

Galleries // 2021 Spark:Fall/Winter Student // Drain Filter

Drain Filter

Finalist

Competition: Spark:Fall/Winter Student
Designer: Jiah Hyun - Drain Filter
Design Type: Product & industrial, Concept Product
Company / Organization / School: Design Matter/Orange Cube
Team Members: Jiah Hyun, Dakyeong Jeong, Sooa Lee & Na Yeon Kim

Plastic is a cheap, lightweight, strong and malleable material. Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year, half of which is used to design single-use items such as shopping bags, cups, and straws. At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year. Micro plastic particles are consumed by aquatic organisms and work their way up the food chain. Because the aquatic organisms are served as daily food, micro plastic is found in our bodies as well. By using the method of extracting food particles that can bee seen in suspension-feeding species, the filtration can be used to filter micro plastics entering the ocean from washing machines. The solution to minimize the life cycle assessment of micro plastic is to create a filtration system before the used-water enters the ocean from the sewage. Drain Filter works as a filter and also a drain connector for washing machines. It collects microfiber from entering the ocean. And these collected microfiber is sent to the company in order to be recycled to be made into the filters. And these newly-made filters are sent back to each households to be used again.