Geology of WasteProduct, Research2023
In 2019, Greenpeace, as part of the MayDaySOSPlastica tour, documented the alarming plastic pollution that afflicts the marine area near the mouth of the Sarno river, classifying the river as one of the most polluted in Europe. For centuries the Sarno river was venerated by the citizens of Pompeii and above all it was a source of sustenance for one of the most densely populated areas of Italy. In this scenario, due to water pollution, the massive presence of plastic waste and the presence of volcanic sand land, a new artificial man-made material called plasticglomerate could soon spread, profoundly changing this ecosystem. Plastiglomerate is a material that describes rock fragments, sand grains, plastic debris and organic materials (such as shells, wood and coral debris) held together in a matrix of once-much plastic. Plasticglomerate could potentially form a marker horizon of human pollution on the geological record and may survive as future fossils.
The project wants to address the new role of this material, by looking at its legacy that we will leave, analyzing the relationship between what will be natural and artificial and asking what will be the role of design in a damaged world. Perhaps, in the future palstiocglomertates will be perceived as new and precious artefact that could be found, where in the not too distant future plastic will be considered as a precious material of this damage era.
The design of this project is inspired by the findings of Pompeii, inside which, thanks to a low tech tench, contains coal which is able to purify the water.
Special thanks to Carlo Lorenzetti
Credits: Jacob Philipp Hackert - http://www.sarnotelling.com - https://www.inprimanews.it - https://images.metmuseum.org - https://www.cosmos.so - Greenpeace Italy, Inquinamento da plastica. Greenpeace: alla foce del Sarno, May 2019
Gigi TotaroEmail: gigi.totaro5@gmail.com