Hanging recycled fiber planter by Eriko Yokoi

The continuous growth in the fashion industry has not only provided opportunities to young talents but also led to a staggering increase in textile waste, which has huge impacts on the environment.

There are textile recycling companies repurposing fibers into useful products, but the Japanese designer Eriko Yokoi’s idea of recycling old clothes into a substitute for soil is something absolutely unique and original.

The recycled material is made by compressing old polyester clothes, which enables it to hold adequate moisture and air for growing plants indoors.

The planter system consists of small triangular modules (made of fiber soil) hanging in mid-air through a thin cord.

Using the recycled material, she has created one-of-a-kind hanging recycled fiber planters that look strange but are a great recycling solution and a way to repurpose old polyester clothes into a green design material.

Also Read: Helen Kontouris’ Botanical Planter Screens Bring Nature To Urban Spaces

The color of each planter is derived by sorting and mixing different colors of old clothes. Just like any textile product, softness is the most inviting feature of this planter.

Eriko’s recycled fiber planter is amongst the top four out of 12 finalists selected to create prototypes of their designs at Lexus Design Award based on the theme “Co-“, derived from the Latin prefix meaning “with or together in harmony.”