플라스틱을 활용한 업사이클링(Up-cycling) 주얼리 디자인 연구

Abstract

Background Today, it is hard to imagine the life without plastics since plastics are used in various fields. However, plastics are not being recycled but discarded, and flowing into the sea causing environmental pollution. Up-cycling, a solution to this situation, has become an eco-friendly trend, influencing in various fields. Especially in fashion and jewelry field, plenty of products are being made using waste plastics as material. Methods Learn the theoretical backgrounds of Up-cycling and the materials used for up-cycling design. Find out the way how to make up-cycling products by exploring several examples that use waste-plastics as material. Research the theoretical backgrounds of plastic materials and its forming techniques to study how to make Up-cycling jewelery using plastic materials without using glue. Result Up-cycling jewelry is made with melting technique to complement existing Up-cycling production methods. It is possible to reuse plastics by appling non- adhesive bonding method with metal and not using glue but using heat instead. This gives new value to waste plastics. Conclusion This study has showed a new way of enhancing the utilization of material by using waste plastics as gemstone, that it can be made into the desired shapes and colors using heat. It is expected to bring high-added value and communicate environmental issues by combining the subject, waste plastics and re-cycling, on jewelry item.