Probably everyone has heard of the problem of plastic waste in the world's oceans. It is particularly dramatic that many products made of plastic have a short lifespan, but it takes several hundred years for the plastic to completely decompose. Today more and more people are working against the problem. Either by avoiding plastic, recycling it or taking part in collection campaigns near you.

The Spanish product designer Alvaro Catalan de Ocon also wanted to get involved. In 2011, for example, he took part in a project against plastic waste in the Colombian Amazon. The aim was to recycle PET plastic bottles and thus give them another benefit that increases the life of the bottle.

PET plastic bottles as lampshades

His simple idea: lampshades. But what exactly do they look like? To weave a lampshade, the plastic bottles are first cut vertically into very fine strips. The neck of the bottle remains intact, because this is where the light bulb will be inserted later. Each lamp is made in filigree handwork and is therefore unique.

It is also very important to Alvaro Catalan de Ocon that the local techniques of traditional basket weaver craftsmanship are incorporated into the lampshades. With this idea, he finally managed to win over and inspire people from the Cauca region in Colombia for his project. They were displaced to Bogotá during the guerrilla war and had to work there under poor conditions. At Alvaro Catalan de Ocon they found a better job and the project PET lamp was born.

The local craftsmanship is preserved

So the lamps are not just an upcycling project that upgrade plastic bottles, they also preserve the local craftsmanship. The result is beautiful and contemporary lamps that emphasize the creativity and identity of the respective artisans.

For example, the lampshades from the Colombian collection are reflective EPERARA SIAPIDARA the great sense of community of the artisans. Because traditionally in Colombia the materials are bought together and also processed together. At PET Lamp too, basket weavers come together to make lampshades from thousands of bottles. This not only strengthens social ties, but also enriches the design of the lampshades in a special way. The finished collection was exhibited at the Milan Furniture Fair in 2013 and presented to a large international audience for the first time.

The lampshades are created in filigree and complex manual work

The success of the first collection prompted Alvaro Catalan de Ocon to continue with his PET Lamp project. This was followed by collaborations with Chilean artisans and with Ethiopian women, who still pass on their centuries-old knowledge to the next generation. The result is a wide variety of lampshades that are sometimes sober and simple in a wood-colored bamboo look or sometimes colorful and wildly patterned.

The project turned into a cultural study

From the project that is committed to combating plastic waste in the seas and gives the otherwise short-lived plastic bottles a second benefit, PET Lamp has today developed into a cultural study. The project not only preserves traditional handicrafts, some of which are centuries old. It also highlights the special role of handicrafts in the respective culture and above all helps the local people.

These women weave their stories and dreams into every piece they create.

The different styles of the lampshades, the design and the different materials used in the respective countries are very impressive.

1. PET Lamp Colombia made of “paja tetera” fiber, wool and cotton.
2. PET Lamp Chile woven from wicker
3. PET Lamp Ethiopia. The materials used are mostly grass and palm leaves that are colored with other natural materials.
4. PET lamp Japan made of bamboo, sober and simple.
5. PET Lamp Chile. Use of natural fibers and ancient techniques that have been preserved for 500 years.

You can find more information about the remarkable PET Lamp project here