A loop asks us to deal with our own waste and to keep materials at their highest value for as long as possible. This means that design choices anticipate repairs, upgrades and return, and materials are selected and combined so they can separate cleanly.
What makes aluminium extrusions an ideal fit
I have worked with aluminium on many projects because it supports this shift. Aluminium can be endlessly recycled without loss of quality, and aluminium extrusions let me encode behaviour into a section so assembly, service, and end of life are part of the design from the start.
Aluminium extrusions also answer several recurring headaches in product development. Once the die is tuned, you get repeatable geometry over long runs, which means fast assembly and fewer adjustment steps. In addition, a well-designed section gives stiffness where it is needed without unnecessary mass, so we reduce weight and material use at the same time. Lastly, since aluminium extrusions encourage mechanical joining and modular thinking, products can be repaired, upgraded, and eventually separated for recycling with basic tools.
BOSS as a working example
This year I was invited by Hydro to take part in the R100 project, where we were challenged to make mono-material objects using aluminium produced from 100 percent post-consumer scrap. For this project the scrap was sourced from decommissioned light poles and dismantled greenhouses. In addition, the entire production process took place within a 100 km radius in the Benelux region.
It is literally a waste bin made from things that, if not recycled, would end up as waste. It allowed me to design a product that is directly linked to the broader topic of recycling. It is about rethinking waste and how we handle it, giving it a more prominent role in our daily lives. Even the name of the product is derived from the same word that Norwegians living on the west coast of Norway uses for the word “waste”. In my view, the word fits a product that is meant to be seen rather than hidden. It is a nod to both Norwegian heritage and the product’s strong, assertive presence.
BOSS is made up of one single aluminium extrusion. This choice reduces parts and simplifies tooling. The geometry also creates a clean interface for lids and panels, so we avoid extra brackets and adhesives. The feet, bag holders, and pivot axis are all formed from the same steel wire, reinforcing a consistent and resource-efficient design approach. When the section encodes structure and attachment, many downstream problems disappear. Together, these decisions make the product easier to build, use, and eventually take apart.
Moving production closer to home
If you connect the two ends of the linear process we have today, I believe that we will start to see the loop we have to build. BOSS is my way of expressing the shift I want to keep making, products that hold their value, that can be repaired and returned, and that are made close to where they work.
I know that there are a lot of obstacles in the way, but nevertheless, I am still excited.
