Life Before and After Plastic

Redrawing the Circular Economy

Partners: University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and Western Sydney Uni (WSU)

What could life look like without plastic?

This is the central question behind the community engagement workshop ran by Professor Abby Mellick-Lopes (of UTS), Professor Gay Hawker and Researcher Anisah Madden (both of Western Sydney University), Life Before Plastic and After Plastic. The workshop, part of the researchers’ ARC Discovery Grant: ‘Investigating Innovative Waste Economies: Redrawing the Circular Economy’, was held in March at Wagga Wagga Art Gallery to align with an exhibition held there at the same time, Plastic: Unwrapping the World.

Good Point Design worked with Abby, Gay and Anisah to develop visual tools for the workshop, and then to visualise the results of the discussions as three illustrated canvases. The illustrations serve to bring to mind possible (local) futures without the reliance on plastic that we currently live with.

Visualisation 1 of ideas generated by Wagga community members at co-design workshop, 'Life Before and After Plastic'

Visualisation 2 of ideas generated by Wagga community members at co-design workshop, 'Life Before and After Plastic'

Visualisation 3 of ideas generated by Wagga community members at co-design workshop, 'Life Before and After Plastic'

Workshop materials: postcard for participants to share their ideas

Workshop materials: prompts for collaborative workshop activity

Workshop materials: canvas for collaborative workshop activity