For their master thesis, German designers Johanna Heyemeyer-Cürten and Lobke Beckfield from the Kunsthochschule Berlin Weißensee developed a biodegradable bag as alternative to paper bags, made of cellulose and pectin.

The bag, called Sonnet 155, is a composite of two raw materials: cellulosic production waste from the textile industry, and pectin, a plant-based polysaccharide extracted from skin leftovers that are a by-product from juice production. Both materials can be sourced locally.

The material has the appearance of translucent leather and biodegrades is water or soil.

The bag comes in a wide range of colours, “inspired by the end of summer, the feeling of sun on the skin, exhilarant waters and a gentle wind”. The colours are derived of natural pigments.

“The bag can be worn, used and loved until it starts to dissolve,”  the designers say. “Our goal is to develop sustainable design strategies in order to create beauty and pleasure within the whole life circle of a product.”

Sonnet155 was a Green Concept Award Nominee 2021 in the category new materials.

Images: Johanna Heyemeyer-Cürten / Lobke Beckfield (via Green Product Award)