For decades, palm oil has carried a negative image in Western media. It is often linked to deforestation and environmental harm. Yet in Southeast Asia—where 85% of the world’s palm oil is produced—the crop plays an essential cultural and economic role. Designer Huda Ashari, a graduate from Central Saint Martins’ MA Material Futures, wants to shift that view. Her project, Redefining Palm Oil, explores how waste from the palm oil industry can become a regenerative resource.
At the heart of Ashari’s research lies POME Bioplastic, made from Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME), a liquid waste left over from palm oil processing. Instead of polluting waterways, POME becomes a raw material. Bacteria convert it into Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a fully biodegradable bioplastic. This new material decomposes naturally and even improves soil health, creating a positive loop between industry and nature.
Ashari has turned her POME Bioplastic into compostable bags and test samples that show its flexibility, durability, and visual appeal. Because it breaks down safely and enriches the soil, it offers clear benefits for packaging, product design, and interior applications. Designers in these fields can use it as a renewable, low-impact alternative to fossil-based plastics.
The project also invites designers to rethink waste. By working with local byproducts and new biotechnologies, materials can gain a second life rather than becoming pollution. This circular approach connects sustainability to regional knowledge and resources.
Redefining Palm Oil challenges the idea that palm oil must always be harmful. Through material innovation, Ashari shows that the same industry can become part of a regenerative system. Her work suggests that true sustainability requires not only rejecting damaging practices but also transforming them into better ones.
Source & photos: Central Saint Martins