Central Saint Martins graduates Brigitte Kock and Irene Roca Moracia have collaborated on a range of concrete-like tiles that give new “economic and ecological” value to invasive species.

The material for the tiles, which the researchers refer to as bio-concrete, is made from Japanese knotweed and shells from American signal crayfish.

These are among the non-native species that are causing the most ecological and economic damage in the UK. By adding value to them, Kock and Moracia hope to incentivise their removal and help restore local biodiversity.

“Invasive species removal and control costs the UK around £1.8 billion annually,” Moracia told Dezeen.

“The harvested material is incinerated, buried or trashed. We want to stop this waste. We do not want to create a new industry around this product but to relocate the waste the current system is producing.”

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Small design firms in the UK are moving their production abroad and setting up businesses in the European Union to get around a slump in business following Brexit.

Increases in costs and paperwork and falling orders from the EU are forcing designers to act.

Furniture designer Lara Bohinc has set up a business in the Netherlands due to the “untenable costs and hassle” of exporting to the continent.

“The UK is no longer a viable distribution hub,” Bohinc told Dezeen.

Designer Peter Marigold is moving the production of his meltable bioplastic FORMcards to Germany, saying that keeping the small-scale business in the UK is “just not viable”.

“Best to not have anything even touching the UK”

Furniture retailer Viaduct has acquired a Dutch business address to avoid having to move products to and from the UK.

“The best thing is to not have anything even touching the UK,” said Viaduct … Read more

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