Petroleum-based plastics have, for long, been under a critical lens apropos of the ongoing onslaught of environmental crises haunting the globe. These synthetic polymers utilised excessively across industries are not only non-biodegradable but also the largest contributors to the increasing presence of microplastics and waste on the planet. In light of their environmentally damaging and exhaustible nature, many in the spheres of science, research and design seek conscious alternatives to replace the colossal presence that synthetic plastics occupy in the world. New York-based design lab OXMAN is one such practice that strives to create and deliver nature-centric products and environments, their recent intervention being O°, a biomaterial, digital and robotic technology platform.

O° (pronounced ‘O-Zero’) fuels the production of biobased textiles and wearables that are 100 per cent biodegradable when disposed of. The products are made entirely with organic material, without the use of petrochemicals or glues and produce no microplastics. The digital technology attenuates the complexity that partakes in conventional fabrication processes, facilitating the creation of consumer products from one material, under one roof; the human intervention is minimal and the process is nearly zero-waste. The first product design born from OXMAN’s innovative platform is a collection of shoes made entirely out of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a class of versatile and biodegradable organic materials. “PHAs have long been recognised as a promising alternative to petroleum-based plastics,” notes Neri Oxman, CEO and Founder of OXMAN. “We have successfully elevated the potential of PHA through the development of O°, a new technology for the design and fabrication of products that seeks to minimise harm in its conception and nourish the environment in its afterlife,” she adds.

OXMAN’s practice is an intersection of computational design, robotics, material science, green chemistry, biology and ecosystem engineering. Throughout their oeuvre, the designers challenge the long-established industrial systems that delineate the discipline of design and its associated production. O° is an extension of this ethos through the medium of PHAs.

PHAs can be produced by bacteria which consume atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane, and/or food waste, reducing carbon in the environment as they grow. Owing to their recyclable and biodegradable design, O° textiles and shoes decompose without any traces of microplastics left behind. Once broken down, the wearable technology becomes one with nature, returning to its origin, the bacteria. PHA, much like traditional biodegradable materials such as cotton, wool and silk, does not degrade and maintains integrity through wear, washing and storage.

The precise designs of the O° shoes are informed by the kinetics of human motion, the PHAs aiding in the shoes' versatility. Whether the final form is a running shoe or a ballet slipper, each footwear design features a knitted base layer; the upper and outer layers are printed on the textile to achieve specific functionality—reinforcement, cushioning, strength and flexibility. The versatility and automation intrinsic to the O° yield numerous iterations and rapid development processes, bridging design to production.

The O° robotic system, central to the intervention, 3D prints custom PHA blends onto a textile design that is 3D knitted on an industrial flatbed machine. The 100 per cent PHA yarn used in the 3D printing process is produced through extrusion and melt spinning. By using this knitting and 3D printing technology to create shape and movement, OXMAN eliminates the cut-and-sew and adhesion processes involved in traditional shoe assembly. The team offers a near zero-waste solution that requires minimal human involvement and intervention; the design journey is local and low-cost—curbing the high transportation cost and environmental impact associated with the traditional shoe design industry.

Refusing to opt for industrial pigments and dyes sourced from raw materials derived from petrochemicals, dependent on a resource-intensive and complex global supply chain, the OXMAN team resorts to naturally produced pigments for their wearable designs. Bacteria is harnessed not only to produce pigments from simple natural resources but also to encode other functional properties such as pigment production to simplify and centralise the manufacturing process.

OXMAN’s O° platform hones the uncharted potential of PHAs, reimagining the fabrication processes that dominate the design sphere today. The alternative sustainable design and production process they propose holistically takes into consideration a product’s entire lifecycle, from conception to decomposition—nudging discourse and action towards a global community with circularity at its heart.