trust in trash is a research-led design project developed as my final degree project, born from the urgency to address the environmental crisis and the inefficient management of resources and waste, particularly in tenerife. the project questions how discarded materials, often excluded from production cycles, can be reintegrated through design, experimentation, and conscious decision-making.

the core of the project lies in the active rescue and exploration of local waste materials before they reach landfill. through a hands-on experimental process, i analysed their properties, limitations, and potential applications, working with materials such as wooden fruit boxes and the invasive species pennisetum setaceum and arundo donax. the goal was not to idealise materials, but to work realistically and responsibly, respecting both their origin and the specific context of the island.

throughout the project, dozens of physical experiments and prototypes were developed, leading to two final products, papiliostand and flamlamp, which act as the emblematic outcomes of the research. alongside product development, i designed a complete visual identity system that communicates the investigative nature of the project, moving away from the idea of a sterile laboratory and instead presenting research as something playful, visual, and exploratory.

my role encompassed the entire conception and execution of the project, including material research, experimentation, product design, prototyping, branding, packaging, instructions, illustrations, merchandising, social media content, and editorial materials. trust in trash was conceived as a global design system, where every element reinforces the same values and narrative.