ReClaym our Compost: Biodegradable Clay for Intimate Making

Fiona Bell, Netta Ofer, Mirela Alistar
2022
CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
DOI

In this work, we use composted food waste to create ReClaym: a personal biomaterial, made at home, that reflects the makers’ relationship with food. We combine our personal compost with non-toxic binders to create a biomaterial that can completely biodegrade. We propose Intimate Making as an approach for working with ReClaym that leverages familiar, hands-on techniques to enhance maker-material communication, which in turn leads to a deeper material understanding. We explore methods to customize ReClaym via color, texture, sensing, and conductivity. We apply manual fabrication techniques (sculpting, molding, and hand-held extruding) and design explorations to create a collection of applications that include garden paraphernalia, games, and personal items found in the home. We then examine the entire life cycle of ReClaym, which both begins and ends with composting—giving food waste a second life and providing a sustainable end of life for ReClaym artifacts, thus making the process truly circular.