ITERUM – Industrial Waste as an Opportunity for Innovative Craft
A second time, Again, Anew.
Iterum means many things. It is not only a word, but a way of thinking. It reflects cycles that refuse to end, the potential hidden within what was once discarded. This project is a testament to beginnings disguised as endings, a reminder that waste, too, can be a starting point.
Iterum is a project that reimagines the lifecycle of industrial waste by turning discarded materials into valuable resources. It aims to transform how industries approach waste, focusing on local and traditional manufacturing processes like glassmaking and aluminium production. The core idea behind Iterum is to create a circular model where industrial waste is seen as a raw material that can be reintroduced into production. The project focuses on collaborating with regional institutions to explore innovative ways to repurpose waste, fostering both environmental and economic sustainability. Iterum introduces a new production cycle that intervenes at the waste stage. Rather than sending discarded materials to recycling or landfills, they enter a second cycle of conceptualization, casting, use, before disassembly.
The project has worked directly with Weland Aluminium and Riksglasskolan, demonstrating how regional industries can use their waste in creative ways, supporting innovation while reducing their environmental footprint. By engaging craftsmen in this process, Iterum not only addresses waste management but also highlights the importance of tacit knowledge and skills, showing how traditional industries can thrive in a modern, sustainable economy.
“You have to develop to be relevant”
By intersecting metalworking, glassmaking, and computer-aided design, the project recontextualized industrial waste not as a byproduct, but as a starting point for material and cultural innovation. Through this combination, waste materials were not simply recycled, they were reimagined as catalysts for development and technical problem-solving. The outcome demonstrates how complex forms and collaboration can assign new value to discarded resources while supporting local production.
By placing craftsmen in a context where their skills are relied upon, their craft was no longer taken for granted, but rediscovered, respected, and reframed. In doing so, the project opened new doors. It demonstrated that cross-industry collaboration can reveal untapped potential, and that craftsmen hold valuable knowledge that is increasingly rare, while being increasingly needed.
The agency of this project lies in how it helped craftsmen recognize the value of their own tacit knowledge, which is often taken for granted, yet essential to complex problem-solving and material innovation. Through the design process, this expertise was not only made visible but also shown to have relevance far beyond the traditional settings in which it is usually applied.
From this emerges a new kind of model for sustainable production- one that brings together local craftsmanship, digital tools, and material reuse. Instead of designing around the limitations of waste, the project shows that designing with waste, while engaging skilled craftspeople, creates a more responsive, resilient, and circular system. This model reduces inefficiencies in material usage and revitalizes local industries by offering new forms of relevance, employment, and agency.
Ultimately, Iterum contributes to fostering the growth of traditional industries by making them more dynamic and innovative. Through viewing craft as an evolving practice, it has managed to reshape production and create new professional pathways. In honouring the past, while challenging its boundaries, this project has managed to showcase the relevance and resilience of craft in a changing world. The craftsmen’s ability to adapt, solve complex problems, and draw on past experiences, positioned them as more than just practitioners. They became experts whose material knowledge could, and should, be applied across industries.
