jätepohjaisista
Jätepohja, literally “waste base,” is a Finnish term that denotes the use of discarded or repurposed materials as the foundational component of products, art, or architecture. The concept emerged in the early 2000s as part of a growing environmental movement in Finland that aimed to reduce landfill waste and promote circular economics. In practice, jätepohja projects transform items such as plastic bottles, metal cans, textile scraps, and even waste wood into useful or decorative objects. This process typically involves cleaning, sorting, and treating the raw waste material, followed by creative design or fabrication using techniques ranging from woodworking and metalworking to digital fabrication such as laser cutting and 3D printing.
The term gained mainstream visibility when a group of Finnish designers founded the Jätepohja Collective in
Jätepohja is distinguished from general upcycling by its emphasis on the material’s original waste status as
Today, jätepohja has influenced both industrial design curricula and small‑scale craft production in Finland and neighboring