The Hops Project
This project is an exploration of the use of agricultural byproducts from hops farming as a new material source. After harvesting the hops flower for beer production, the rest of the plant is burnt or composted. The long stems of the plant have been observed to be a rich source of fibre, with high cellulose content.
With a holistic approach to our relationship with natural materials, the project aims to experiment and research all the possibilities - which are many - of this so-called byproduct. Homemade experiments with handmade techniques were conducted with the bark, the bast fibres, the natural dye and the inner pith.
Other experiments are being conducted in collaboration with Wageningen University, where a novel degumming method for hop fibres is being tested.
By using agricultural waste as a material source, no new raw material needs to be planted. There is no deforestation or overloading of the Earth. Using the byproducts from farming as a source of new material is a sustainable method. This project has the goal to show that it is possible to use agricultural waste as a sustainable and accessible material source and make it mainstream.
Information submitted by the maker and edited by the Future Materials Bank.
Ingredients
Hop plant, boiling water, sodium bicarbonate, vinegar
Credits
ArtEZ University of the Arts, WUR University & Research, BankLoterij Fonds, Provincie Gelderland.