Desycling De Regenboog Groep project

The Latin Sisters Design Productions (LSDP) are working on the setup of a desycling workshop and creating a new product design line in drop-in-centre Makom for De Regenboog Groep (DRG), an organization for homeless people and hard drug users. De Regenboog Groep welcomes them in drop-in centers and user rooms. To learn more about them look on their website: http://www.deregenboog.org/


Desycling is a concept developed by LSDP. In this strategy design, recycling and participation come together. The goal is to involve people, companies and public organizations in social and environmental theme’s and to stimulate to act and become aware. The desycle concept stimulates people’s creativity and encourages them to look different to garbage.

The pilot project
The pilot project is about setting up a desycling workshop. In this workshop Hi5-ers are producing design products. LSDP designs two products for the workshop. These products are made from garbage material, which are collected in the neighborhood from residents, companies and shops. The products made in the workshop will be sold in different shops in Amsterdam.

Hi5-ers
The desycling workshop is an activation projects for Hi5-ers. Hi5-ers are people who receive welfare and have lived for more than two years in Amsterdam. This pilot project is such a Hi5-project. The project offers the Hi5-ers to work with environmental issues and design.
A very important theme is the capabilities and motivations of the Hi5-ers. The production level and techniques are adjusted to their capabilities. Hi5-ers are a very wide group of different kind of people. Therefore research is done about this group of people.

Garbage materials & neighborhood participation
The garbage materials are collected by people who ride the ‘bakfiets’ in the neighborhood of Makom, the drop-in-center where the workshop is established. Residents of Oud-Zuid, organizations, shops and companies are asked to participate and collect some of their garbage. The type of materials that is used depends on the designed products, the availability and quantity of the supplied materials and its environmental aspects. The garbage of store chains, small shops and market stalls is explored.

To see the development and the results of the project check http://www.desyclingderegenboog.blogspot.com/