Dezeen Magazine

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

Shed prints plastic pollution on walls to highlight the problem of ocean waste

London pop-up store Pass on Plastic was decorated floor to ceiling with wallpaper depicting plastic waste to serve as a visual reminder to consumers of the growing problem of ocean plastic.

The temporary store which ran in London until earlier this year was intended to raise awareness of the use of single-use plastic products, which are ending up in the oceans.

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

London-based Shed collaborated with charity Project 0 and Sky Ocean Rescue on the interior design of the store which was created to encourage visitors to "pass on plastic".

Products available to buy within the store include reusable alternatives for bottles, cups, cutlery sets as well as beeswax food wrapping.

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

Imagery of everyday plastic products such as toothbrushes, plastic packaging and bottle caps were plastered on the walls and floor of the pop-up store, which is shortlisted for Dezeen Awards 2019.

On first view, the wallpaper appeared to have a terrazzo-like texture, but as the viewer approached it became clear that the surfaces featured a collage of plastic debris.

Shed explained that the revelation was intended to be a memorable moment in the store experience, from which visitors could be driven to reconsider how they dispose of single-use plastic.

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

Blue-topped plinths dotted around the store were designed to invoke islands in an ocean, with products presented "like a premium item" on the top.

The products on sale were designed by 10 celebrity ambassadors, with each intended to replace an equivalent product typically made from single-use plastic. Profits from each sale were donated to WWF and Project 0.

Artworks by photographer Tim Atkins were dotted around the walls of the space, and focused on depicting plastic pollution.

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

A single white wall was designed to stand out amongst the multicoloured interior. Headlined at the top with Message Without A Bottle, visitors were invited to commit their pledge against single-use plastics, written on the wall for future passers-through to read.

"The space led visitors to shop on one side, view the gallery space on the other, then make their mark in the middle," said Matt Smith, director of Shed.

"By the end of the pop-up [which lasted three months], every inch of the wall was filled."

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

Blue-neon lettering hanging behind the message wall spells out the hashtag #PassOnPlastic, and is visible through the shop window from the street.

According to the studio, it based Pass on Plastic on the concept of "beautiful provocation", aiming to highlight an unavoidable problem using an "impactful but provocative approach" to the design.

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design

The pressing issue of ocean plastic was also addressed in an immersive installation at MAAT using plastic waste collected from the waters and coastlines in Lisbon last year.

Other efforts to highlight the issue and ultimately solve the problem have been more controversial, with The Ocean Cleanup criticised by some environmentalists for its beleaguered long-running project to deploy floating rigs to remove plastic from the Pacific Ocean.

The Pass on Plastic pop-up took place in central London from 8 November 2018 until 6 January 2019.

More images and plans

Pass on Plastic pop up store by Shed Design