Architecture firm MVRDV has blanketed the square outside Bangkok's city hall with a woven floor mat made from recycled rice bags, inviting residents to sit, congregate and consider Thailand's plastic pollution crisis. More about MVRDV creates public seating area that doubles as "860-square-metre infographic" in Bangkok
The realities of climate change have driven another big year in material innovation in 2024. Here are 10 of the best solutions that have put a promising spin on cement, plastic, fur, linoleum, or even introduced something new. More about The top 10 material innovations of 2024
Textile brand Kvadrat has worked with designer Teruhiro Yanagihara to launch its first recycled polyester textile made of waste fabric instead of the usual plastic bottles. More about Kvadrat launches first recycled polyester textile actually made from polyester
Promotion: US-based fabrics brand Pallas Textiles has released a series of textiles for interior design applications that utilise recycled plastic recovered from the ocean and landfills. More about Pallas Textiles utilises yarn made from recycled plastic for range of fabrics
Dezeen Showroom: global materials brand The Good Plastic Company aimed to make recycled plastic lustrous and elegant with its Polygood Translucent panel collection, made from old CD cases. More about Polygood Translucent collection panels by The Good Plastic Company
Winding pathways and thatched roofs made of recycled plastic are among the features at the Kona Village resort in Hawaii, which Walker Warner Architects designed to replace a 1960s hotel destroyed by a tsunami. More about Walker Warner Architects includes recycled-plastic thatch in Hawaii hut resort
Lumpy recycled plastic furniture and circular skylights characterise this sunken London house, which designer James Shaw concealed on a 60-square-metre plot for himself and his family. More about James Shaw's light-filled London home is almost entirely underground
Promotion: Welsh brand Smile Plastics' products promote the "imaginative, repetitive reuse" of plastic in a bid to mitigate its environmental impact. More about "Is plastic the problem or the future?" asks Smile Plastics
Promotion: plastic can remain a useful material long into the future with a thoughtful approach, argues Smile Plastics co-founder Rosalie McMillan. More about "We have a duty to honour plastics" says Smile Plastics co-founder Rosalie McMillan
Design studio Space Available has transformed a former warehouse in Bali into a workshop and office space featuring a mezzanine clad in offcuts from its plastic recycling projects. More about Space Available opens closed-loop design workshop and studio in Bali
Electronics accessory brand Casetify has launched a series of public art installations in five cities around the world using recycled phone cases as the key material. More about Casetify launches global installations made out of recycled phone cases
Kartell has collaborated with toymaker Mattel to transform five of its chairs into two hot-pink versions, one to fit real people and one for Barbies, which were shown at Milan design week. More about Kartell recreates pink Philippe Starck-designed chairs to seat both humans and Barbies
With Earth Day 2024 and an increasing number of environmental campaigners calling for an end to plastics, is time finally up for the 20th century's miracle material? Rima Sabina Aouf finds out if we can – and should – abolish plastic. More about Is a plastic-free future possible?
Indonesian non-profit Sungai Watch has unveiled the debut furniture launch from its design studio Sungai Design, aimed at creating useful products from the mountains of plastic waste that it fishes from Bali's rivers every day. More about Ombak chair consists of 2,000 plastic bags salvaged from Bali's rivers
British designer James Shaw has renovated a shop for fashion brand Camper on London's Regent Street, which features a giant foot-shaped sculpture that functions as a till and a bench for trying on shoes. More about James Shaw installs jumbo foot in London Camper store
Swiss furniture brand Vitra will prioritise reducing the environmental impact of its existing lines through material innovation, CEO Nora Fehlbaum tells Dezeen in this interview. More about Vitra "willing to take risks" over changing products' appearance to improve sustainability, says CEO Nora Fehlbaum
Local studio Bolsón has refabricated low-density plastic used in banana production to create interior cladding and furniture for Mooni in Mexico City during the city's art week. More about Bolsón adorns Mexico City shop with recycled-plastic upholstery
Packaging designs aimed at boosting recycling rates and reducing the prevalence of single-use plastics are destined to fail unless they help to change people's behaviour, writes Matt Millington. More about "We need to design for human behaviour if we're ever to get rid of single-use plastics"
Kvadrat CEO Anders Byriel discusses why the Danish textile producer is deliberately tackling sustainability "the hard way" in this exclusive interview. More about Sustainability "not making our lives easier" says Kvadrat CEO
Dezeen Showroom: Australian design brand Derlot has released a new version of its Stump stool with a colourful terrazzo-like surface resulting from its recycled plastic materiality. More about Stump Recycled stool by Derlot