Art has long been credited as a useful tool for social change. Not only can it convey important messages simply and powerfully, it also has a tendency to both reflect and inspire current trends. So it comes as no surprise, with concern growing over the amount of waste going to landfill and the subsequent trend for upcycling, that the movement towards sustainable art and using waste materials as a medium is gathering momentum.

As many as 500 years ago, Leonardo Da Vinci is alleged to have said “there is no such thing as waste”, and, in our modern throwaway society, these words have struck a chord with an increasing number of artists. Where others see rubbish, they see potential, and are creating inspiring sculptures using a whole host of discarded objects.

All over the globe, old computer circuit boards, ballpoint pens, aluminium cans, coat hangers, plastic spoons and bicycles have started new lives as robots, owls, polar bears, chairs, lamps and even musical instruments. This creative reuse of discarded objects has the dual effect of rescuing items that would otherwise go to landfill and communicating an urgent message about how ever changing fashions and built in obsolescence of goods such as mobile phones encourage wastefulness.

The growing interest in using waste as a medium has been reflected in the number of exhibitions that have been held all over the country in recent months, from My Sea, Your Sea. Keep it Litter Free at Torquay’s Living Coasts to The Rubbish Collection at London’s Science Museum. Even the artists of the future are getting in on the act, with art from waste competitions being hosted in schools both nationally and internationally.

When it comes to deciding how to respond to our ever growing waste burden, there are no easy answers – and one of the major issues facing the manufacturing businesses that CALMARE has assisted is what to do with their waste material, some of which is difficult or seemingly impossible to recycle. However, new technologies and new business methodologies, such as the circular economy are helping to change this and highlighting to business the commercial opportunities available and redefining the term ‘waste’.

The need to portray these ideas to a wider audience was the inspiration behind From Trash to Treasure, a collaboration between CALMARE and South West artists, in which artists are being encouraged to highlight some of the key ideas that industry and consumers need to be aware of and turn serviceable objects into beautiful objects, or statement pieces for everyone to appreciate and be inspired by. Starting with fully funded knowledge exchange workshops highlighting how much is being sent to landfill and what opportunities there are for industry to change this, the project aims to inspire participants to submit a statement piece for exhibition.

The workshops, which have been made possible thanks to the CALMARE project being funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), University of Exeter and industry partners, will introduce speakers and artists from local agencies and businesses. They will discuss current issues with recycling, landfill and our response to the ever increasing problem of waste. Delegates will consider the big issues facing society; the Circular Economy: how artists can transform how businesses think, what role art plays in changing society and cultures and how art can relate to the resource issues facing society.

Paul McCutchion, CALMARE’s Commercial Manager, said: “This is a bit of a departure from convention for us – as materials specialists, our key focus thus far has been working with manufacturing businesses. However, From Trash to Treasure will bring together two of our main strands as a centre – materials issues and sustainability, particularly re-use, recycling and remanufacture.

“We hope that the art works created as a result will be an inspiration to plastics manufacturers and other businesses that are struggling with their waste issues, as well as help us to engage the wider public about the importance of reuse and recycling. We are also really looking forward to working with the emerging and established artists that are attending the workshops, and helping them to take their own work in a new and exciting direction.”