This project, led by Japanese water server brand Aqua Clara and design lab HONOKA, focuses on water bottle upcycling. Aqua Clara promotes bottle reuse for a sustainable society, and together with HONOKA, they explore new potentials of bottles.
#1 Aqua Clara Water Bottles
Water bottles designed to protect and safely deliver water have evolved over time to become essential to our daily lives. Now, these bottles are taking on a new mission that goes beyond their role as simple containers, aiming to contribute to the future of the planet.
At Aqua Clara, we are committed to delivering safe, delicious water while caring for the environment. This includes adopting reusable returnable bottles that can be cleaned and used repeatedly, as well as appropriately recycling bottles that have reached the end of their lifespan to achieve 100% resource recovery by 2030 as part of our brand goals.
#2 New Expressions with “Water-Infused Resin”
At Design Lab HONOKA, new ways to repurpose used bottles were explored. These discarded bottles, having been in contact with water for extended periods, possess the unique characteristic of containing a significant amount of moisture within the resin.
When heat is applied to this resin, the contained moisture rapidly vaporizes, creating a large number of air bubbles within the material. These bubbles were defined as a unique characteristic of the bottles, described as “traces of water.” Building on this concept, texture expressions and designs incorporating these traces of water were developed.
#3 Upcycling as “Architectural Materials”
TRACE OF WATER is a project that upcycles bottles into architectural materials, leveraging their colors, the unique properties of water-infused resin, and the durability and weather resistance of polycarbonate.
Even as the resin deteriorates and loses its physical properties through repeated use, we have researched and developed methods to pulverize it into a “plasterable material,” allowing for near-permanent application. These materials, which combine aesthetics and functionality, as well as products derived from them, offer new value to spaces.
Category:Green New MaterialsYear:2025Location: Tokyo,JapanDesigners:HONOKA.lab Co., Ltd., Chuo-ku, Tokyo, JapanManufacturer:Aqua Clara, Inc., Minato-ku, Tokyo, JapanDesign Team:Kazuki Fujiwara, James Kaoru Bury, Ryo Suzuki, Shinnosuke Harada, Shoichi Yokoyama, and Moritaka TochigiPhotographers:Ryo Suzuki
