
BAVE
IKEA CONCEPT

PHILOSOPHY
Preserving nature is a theme that requires attention in many different areas of our society today. The way we use raw materials and materials has left a big imprint on the world we live in. This is of course nothing new, but in order to create a better living environment for ourselves and nature in the future, it is of great importance that we look for sustainable and ecologically responsible solutions in all areas that do not only involve the use of fossil fuels and artificial materials. reduce, but also contribute to the recovery of our earth. My philosophy is that a design only really comes into its own when this theme is integrated into the concept and the elaboration.
IKEA & SUSTAINABILITY
The Swedish IKEA mainly focuses on the mass production of interior products. Mass production is capital intensive and requires a relatively high investment in the production process. A large market is needed to ensure that these large investments pay off. If these conditions are in place and one can make use of a carefully analyzed production process and economies of scale, this leads to products of comparable quality at low prices. This makes IKEA products incredibly popular with consumers.
The downside is that mass production often has many drawbacks in terms of sustainability. There is usually too much production and low prices encourage the use of materials that are not ecologically sound.
However, IKEA also understands that they have a share in this problem and that is why they have been working on sustainability for several years now. The company says it is making conscious design choices, choosing more and more sustainable materials, acting innovatively in recycling used products, offering buyers options to reuse old products, offer sustainable power and more.


CONCEPT
I would like to respond to this development within IKEA and that is why I have BAVE developed. BAVE stands for Biodegradable Pet Housing. Dogs, cats and other pets of similar size need a place of course. For sleeping, resting and as a safe base for retreat. A basket is ideal for this, but due to the lack of quality or excessive use, the baskets often wear out or break quickly. As a result, baskets are replaced regularly. Although this is of course very understandable, it often does not ensure sustainable use.
BAVE consists of a foldable system that can be easily stored and re-emerged when needed. This saves space in your home and makes the pet enclosure easy to carry. The design consists of three parts. The construction, the cover and the optional cushion.
The construction
BAVE consists of panels that are connected at different points and can be folded together to support the shape of the design. The panels of the pet house are made of Bioplastics. By Bioplastics we mean biodegradable plastics, which are made up of biological/natural materials. Plastics actually mean biopolymers. Biopolymers are a biological alternative to artificial plastics. Thin layers of this Bioplastic, combined with seeds of plants and seeds are the basis for the construction. The panels can be made from the resulting material. The material is biodegradable, which means that the construction can be returned to nature at the end of its life.
the cover
There is a cover around the construction. This cover holds the panels of the structure together and consists of two parts. The outer part falls around the exterior of the pet house. The inner part can be fastened by means of a zipper, made from recycled materials. The covers come in different colors, as can be seen in the pictures. The covers and the construction can be purchased separately, so you only have to purchase the part that needs to be replaced again. The covers are made of organic cotton and can be washed at a low temperature.
At the end of the cover's life, the cover can be returned to an IKEA store, where it will be recycled.
The pillow
The last part of the pet stay is the pillow. This cushion is sold separately, just like the construction and the cover. It provides additional comfort for the pet, but is not a requirement for using the product. The outside of the cushion and the cover match each other in material (organic cotton) and color. The filling is made from recycled residual material.
deposit
To ensure the durability of the cover and cushion, an additional contribution is requested, which is included in the price. If the buyer returns the cover and/or pillow, he or she will receive this amount back. In this way you stimulate the recycling process.