Temporary tote is made from fruit peelings

Berlin, Germany-based design students Lobke Beckfeld and Johanna Hehemeyer-Cürten have developed a handbag or tote that dissolves in water, will biodegrade or can be recycled. The Sonnet155 is made from two post-industrial waste materials: fruit skins left over from juice production and short cellulose fiber waste from textiles. Although it has the look of a handbag, it will last about as long as a paper bag. The bag’s key ingredient is pectin, extracted from the cell walls of the waste fruit that acts as a natural binder. This is reinforced with cellulose fibers that are too short to be turned into fabric. Combined with warm water, the mixture cures in a mold and can be sewn into a bag in about a week. When it wears out, the material can be dissolved in warm water and recast to make a new bag of the same quality. Photo: Sonnet155.