From discarded ocean plastic to a messenger for sustainable giving.

"Regenerate" Furoshiki – a "Grace of Waste" initiative

40% of the plastic we produce is found in single-use packaging. Much of this waste ends up in our oceans, drifting together to create enormous garbage patches. To raise awareness for this issue, we created a Furoshiki wrapping cloth out of recycled ocean plastic - turning single-use waste into a multi-use solution with an important message.

Furoshiki – a tradition of sustainability

Just in time for Christmas, a festival where gifts are elaborately packaged, we created a product that interprets the art of wrapping in a sustainable way. The Japanese tradition of Furoshiki combines the joy of unwrapping with the serenity of maintaining a good conscience. The Furoshiki is a classical wrapping cloth that can be reused as a gift wrap or for various other functions.

‚Regenerate’ – Furoshiki gift towel

A closer look at the pattern on our "Regenerate" Furoshiki illustrates the plastic patches that form as a result of the ocean currents. In this way the cloth becomes a constant reminder of the need for sustainable solutions in order to save our oceans – and because a Furoshiki is always passed on, every sustainably wrapped gift also becomes a multiplier of this important message.

A cloth for many occasions

A Furoshiki is not only a sustainable alternative, it also adds a personal touch to every gift. The cloth’s variety of uses allows gifts in every shape and size to be wrapped individually with knots, loops or twisted ends.

Out of the oceans

Traditional Furoshiki are made out of ‘chirimen’, a crepe textile. Our version of the Furoshiki helps to reduce ocean pollution by using a material comprised of 57% recycled polyester recovered from plastic waste in the oceans. A small contribution to reduce pollution.

Conscious design, sustainable production.

Our commitment to sustainability is clear in every detail, from an illustration style that uses less ink, a traditional and eco-friendly Japanese printing technique and paper manufactured from sea algae.

Right to the point

Not only the great French impressionists were enthusiastic about pointillism – so are we. The reason: Dot screen printing uses up to 30% less ink than solid printing.

From the bottom of the sea

Algae are a rapidly renewable, almost inexhaustible raw material. For the poster, greeting card and outer packaging, we used a special paper made partly from sustainable sea algae.

On natural basis

The Japanese printing process called ‘risography’ is particularly resource-saving, with inks based on soya oil and water. In addition, energy input is significantly lower compared to conventional printing techniques.

Grace of Waste

Grace of Waste is a sustainability initiative of the Peter Schmidt Group. The goal is to take waste resulting from everyday life or production processes and create useful products with a high level of design than can inspire tangible ideas for improving s

Discover more Grace of Waste projects

Meet the team

The animated film was realized by Bunch, Berlin.