Fast fashion has led to a surge in textile waste, with vast amounts ending up in landfills. It’s a problem throughout the industry, but in the last few years the biggest culprits have been the likes of Shein, and Boohoo.
In Australia, textile waste has the second-lowest recovery rate after plastics. This sad fact lead designer Sze Tjin Yek to develop Sorbet Acoustic Panels.
These sound-absorbing panels for homes, offices and commercial spaces reuse the tossed away clothes that are washing up on shores throughout Africa and Asia, and upcycled them into pro-level soundproofing.
Design and Functionality
Sorbet Acoustic Panels are crafted entirely from laundered and upcycled household textile waste, bonded using a starch-based glue.
The starch-based glue is made solely from tapioca starch, vinegar, salt and water, and it has proven to be as durable as PVA under non-humid conditions.
As for the soundproofing, well, that’s a happy side effect of the entire process! As the starch based glue is dehydrated with the textile material, it becomes porous, which contributes to the material’s superior noise absorbency.
This repurposes the waste while avoiding the environmental impact of producing new materials. It’s a win-win for green living!
And, the panels come in three color schemes:
- Red Velvet: Red and black tones.
- Blueberry Lemonade: Blue and gold hues.
- Hundreds and Thousands: A vibrant mix of various colors.
Used clothing and fabric comes in a wide assortment of colors and textures. Sze Tjin Yek created three distinct color options in order to recycle as much discarded fabric as possible.
Sustainability and Performance
Traditional acoustic panels use materials like open-cell polyurethane foam, which are challenging (and nearly impossible) to recycle.
Sorbet panels, on the other hand, offer a sustainable alternative by using 100% textile waste. They have demonstrated superior acoustic performance, absorbing sound 23.9% better than acoustic foam and 10.5% better than traditional EchoPanels.
Recognition and Future Development
Sze Tjin Yek won the Australian National James Dyson Award for Sorbet and was named the International Runner-Up for the International James Dyson Award.
A few months before that in September of last year she was named the recipient of the Australian Good Design Award Winner.
Sze Tjin Yek is working diligently to refine the production process and make Sorbet commercially viable, while exploring more effective installation methods.
Sorbet Acoustic Panels exemplify how creative design can address environmental challenges, offering a practical solution to textile waste while enhancing indoor acoustic environments.
Meet The Designer: Sze Tjin Yek
Sze Tjin Yek is a RMIT Industrial design graduate specializing in material research and sustainable design. She has already won several awards for her Sorbet Acoustic Panels.
Since August 2022 she has volunteered with the human rights organization Orange Sky Australia as a community outreach worker.
