Value Deactivated: Waste as an Act of Sweeping

Abstract This study challenges the conventional perception of waste as a discarded object devoid of use and aims to redefine its nature by dissociating it from the boundaries of value. To achieve this, the term sslgi (sweeping) is proposed to shift the focus of waste management from relegation to obsolescence to active disposition that retains latent value. This conceptual shift redefines “reuse” in design as the activation of the inherent value in objects. This research also explores the creation of novel materials, exemplified by the extraterrestrial material StarCrete, which is composed of dust, soil, and minimal organic additives, along with designers' use of new materials derived from limestone dust and material-driven speculative design that experiments with synthetic (plastic) and natural substances. These cases illuminate the inherent [re]usability of material entities that are ready for activation in multiple interconnected contexts. From this perspective, we can re-view the role of the designer as [re]assembling existing materials and negotiating various influencing factors. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that transcending the binary perceptions of value and worthlessness allows designers to approach [re]use beyond the confines of the production-consumption-disposal paradigms, thereby decoupling objects from the deterministic use values imposed on them.