REVOLUTION_International_Vol 56

THIS WATCH IS
GARBAGE
How one man’s trash became another man’s wristwatch.
Words Stephen Watson
Each year, more than 55 million tons of electronic waste
— computers, TVs, cell phones, and other devices —
gets sent to landfills. Along with potentially harmful
materials, like beryllium and lead, this waste also contains some
$60M in precious metals. In fact, as much as seven percent
of the world’s gold can be found in e-waste, according to the
World Economic Forum.
Vollebak, a London-based tech startup, thinks it’s time we
did something about it.
“To avoid trashing our own planet, we need to start figuring
out how to reuse stuff we already have,” says Steve Tidball, who
co-founded the company with his twin brother, Nick.
Together, they’ve been rethinking the future of clothing,
developing fabrics and manufacturing techniques that might lead
us into the next age of sustainability. On the Vollebak website,
you’ll find the “Full Metal Jacket,” made from 11 kilometers of
copper, which conducts heat while killing bacteria and viruses.
(Disease-resistant clothing? Sounds like a growth market…)
The jacket is waterproof, windproof, and surprisingly soft.
Now, Vollebak is working on a new project: a wristwatch.
“Our ‘Garbage Watch’ started with a very simple idea:
What if electronic waste isn’t garbage? What if it’s simply preassembled
raw materials that we can use to make new things?”
says Steve Tidball. “That’s why everything you can see on the
Garbage Watch used to be something else — a motherboard
from your computer, a microchip in your smartphone, or wiring
from your TV.”
The project is a collaboration with the Wallpaper* Re-
Made Project, an initiative to promote sustainable product
research and creation. Vollebak has already greenlighted an
early prototype of the timepiece; the brothers are aiming to
launch and begin production next year. In the meantime, they’ll
be sourcing components from sustainable e-waste recycling
efforts, sharing updates about the process online, and, yes,
taking early pre-orders.
The Garbage Watch’s unique design should drive real
demand. To that end, Vollebak was inspired by the “insideout”
approach of Centre Pompidou in Paris, whose distinctive
architectural style leaves the building’s structural elements,
mechanical systems, and circulation exposed on the exterior.
Says Nick Tidball: “Our aim was to reframe an often invisible
end of the supply chain, and make people think deeply about the
impact of treating their wearables in a disposable manner.”
It’s a clever idea. And maybe proof that the smartwatch isn’t
so smart after all.
Get on the waiting list: vollebak.com/product/garbage-watch.
48 SPLIT SECONDS
48-49 USA Split Seconds - Garbage Watch D.indd 48 15/8/20 2:32 AM
RM57539_Issue103_048
075856 Mon, Aug 17, 2020
48-49 USA Split Seconds - Garbage Watch D.indd 49 15/8/20 2:33 AM
RM57539_Issue103_049
075857 Mon, Aug 17, 2020