gaurav mk wali transforms pine needles into biodegradable material

interested in material research, experimentation, and innovation, indian designer gaurav mk wali has created the cheer project — a research into pine needles in which this abundant and unwanted material is developed into a 100% bio-based and biodegradable composite material.

india’s northern region boasts pine tree forests that cover most of the himachal and uttarakhand lands. more than 500 cases of fires are reported each season, caused by an excess of dry pine needles on the forest floor. with forests covering about forty thousand square kilometres, the damage is incalculable with no significant solution to the problem yet.

gaurav mk wali’s cheer project tackles this problem by separating the fibres of the pine needles through shedding. the fibre is further developed into a composite with the help of natural binders and waxes that can be applied into different shapes and forms as well as coloured with natural dyes made from local vegetables and spices. the resulting material is 100% bio-based, 100% biodegradable, recyclable, fire retardant, water repellent and its production process causes no pollution or waste.

the entire production process was designed to be practiced as a sustainable craft to help generate income in the rural areas of himachal. ‘it has been an experiment to understand the root of a local material and its potential and possibilities in an ever-increasing demand for alternatives for the production of sustainable objects,’ comments gaurav mk wali. ‘the ultimate concept rested on the fusion of local craftsmanship and sustainable utilisation of a naturally abundant novel material; the rediscovery of the pine needle.’