HUNGRY ECOCITIES : Paths to progress Experiments
+ PROJECT
STRAW RETURN
STARAMAKI x Isaac Montè
SUMMARY
Staramaki produces drinking straws from wheat and rye stems, transforming agricultural waste into eco-friendly products. However, during production, significant waste is generated in the form of sheath material and discarded stems, currently used only as horse bedding. The Straw Return project aims to valorize this “waste of waste” by finding applications with higher revenue potential.
During this project, we will conduct extensive material research, performing more than 100 experiments that manipulate the waste in diverse ways (e.g., dying, weaving, gluing). AI agents will support this process by helping generate new material experiments, drawing from the creative studio’s existing work and the AI’s knowledge base. These agents will also serve as a sounding board for reflecting upon the executed experiments and their qualities.
Beyond functional applications, Straw Return explores the poetic potential of agricultural waste, questioning our relationship with discarded materials and inviting deeper reflection on what constitutes value in our production systems. Through this artistic lens, we examine how transforming the overlooked and unwanted can reveal hidden beauty and meaning within our circular economy.
At its core, this project challenges conventional systems of production and consumption by asking not just “how can we reuse waste?” but “how might we reimagine our relationship with materials entirely?” Can we incorporate these waste materials into our interiors to create functional and visual effects that rival or surpass those of conventional materials, while lowering our carbon footprint? Straw Return seeks to create a new material language that speaks to both ecological necessity and aesthetic possibility, demonstrating that sustainable futures require not only technical innovation but also artistic vision.
“Isaac Monté’s expertise in material transformation and sustainable design offers a practical approach to addressing staramaki’s challenge of repurposing wheat byproducts. His proposal on developing scalable applications aligns with our commitment to sustainability and circularity.
Through this collaboration, we will explore innovative material solutions that strengthen our processes, advance the efficiency of our manufacturing model and contribute to greater resilience in our operations.”
Eleni Karagiannidou – COO, staramaki SA
+ ARTIST
Isaac Montè
Netherlands
Fascinated by societal sustainability I am interested in unusual, new materials and how I can manipulate those. I see myself as a pioneer who, by means of combining technology, art and science, shows how art can contribute to a strategy of sustainable development.
+ SME
STARAMAKI
Biodegradable drinking straws
Kilkis, GREECE
Staramaki SA, a social company based in Kilkis, Greece, utilizes local wheat byproducts to create biodegradable drinking straws, offering a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic straws.
In response to the EU’s plastic straw ban, staramaki showcases how the circular economy can address environmental, social, and economic challenges. By transforming agricultural waste into valuable products, staramaki closes resource loops and creates a sustainable circular ecosystem.
Now in its fifth year, the cooperative has provided decent work for over 20 individuals, demonstrating a low income inequality.
Through strategic partnerships, collaboration with local farmers and participation in European programs, Staramaki promotes sustainable production and cultivation, combats land degradation in rural Greece and enhances its production capabilities, exemplifing the transition to a circular economy for a more sustainable future of the manufacturing sector as a whole.
The HungryEcoCities project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101069990.