The search for sustainable materials is preoccupying both designers and manufacturers. From what raw materials can products be manufactured, which do not leave any carbon footprint as far as possible from the harvest to disposal? Are there even some raw materials, whose use is a blessing?

It’s absolutely beautiful and yet a menace. In its natural environment it cleans the water. However, without any predators it spreads rapidly, overruns the water surfaces and brings the eco-system of lakes and rivers to a standstill. Water hyacinths are free-floating plants with lilac blossom, thick leaves and a stem, which can be harvested and dried to manufacture products.

The plant, which originated in the tropical waters of South America, was exported to other countries because of its beautiful flowers, where it was regarded as a decorative plant for ponds and lakes. However, without any natural predators, a plant doubles in size in about seven days and therefore spreads unbelievably quickly and widely. It clogs up waterways for ships, water flows more slowly and the oxygen content can fall so low that fish and turtles die as a result. Nowadays the water hyacinth is considered to be a menace in many parts of Asia and Africa, whose spread is almost impossible to stop.

Just like other natural fibres from tropical regions, water hyacinths have been used in rural areas to produce small items such as mats or baskets for the local market for decades. The plants are harvested from boats, then the roots, flowers and leaves are cut off and the stems spread out to dry on land. During this process, the stems, which reach a maximum length of 80 centimetres, become their natural brown colour. They are soft and easy to plait. Most items are still made by hand today because the short fibres are not suitable for industrial production. In addition to small flat items, larger products such as sun loungers or chests of drawers are also made from water hyacinths. A frame made of metal or wood is needed for this and the fibres are then plaited around the latter by the skilled workers.

Ikea was one of the first companies worldwide to use water hyacinths on a large scale for producing accessories and furniture in 1996. The plants are harvested and processed for this chiefly in the delta of the Mekong River in Vietnam. Similar to bamboo, the plant grows quickly and as it already grows in water, it doesn’t need to be watered additionally – unlike cotton for example.

All the companies that use water hyacinths on a large scale, make eco-rubbish out of the natural material. This is because the natural fibre is no longer biodegradable as a result of the materials used during processing, such as acrylic lacquer or polyester. The components of the products can also no longer be separated. The natural raw material has become unusable after it has been made into a napkin holder or basket. However, now the water hyacinth is once again polluting the environment – no longer as a weed, but as waste.

The slogan: «Natural fibres are good, artificial ones bad», is not quite accurate. This is because as the example given above shows, natural fibres are sometimes no longer ecological after they have been processed into finished items. The Managing Director of EPEA Switzerland, Albin Kälin, who is an advocate of closed loop recycling, puts it in a nutshell: «Whether a product degrades biologically without leaving any residues, does not depend on whether it is made of petroleum or a plant, but on its chemical properties. Today we use a wide range of chemical components in almost all industrially manufactured products, which make them more convenient. But they are often poisonous. It takes a lot of work to find better alternatives.»

What do the people on site in the Mekong delta think about using water hyacinths? Trinh ThiLong is the programme coordinator for water projects at the WWF Vietnam and also responsible for the Mekong delta. Her answer to my question: «WWF Vietnam supports the use of this invasive plant as a material for accessories and furniture. This is because water hyacinths disrupt biodiversity. When water hyacinths are used as a material, it helps to stop it spreading further. This means the plant is not stamped out but there is more control over it.» Trinh Thi Long mentions another aspect. From an ecological perspective it makes sense to use a fast-growing plant for production – instead of those that take decades to grow.

In the longer term the aim for all companies must be to develop products which are pollution-free from the outset. They should either be able to be re-used in full at the end of their life cycle or degrade biologically without leaving any residues. Then we will not harm the environment with our economic activity and our consumption. It will still take a few years or perhaps even a few decades until we have reached that stage. But an increasing number of companies are becoming aware of the fact that the economy should move in this direction.