The Eco-Crete Collection
Bali’s plastic pollution is in your face: more than in any other part of the world I’ve been to. You go to the beach and you see plastic bags and bottles etc all washed up on the shore. You go for a swim or surf and you cannot get away from the plastic contamination that is in our oceans. Unfortunately, this is the reality of Bali, especially in the rainy season.
Bali is a microcosm of the plastic pollution happening globally that many people in the western world only hear about but never experience first hand. When tourists come to Bali expecting picture-perfect beaches and they see this level of contamination on the beaches, they are horrified. It’s easy for them to point their finger, but the reality is far more complicated and the Balinese and the Indonesian Governments are not entirely to blame. Indonesia receives rubbish from multiple countries. So it has become a bit of a dumpster for the western world. As well as that, education on the importance of the environment is a huge factor that has only just now started happening across Bali and Indonesia.
Luckily, Bali has woken up and has started to act fast. The banning of plastic bags is just the the beginning of a new era and I am thrilled to see that not only the Balinese community is getting on board but also businesses of all sizes are starting to make a conscious change.
One of those business is Slab Interiors. A concrete pot manufacturer based in Bali.
Being keen surfers and beach-goers, they saw the plastic pollution first hand and decided to act on it. They investigated, analysed and experimented with different processes until they found something they could do to help the environment, and simultaneously create incredible pots and products from it.
Skye and Marcus from Slab have created a range of pots and tables made from 83% recyclable materials – they use plastic bottles and other recycled ingredients.
Incredibly, each of their larger style pots contain between 120 – 150 plastic bottles!!! That is a lot of plastic that is being reused instead of ending up on our oceans!
Slab knows that working as a community will only benefit Bali. So they have teamed up with local beach warungs who collect their recycled bottles for Slab to reuse. In addition, two big commercial companies in Bali, Mrs Sippy and U Passha Hotel, donate all their plastic bottles to them.
They invested in an industrial plastic recycling shredder which turns the bottles into tiny bits of plastic which they then use in their concrete mix.Â
Another great advantage is that this new formula of concrete plus recycled materials is much lighter, but still has the same look and effect. Â They work brilliantly indoors as well as for outdoor use.
As they are naturally white, Slab has been adding pigments and enabling customers choose their own colours. This new recycled range has been so overwhelmingly successful that they are now producing all of their ranges using this method, as well as their new rattan coffee tables.
This is just the beginning of what Slab Interiors is doing to help the environment that we all share as well as create more awareness. It’s a great lesson in what all of us can do  – big or small – to make a positive long-lasting impact.
Shop Slab Interiors here
Slab Interiors: Eco Crete Collection
Photography and Styling: Sheila Man
Location: La Payesa
