Modular Lamp Made from Recycled Eggshells Can Be Rearranged
A modular lamp called Mod-u is designed to be rearranged as a room changes. Its blocks are made from discarded eggshells that are collected from local cafes, sterilized, dried, ground, and mixed with a biopolymer. The design aims to extend the lamp's usefulness by letting owners reshape it instead of buying a replacement.
Mod-u is a modular lamp by Joanne Odisho whose blocks can be restacked to alter its shape. Its name combines modular and you, placing arrangement choices with the owner. The material begins with discarded eggshells gathered from nearby cafés. They are cleaned, dried, and milled into powder, then combined with a biopolymer and molded. The pieces set without kiln firing and air-dry for roughly seven days. Because no color is added, natural shell differences remain visible.
The project earned the 2026 Australian Furniture Design Award and includes a chance to collaborate with Stylecraft on possible commercial production. That step would test whether its tactile, experimental character survives larger-scale manufacturing and retail.
Mod-u may encourage consumers to view lighting as adaptable rather than disposable, potentially reducing replacement purchases when rooms change. Designers and small manufacturers could face pressure to show recyclable or waste-derived materials alongside durable, reconfigurable forms. Cafés and local waste streams might gain modest new value from eggshells, though scale and durability remain uncertain. Its award and possible commercial release could influence how furniture brands approach modularity, but actual environmental benefit may depend on production, longevity, and end-of-life handling.