plastic-eating worms sculpt molds for arnaud tantet's metal utensils at dutch design week

French product designer Arnaud Tantet presents Brio, a project where colonies of plastic-eating worms are integral to the design process. Fascinated by insects, Tantet collaborates with invertebrates at Dutch Design Week 2024, to create unique objects that highlight their underappreciated beauty and essential role in nature. Although insects impact our lives in numerous ways, they are often dismissed as pests.

In 2016, researchers discovered that certain species of insects can digest human-made plastics. Brio centers on the digestion of polystyrene by mealworms (Tenebrio Molitor) and superworms (Zophobas Morio). Polystyrene is one of the most produced and heavily polluting plastics with 98% air and only 2% material content, making it unprofitable to recycle and often disposed of through burning or burial. The project aims to demonstrate a creative recycling process for this pollutant while showcasing the positive contributions of insects. Mealworms can consume plastic exclusively for the rest of their lives without adverse health effects, with minimal supplementation needed to balance their diet. In partnership with Entomobio, a mealworm breeding farm, Tantet began his experiments using polystyrene waste.

all images courtesy of Arnaud Tantet

Designer Arnaud Tantet’s Brio has developed two project applications: a more decorative approach that offers insects a medium of expression on waste product from the Louvre Conservation Center; and a more functional approach, a series of knives for the Parisian gourmet restaurant Inoveat, which offers a unique experience during the tasting menu of insect-based meals.

The first approach reimagines polystyrene waste from the Louvre Conservation Center as a medium for insect expression. Antique-shaped foam pieces, typically discarded, are transformed into unique vases through worm-guided patterns. This collaboration results in a reinterpretation of classical forms in modern materials, with finished pieces cast in Jesmonite, a natural and sustainable resin. Brio’s second application sees the collaboration of the artist with the Parisian gourmet restaurant Inoveat, which promotes insect-based cuisine. Through his innovative design approach, Tantet crafted unique cutlery to enhance the entomophagy experience. The use of worm-carving for the creation of knives, sculpted from XPS waste foam, reduces objects’ weight and amount of material. Once shaped, the knives are cast in metal using a lost foam casting technique, creating one-of-a-kind culinary tools.

Arnaud Tantet’s Brio project incorporates plastic-eating worms as essential design collaborators

Through Brio, Arnaud Tantet emphasizes the value of distinctive, story-rich design that resists mass-produced uniformity. His work invites reflection on daily life, encouraging people to reconsider their habits and embrace thoughtful, sustainable design.

Brio features colonies of mealworms and superworms that digest polystyrene, transforming it creatively

Brio applies two approaches: decorative objects and functional tools created with insect-guided designs

the project’s functional approach produces unique cutlery for the Parisian insect-focused restaurant Inoveat

sculpted from waste XPS foam, each knife is carved by worms, reducing material use and weight