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Circular DIY materials made from garlic peels
Garliament is a collection of materials made from garlic peels, a typical waste from garlic productions.
Keywords: DIY materials, Material Experience, organic waste, biobased materials
Circular Materials from Garlic Peels
Garlic is one of the world’s most widely cultivated crops, with an annual production of 29 million tonnes. Yet garlic peels are largely treated as biowaste and typically incinerated, despite the vast quantities generated each year.
Garliament began with the aim of transforming waste into a resource, by developing a series of sustainable materials using garlic peels as the main component. In China, which accounts for 73% of global garlic production, industry clusters already collect and sell garlic peels in bulk—providing an established supply chain and a solid foundation for this material innovation.
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Material Tinkering
The main method of this research is DIY materials (Rognoli et al., 2015), enabling fast, low-cost exploration of new material possibilities. All tools and ingredients come from a domestic kitchen context, ensuring that every component is food-safe, edible, or biodegradable.
In Garliament, material development follows a process known as Material Tinkering—an iterative exploration of formulas, techniques, and outcomes. Over the course of 8 months, more than 50 experiments were conducted, resulting in over 30 unique material samples that tested a wide range of combinations and properties.
Material archive
From the tinkering experiments, 16 outstanding samples were selected, coded and organized into a structured material archive. This archive is divided into four material families, each defined by their ingredients, process and distinct characteristics. To support tactile engagement and deeper understanding, a sample book was also created, featuring all 16 materials as a hands-on tool for presentation and analysis.
Exploration on Manufacturing and Potencial Applications
Among the samples, a material coded Garlic Paper 3 emerged as the most promising due to its strong balance of strength and flexibility. Further experiments were conducted to explore its potential, including mechanical testing to assess its tensile properties, experiments on possible manufacturing processes, and material workshops to gather people’s experiences and feedback.
A set of molds was designed to improve the shaping process of Garlic Paper 3, enabling the material to retain its form in the oven while allowing moisture to escape through evaporation holes. The flat surface and rounded edges of the mold also reduce the wrinkage and deformation of the material.
Based on the results from mechanical testing, workshops, and questionnaires, I propose food packaging or containers as a potential application for this material. According to the workshop and questionnaires, garlic peels create a natural association with food, making the material more easily accepted by users. When coated with a water-resistant layer derived from food-safe additives, the material demonstrates sufficient strength to hold food items. Additionally, testing revealed that Garlic Paper 3 has excellent grease and odor absorption, further enhancing its suitability and competitiveness in food-related applications.
Master’s Thesis project: Garliament: DIY materials based on garlic peels
Master in Design and Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, April 2025