Coastal Matters

Wool, seaweed, and silt belong to the material ecology of the northern Dutch shoreline. This landscape faces rising sea levels, increasing salinization, and ground subsidence, lowering economical value. To mitigate the crisis, new applications for regional substances currently little used or discarded are being explored. Silt is now tested for its use in ceramics; Dutch wool is used increasingly for clothing, furniture, and isolation; and seaweed can serve as a basis for foods and bioplastic. Such uses facilitate transition to sustainable and circular economies and contribute to the reduction of fossil-fuel consumption and carbon emissions. However, the notion of a bio-based economy too often remains underpinned by an anthropocentric and extractivist logic that continues to see the earth first and foremost as a resource for humans and lacks awareness of recognitional and procedural justice. This sub-project challenges this logic by asking what is needed to make the use of wool, seaweed, and silt not only economically profitable but also just for all human and non-human stakeholders.