Nonfungible Trees - First Prize Winner of the MIT 2021 Trashion Show

Non-fungibleTrees is a dress crafted from paper grocery bags collected by students across campus, including those from brands like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s. Its name, a play on the NFT (Non-Fungible Token) buzzword, draws attention to the environmental impact of NFT technology used in high-priced digital art backed by cryptocurrency and blockchain. The NFT market raises ecological concerns due to its substantial energy consumption. The dress aims to debunk the misconception that paper bags are more environmentally friendly than plastic. Supported by a study funded by US paper and plastic manufacturers, it reveals that paper bags require significantly more water, emit more greenhouse gases, and consume almost four times the energy of plastic bags. Each fold in the dress serves as a poignant reminder of the environmental harm caused by paper bag production and the irreplaceable nonfungible trees that are lost in the process.

Spring 2021

Designed by Michael Tan

Model: Lydia Yu

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