WHECAT 麦草猫

WHECAT developed a sustainable looping product + system solution on air pollution caused by wheat straw incineration. By redefining the commercial value of wheat straw into biodegradable pet supplies through simple processing, we help villagers reduce the proportion of straw being burnt as well as increase their extra income. We linked traditional wisdom to the modern, from handcraft wheat braids to mass-productional forming, we bring a win-win solution to farmers, artisans, factories, consumers and also the nature. WHECAT is now open source for all so as to inspire more villages earn extra income as well as reducing local straw incineration.

麦草猫项目构建一套产品+系统的方案，帮助解决乡村普遍的秸秆焚烧问题的同时提高村民闲时收入，凭借广泛影响力和发展潜力获 2020 Core77 Design Award“最具社会影响力的设计” 学生奖。通过有限的简单加工将麦秸秆加工成猫窝产品，从而赋予秸秆更高的经济价值，为村民提供焚烧之外的更优选择。村民将秸秆编织制作成麦辫并卖给回收工厂换取收益，回收工厂通过简单旋转加工即可将其制作成麦草猫系列宠物用品。本系列产品100%天然可降解，不仅帮助解决秸秆问题，且价格合理深受猫猫喜爱。 我们正致力于开源方案以启迪并影响更多乡镇，为更广泛区域的秸秆减焚工作提供帮助。麦草猫同时兼顾高质、优雅与实惠，转可持痛点为机会点，并达成跨文化理解力的实现。

The burning of thousands of waste straws every year leads to a lot of air pollution. On the other hand, the pet products in the urban market are replaced with a period of only one year, and a large number of non-degradable plastic materials are used. Through in-depth investigations across five provinces in China, we found that the main reason for straw burning is its slow degradation and lack of high-value uses. The frequent replacement of pet supplies is due to hair loss and business taste. We hope to help solve the different problems of cities and townships through a design: the slow degradation of straw just provides the potential for processing into degradable products. Wheat straw is naturally loved by cats because of its soft, warm and windproof characteristics, and pet supplies A good product premium happens to help villagers increase their income. I hope to design a pet product that can be mass-produced by villagers by simple processing, so as to increase the value of straw and bring higher income to villagers, and provide villagers with better choices other than incineration.

每年数以万计的废弃秸秆焚烧导致大量空气污染，而另一方面，城市市场上更换周期仅为一年的宠物用品，大量使用不可降解的塑料材料。通过跨越中国五个省份的深入调查，我们发现秸秆焚烧的主要原因是其降解缓慢并且缺乏高价值用途。而宠物用品更换频率过高则因掉毛和滋生意味等。我们希望通过一个设计同时帮助解决城市与乡镇的不同问题：秸秆降解过于缓慢的特性恰好提供了加工成可降解产品的潜力，麦草因其柔软、保暖、防风的特性天生受到猫咪喜爱，而宠物用品不错的产品溢价恰好又能帮助村民增加收入。我们希望设计一种村民简单加工即可批量生产的宠物用品，从而通过提高秸秆价值从而给村民带来更高收益，为村民提供焚烧之外的更优选择。

Solution：

1. Turn waste into treasure: convert the problem of straw burning from sustainable pain points to opportunities for sustainable materials.

2. Supporting agriculture and poverty alleviation: combining the non-legacy braid weaving process with modern production, and increasing the value of straw to bring additional benefits to the countryside and farmers.

3. Social innovation: Rural innovation with the participation of the whole people to reduce straw burning in a wider range.

解决方案： 

1. 变废为宝：把秸秆焚烧问题从可持续痛点转换成可持续材料机会点。

2. 助农扶贫：将非遗麦辫编织工艺与现代生产相结合，通过提高秸秆价值从而给乡村与农民带来额外收益。

3. 社会创新：全民参与的乡村创新，更广泛范围减少秸秆焚烧。

本项目为2人合作项目，扮演主设计师角色

个人职责：

1. 进行长达1年的前期调研追踪秸秆问题，访谈走访5个省份实地深入乡村进行调研，并深入理解得出结论秸秆焚烧现象背后原因。

2. 进行材料实验探索，通过上百次材料试验寻找可能的设计解决方案。

3. 与工厂合作共同开展加工工艺研究，并通过计算机辅助完成造型设计和弯曲仿真。

4. 针对社会性秸秆焚烧问题提出乡村与城市多盈的系统解决方案，通过设计一种产品，引导村民自由仿制和再创新，从而达成更广泛区域的秸秆减焚目标，即——一件设计通过“被抄袭、再创作”从而帮助解决秸秆问题。

5. 从调研到成品测试的照片拍摄、影像记录、及出版物设计工作。