Lead Recycled Cork LED Lantern

Press Kit

Unique Properties

It is a portable light which is leading to hope. The body is made of a recycled wine cork which is consumed in Tokyo. The light is lit on the surface of the soft cork gives off a warm glow to the place. Rechargeable and compact enough to carry even in times of a disaster. It can be lit about 13 hours.

Dimensions & Packaging

Size
Diameter 55mm
Height 105mm
Weight 133g

Specifications
Machined aluminum
Recycled cork
LED light
Built-in battery lithium-ion battery
USB-C port

Tags

Lighting fixtures, portable lighting, LED lighting, compact lighting, gentle light, soothing light, recycled cork, sustainable, sustainability, circular society

Production Technology

Today in Tokyo, a lot of bottle of wine are enjoyed drinking. It is said that about 150 million bottles of wine are consumed in Tokyo each year. It means that Tokyo consumes roughly one-third of Japan's total wine consumption. The activity is called Tokyo Cork Project collects and recycles corks stoppers of wine which are consumed in large quantities along with wine, as a treasure house of recycled resources. In addition to its gentle texture, cork has excellent elasticity and heat retention properties, is nearly impervious to water, and is slightly breathable.
Because of these exceptional characteristics, it is attracting attention as a natural material with great potential. The precisely machined cork body and a upper part is produced by machining recyclable aluminum. LED is installed on the back of the alumimium upper to emit light indirectly on the cork surface, thus utilizing the gentle texture of the cork material and transforming it into a small lantern. The name of the product, Lead, is a combination of the word guide and LED, the light source, in the hope that it will be a light that leads to hope in any situation.

Design Challenge

Keeping the size as compact as possible was very difficult.

Considerable effort was put into the internal design in order to meet the required applications, such as light intensity and lighting time (battery size). In addition, the recycled cork used for the body is a very soft material, so it was very difficult to precisely carve it out. Fortunately, however, we were able to find a factory with advanced processing technology, which enabled us to create the ideal shape.

Project Duration

The exhibition, held in Tokyo in the fall of 2022

NEW NORMAL, NEW STANDARD

Design for Comfortable Preparation" exhibition held in Tokyo in the fall of 2022.

Operation Flow

The lighting is activated by pressing the switch in the center of the top surface of the main unit.

In addition, a hook is attached to the top surface.
It is also possible to hang it on something for outdoor use.

The USB-C connector can be used for charging.
The small lamp next to the port lights up red when charging is in progress, and glows blue when charging is complete.

Research

I used to think of cork as a common and uninteresting material.
This time, however, I discovered that cork can be a very attractive material by using recycled cork compressed more densely than natural cork wood, precisely shaving and processing it, and shining light on it. We are convinced that we can still make new discoveries by changing our viewpoints on materials.

Inspiration

The exhibition was held in Tokyo in the fall of 2022, which is called NEW NORMAL, NEW STANDARD and it presented designs for comfortable preparedness exhibition. In the exhibition, six designers proposed ways to incorporate comfortable preparedness design into our daily lives, so that we can be prepared comfortably and without unnecessary stress, so that we can spend our daily lives peacefully and safely with our loved ones and family. I designed a lantern that is portable and emits a soothing light even in an emergency. The main material I used was cork. Moreover, I chose recycled cork made from cork stoppers of wine bottles consumed at restaurants in Tokyo. Not only the light emitted from the soft and gentle material peculiar to cork, but also we are able to play a part in a recycling-oriented society.

Image Credits

Main image is Image #1：Takanori urata (2022)
Optional Image #1：Takanori urata (2022)
Optional Image #2：Takanori urata (2022)
Optional Image #3：Takanori urata (2022)
Optional Image #4：Takanori urata (2022)

Colors of Lead Recycled Cork LED Lantern

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