Year of Sustainability Pin

About the production process

A collective vision, ambition and collaboration - these were the ingredients that led to the creation of Sustainability Pin. Through partnering with makers, foragers and designers, the UAE Year of Sustainability team presents their creation mix, with sustainability guiding our process from conception to production.

Driven by the growing need of sustainable materials, coupled with the abdundant sustainable resources in the UAE's unique environment, our team turned to 'Dateform' by UAE-based ARDH. This material, created from wasted date seeds, provides a solid surface material that is sustainable and embodies the spirit of the UAE's vision for sustainabie production. Dateform diverts date seeds from landfills, roasting and pulverising them to create a unique form. Its matted finish creates a dark surface with subtle pops of contrast, colour and grain.

The material was then handed over to Asateer, who manufactured the pin in collaboration with our Year of Sustainability team and ARDH. Using mother of pearl dust and Dateform, Asateer lovingly produced each pin and passed them over for packaging.

The last stage of production was packaging made by Dubai-based architect Mohamed Rowaizak, who used recycled paper. Once the pin has been removed from its packaging, consumers can plant the paper packaging in their garden and grow a whole new plant–making a true seed for the future.