Sze Tjin Yek, this year’s national James Dyson Award winner, has been shortlisted for the global Top 20 for her invention, Sorbet Acoustic Panels.
Created from recycled textile waste, Sorbet offers a sustainable solution to Australia’s growing fast fashion crisis by transforming discarded fabrics into eco-friendly materials.
While various initiatives and infrastructure exist for bulk and organic waste, there are no such systems for household textile waste. This insight led to the creation of Sorbet, a sustainable acoustic panel that repurposes discarded textiles into a functional product crucial for managing noise pollution in domestic and commercial environments.
Effective acoustic control is known to improve wellbeing and enhance student and worker concentration and productivity in noisy settings. Unlike conventional acoustic panels made from open-cell polyurethane foam, which are challenging to recycle, Sorbet panels offer a more sustainable alternative, using nearly 100% textile waste.
RMIT design student, Sze envisions Sorbet as a catalyst for change. By re-using textile waste and turning it into something beautiful and functional, Sze hopes to raise awareness about consumption habits and inspire others to rethink their relationship with waste.
Having already tested the panels in her father’s hometown in Malaysia, Sze is excited to seek out collaboration opportunities to develop a collection system with households or charitable organisations, as well as streamline the production process to refine Sorbet into a commercially viable product.
“I am incredibly humbled and proud to have progressed to the top 20 of this prestigious award and have my design take the global stage,” Sze said.
“I passionately believe in the power of creative solutions to address pressing issues such as the global waste crisis and feel honoured that my design can help shift the dial in helping Australians and those around the world make better choices when considering their textile usage and recycling habits.”
Sorbet will enter the final stage of the James Dyson Award, with global winnersto be selected by Sir James Dyson and announced on 13 November. The winning inventions will receive $58,000 to support further development and commercialisation.