Cartoneros are poor trash collectors living in Buenos Aires, Argentina, who make a living collecting plastic bags and other recyclable commodities. The Waste for Life project is an initiative taking place to improve the lives of the Cartoneros. The main objective of the Waste for Life studio at RISD was to fabricate a hot press to turn the plastic bags collected by the Cartoneros in to a sheet material, then develop products based on that material which hopefully could be returned to the Cartoneros to manufacture and make a profit.

Utilizing the inherent qualities of the plastic material was a paramount concern; the material is inherently waterproof and the necessary thickness of the material required for the rain boots is very minimal, the plastic sheet is also flexible. The final design is extremely economical and easily produced. Significant experimentation was done with the plastic material. The original intention was simply to press layers of plastic bags together, but thorough exploration yielded new solutions. By pressing an additional fibrous material, such as cheesecloth, into the plastic, new strength and functionality was achieved.The final material is a composite of low density polyethylene plastic bags (8 layers per sheet) and a single layer of cheescloth sandwiched in between. The cheescloth allows the plastic to be stitched and sewn, it also makes it more durable and flexible. Cheesecloth has a loose weave, which makes it ideal for pressing because it minimizes air bubbles and other errors that can sometimes occur during pressing, it also allows for the best adhesion of the plastic when it melds together. Once stitched, the seams can be heat sealed to create a strong waterproof connection.

Each boot requires only 16 plastic bags, 2 square feet of cheese cloth, and a minimal amount of thread. The boots require no machinery or plastic forming. The raw plastic sheet is simply cut then sewn. Great care was taken to ensure an incredibly simple, economic, and easily manufactured product. The final boot has three main components based off of a simple template. The template can be resized to fit anyone and can be made easily available. When produced on a mass scale, a huge range of colors can be made, dependent on the availability of different colored plastic bags. The boots currently exist in the most simple and utilitarian design, there is, however, much room for alterations and customization on behalf of the craftsman or wearer.

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