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s of 2022, there were nearly 700 hotels in Mallorca (according to the website Statista), providing nearly 200,000 tourist beds, an astonishing number for the size and limitations of a small island. The environmental impact runs deep and, in many directions, but for the non-profit organisation IDI, as the Regional Development Agency, amongst LOOP Disseny i Circularitat, the number of hotel bedsheets, towels, curtains and bed frames that are thrown out after each season, became the starting point for a new design initiative that was released in February 2024.
Since it launched in 2020, the mission of LOOP Disseny i Circularitat has been to unite design, research and the circularity of materials to envision new ideas and bring added value back to Mallorca. From olive pits to used wood to demolished construction materials or textiles, LOOP engages designers to find new possibilities for using discarded materials, ideally resulting in new techniques or products. It offers a unique opportunity for designers to research and experiment with materials in a context separate from their own studios, yet complimenting their practice. Community and networking are also a fundamental part of LOOP’s mission, connecting designers and creatives on the island as well as businesses and entrepreneurs who share an interest in finding solutions and who have a forward-thinking environmental approach.
