These looks at decomposition range from revolting to uplifting and eco. While decomposition is usually considered as an unglamorous part of life, there are some that are using it to create interesting products, turn waste into something new and others who, well, are using it to freak people out.
In the eco category, there are dozens of innovations based around decomposition. For example, trash bins that make energy from compost and shoes that are biodegradable so that when you're through with them, all you have to do is throw them outside.
In the bizarre category, we've found many examples of artists and even designers using decomposition as inspiration, whether it's decomposing trash as art or cupcakes meant to look like a pile of dirt.
63 Interesting Looks at Decomposition
63
Everlasting Burger Photography
McDonald's Happy Meal Lasts Six Months Without Decomposing
62
Compact Compost
NatureMill's Kitchen Compost Automatically Tranfers Waste
61
Bio-Conscious Drink Containers
Corn-Based Renew X Can Could Replace Aluminum
60
Cutting-Edge Composting Kettles
Re-Can Turns Food Scraps into Plant Snacks
59
Mini Compost Systems
Conserving Made Easy with Jarst Tabletop Composts
58
Mobile Phones Made from Hay
The 'Natural Year Phone' for Green Geeks
57
Eco-Friendly Cola Pouches
The Coca-Cola Bag is a Brilliant Solution
56
Eco-Origami Coffee Cups
Coffree Biodegradable Brew Eliminates a Cup of Waste a Day
55
Grenade Planters
These Seed Bombs are Grenade Exploding Gardening Tools
54
Hip Kitchen Composting
The 'Bio Pod' for Organic Waste
53
Decomposition Time Lapses
'The Elephant: Life After Death' Studies the Decay of an African Giant
52
Fast Food Structures
Ben Campbell Crafts Mummy Sculptures from McDonald's Meals
51
Decomposing Tables
The Auto Cannibalistic Table by Atema Architecture is Made with Egg Cartons
50
Cuddly Decomposing Critters
Zombified Stuffed Animals are Adorable Brain Eaters
49
Chic Composting Cans
The Dry WC Waterless Toilet Makes Eco Johns Appealing
48
Twirling Waste Sculptures
'Thrown to the Wind' by Wang Zhiyuan is a Trash-Art Compilation
47
Rotting Fruit Photography
The Heikki Leis Afterlife Series Gets Personal with Decomposition
46
Eco-Friendly Philanthropic Flip Flops
Hari Mari Footwear Donates Money to Battle Cancer
45
Compostable Corporeal Remains
Bios Urn by Martin Azua Creates a Tree, Not a Tombstone
44
Planet-Friendly Flip Flops
Feelgoodz Footwear Is Constructed Using Socially Responsible Methods
43
Chic Compostable Dinnerware
Verterra Leaf Dishes
42
Funky Decomposable Footwear
Stella McCartney Reveals ‘Biodegradable' Heels
41
Chic Compost Cans
Eva by Francois Hurtaud Gives You a Stylish Way to Stay Green
40
Decadent Decomposing Cakes
These Compost Cupcakes are for Chocolate-Lovers with Green Thumbs
39
Greener Fast Food Packaging
Quiznos Bellies Up to Eco-Friendly Takeout Containers
38
Intentionally Decayed Art
Mutilated Masterpieces by Valerie Hegarty
37
Compostable Baby Products
gDiapers Flushable Disposable Diapers
36
Tangy Tangerine Peel Artwork
Tangerine Peel Figurines by Yoshihiro Okada are Sweet
35
Compostable Coffee Cups
The 'PLAnet' Cup is Made With Forest-Friendly Paper and Biofilm
34
Bio-Conscious Drink Containers
Ecologic Sustainable Packaging Can be Recycled
33
Manure Furnaces
Combustion Heater Turns Cow Dung Into Energy
32
Compostable Soda Cups
Coca-Cola's Eco-Friendly Fountain Cups Debut at UW
31
Daring Decomposing Companies
Vokashi Composting is a New Business that Never Wastes
30
Decaying Digital Illustrations
Matheus Berbel Depicts Inevitability in These Haunting Pieces
29
Composting Toilet Concepts
Pot Up_Pop Up Turns Human Waste into Nutrient-Rich Soil
28
Moss Carpets
Biodegradable Moss Planter is Mother Nature-Approved
27
Scorching Trash Installations
The Luzinterruptus 'Plastic Garbage Guarding the Museum' is Bold
26
Biodegradable Body Cleansers
Brad Pitt Partners with Kiehl's for New Orleans
25
Coffee for Your Garden
Starbucks Pushes Coffee for Your Plants
24
Distinctive Decomposed Portraits
Lucas Simoes Creates Bizzarre Portaits With Photographic Layers
23
Compostable PCs
ReCompute Features Corrugated Cardboard Case
22
Decomposing Doll Houses
Daniele Del Nero Creates Creepy Rotting Scale Models of Structures
21
Bodacious Biodegradable Kicks
OAT Shoes Limited Skin Collection Uses Compost-able Leather
20
Upcycled Plum Containers
InPlum Reclaims 'Fruit Waste' to Fabricate a New Building Material
19
Decomposing Birdography
Chris Jordan Midway Collection Captures Plastic Problems
18
Lawn Art Composters
The Kellee Kimbro 'Kompost' Adds Flavor to the Garden and Grooms It
17
Food Harvesting Trash Cans
The Nepenthes Planter Makes Food Out of Compost
16
Energy-Outputting Composters
The Eva Wet Waste Shredder Helps You Dispose of Scraps Resourcefully
15
Compostable Incandescent Branding
Westinghouse Lightbulb Packaging Returns to the Soil
14
High Rise Composts
Vermicondo
13
Decomposing Soles
Simple Shoes' Soles Biodegrade in 20 Years, as Opposed to 1,000
12
Dissolving Golf Balls
These Eco Golf Balls Won't Take Forever to Decompose
11
Compostable Corn Bags
BioBags
10
Plant-Based Coffee Cups
Repurpose Compostables Brings World's Greenest Mugs to Bed Bath & Beyond
9
Paper Wine Bottles
Chateau GreenBottle Would Help Alleviate Stuffed UK Landfills
8
Biodegrading Dinner Devices
The Gaia Automatic Composter Creates Soil-Friendly Scraps
7
Festering Fruit Installations
John Dilnot Explores Mortality's Beginning and End Through Apples
6
Gross Garbage Captures
The 'Pourri' Series by Frederic Delangle is Artistically Disgusting
5
Brilliant Biodegradable Water Filter
Botl Filter Filters Your Water While You're On the Go
4
Biodegradable Cutlery
Aspenware Lets You Have Your Fork And Compost It Too
3
Compostable Snack Bags
SunChips Will Roll Out Compostable Bags by Earth Day 2010
2
Toys Made of Grass
The Muwi Lawnmower Makes Lawn Frisbees
1
Socially Conscious Eco-Gardens
GrowNYC Survey Shows Evidence for Optimism
Related Ideas
Sustainable Repairable Sneaker Designs
Disassembly Lab Footwear is Easily Repaired by Consumers
Biodegradable Womenswear Blazers
Lotta Ludwigson's ALVA Blazer Applies Cradle-to-Cradle Design
Compostable Coffee Tumblers
The Earthmade Aromacup is Made from Bamboo-O Material
Cartoon-Transformed Algae Exhibits
Hello Kitty and Algae Collide Worlds for Expo 2025 in Japan
Deadstock Denim Clogs
Levi’s x Crocs Upcycles Fabric Into One-of-a-Kind Footwear Designs
Food Waste Sneakers
Hellmann's Canada Launched 1352: Refreshed Sneakers with Food Waste Items
Seaweed-Based Shoe Packaging
Ales Grey & Sway Partnered on Sustainable Footwear Packaging
Compostable Suede Sneakers
Puma Re:Suede 2.0 is a Commercial Version of an Experimental Sneaker
Efficient Composting Systems
Homepost Emphasizes Sustainability, Both in Design and Purpose
Seafood Waste Seed Packaging
'SEAD' Biodegradable Seed Pods are Made with Chitin
Plastic Waste Ice Creams
Eleonora Ortolani Proposes a Different Way to Recycle Plastic Waste
Algae-Made Slippers
These Vegan Slippers by Giestas Have a Food-Grade Form
Deep Sea Funerals
Mondial Boasts Another Way to Scatter the Ashes of Loved Ones
Sustainable Design Materials
Mycoworks' 'Reishi' is Transforming Sustainability in Interior Design
Eco-Friendly Waterless Composting Toilets
Harvest Moon Introduces the Luna Compost Toilet
Plant-Powered Air Purifiers
The 'Flora' Decorative Air Purifier is Made with Natural Materials
Eco Storytelling Workwear Campaigns
Patagonia's We Can Get There From Here Tells is Inspiring
Surrealist Phone Cases
The Salvador Dalí x CASETiFY Collab Elevates Everyday Accessories into Art
Upcycled Ingredient Ice Creams
Salt & Straw's Upcycled Foods Series Rescues Wasted Food
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Biodegradable 3D-Printed Shoes
ROOTS Features a Fully Compostable and Biodegradable Elastomer
Mycelium Sustainable Bright Partitions
Interesting Times Gang and OBOS Drop the Veggro Collection
Eco-Friendly Root Vegetable Packaging
This HUID Compostable Packaging Concept is Made with Onions
Repurposed Vintage Apple Computers
Aquariums, lamps, and clocks made out of Apple iMac Computers
AI-Powered Recycling Systems
The Conceptual 'Binko' Recycling Machine Automates Sorting
Recycled Clothing-Crafted Furniture
Hemingway Design Transforms London's Traid Store
Scrap Material Footwear
Merrell Created a Scrap Shoe Collection for Zero Waste Week
Corn Cob-Made Wall Cladding
StoneCycling and Studio Nina van Bart Design the CornWall
Fall-Inspired Home Cleaning Collections
Grove Co. Debuts Its Limited-Edition Traditions Aglow Line
Ocean Waste-Made Textiles
Duvaltex Recently Debuted the Ocean Waste CLEAN IMPACT TEXTILES
Everyday Sustainable Bags
Out of the Woods Offers Versatile Bags for Essentials
Seeded Biodegradable Toilet Paper
Avia Revivi Designs the O-SOW to Encourage Plant Growth
Upcycled Book-Made Marbled Furniture
Willem Zwiers Designs the Tranformed Remnants Series
Rice Straw Fashion Collections
Siam Kubota and Greyhound Original Launch 'Turn Waste to Agri-Wear'
Recyclable Apple Packaging Initiatives
Superfresh Growers Introduces a New Sustainable Packaging
Chic Recycled Waste Chairs
The 'XOX' Chair by Xingcheng Zhu is Made with Plastic Bottles and More
Resurrected Used Smartphones
Think Tank Team Makes Artifacts with Project Afterlife
Compostable Fragrance Caps
EAUSO VERT Created Industry-First Sustainable Fragrance Packaging
Biodegradable Beauty Packaging
MOB Beauty's Earth-First Packaging Turns into Dirt
Bio-Based Foam Packaging
Apple and RISE Team Up to Develop Bio-Based Foam for Packaging
Rewilding Running Shoes
Kiki Grammatopoulos' Rewild the Run Disperses Plants During Activity
Electric Food Recyclers
The FoodCycler Eco 3 Turns Food Scraps into an Odor-Free By-Product
Organic Ancient Design Furniture
The Earth To People Furniture Collection is Naturally Crafted
Tailor-Made Furniture Ranges
Last Ditch Design's Capsule Balances Aesthetics and Functionality
Mycelium-Made Biodegradable Urns
Mush and Furf Design Studio Creates the sail Funerary Urn
Eco-Friendly Consumable Packaging
This Biodegradable Composite Packaging is Transparent and Edible
Biophilic Air Purifier Collections
ecoLogicStudio Creates the Photo.Synth.Etica Collection
Home-Compostable Cutlery
This LifeMade Cutlery Offers a Sustainable Alternative to Plastic
Unique Burl-Inspired Furniture
Don Heston Studio Unveils a New Range of Furniture
Bacterial Cellulose Jackets
Ganni & Polybion Created an Alt-Leather Jacket Grown by Bacteria
Recycled Mini Golf Courses
Lab La Bla Made a Miniature Golf Course with Denim & Wine Corks
Upcycled Algae Makeup
The Unseen Beauty's Absorption Collection Uses Living Ink's Algae Black
Textiles-to-Textiles Recycling
Jack Wolfskin Revolutionizes Apparel with Textiles Recycling
Decorative Denim-Made Plates
The Denim Project by Junghyun Kim Turns Waste into Wares
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Biodegradable Banana Bark Bags
FOReT Creates Sustainable, Plant-Based Fully Biodegradable Bags
Orange Peel Waste-Made Lamps
Alkesh Parmar Designs the Sustainable Apeel Pendant Lamp
Living Footwear Concepts
Jessica Thies' Synthiesis Project Absorbs CO2 With Algea
Compost-Turned Paint Toolkits
A Team at Virginia Tech Developed the Sustainable Painting Art Kit
Microbial Home Composters
Reencle Gravity Launched During CES 2024
Food Waste Bioplastics Factories
Agrorenew is Transforming Watermelon Waste into Bioplastics
Discarded Shoe-Created Stools
The WU Series by BENTU Design is a Sustainable Alternative
3D Printed Mycelium Tiles
bioMATTERS Presents the MYCO-ALGA Tiles Inspired by Nature
Edible Construction Cements
Japanese Scientists Produce Edible Cement from Food Waste
PCR Soil Packaging
Back to the Roots Creates Soil Packaging from Post-Consumer Recycled Plastic
Odorless Compost Kitchen Bins
The Mill Kitchen Bin Automatically Recycles Food Scraps
Traditional Food Preservation Containers
The 'Twist' Food Storage Container Has a Hidden Chamber
Intricate Food Waste Teahouses
Mitsubishi Jisho Design Uses Food Waste Materials for Its Pavilion
Waste-Transformed Biomaterials
Laura Bordini's By Osmosis Project Explores Product Waste
Tree-Integrated Mysterious Art
Banksy Unveils a Mysterious Tree Mural in London's Finsbury Park
Mealworm-Inspired 3D-Printed Stools
William Eliot Designs the Digested Objects Stool
Upcycled Mushroom Pestos
Smallhold Mushroom Pesto Gives New Life to Imperfect Mushrooms
Intricate Fiber Art Exhibitions
Threadwork: Women Redefining Fiber Arts Opens at Saatchi
Large Capacity Composting Facilities
Montreal Opens It's Own Organic Waste Processing Facility
Fungi-Based Building Materials
Mycocrete is an Eco Material Developed by Newcastle University
Urban Debris-Crafted Portable Lamps
We+ Designs the Beautiful Remli Lamp Using Rubble and Debris
Rodent-Preventative Trash Bins
Group Project Designs a New BetterBin for New York City
Odor-Busting Waste Composters
This Compact Machine Allows For Convenient Indoor Composting
Mycelium-Based Artful Tables
Fefostudio and Kamilla Csegzi Create the Ephemeral Table
Plastic-Free Compostable Sportswear
Community Clothing's Organic Athletic Uses Natural Materials
Urbanite Worm Compost Systems
The 'Revermi' Vermicomposter by Sam Kauranen is Easy to Use
Music Festival Fabric Installations
Do Lab Created a Range of Fabric Mushrooms at Coachella
Intuitive Countertop Composters
The Vego Kitchen Composter Enhances Home Gardening
Upcycled Fruit Skincare
Pulpe De Vie Specializes in Making Upcycled Skincare from Downgraded Fruit
Urban Waste-Made Furniture
Javier Guzmán Cervantes and Ex Soup Join on an Exhibition
Mycellium Material Art Exhibitions
Seven Designers Showcase Reishi at the Mycelium Muse Exhibition
Experimental Biomaterial Art Exhibitions
Copenhagen Contemporary Opens the Reset Materials Show
Nature-Inspired Minimal Stools
Shota Uruasaki's Capture the Light Stool Depicts Shadows and Light
Upcycled Plastic Construction Companies
'Kubik' Uses Plastic Waste as a Sustainable Material
Artist-Crafted Upcycled Fashion Collections
Noel Mercado Launches the 'Earth Tones' Capsule
Hollow Terracotta Pillared Gardens
Formafantasma Creates the Biodiversity Island in Champagne
Paper-Made Compostable Cutlery
EcoEdge Paper Cutlery is Made with FSC-Certified Material
Ocean-Friendly Upholstery Textiles
The 'Sport' Textiles Are Crafted From Shoreline-Sourced Plastic
Electronic Packaging-Made Stools
Razeen Mohammed Designs the Portable EDGAR Stool
Microplastic Particle-Transformed Designs
The Tyre Collective Creates Products from Particles
Upcycled Plastic Furniture Series
Kasper Kyster Presents the Crafting Plastic Series
Battery Recycling Solutions
Gisele Azimi Experiments with Captured Carbon Dioxide
Nature-Inspired Multifunctional Speakers
MOSSLAB's Moss Echo Speaker Brings Nature into a Space
Sawdust-Created Biodegradable Casts
DART Lab's BioMatters Project Creates a Concrete Cast
Ready-to-Wear Biomaterial Fashion
Deadwood Studios SS24 Debuted MycoWorks' Reishi on the Runway
Colorful Sustainable Recycled Stools
Alexander Latersztain Designs the Stump Recycled Stools
Interactive Weaved Jacquard Installations
A Team of Designers Create the Dung Dkar Cloak Project
User-Friendly Kitchen Composters
Compost Genie is a Simple Solution for First-Time Composters
Olive Tree-Sourced Auto Parts
Ford Works with COMPOlive on a New Sustainable Project
Palaeolithic Art-Inspired Collections
Taras Yoom Unveils a New Capsule Dubbed Echoes of Time
Biological Recycling Parkas
Stella McCartney & Protein Evolution Create Designs with AI & Biology
Artful Climate-Themed Installations
Michael Pinsky & Studio Bark Unveil the Making a Stand Design
Tree-Free Sustainable Packaging
Craste Uses Crop Residue to Create Eco-Friendly Packaging
Upcycled Apple Madeleines
This Good Nature Market Treat Uses Commonly Discarded Ingredients
Mesmerizing Fluid Art Installations
Dutch Invertuals Creates the Flow Fountain Installation
Repurposed Waste Transit Tiles
Jeffrey Miller Creates Riles for the London Underground
Sustainable Decomposing Containers
Rootmaker's BioPot is an Eco-Friendly Vessel for Plant Growth
Tree-Based Material Products
Wax Atelier's Abney Effect Features Objects Made by Bio-Based Waxes
Adorable Public Rubbish Bins
SWNA Created a Set of Rubbish Bins for Design Seoul 2.0
Biodegradable Fast Food Uniforms
These McDonald's Uniforms Use 'CiClo' Fabric Technology
Creatively Repaired Garment Collections
TOAST Emphasizes Sustainability in New Capsule
Playful Design Exhibitions
Dina Adlouni and Tarlan Vaziri Farahani Presents Mushy Exhibit
Recycled Phonecase Art Installations
Casetify Creates Public Displays for Journey to Re/Birth
Cardboard-Inspired Ceramic Household Art
Jacques Monneraud Designs the Cardboard Collection
Charming Creepy Collectibles
Deddy Bears Unbox from Coffins with Autopsy Reports
Biodegradable Nail Tips
These Vegan Nail Tips Return Back to the Earth
Biodegradable Mycelium Living Structures
Côme Di Meglio Designs the MycoTemple Structure
Alien-Inspired Metal Stool Concepts
Riley MacKay Designs the Sustainable Metal Stool Concept
Squishy Clay-Made Daybeds
Niveau Zéro Atelier Designs the Soft Soil Daybed From Waste Clay
Broken Bike Lock Furniture
Design Students Showcase the People and Places Exhibition
Kombucha By-Product-Formed Leathers
Nishtha Luhadia and Aditi Shinde Uses SCOBY for an Art Exhibit
Stool-Inspired Design Exhibitions
Daisuke Motogi Presents the Hackability of the Stool Show
Repurposed Furniture Design Exhibitions
Honoka Presents the Tatami Refab Project Exhibition
Sustainable Biophilic Stools
Ponti Design Studio Presents the Inspired by Nature Stool
Compostable Foodservice Lines
The New Veridian™ Collection Targets Composter Contamination
Tranquil Sustainable Home Designs
Kolman Boye Architects Designs the Saltviga House in Norway
Natural Material-Transformed Artworks
Borrowed Earth Collaborative Uses Natural Materials for Art
Failed Digital Product Databases
Dead Product Marketplace is a Graveyard for Abandoned Projects
Repurposed Factory Studios
Tengbom Uses Existing Elements in the 1930s Factory as a Studio
Nature-Inspired Design Objects
Students at Tecnológico de Monterrey Design the Plant-Based Series
Eco-Friendly Deadstock Hoodie Ranges
Deadstock Depot Has Introduced a New Line of Hoodies
Hopeful Design Installations
Annemoon Geurts Presents the Evolving Harmony Exhbition
Artful Seaweed-Inspired Bin Magnets
Alixe Ronchi Designs the Magnetic Edition of Vipp's Bins
Organically Shaped Furniture Capsules
Kelly Wearstler Deisgns the Echo Collection of Furniture
Sawdust Scrap Recyclable Stools
Renaud Defrancesco Designs the Briket Stool for Firewood