The Waste Forum is a laboratory for research and development in human waste management: both of matter and ideas. Waste management is commonly perceived as a series of processes regulating the lifecycles of matter. The manipulation of material and the generation of waste in our society are, however, inextricably linked to parallel processes and ideas. Re-cycling, re-use and recovery are processes that are well embedded in acts such as thinking, invention, design and education.

The proposed scheme situated in Grønmo, Oslo, aims to re-establish in the processes of waste management the latent relationship between matter and ideas. A new public forum for the cross-fertilization and promotion of ideas in waste management is envisaged, aptly contextualised on land which has an immediate history of waste disposal (landfill) and continuing recycling operations.

In collaboration with local and international institutions it will act as a platform where different disciplines meet to investigate, re-examine and assess production methods, design approaches and conceptual grounds. Its functions, services and resources are directly available to the general public and individual professionals such as artists and designers. Events, exhibitions and publications are a major aspect of the externalisation of the Forum’s practices.