"Melt", Sustainable Umbrella

"Melt" is an umbrella with a future. Every part of the umbrella has been considered from a sustainable point of view and consists of everything you need to start a small garden. It's name is derived from the biodegradable agricultural film that creates the canopy and that will, under correct conditions, melt into the soil.

"Melt" eliminates the fragile and complicated mechanics typical of an umbrella and replaces it with an intuitive tension system. Each arm consists of semi-cylinder pieces strung together. When the handle is extended the loose pieces are forced to create a rigid arm.

Biodegradable but waterproof garden film is used as the umbrella canopy. Waxed cardboard (or bamboo) provides the frame. These parts become home for the seeds stored the the handle, which can be returned for a discount on a new umbrella or simply recycled.

Designer: Chelsea McLemore