Designer Rehan Petit has been awarded second place in Dezeen and Bentley's Start Something Powerful Competition for his proposal to cleanup oil spill using repurposed boat bumpers.
The global design competition invited architects and designers to envisage innovative concepts that could have a transformative effect on people's lives over the next 100 years.
Through the design contest, Dezeen and Bentley sought to discover prototypes that could serve as a blueprint for future living, anticipating the needs, technologies and lifestyle trends.
Called Bio-Fender, Petit's concept reimagines traditional narrowboat bumpers to serve a dual purpose: protecting boats while assisting to clean up oil spills in British canals.
Bio-Fender was awarded second place The Bio-Fender would be made with biodegradable materials and use natural microbes to break down oil.
When the fender encounters oil, coconut coir absorbs the oil and brings it into contact with microbes that break it down into harmless substances such as water and carbon dioxide.
This natural cleaning process is designed to clean the water without the use of harmful chemicals or disruptive interventions, ensuring that the canal's ecosystem remains undisturbed and boaters can continue their activities without interruption.
By harnessing nature to clean the water, Bio-Fender would offer a practical way to reduce pollution in canals, transforming oil spills into opportunities for environmental restoration.

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