Olea – Shared Wellbeing

ISIA Roma Design
Olea stems from the challenge of making the relationship between people, nature and everyday consumption more circular. The project proposes a model based on the cultivation, reuse and transformation of plants, aiming to reduce waste and limit reliance on single-use and pre-packaged products.  
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Bioeconomy
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Ecodesign
Low-impact Textiles
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Artificial Intelligence
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Digital Product Passport
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Traceability
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Circular Business Models
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Life-Cycle Thinking
Olea stems from the challenge of making the relationship between people, nature and everyday consumption more circular. The project proposes a model based on the cultivation, reuse and transformation of plants, aiming to reduce waste and enhance natural resources. The main circularity challenge is to extend the use cycle of plant-based resources by offering different transformation possibilities and reducing reliance on single-use and pre-packaged products. Olea is primarily positioned within the wellbeing and personal care sectors, with connections to urban agriculture, self-production, natural cosmetics, home care and food. The project brings these fields together through physical products, digital tools, communities and physical hubs. Olea is an integrated product-service system that promotes the domestic self-production of products for cooking, body care, home care and relaxation through the cultivation and transformation of aromatic plants. Modular kits, an app, a community and physical hubs make these practices accessible and shared. Eco-design is based on modularity, durability, reuse and space optimisation. The components are stackable, multifunctional and designed for use at different stages of the process. The containers used for infused oils can also be reused to store the preparations.  

The project prioritises prevention, reduction and reuse by limiting unnecessary materials and packaging. The packaging uses plantable recycled paper and biodegradable corn-based protections, supporting material recovery and biodegradability.
Olea is distinguished by its integration of cultivation, transformation and preservation within a single process. Two complementary kits, an app and a network of communities and physical hubs accompany users from the origin of the plant to the finished product. The modular, multifunctional and compact components also enable users to explore different self-production techniques.
The design choice is not yet supported by measurement, but measurement is planned. Olea is a thesis project currently under development. Quantitative measurements concerning LCA, avoided emissions or the amount of waste reduced are not yet available.
Environmental impacts have been considered through the modularity, reusability and multifunctionality of the components, aiming to reduce the number of objects required and support their continued use over time.

 

TEAM
Alessia Ricci

 

SUPERVISOR 
Alessandro Spalletta