A sustainability prize you can throw in the compost.

As the world’s leading sustainability award, WIN WIN Award recognizes and supports outstanding sustainable contributions worldwide. Previous winners include Al Gore, Gro Harlem Brundtland, and Kofi Annan.

??When we re-branded the award in 2018, we created a new concept for the trophy to better match the pioneers that are given the prize. Not just a shiny trophy but a prize that constantly reinvents itself. The idea is to always have the same shape, but to use different sustainable materials inspired by the theme of the year. In this way, the prize cube itself highlights and represents innovative materials, techniques, and its creators.

Connecting to the theme of 2020 – Biodiversity – we collaborated with artist Marcin Rusak to create this year’s prize cubes. The cubes are entirely biodegradable and made from organic binders and flowers. Sourced from the excess accumulated by florists, the discarded flowers are given a new life cycle by becoming a part of the material. The organic material encourage us to reflect on the contemporary consumerism culture, exposing and embracing the processes of decay, destruction, renewal, and reconstruction.

Perishable objects may, over time, perish to the lack of serviceability. The prize cubes are made on that basis and intend to have a brief lifespan to mirror features occurring in nature. A stable, controlled environment that maintain a temperature of around 18–22 degrees Celcius will prolong the lifespan. High humidity and direct sunlight will speed up the process of degradation and decay. We recommended the price winners to experiment and give the cube a chance to transform and change its appearance – or simply let it disappear in the garden.

The prize statuettes create a golden opportunity for PR and communication every year, and a way to create discussion even when topics are difficult. The story behind the perishable cubes for 2020, was covered by media in connection with the award ceremony.