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Everything you need to know about the unique experience with plastique

Published Feb 05, 2026

Can you live a good everyday life without plastic? KTH researchers emptied a family home of plastic.

In an unusual experiment, researchers from KTH are emptying the Hesse family’s home—to rebuild it again, almost entirely without plastic. For one month, they will use plastic-free alternatives, such as items made of wood, metal, glass, wool, and ceramics.

The goal of the experiment is to make visible and document how much plastic an ordinary family with children has in their home in 2025, and to see which products can be replaced with plastic-free alternatives. The researchers also want to find out what it is like to live a more plastic-free life in practice: How does everyday life work? What works well, where is there a need for development—and what doesn’t work?

Click the button to start the film. Audio in Swedisn, English text.

View a shorter trailer of the film above. Audio and text in Swedish. 

A longer film about REDUCE and the experiment Plastic-reducers.  17:35 long in total.

Exhibition: Plastic-reducers

The plastic that was removed from the Hesse family house is the basis for an exhibition that will be shown in several locations starting in February. In the exhibition you can also see a longer film from the experiment.

Malmö Form/Design Center 13 February – 23 August 2026

Read more about the exhibition

Contact person
Katja Pettersson
studio@katjapettersson.com
+46 70 777 88 441

The exhibition continues after Malmö to Falkenberg (Rian Designmuseum) and Oslo. Dates for Rian and Olso will be announced.

REDUCE

The REDUCE project explores how the consumption of plastic products in everyday life can be reduced. The project is led by Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). KTH Green Leap is responsible for a work package on future scenarios and everyday experiments. The results of the experiment will be presented in films and exhibitions in Sweden and Norway. The aim of this experiment is to make all the plastic we have in our homes visible, to investigate what alternatives exist and what is missing, and to explore the consequences of a plastic-free life in everyday life.

Find our more on REDUCE projectpages.
Project KTH
Project OsloMet

Thank you!

Cinelandia and Film Director David Wikdahl for the films.

Byggfabriken, Cocoon company, Fila Nordic, Grythyttan, Hemtex, Jordklok, Norrgavel, Kockums Jernverk, Kids hub, Plantagen, Sandain, Stolab and Swedese möbler for donating items to the project.

A big thanks to everyone who participated. Without you, this would not have been possible!