Andrew Hayim de Vries loves soil. In 1985 he buried himself head-first in it for five minutes as a performative art piece. Since then, Andrew’s career as an artist unsurprisingly journeyed into the territory of sustainable design. Ecology and humankind’s relationship to nature, in their symbiotic wellbeing, has been central in Andrew’s work since he was 16.
Andrew is also my godfather, so I’ve been lucky to witness the evolution of his endeavours from when he babysat me in his studio right through to today, working as a writer and counsellor. He’s always been huge role model to me. I admire his authentic heart and ambitiousness in contributing meaningfully to climate change solutions.
Before relocating over east, he was known in Perth for two creative house projects. 100 Hubble, located in East Fremantle, is notable not only for its sustainable design of recycled materials (including a railway carriage craned into the backyard), but for its public art piece: a front wall covered in donated toys. Then there’s Garage Mahal: a passive solar, light-weight steel meccano house (low energy to build and live in). It featured the largest residential green wall in Australia to heat and cool a home.
Andrew now resides in Byron Bay, where he designed and founded the below-ground composting system Subpod, which has since equipped over 20,000 home composters across more than 25 countries.
His most recent venture, currently in its humble beginnings, is WastePlant — an amalgamation of decades’ work in sustainable design and composting. WastePlant’s mission is to grow food, divert waste, connect communities and educate people, ultimately increasing local food security through a decentralised approach. It also foregrounds land sovereignty and will create opportunities for revenue streams and employment for local communities.
Thirty-three percent of all food produced is lost or wasted, making up more than 50 percent of global landfill waste. With the current rate of climate change, we have around 50 years of fertile topsoil to sustain food production left. WastePlant uses food waste to restore the health of soil. Its systems will be completely off-grid and relocatable, meaning that it is flexible with land tenure. WastePlant will also act as an education hub and community hotspot, which will host workshops, markets, classes and film nights, all based on sustainability.
“Picture Wasteplant as a giant living laboratory,” Andrew says. “By replicating the processes that the forest floor has been doing for millions of years—drawing upon the synergy of how organic matter naturally decomposes, prior to human disruptions— we can collectively contribute to being part of the solution in healing the planet.”
WastePlant uses nature as a template, leveraging modern technologies to harness the earth’s processes. Its systems will be connected to an app, making it a database that communities have free public access to.
“Prior to colonisation, Indigenous peoples had been successfully maintaining ecological balance by working in harmony with the land,” he says. “Like the majority of the world, colonisation of Australia has led to the over-consumption of natural resources, which has devastated our environment. It’s important that indigenous communities aren’t merely included in WastePlant, but have lead roles in the projects. Aboriginal mentoring is key. They will be the ones that benefit most.”
Existing disposal systems carry a high carbon footprint with waste being transported by fossil-fuelled trucks. WastePlant is starting a model whereby local businesses and individuals drop food waste off to the facility. There will also be a combination of electric cargo bikes and, when available, electric utility vehicles picking up waste.
WastePlant is designed for a wide range of climatic conditions, globally. This includes residential areas, high rise developments, primary schools through to universities, mining sites, indigenous communities, detention centres, displacement camps, community houses and more.
WastePlant provides people with tools to meaningfully and socially engage with solutions around climate change. It’s about working in harmony with the land rather than seeking to control it, which involves honouring the original owners of the land and putting societies back in touch with indigenous wisdoms around caring for the planet.
It reimagines the concept of a “waste plant”. Rather than being an ugly part of a city that’s hidden out back somewhere, WastePlant seeks to bring it to the centre and make it an interactive community destination — a place where people can socialise and enjoy their morning oat latte.
Living with dyslexia, Andrew struggles to perform typical tasks ‘normally’. “Art, however, has given me the tools to visualise ideas vividly to then bring them to life,” he tells me. “Art has enabled me to leverage my imagination.”
“What I’m doing today wouldn’t be possible without my long history in art,” he says. I think back to when I was a kid and Andrew was making art out of found objects. One time, we got creative making silly fashion out of mutli-coloured duct tape he’d found in a box on the street verge. Andrew makes life fun. He pieces together abstract ideas, engaging communities in practising sustainable living. Despite his serious drive, Andrew forever remains inspiringly playful.
