The possibility of giving new life to packaging waste is the starting point of the photographic exhibition “From one thing, another is reborn” (“Da Cosa Rinasce Cosa”), a collection of images by Chris Broadbent, a photographic illustrator specialising in still‑life, which CONAI presented at the Rimini Meeting, in the “Meeting (H)earth” section dedicated to the environment.

The photographic project is based on the idea of informing citizens about how packaging waste can be given new life, and of expressing, through images, the results and environmental benefits of an efficient system for recycling and recovering materials.

The photographs guide visitors through an artistic and educational journey, showing different packaging materials before and after recycling, both in the form of new packaging and as new products or “re‑products”. Aluminium turns into coffee pots, pans are reborn from steel, cardboard boxes become folders; meanwhile, compositions of recycled glass bottles and fleece blankets made from recycled plastic complete the narrative, in line with the concept of “from one thing, another is reborn”.

Through skilful use of light and colour, Chris Broadbent visually narrates the story of the recovery and recycling of steel, aluminium, paper, wood, plastic and glass, elevating the materials we use every day, turning them into design objects and emphasising their importance for society and the environment. Broadbent’s perspective gives artistic dignity to simple objects, recalling the long tradition of still‑life painting, with an impact nothing short of spectacular.