From Plantation Byproduct to Heritage Craft: A Systemic Design Approach to Micro-Circularity in Malay Wedding Artifacts

The Malay wedding industry's reliance on synthetic materials exacerbates environmental waste and erodes traditional ecological knowledge, while vast agricultural byproducts like rubber leaves remain underutilized. This study aims to develop a systemic design framework for micro-circularity, transforming rubber plantation biomass into heritage-grade ceremonial artifacts (bunga telur and hantaran). Employing a theory-driven methodology, the research synthesizes literature across systemic design, structural botany, and behavioral theories. The findings reveal that bridging the intention-behavior gap in sustainable ceremonial consumption relies on enhanced product experience, driven by identity congruence, social norms, and observational learning. Furthermore, by detailing the chemical maceration process, we demonstrate how the structural durability of Hevea brasiliensis leaf venation matches the functional and aesthetic prestige required to replace plastics. The proposed framework concludes with a robust roadmap for empirical validation, offering significant implications for policymakers and artisans to mitigate agricultural waste, boost smallholder income, and preserve intangible cultural heritage in emerging economies.

Micro-circularity, Systemic design, Agricultural biomass, Sustainable consumption, Intangible cultural heritage

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