and there's more than enough of these leftovers to go around, says designer noemi niederhauser. small breweries produce a lot of malted residue, the disposal of which they also have to pay for. so the idea is to use this waste and put it back into a circular economy. reporter: a binding agent is added to the residue left in the tank after the beer is first brewed. once pressed, the material resembles plywood. its color depends on the brewing process used. noemi: yes, it looks like wood. that was part of my goal, to make something that's reminiscent of material folks are familiar with, even though it's a recycled product. reporter: but unlike wood, the material can be pressed into pretty much any shape. in june, noemi niederhauser presented her wastematter project at milan design week. in the house of switzerland, she was one of nine guests invited by the swiss arts council pro helvetia. as different as their products are, they all share the same approach, says the exhibition's organizer marie mayoly. marie: through design and with the emerging talents we have here, they are all