by Walid Nasrala

Source

We Built a Room from 153,972 Plastic Bags…In 2011
And we’ve been designing for good ever since, says WonderEight’s Walid Nasrala.

Born in Beirut and proudly growing in Riyadh, San Francisco, London, and Dubai, WonderEight is a creative agency driven by purpose, not just portfolios.

Before ESG reporting became a box to tick, before sustainability had hashtags, WonderEight was building spaces out of trash. Literally.

In 2011, we needed a new room in our Beirut office. But instead of pouring concrete, we partnered with environmental engineer Ziad Abi Chaker and his team at Cedar Environmental to do something radically different: build a fully functional, light-frame structure out of 153,972 plastic bags.

Those bags were transformed into 42 bespoke ECO boards, made entirely from unrecyclable waste like chip bags and candy wrappers. That space became known as the E-Room.

A learning and creative space by design, but a statement at heart. It was one of the first structures in the region built from 100% non-recyclable plastic. It was sustainable before that was cool. And it was never a PR stunt. We built it because we believed in using creativity to solve real-world problems, not just brand ones.

At the time, no one in the creative industry was talking about waste in their own spaces. Or designing with it. Or eating lunch inside it. But we were. And we still are.

The E-Room wasn’t about publicity. It was about purpose. It still stands today, perched on our terrace in Beirut. Waterproofed. Sunlit. Quietly making its point.

Looking back, we didn’t know what we were pioneering. Today, we see how that mindset has shaped everything—from our AR-powered, zero-waste Gulfood booth activation, to how we help brands like Switch Foods (UAE) rethink packaging, Climax Foods (San Francisco) reimagine sustainable launches, or even Jahez and Al Hatab (KSA) build campaigns that feel local, human, and long-lasting.

We often say at WonderEight: Play. Seriously. The E-Room is the perfect example of that. It was playful in concept. Dead serious in execution. And quietly ahead of its time.

And that story isn’t over. We’re currently working on a new initiative with Ziad Abi Chaker—one we can’t reveal just yet, but one that’s built with the same mindset: challenge the system, design with waste, and lead by doing. Expect more from us toward the end of the year.

In a world where “eco” gets slapped on everything, we hope more agencies go beyond the badge. Because sustainability doesn’t need to be said, it needs to be built.