If We Live Truly We Shall See Truly

In the book Cradle to Cradle they state that in nature, there is no such thing as waste. Also that humans took substances from the Earth’s crust and concentrated, altered, and synthesized them into vast quantities of material that cannot safely by returned to soil. Waste is synonymous to food, everything goes back to the earth as sustenance.

            Many experts still upheld the position that waste prevention was only possible in manufacturing processes, but not in product utilization. I propose that we adopt nature’s way of sustainability and zero waste in our industrial production processes. So that the products and materials we produce can be reutilized, recycled, or completely biodegraded to its organic components. Also creating materials and products that have biological nutrients, which are organic materials that can decompose into the natural environment, soil and water without affecting it in a negative way, providing food for bacteria and microbiological life.

            Cradle to cradle is the way to change, “the way we make things” to mimic the seamless process of sustainability in nature. Which can be done by incorporating sustainability into every product. Engineers, architects, and designers will have to provide for end-of-life product handling while the product is still in the conceptualization stage.

            Since the start of the industrial revolution, we’ve been boxed into this appearance of limited options. Cradle-to-cradle challenges this mirage of limited choices. When sustainability is added in the very design of the product, the options become limitless for us. This is an idea that seeks to create materials and products that are not just efficient but essentially waste free.

Together Everyone Achieves More

Industrial ecologists have been concerned with the impacts that industrial activities have on the environment, especially with use of the planet's supply of natural resources and with problems of waste disposal. Two principles of Industrial Ecology that approach issues and solutions involving sustainability are “Design for the Environment” and “Gather and Use Energy Efficiently.”

            “Design for the Environment” is used to prevent pollution and any risk that could potentially harm humans and the environment. One example would be promoting green cleaning and recognizing safer consumer and industrial products through safer product labeling. Green cleaning can also describe the way residential and industrial cleaning products are manufactured, packaged and distributed. The packaging of textiles and materials can do great harm to the environment if the materials used are not environmentally friendly.

            The second principle is “Gather and Use Energy Efficiently,” which is the efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products or services. In the Interior Design industry an example would be the use of insulation in residential and commercial buildings, by using less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable room temperature. In the book Textile Futures they state that, “Technology holds exciting applications for the future, but so does Mother Nature.” One way to use the applications of Mother Nature would be the placement of windows in a building or home. In cooler climates, designing buildings with south-facing windows increases the amount of sun entering the buildings, minimizing energy use, by maximizing passive solar heating.  Also, in the book Sustainable Fashion and Textiles they state that, “designing light is not just about materials but also construction.” A buildings location and surroundings (such as trees, landscaping, and hills) can play a big part in controlling its temperature and the amount of light emitted by blocking wind and adding shade.

            The primary goal of Industrial Ecology is to promote sustainable development. Hopefully all industry leaders and consumers such as our selves can jump on board with the same goal. Together, everyone achieves more.

Hear the Roar

             Industrial ecology has been referred to as “the science of sustainability”. Although this might be too broad of a definition, industrial ecology is the understanding of the complex interactions between industrial activities and environmental systems.

            One very important principle in industrial ecology is life cycle thinking. It implies that all environmental impacts caused by a product, system, or project during its life cycle are taken into account. In The book Industrial Ecology they argue that “materials and products that are obsolete should be termed residues rather than wastes, and it should be recognized that wastes are merely residues that our economy has not yet learned to use efficiently.” Adopting a life cycle approach is essential to avoid shifting environmental impacts from one life cycle stage to another.

            One concept to avoid waste consumption is for companies to implement a “buy back policy” or issue a discount to consumers for recycling their products. As an example Pepsi has machines on Oklahoma States campus issuing rewards points for people who recycling their products into their machines. The main idea is for companies to provide incentives to the consumers to promote the concept of reuse, remanufacture and recycle. 

            In the book Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature, Ecologist Paul Ehrlich say’s “that we are not hardwired genetically to respond to long term dangers- it takes a saber-toothed tiger roaring at the cave mouth for us to jump out of our skins.” Changes need to be made to prevent the amount of waste consumption, creating more efficient ways to recycle so that the environment will improve instead of continuing to get worse.