My Mum is a pretty awesome person. I know that I am biased, but it’s just a fact. I have learned a great deal from her- she taught me to weave a basket, how to use a loom, and how to be a stellar researcher. She also taught me that there is a way to recycle pretty much anything- and if you can’t recycle it, you shouldn’t be buying it. This was a message that she’s taught me for as long as I can remember- indeed, I have vivid memories of driving to school belting out the Aretha Franklin spoof ‘R-E-C-Y-C-L-E’ with my mum. (Growing up in Washington, I watched a lot of Bill Nye the Science Guy as a kid- ‘R-E-C-Y-C-L-E’ was one of his best music videos- from the soundtrack of ‘Science Not that Bad.’ In fact, I suggest you stop whatever you’re doing, and watch it right now: Bill Nye’s R-E-C-Y-C-L-E). I sang that song so many times as a kid that it is literally ingrained into my brain. And now, as a result, I wash out my disposable coffee cups and recycle them, and to me, that seems normal.
Growing up, I’ve realized that are so many more facets to recycling than I understood as a kid. This owes some thanks to design school, some to my chronic consumption of literature. I now realize that my actions of placing a soda pop bottle into the recycle bin at night will not give me a brand new soda pop bottle in the morning. Now, maybe this is common sense, but it is common sense that begs us to question the process of recycling in and of itself. If you’ll recall from A Consumer’s Perception, this references the embodied energy principle. Now, depending on how the soda pop bottle is treated in the ‘recycling process,’ we can utilize one of two phrases to describe its experience: cradle to grave, and cradle to cradle. We’ll examine both.
Landfill: http://faceless-book.blogspot.com/
The phrase ‘cradle to grave’ surrounds a very standard consumer mindset. In a cradle to grave world, products are utilized in a linear fashion- they are made, they are used, and they are thrown away, into giant graves more commonly referred to as landfills (little did I know, the world’s largest ‘landfill’ is actually in the middle of the Pacific Ocean; it’s known as the Pacific Garbage Patch, and at a whopping two times the size of Texas, it’s just floating there). It is in a cradle to grave world that the concepts of recycling and downcycling exist. Now, I realize that lumping the act of recycling in with the notion of a landfill could be considered overly harsh, but this I believe to be true: the current standard of design trends is creating products that, while they may be reused once or twice through the powers of recycling, will ultimately end up rotting on a forgotten face of the planet somewhere. Thus the crux with recycling: while many of our
The Pacific Garbage Patch: http://myecoaction.com/
products can be remade and redefined- there is a limit to how many times they can do so, before they start to break down, into minute, unnatural, unfriendly, and often toxic pieces that are not kosher to the planet. This encompasses the notion of ‘downcycling,’ the idea surrounding products that are recycled into a product of lesser value, until it can ultimately be reinvented no more. An example would be downcycling office paper into toilet paper- it’s been recycled, but it’s still heading for the trash. In addition to worries surrounding where and how a product will end up, one must consider the energy and chemical processes necessary to ‘recycle’ a product- often we’ll find they create additional environmental harm, when in fact, that’s what we’re trying to prevent.
The second phrase is a well-known concept, and standard jargon in the design world: cradle to cradle. Coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, cradle to cradle refers to products that are part of a continuous cycle. This concept was first explained to me utilizing the cherry tree as an example: the tree blossoms, and it is enjoyed for its beauty. When the blossoms die, they fall surrounding the base of the tree, decompose into the ground, and the tree’s roots soak up the nutrients from the blossoms to help it blossom again. Struck with curiosity, I dove into McDonough and Braungart’s book: Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. (First off- the number one coolest thing about the book is that’s not made out of paper, it’s recyclable, and it’s water proof, which means I am able to read it in the bathtub. Woohoo!). Rolled in with the concept is the term of ‘upcycling,’ the idea that products can be easily recycled into something of equal value and benefit. An example of upcycling would be recycling tires into ‘re-tire,’ or recycled rubber flooring. McDonough and Braungart illustrate a convincing argument regarding the issue of design in considering the eventual ‘grave’ that all products face, and understandably- nothing lasts forever. The authors discuss this on page 104 of Cradle to Cradle: “To eliminate the concept of waste means to design things–products, packaging, and systems–from the very beginning on the understanding that waste does not exist.” A profound thought- a world without waste; what would that look like? Quite simply, it would be a world where waste equals food. This model already exists for us to see in nature- where all designs function regarding a biological metabolism. That all things in nature are in some way alive, when they die and return to nature, they offer nourishment to the next biological generation. McDonough and Braungart suggest a similar model, appropriately named the ‘technosphere,’ where all engineered products can become, in a sense, technological nutrients that will safely offer nourishment to the next generation of product. If that’s too bizarre of an idea to wrap your head around, consider this: if at the end of a product’s life, you plant it in the soil, what will happen to it? Will it ultimately decompose and offer healthy nourishment to the creation of something new? Most likely not. It will probably sit for an extended period of time before it breaks into fragmented pieces that fester indefinitely throughout our planet’s existence, all the while leaching chemicals into the ground that we walk upon, live upon, and ultimately grow our food in.
Oat Shoes! http://www.oatshoes.com/
Cheery thought, huh? Don’t resort to pessimism just yet: there are progressive individuals out there who believe in a cradle to cradle world, for example (my new favorite thing), Oat Shoes. Hailing from Amsterdam, Holland, they live by a simple mission: “The future of fashion lies in a reconciliation between nature and industry. OAT Shoes strives to lead the way to that future.” Oat Shoes are made from biodegradable materials, and are designed to have no impact on the earth whatsoever- and that’s what I’m talking about. I’m hoping to visit the studio in Amsterdam when I travel to Europe this summer.
When examining the act of ‘recycling’ and its various subcategories, I find that we return full circle to the issue of design. Acknowledging design as the source, and with an informed long-term understanding of it, we are offered insight as to how to remedy the issues of waste. At this point, I envision reader’s heads spinning, and I’m hearing you say, “But what can I do? I’m just one person!” Don’t let being overwhelmed compromise good judgement: whenever you find yourself at the garbage can, think twice about what you’re putting in there. As my mother has always taught me: chances are, there’s a way to recycle it, it just might take a little legwork to figure out how. In response to some questions regarding A Consumer’s Perception, I wanted to share some additional thoughts regarding the life cycles of clothing. Last week, as I looked at my closet, full of clothing from foreign countries, I found myself dreaming of a wardrobe filled with fabulous, local, ethical, and environmentally-friendly clothing. But let’s face it, I’m a college student, which is not a high paying occupation. I’m in a situation where I need to make do with what I have, and sometimes that’s all you can do. While progressive minds and dreamers would invent a world of industry where every product cohabits peacefully with the natural environment (which is a world such that I would love to see), the amount of production that has already occurred in the world requires us to not only design in innovative ways for the future, but it requires creative thinking for the designs that we have already surrounded ourselves with. And in my moral dilemma surrounding the clothing I already own, the best thing I can do is use what I own until I no longer have use for it, and then I relocate it so it can be reused by someone else in need of it. In this way, we can act ethically regarding social sustainability: by re-circulating that which we no longer need, so that it might sustain another individual around us. Below, I’ve included scans of an article about re-circulating clothing to various charities (I may or may not have ripped the article out of a waiting room magazine). I found this article particularly enlightening as it illustrates just how much you can give back by donating things you might otherwise throw away. I’ve also included some of my favorite links discussing sustainable fashion trends. Please share with a friend.
- Organic Style, October 2005
- Organic Style, October 2005
- Organic Style, October 2005
Additional Weblinks: These are a few of many websites dedicated to ethical and sustainable fashion, but these are definitely my top favorites!
Excess Access: Excess Access links you and your donations with needs of local charities in your area.
Where Am I Wearing?: A reader turned me onto this site! Check out Kelsey Timmerman’s work, which aims to illustrate global issues to the individual. His book, Where Am I Wearing, was published in 2008 and is a global tour of factors that contribute to the clothes we wear everyday. I just ordered my copy!
Matter of Trust: Matter of Trust addresses the issue of manufacturing in the United States while trying to compete with international prices; through research and design, they explore the possibilities of design surrounding recycled materials.
Yiuco: Self proclaimed the ‘Upcycling Hype,’ Yiuco is an online market place to swap products, and shop recycled and reused products.
Fair Trade Collective: The Fair Trade Collective is an organization out of the UK that designs scarves which are only made from fair-trade cotton.
Eco Fashion World: Eco Fashion World is an online directory to shops, brands and organizations that engage in ethical fashion practices.
Sasha Hamilton’s Ethical Fashion Portfolio: Ms. Hamilton is a designer from Toronto that has a keen eye for high fashion. I’m a fan!
Coco Eco: This is my new favorite publication! A bi-monthly, online magazine, Coco Eco showcases sustainable high fashion. I just subscribed last night!
EcoConscious Market: EcoConscious Market it the associated online store with Coco Eco, featuring men’s, women’s, children’s, and home merchandise.
My Green Lipstick: Similar to the EcoConscious Market, My Green Lipstick is an online showcase of ‘ethical’ fashions.
Behind the Seams: This is a fantastic blog that discusses ‘ethical fashion.’ Highlighting brands and designers, Behind the Seams is a wonderful venue for consumer education.
Ecouterre: Originally launched to counter negative stereotypes regarding the appearance of ‘eco-fashion,’ Ecouterre showcases sustainable haute fashion at its highest.
Ecoaction: Ecoaction is a blog that introduces basic ‘green’ concepts to the consumer- a very handy guide!
Emma Fox ∙ Design 