Global Recycling Week: Waste

“Waste isn’t waste until we waste it.”
(Will.I.Am, musician).

We typically consider when something is no longer wanted or needed for its original purpose, that it is waste, and should be thrown away. The trouble is, when it is thrown away, it doesn’t just disappear. It can remain, sometimes for very many years, where it will generate harmful emissions which contribute to global warming. Or it can end up in our oceans where some materials break down into microfibres, causing marine pollution.

If we could see the consequences of our actions immediately, perhaps we would think twice about how, or even whether, to dispose of our waste. Our actions have consequences – like a ripple effect – but the impact is often felt far away, in terms of time and/or location, so we are not always aware of the harm we cause. In nature, there is no such thing as waste. Leaves fall from a tree and become fuel to feed another organism. We have a lot to learn from nature – especially at the design stage. In an ideal world – such as in nature – the end of a product’s life is taken into consideration from the outset, and is known as the “cradle to cradle” concept.

For those of us who are not designers, we do still have options. First, we can consider whether we actually need a new product, or whether we already have something which can be adapted for use. And once we no longer want or need that product, we can consider repairing or recycling it. We can also consider recommerce, which is an (increasingly popular) business model enabling consumers to sell their used clothing back to the companies who made it, so that the companies can repair and resell the goods. Or we could buy second hand products, or perhaps rent them instead of owning them.

As they say, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure”. 

Posted by on 21 April 2021