Monday, October 24, 2011
THE WAY WE USE MATERIALS AND ITS TRUE VALUE
"STORY OF STUFF" - HOW THINGS WORK...
The price of a product doesn't AT ALL reflects THE REAL cost of production like cost of materials, resources, labor - often using foreign countries like China or India.
Materials Economy - raw materials from which products are made. And what keeps it going?? The marketing and sales which apart from satisfied customer they produce vast amount of waste - in its negative form. This is a system that is linear and it doesn't work. In fact it is in crisis! The problem?? Peoples action: some more important than others. Government, for example should look after, care for us...but they don't fulfill the criteria of a carer. Then - Corporations, they are much larger than government. And the Government pleases them more than us.
It all starts with EXTRACTION - natural resource exploitation, in other words TRASHING THE EARTH! The thing is, our resources are finite and this action creates disastrous effects.
In USA only 4% of original forests are left and 40% of water waste is undrinkable. The problem is that we use more than we should to the point of abusing: 5% of USA citizens use 30% of resources and creating 30% of waste!
It is shocking to know that in Amazon alone 2000 trees a MINUTE are being cut!
So the raw resources are being put into PRODUCTION: used energy mixes toxic chemicals (there are 100, 000 synthetic chemicals used - and only few tested for heath impact!) in with natural resources to create toxic products.
B.F.R's - brominated flame retardants - chemicals that make materials more fire proof but are EXTREMELY NEUROTOXIC, effecting our brain. And they can be found on our pillows.
Just wonder if Government sleeps on them?..perhaps, that is why many retarded decisions are being made.
Breast's milk is at the top of food chains with the highest contaminates...The most nurturing act and it is violated. The youngest, most vulnerable children are being contaminated with toxins and well, I would ask: how truly beneficial is breast feeding??
Question: Who would work in a toxic environment? People with no choice. People desperate to support their families. They are willing to work in no matter how toxic conditions there may be.
The production process not only wastes thee resources but also wastes peoples.
The production of course produces pollution: USA - at least 4billions of lbs. a year!
Then there is DISTRIBUTION - sale of the trash ASAP and cheaply - how is that possible ?? By EXTERNALIZING THE COST: which means making profit from cheap labor like for example children and using materials from different countries. In Kongo, many children abandon school because they have to go work and earn the money. And these facts are not included in the product description. It is usually: MADE IN CHINA or MADE IN INDIA or somewhere else!
The thing is, not many of us think about the process BEFORE reaching us.
GOLDEN ARROW OF CONSUMPTION comes next - the real value of an American is how much he/she consumes, well that applies to all of us. Buy, buy and buy.... feeling depressed? go shopping; feeling good? go shopping!...and 99% of it is trash, non recyclable material.
After II WW to boost the economy the Government and the Corporations decided to make consumption the way of life; buying became some sort of ritual and had spiritual values. President Eisenhower’s Council of Economic Advisors Chairman said that “The American economy’s ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods.”
They used 2 strategies: PLANNED OBSOLESCENT and PERCEIVED OBSOLESCENCE.
Planned obsolescence has its life shelf which means, when a product is dumped it can't be repaired or the cost of repair is more expensive than buying a new one.
Perceived obsolescence convinces us to throw away the stuff that still works but isn't "fashionable" anymore.
Advertisements, and media in general, plays a big role in this.
3,000 a day we are bombarded with all sorts of adverts trying to convince us to go and buy "cradle to grave" type of stuff. In USA 2 main activities people do is watch TV and shop. Is that what makes them/us happy???
DEFINITELY NOT ME.
What happens to the stuff we buy? We dispose it to recycling bin, then it gets into incinerators and DUMPED in a landfill. In effect we get pollution, contaminated waters, change of climate, dioxins - super toxins - lethal man made substances. It is CRADLE TO GRAVE SOLUTION.
And even these materials go into recycling they are not recyclable because they have other components in them like toxins.
The solution needs to be based on sustainability and equity, it involves new way of thinking like Green Chemistry (http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/) , Renewable Energy, Local Economies.
And it is possible, as it is happening already.
The price of a product doesn't AT ALL reflects THE REAL cost of production like cost of materials, resources, labor - often using foreign countries like China or India.
Materials Economy - raw materials from which products are made. And what keeps it going?? The marketing and sales which apart from satisfied customer they produce vast amount of waste - in its negative form. This is a system that is linear and it doesn't work. In fact it is in crisis! The problem?? Peoples action: some more important than others. Government, for example should look after, care for us...but they don't fulfill the criteria of a carer. Then - Corporations, they are much larger than government. And the Government pleases them more than us.
It all starts with EXTRACTION - natural resource exploitation, in other words TRASHING THE EARTH! The thing is, our resources are finite and this action creates disastrous effects.
In USA only 4% of original forests are left and 40% of water waste is undrinkable. The problem is that we use more than we should to the point of abusing: 5% of USA citizens use 30% of resources and creating 30% of waste!
It is shocking to know that in Amazon alone 2000 trees a MINUTE are being cut!
So the raw resources are being put into PRODUCTION: used energy mixes toxic chemicals (there are 100, 000 synthetic chemicals used - and only few tested for heath impact!) in with natural resources to create toxic products.
B.F.R's - brominated flame retardants - chemicals that make materials more fire proof but are EXTREMELY NEUROTOXIC, effecting our brain. And they can be found on our pillows.
Just wonder if Government sleeps on them?..perhaps, that is why many retarded decisions are being made.
Breast's milk is at the top of food chains with the highest contaminates...The most nurturing act and it is violated. The youngest, most vulnerable children are being contaminated with toxins and well, I would ask: how truly beneficial is breast feeding??
Question: Who would work in a toxic environment? People with no choice. People desperate to support their families. They are willing to work in no matter how toxic conditions there may be.
The production process not only wastes thee resources but also wastes peoples.
The production of course produces pollution: USA - at least 4billions of lbs. a year!
Then there is DISTRIBUTION - sale of the trash ASAP and cheaply - how is that possible ?? By EXTERNALIZING THE COST: which means making profit from cheap labor like for example children and using materials from different countries. In Kongo, many children abandon school because they have to go work and earn the money. And these facts are not included in the product description. It is usually: MADE IN CHINA or MADE IN INDIA or somewhere else!
The thing is, not many of us think about the process BEFORE reaching us.
GOLDEN ARROW OF CONSUMPTION comes next - the real value of an American is how much he/she consumes, well that applies to all of us. Buy, buy and buy.... feeling depressed? go shopping; feeling good? go shopping!...and 99% of it is trash, non recyclable material.
After II WW to boost the economy the Government and the Corporations decided to make consumption the way of life; buying became some sort of ritual and had spiritual values. President Eisenhower’s Council of Economic Advisors Chairman said that “The American economy’s ultimate purpose is to produce more consumer goods.”
They used 2 strategies: PLANNED OBSOLESCENT and PERCEIVED OBSOLESCENCE.
Planned obsolescence has its life shelf which means, when a product is dumped it can't be repaired or the cost of repair is more expensive than buying a new one.
Perceived obsolescence convinces us to throw away the stuff that still works but isn't "fashionable" anymore.
3,000 a day we are bombarded with all sorts of adverts trying to convince us to go and buy "cradle to grave" type of stuff. In USA 2 main activities people do is watch TV and shop. Is that what makes them/us happy???
DEFINITELY NOT ME.
What happens to the stuff we buy? We dispose it to recycling bin, then it gets into incinerators and DUMPED in a landfill. In effect we get pollution, contaminated waters, change of climate, dioxins - super toxins - lethal man made substances. It is CRADLE TO GRAVE SOLUTION.
And even these materials go into recycling they are not recyclable because they have other components in them like toxins.
The solution needs to be based on sustainability and equity, it involves new way of thinking like Green Chemistry (http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/) , Renewable Energy, Local Economies.
And it is possible, as it is happening already.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
ECO-DESIGN MANIFESTO
TO REFRESH...(From 'The Eco-Design Handbook' - Alistair Faud-Luke)
1. Design to satisfy real needs as opposed to transient, fashionable or market-driven needs.
2. Design to minimise the ecological footprint of the product/material/service product, i.e. reduce resource consumption, including energy and water.
3. Design to harness solar income (sun, wind, water or sea power) rather than use non renewable nature capital such as fossil fuels.
4. Design to enable the separation of components of the product/material or service product at the end of life in order to encourage recycling or reuse of materials and/or components.
5. Design to exclude the use of substances toxic or hazardous to human and other forms of life at all stages of the product/material/service product's life cycle.
6. Design to engender maximum benefits to the intended audience and to educate the client and the user and thereby create a more equable future.
7. Design to use locally available materials and resources wherever possible (thinking globally but acting locally).
8. Design to exclude innovation lethargy by re-examining original assumptions behind existing concepts and products/materials/service products.
9. Design to dematerialize products into services wherever feasible.
10. Design to maximize a product/material/service product's benefits to communities.
11. Design to encourage modularity in design to permit sequential purchases, as needs require and funds permit, to facilitate repair/reuse and to improve functionality.
12. Design to foster debate and challenge the status quo surrounding existing products/materials/ service products.
13. Publish eco-pluralistic designs in the public domain for everyone's benefit, especially those designs that commerce will not manufacture.
14. Design to create more sustainable products/materials/service products for a more sustainable future.
THOUGHTS...
I believe that the best solution is to stop cutting the trees and instead of creating NEW (out of new resources) recyclable materials REUSE what we have got already and make it recyclable.
Ok, some will say still, these are non recyclable materials. But think about about paper - and must ask is all paper "good"?? most books, brochures etc have been coated with chemicals anyway in order, for example, to preserve paper's whiteness also its ink is NOT recyclable at all - what's more when burnt it produces dioxins (toxic chemicals) which in effect cause cancer and other serious illnesses. So although paper is biodegradable the other components are not - that portrays big problem.
So being Eco-Friendly needs to be more of a EFFICIENT TYPE, but to do so each and every one of us - future DESIGNERS need to learn and think about the whole cycle and apply cradle to cradle solution: think of resources which would generate no waste and be renewable.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE can be applied by everyone!
But first of all it would be very precious to have more detailed chemistry lessons (and believe me detailed can be interesting NOT BORING) would help our understanding. I think it all comes to inculcating this kind of knowledge into our present and especially younger and future generation.
After all, science is everywhere we look and using it efficiently will help us and our planet.
Apart from chemistry we can learn a lot from nature and animals themselves...
(I am well into it!)
TASK 3 - RESEARCH
some packaging are just very well thought!
My favorite is BEIJING 08 BMX - as it tells the story and its context already says what's in the box. Chunky brown appearance with its rough texture highlights BMX and all the muddy sport activities. Brilliant!!
TASK 3 - SHOE BOX
This shoe box will closely fit the size of the shoe limiting any unnecessary inserts/tissue papers. it will be molded and resemble the shoe look whether it is child shoe, adult shoe, trainer or boot.
NAME: I came up with GREEN SOLUTION – only GREEN SOL to be written with vegetable/soya ink – preferable in green, the rest will be cut out so the customer can see how the shoe looks like (partially anyway )
MATERIALS: The shoe box is made of 100% post – consumer material - which will fulfill the criteria of cradle to cradle solution.
COLOUR: The box will be neutral - depending on end result, but no colour additives present
SIZE: Each box will closely fit a shoe with regards to its size. It will be molded-similar to egg box-no glue needed.
CRADLE TO CRADLE: After the purchase the box can be used as socks storage box, or planting basket for herbs or flowers.
Monday, October 17, 2011
HOW TO WRAP FIVE EGGS
“HOW TO WRAP FIVE EGGS” a book written by Hideyaki Oka gives an insight on Japanese way of thinking with regards to packaging and Japanese traditions.
Interestingly in Japan 5 in a norm whereas in Europe for example 6 (half a dozen) is the norm.
Japanese packaging evolved over centuries through use and experimentation.
There are 2 fundamental bases:
1. THE UTILITARIAN ROOTS (LINEAGE)
-folk wisdom
-practicality: they were using and experimenting with whatever they had at hand
-free from excess and unnecessary additions; often beautifully ornamented, yet simple appropriate with regards to storage and transportation.
-employment of reuse; naturally occurring materials and simplicity of packaging
-it is utilitarian way of thinking in comparison with Europeans
Ex. Japanese used to wrap a fish with rope, which sealed the fish allowing it to be edible for 6 months; that shows wisdom that came with everyday life. Japanese emphasized effortless transportation and reuse of items
Ex. They also used bamboo leaves to wrap dumplings, oak leaves for wrap cakes and magnolia leaves for rice balls or tofu
2. HANDICRAFT
-artisan packaging was created by craftsmen; art based but had its meaning
-techniques became more sophisticated
-Japanese tradition of packaging had two values:
* Philosophy stating that everything could and should be made beautiful
* A value system saying that everything large or small, expensive or cheap had its value
-Kyoto was cultural center of Japan; there Kyoto Style arouse-elegant, refined packaging
Ex. Bamboo holder used for confectionery items. A whole new perspective on what is and what isn’t supposed to be thrown away/wasted.
Because people in Japan think of themselves as a part of nature hence majority materials Japanese used were of natural source: wood, straw, bamboo, clay and its derivatives: clot, paper, ceramics. Japanese had real affection for nature almost creating bond with each other, which explains the nature of traditional packaging.
Other characteristics common in many forms was the process which was often seen as a ritual with the need for cleanliness, neatness and order, which reflects Japanese psychology.
Nowadays, these methods and tradition is almost forgotten, as mass production is impossible.
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