Renewable Products

     My product idea is for renewable wall coverings.  The cradle-to-cradle metabolism that will apply to this concept is technical metabolism.  This wall covering will be able to be up-cycled once it has run it's useful life course.  The wall covering manufacturer would have incentives for consumers to return their wall coverings once they are finished with them, then that company would use that recycled material to create new wall coverings or durable materials.  It would be a constant ongoing cycle and would use the technical metabolism process because of some of the harmful materials or processes used in creating the wall covering.  According to our reading of Cradle to Cradle by McDonough and Braungart, most of the early industrial industries did not replenish the resources that they took from the earth, and by using this metabolism and system, this product would not be taking anything additional from the environment either.  In the video for this week, there is a company call Design Tex that has a similar process to the one I am proposing.  Also, Ray Anderson who is the author of our textbook Mid-Course Correction, also has a similar process of how he renews carpet and creates new products with it. 
     I believe that most anything that is manufactured today can somehow be renewed and remade into new products.  It just makes sense to do this instead of wasting so many items per company and having that surplus or extra go to waste.

New ideas

     This week, I would like to discuss two more biomimicry and IE (Industrial Ecology) ideas that would make a big difference in the way that buildings and companies impact the environment.  These two ideas are using morphotex (as discussed by Bradley Quinn in Textile Futures) for interior finishes such as fabric for furniture or curtains.  And the second idea is to use digital technology instead of paints and materials that can off gas or contain VOC's (volatile organic chemicals).
     The first concept is to use morphotex instead of regular fabric for interior finishes.  Morphotex as described by Bradley Quinn is a textile that does not contain any pigments, but instead consists of microscopic scales that reflect light in a manner similar to a photonic crystal (which angles and refracts light in a way that reflects blue wavelengths found in ambient light).  By using this technology, people would not have to worry about their expensive textiles fading in the sunlight or using large amounts of energy to dye this fabric or manufacture it.
     The second concept is to use digital technology in place of finishes like paint to create a desired atmosphere for a space.  The use of LED (Light Emitting Diode) and fiberoptic technology has greatly expanded the possibilities of the use of light.  Instead of using products like paint or wallcoverings to create a desired atmosphere, people can use glass display screens to project their desired image onto a surface.  The great thing about this technology is that it can easily be changed without having to use more physical material to change it.  There is a great video that I came across while researching this amazing technology that I would like to share.  The video is called "A Day made of Glass" and it is made by Corning. The video is attached.

     This product is currently being tested by organizations like NASA for uses in deep space and by other organizations.  I believe that by using products like these, it will create a vision for a sustainable future and help guide us in the beginning steps of getting there.

What comes next...

     Industrial Ecology has been defined as a "systems-based, multidisciplinary discourse that seeks to understand emergent behavior of complex integrated human/natural systems".  Basically saying that it is a way to look at industrial processes and change them to become closer to emulating the way nature processes. 

     One principle covered by Janine Benyus is a no waste system in Biomimicry.  Building water waste needs to be filtered naturally and then reused for other purposes.  My idea/concept is to reuse building water waste by filtering it and then reusing it for cleaning, restroom, and cooling purposes.

     Another principle covered is storing energy.  The concept described by Benyus in Biomimicry is one of leafs storing solar energy and using this energy efficiently.  I imagine buildings to use this same type of energy storing and efficiency.  They can use and store large amounts of energy and use appliances and building parts that "sip" energy or use very little of it at a time.  Once this energy is emitted, it could be recaptured and used again in some way.

     Every industrial system needs to take a lesson from nature in the way it functions.  Nature is a great example of how to thrive on this planet without destroying it in the process.  I believe that the idea of Biomimicry will be the beginning of the next Industrial Revolution.