Wasteful Thinking

            Over the past few weeks, we have learned that not many people know how much they “waste” on a daily basis and how “wasteful” things affects our environment. If there were options and solutions out there to solve these problems, maybe people would be more willing to be conscious about the products they could potentially be wasting. The Industrial Ecology article states, “every industrial activity is linked to thousands of other transactions and activities and to their environmental impacts.” This statement is telling us that when we buy products in the apparel or interiors industry and throw them away after we are done with them to reside in the landfills we are causing negative impacts on our environment with the waste we could have recycled and reused.

            We, as Americans, have a tendency of being “lazy,” therefore; the easiest way of getting rid of things is simply throwing it away. We also have become very technologically savvy, and like that we can do many things at home on the Internet instead of getting up to go do them. I have come up with a concept that I think will eliminate the waste of unwanted, worn, or torn natural or synthetic fibers. I think an outsourcing company that takes your waste materials and turns them into beach towels while offering you free shipping and packaging and a 10% discount on all your purchases would be a success for our society.

             In the chapter, How Will We Conduct Business?, one of the strategies used by Janine Benyus is to use waste as a resource. Instead of throwing your old t-shirts away you can ship them to the company and they will turn them into beach towels to be reused and resold. You would also benefit from this concept because you would be saving your money, getting rid of your unwanted garments, and receiving a discount on the goods.

            Another strategy that inspired this recycling company, that Benyus discusses, is using materials sparingly. This strategy implies that there can be multiple uses for one product. This made me think of how I could recreate a popular item into something that could be used in more than one way. T-shirts will form the most basic fabrication of a multi-use towel.

            When combining these two techniques, our mental modes can shift into a more positive outlook on reusing worn out products and not filling our environment with waste.