Rethinking the 3 R's

If your childhood was anything like mine, you've had the 3 R's - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle - imprinted on your brain (along with the names of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the lyrics to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air intro) for as long as you can remember.  But today, there's another R in town that's even more important and impactful:  Rethink.  

According to Roseland, "waste shouldn't and doesn't have to be a part of the consumption cycle."  And if we start thinking about waste as an unnecessary byproduct and a human invention that can ultimately be eliminated, the inefficiencies of our current standard of living become vividly apparent and opportunities for effecting change appear in all manner of places.

Striving for a zero-waste society is an admirable goal and one that should be on everyone's agenda.  There is, however, a lot of damage that has already been done and that should be considered in addition to rethinking the way we make things in the first place.  Three ideas and interesting areas of development come to mind, all of which address slightly different stages of the rethinking process.

1.  Rethinking Mushrooms

One thing that should never be underestimated is the power of Mother Nature to restore balance.  While we pride ourselves on finding new and better ways to create and invent products and processes, we often overlook the astounding ideas that nature has had in place for millions of years.  Biomimicry seeks to study and learn from these time-tested strategies and incorporate them into more sustainable methods of advancing our society.  Following this method of thought, what other ways can natural processes be utilized to solve some of our self-inflicted waste problems?

One fascinating discovery may provide a natural solution to the problem of non-biodegradable discarded plastic which could potentially be sitting in landfills for centuries.  A group of students from Yale brought a fungus back from a trip to the Amazon that thrives on a diet of polyurethane in an oxygen-free environment.  In a global economy that produces 300 million tons of plastic each year, a fungus that can survive in the conditions at the bottom of a landfill and that feeds off of the landfill's contents is a very promising idea indeed.

Additionally, a company called Ecovative has combined mycelium, the sticky substance on the bottom of mushrooms, with corn husks and other food byproducts to create a product similar to polystyrene foam.  This is the nasty stuff we see in packing materials, some takeout food packaging, and insulation.  Eliminating this product from our environment poses major benefits not only for our landfills but for our oceans as well as it is a major component of plastic debris threatening marine wildlife.

Read and hear more about these miraculous mushrooms here.

2.  Rethinking Consumerism

"Armaments, universal debt, and planned obsolescence - those are the three pillars of Western prosperity.  If war, waste, and moneylenders were abolished, you'd collapse.  And while you people are overconsuming the rest of the world sinks more and more deeply into chronic disaster."

-Aldous Huxley, Island

"Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need."

-Tyler Durden, Fight Club

The first time I read about the Cradle to Cradle design concept, I thought it was the answer to all of our problems.  And while I question whether or not McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC) has succumbed to some of the "less bad" principles they warn against in the implementation of their product certifications, the theory behind their ideas can still provide a useful framework for redefining the way we approach consumerism.

In particular, I am intrigued by the concept of a 'product of service'.  Essentially, McDonough and Braungart perceive a  system in which, "instead of assuming that all products are to be bought, owned, and disposed of by 'consumers,' products containing valuable technical nutrients . . . would be reconceived as services people want to enjoy . . . .  When they finish with the product, . . . the manufacturer replaces it, taking the old model back, breaking it down, and using its complex materials as food for new products."  This type of economy is quite different from our current ownership-based economic model, but the implications and benefits for a society with an ever-increasing hunger for newer and better products and technology shouldn't be ignored.  If we can get past the norm that what we own defines what we're worth, we have the opportunity to revolutionize the way products are made and disposed of.

3.  Rethinking the Circle of Life

I couldn't resist...

Even in death, the most natural of processes, we have found ways to damage the environment.  The current standard involves two main options - burial or cremation.  But between non-biodegradable coffins, embalming liquid seeping into the ground, greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of corpses, and the inefficiencies of large plots of land left unusable for other endeavors, end-of-life decisions have lasting impacts long after our loved ones have left us.

A greener alternative to these traditional methods is aquamation.  This involves a process called alkaline hydrolysis in which "a body is placed in a stainless-steel vat containing a 200°F potassium-hydroxide-and-water solution for four hours until all that remains is the skeleton."  The bones are crushed and given to the family while the remaining solution, which contains no DNA, can be diluted by adding vinegar or citric acid and then recycled.  It's even safe enough to use to water plants!  And the entire process uses only 5 to 10% of the energy required for cremation.  If you can get past the logistics, I think going back into the earth to create new life sounds like a pretty nice way to leave one last positive mark on the world.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink

Plastic-eating fungi, a rental-based society, and aquamation are just a few intriguing ways to rethink the way we reduce, reuse, and recycle.  But we have a lot more rethinking to do if we're to start living within the means of our planet and to become a more natural, zero-waste society.  Share your Rethinking ideas below!