Sustainability Research

I have been researching sustainable materials for Materials class and have found some really interesting things. First, I wasn't aware how big the green/sustainable design movement was! I found that there were lots of different definitions for sustainability and related ideas, but they all shared the same basic idea. A sustainable resource is something whose production is supported indefinitely by nature. Also, just because something is a renewable resource doesn't make it a sustainable resource. Sustainable design is defined as environmentally conscious design. It is the philosophy of designing physical objects to comply with the principles of economic, social, and ecological sustainability and to eliminate negative environmental impact completely through skillful, sensitive design.

I found some Principles of Sustainable Design:

• Low impact materials- non-toxic, sustainably produced, or recycled
• Energy efficiency- manufacturing processes that require less energy
• Quality and durability- longer lasting and better functioning to be replaced less frequently
• Design for reuse and recycling
• Renewability

Another aspect of the sustainable design movement that I found was the concept that one piece of furniture could be used and reused as a child grows. Maartje Steenkamp's highchair for Droog caught my eye in this category. It begins as a highchair with long legs, which can then be shortened as the child grows, adding a personal and interactive touch to the product.

The most common materials that I was interested in were things that had been reclaimed and recycled. I love the idea of taking something that someone else might consider trash and turning it into something beautiful and desirable. Reusing old materials also keeps them out of landfills! I saw a lot of products made using recycled rubber, wood, plastic, and glass bottles, which were very cool. I also love working with tyvek, which is the material for priority mail envelopes. It is also used in construction as a protective layer on buildings, against energy loss and moisture. It's an awesome material that has properties of both paper and fabric. You can write and draw on it very easily but it wont rip or tear and you can sew it.

I found a recipe to make paper that you can mix seeds into then plant, which I would be really interested in doing. I would form the paper into a vase that the user would then be able to plant.