Ideas for the Future

Individuals were unaware of how “wasting” materials on an everyday basis puts a heavy impact on our environment. This happened because people were not well educated on the fact that how we live and what we do with products after we use them affects our environment tremendously. In the article, Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature it discussed that the first warning signs about environmental pollutants and health effects were not talked about until the 1960s and 70s. It has been recommended to us that we take some advice from nature and wildlife and the process of how it works by natural instinct. Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature gives a great example of this – snakes do not use their poisonous toxins in bulk, but create small segments of it and use only when needed. Industrial Ecologists are said to be referring this form of using chemicals as needed which in the end eliminates the issue shortages or over usage.  

The reading, Industrial Ecology represents the fact that each individual uses products in complete different ways; which is one reason waste has become such an environmental issue in our society today. “In the United States alone, we generate 12 billion tons of solid waste a year – that’s twenty times the total ash released by the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens!” Concerning statements like this one have made people and companies concerned about the sustainability of our future. Creating products that have multiple capabilities would be a design concept that would utilize materials and in the end save energy usage on manufacturing sites in the production of each item. This concept can relate to other areas outside of the fashion industry as well. People in today’s society strive on the idea of multitasking. Multitasking in our society has been demonstrated time and time again. By people texting while driving, doodling when listening to lectures, singing while showering,  and watching TV while searching the web, etc. are all ways that represent getting things accomplished in one setting. Some of these are dangerous - like texting and driving, but people continue to do it because they can get things done in a quick manner without wasting time. Creating apparel items, for example, that can be worn in different ways are out there in the market; however, they are mostly just produced in women’s wear in dresses or tops that are multifunctional. Branching out and creating menswear, accessories, and even shoes that can serve more than one purpose can decrease the amount of products being put to waste.  Keeping the idea of using nature as inspiration, with the snake illustration above would be an import strategy in the production process. We as consumers stated in Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature “takes advantage of the plenty and then move on.” Having “take-back laws” is also an important aspect in company’s mission statements that would indicate that THEY, as a company, recycle their products. This idea is supported by the article, Biomimicry: Innovation inspired by nature, by making items with longer longevity and revamping them is a key to giving products a long lifetime in the marketplace.