At first it sounds yucky- waste as food? But when I throw my compost “away” in the compost bin- it doesn’t go away, but turns into nutritious dirt over time. Makes me wonder: Can we be as smart as dirt? Many sustainability gurus like Janine Benyus, Bill McDonough, Paul Hawken and Amory Lovins tell us that we should take a lesson from nature- 3.5 billion years of successful projects- and make sure ALL of our waste ends up as food. So our products and processes should be designed so that industrial waste ends up either as feedstock for the next round of products, or as good compost for the local garden club. Products should either safely biodegrade or be returned to the manufacturer or a company, Like Waste Management, that can take the materials and recycle them into new raw materials for remanufacture.

We can demand these kinds of products by communicating directly with companies through their websites, and by voting with our dollars. Nike, Interface and many other companies are working on product takeback and reuse. Seventh Generation and others are making safe products that can back to the earth. We need to encourage the rest to get with the program. If we want to be as smart as dirt.

Love,

Liv

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