Literature review of organic waste management
By researching organic waste for blog post A and B, I realized how important organic waste management is. However, in current, there are lots of organic waste management does not operate properly. I can give the example is based on my experience. My old unit and current apartment contain only two kinds of bins: general and recycling bin, and it is very common situation.
(I took the pictures of my current apartment garbage section.)
Therefore, people normally throw away paper, cardboard or plastic stuff in the recycling bin, and the rest of their garbage goes in the general bin. However, this basic management would have a negative impact on the environment. Even though the workers sort out organic waste from the general bin, they cannot ensure organic waste does not send to the landfill. It does not mean only we lose the resources. According to Environment Victoria (n.d.), buried organic waste in landfill undergoes anaerobic decomposition due to the lack of oxygen and produces methane. When it is released into the atmosphere, methane is 20 times more damaging as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. However, methane is still a significant resource. As I already mentioned about food waste to renewable energy in Post B, we can make better cases if we create wiser organic waste management. What is more, it is our duty that we follow the management properly to reduce organic waste. If people do not act what the management would like to, there will be no improvements at all. Therefore, before we set up right management, the initial step is that people should be aware of the importance of organic waste management.
Making app would be appropriate example that let especially the designer being conscious of the significance of organic waste management. Nike (2013) described that Making ranks materials used in apparel based on four environmental impact areas: water, chemistry, energy and waste. Therefore, the designers can compare the materials, and recognize which materials are more sustainable; so, the designer can make better materials choices in the initial stages to generate better cases for consumers and the planet. The app required the secondary sources to give exact data of the materials to the designer, In addition to, Nike tested Making app with the designers at London College of Fashion over a period of 18 months to release in real world (Pritchard 2013).
This application might not be relevant example completely to show what their waste management is. However, I think that this app shows what we need to do as designers for organic waste. People produce all of the waste, and it is totally up to them whether the waste changes to wealth or not. Hence, we as designers consider about the lifecycle of our design when we are in initial stage; thus, it would bring about the reduction of organic waste. We also have the responsibility to create better organic waste management, which makes people being aware of the organic waste problem and motivate them to take action for organic waste management.
Hyunjoung You (Lia), 11550656
Reference
Environment Victoria, n.d., Organic waste, viewed 11 June 2016, <http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/organic-waste>
Nike, 2014, Making app adds new features for sustainable design, viewed 09 June 2016, <http://news.nike.com/news/making-app-adds-new-features-for-sustainable-design>
Nike Better World, 2013, MAKING Matters, YouTube, viewed 09 June 2016, <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXPuuwAhtQo>
Pritchard, O., 2013, Does Nike’s new Making app place sustainability at the forefront of design, viewed 09 June 2016, <http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/nike-making-app-sustainability-design>
Wealth From Waste 