The amount of trash I generate simply from grocery store food and drink consumption is extraordinary. The plastic containers, and cardboard packaging of my frozen dinners, empty cereal boxes, empty snack boxes, empty milk containers etc. really add up (and even recycling is a wasteful process).
Imagine a new retail experience, where negative externalities from consumption are minimized, and mitigated by labeling and pricing. For example, instead of individually packaged 1/2 and one gallon milk containers, there could be big milk dispensers, where you can fill up your own plastic milk container over and over and over again. Ditto with cereal dispensers, where you use the same packaging week after week, and any other individually packaged product, for that matter.
Also, the carbon emissions from the production and transportation of products from the factories to the store are estimated, printed on the packaging, and a carbon offset is calculated into the purchase price.
Imagine all the possibilities!
Check this out: http://www.storyofstuff.com/
February 8th, 2008 at 10:55 pm
[…] friend Matt Jaunich just watched The Story of Stuff and wrote up a quick response to it in the form of an idea for a new retail […]
February 8th, 2008 at 11:25 pm
In general I’ve found guilt an unsustainable motivator of behavior. Rather, it’s more interesting to me to design products that can be used freely without harm, and not restrict how they can be disposed. The burden should be on the producers, not the consumers.
I’d recommend the book Cradle to Cradle if you’re interested in how product design can change things for the better…
February 9th, 2008 at 12:13 am
interesting thought - thanks for the tip. Hopefully, producers will ultimately find a way to produce and distribute harmlessly, while still making a profit! I bet though that even those biodegradable plastic cups in the Google cafeteria have negative externalities in their production and distribution!
February 10th, 2008 at 8:09 am
I have to say I rather stumbled on the, er, ‘negative ex-thingies’. But a nice share, ta.
For any, like Bob, interested in mitigating efforts via design, may I point you at http://www.junkk.com, which tries to matchmake those with ideas for second uses with those keen not to throw stuff away if not necessary.
But I have to agree that the more potent notion is building this in from the off. If any are in the UK in March there is a show at the NEC called Innovative Packaging, with a sub-section called EcoPack, at which I am exhibiting (a bottle/jar cap re:evolutionary design called RE:tie) and also speaking on the joys of re:use!