Role model/superstar in Zero Waste

This is Lauren Singer - A zero waste superstar living in NYC. Lauren was an an Environmental Studies major in College and have always been interested in the environment. During her studies she made the decision to live sustainably by adopting the zero waste approach. Her definition of zero waste means that she does not produce any garbage; no sending anything to landfill, no throwing anything in a trash can and she recycle and compost.

Her list for zero waste alternatives is such a useful list. The extent of general house goods she covers is very impressive. The best quality about the list is not just informing the reader the alternatives, it also briefly tells the reader why the good is a waste problem and directs you where you can purchase the alternatives. However, since she is NYC based, the links to the products are US based delivery - I would love to see an Australian based version of this to be wide spread locally. Considering Australian are relatively environmentally conscious, her list will help the community to work towards the idea of zero waste - even if they would adopt 20% of her ideas. Personally, I will adopt some of the her ideas, not that it's not good but at this point, I'm not ready to commit it all the way like her. But I sure do look up to her. 

Reference

http://www.trashisfortossers.com/2013/08/zero-waste-alternatives-ultimate-list.html

Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park, Singapore

Bishan Park is one of Singapore's most popular local park located in the heartlands of Singapore. The project was part of the Active, Beautiful, Clean Waters Program, which is a "long term initiative to transform the country’s water bodies beyond their functions of drainage and water supply, into vibrant, new spaces for community bonding and recreation."

A part of Bishan Park consist of a 2.7km straight concrete drainage channel. Although it started as a grey infrastructure, it has transformed from a concrete channel into a 3.2km of naturalised river, creating a new urban river park. The park space as been redesigned to mimic the dynamic process of a river system which accommodate the dynamic process of a river system including the fluctuating water levels. 

I have a friend who's working at National Park, Singapore as a Landscape Architecture. I remember she told me a funny story how a local resident called in to complain about how the water in the canal irritated her skin. So it made me question the reliability on the plant filtration or the local resident just have sensitive skin. 

I've been to Singapore a couple of times and I truly believe that they are working very hard to become a garden city. Despite being one of the smallest countries and a highly urbanised in such a dense population, it has successfully created such a beautiful green belt across the city as illustrated above. When a city planning prioritise the green environment, it really makes a place more attractive to live in. 

Reference

http://www.landezine.com/index.php/2012/06/kallang-river-at-bishan-ang-mo-kio-park-by-atelier-dreiseitl/

http://blogs.gsd.harvard.edu/loeb-fellows/files/2012/11/AD-Ref_Singapore_Bishan-Park.pdf

Half Bottled Water?

I came across this article through a family friends shared page, supporting Life Water's concept of half bottled water sold in China. It is reported that 800 tonnes of bottle is wasted every year just within the Shanghai district, mainly due to users not finishing the bottle each time they would consume one i.e. after meals and after exercising. Water being an important and valuable resource to many, the idea behind the product is to maximise the water resource by donating the other half to children in water-deficient areas locally . Even though the bottle is only filled in half, the product is sold at a price that is same as a filled product. 

Although I think it is fantastic idea, promoting and maximising water by helping those in need,  but I can't help it and question the packaging of this product. I think this product is highly driven by marketing gimmick. It started as a great idea, but the execution of the product preys on consumer's social and moral conscience. 

Yes, the product does encourage water management, higher efficiency, less wastage and better use. But what about the packaging? 

Is it really necessary to produce a bottle that only holds half of the content? 

Does it promote re-use of the bottle?

The bottom line is, I wish the company can come up with better ways of executing the idea and product, reducing the pressure on other aspect of the environment, i.e. reducing inefficient produce of plastic waste. 

Reference:

http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MjM5MzIzMTQ4MA==&mid=405621576&idx=1&sn=8fb4d4a0722cd9b68f1c315617cc7893&scene=2&srcid=0317JHkXknnt5WHDtyZrkUmK&from=timeline&isappinstalled=0#wechat_redirect

Coffee capsules are evil!

Just I thought I was doing the environment a favour, by collecting and recycling my used Nespresso coffee capsule, I was too naive. Yes, not long ago I spoke about the benefit of the recycling program they had with TerraCycle - but a recent article published has convinced me that its not enough.

Single use coffee capsules (source: http://www.sciencealert.com/a-german-city-just-became-the-first-in-the-world-to-ban-single-use-coffee-pods)

The articles I've came across talks about the how Germany city of Hamburg has just became the first in the world to ban the use of single-use coffee pods from all government-run buildings. Jan Dube from the Hamburg Department of the Environment and Energy has criticized that the capsules "can't be recycled easily because they are often made of a mixture of plastic and aluminium. It's 6 grams of coffee in 3 grams of packaging." Jan highlighted a point that I've never thought of. 

After reading these article, I had mixed feelings. Like many others, I felt like I had to make a tough choice between picking whether I should be sustainable and stop using these capsule or ignore the fact that I just read that. The fact that using these capsules are very convenient and easy - to the point that unconsciously, it became a habit or addicted to it.

But after a few days of contemplation, I decided to stop using it in the future. I have found some alternative ways to drink my coffee. Most importantly, I think it's the right thing to do. 


Reference
http://www.sciencealert.com/a-german-city-just-became-the-first-in-the-world-to-ban-single-use-coffee-pods
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35605927

Urban farming - Sydney

Urban Farming is simply urban agriculture - growing or producing food in a city or a populated town or city and sold commercially.  It is often mistaken for community gardening where produce are for individual consumption or sharing.  There are a number of benefits or urban farming including maximising unused space and reduce GHG in transportation from rural areas to urban areas. 

Arguably, in the urban landscape, land is often sacred and it's often not commercially viable to operate & sustain urban farming due to high land cost vs. profit return. 

Urban farming at Camperdown Bowling centre. source: http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/sydneys-next-urban-farm-coming-to-camperdown-bowling-club-20150723-gib663.html

Nevertheless there are non-for profit urban farming organisation such as Pocket City Farms with the aim to grow food closer to where the majority of people live. In collaboration with Marrickville council, the organisation were able to transform a large portion of the recently closed Camperdown Bowling Club into a community space. 

I think it's great that they took the initiation to bring urban farming into the populated areas of Camperdown. It provides the locals an opportunity to learn about the process- particularly children through growing process, workshops, tours and recreation.

Reference

http://www.greensgrow.org/urban-farm/what-is-urban-farming/

http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/food-news/sydneys-next-urban-farm-coming-to-camperdown-bowling-club-20150723-gib663.html

I want to go to Copenhagen! - Urban cycling

Undeniably, Copenhagen is one of the most well know cities for its sustainable approach in city planning; especially planning for urban cycling.

Based on the videos of I saw of on TED x Copenhagen - Mikael Colville - Andersen - Why we shouldn't bike with a helmet. Mickael Colville-Andersen is known to be Copenhagen's bicycle ambassador. Essentially the talks about how the bicycle for liveable cities and how bicycle helmets are threatening bicycle culture. 

It was truely inspiring when a city actually progressively transforms to make a city more liveable and not using these 'sustainable' idea as a political tool. In addition - the importance of planning in advance; compared to Sydney where roads has to be widen and reconfigured to cater for bike lanes. On a superficial level, I wish Sydney can better improve bike infrastructure and incorporate it in our existing public transport; i.e. train facilities to encourage more cycler to connect one place to another more efficiently. 

Relating back to my local, it's hard to imagine how my neighbourhood can transform its bicycle network to a city like Copenhagen. I have a perception that riding in Sydney is dangerous! This is true to most parts of Sydney; the main arterial road where I have to go through is via Pacific Highway near Chatswood and there is no bicycle lane. Therefore cyclers will have to take up one of the two lanes on a relatively tight road. Even though the new 1m rule - it is reported that the bikers don't feel safer (see below). My biker friend tell me that they get angry drivers comments all the time.

Meanwhile, while Sydney is working towards that goal - I will go to Copenhagen to experience it in a safe way. 

Reference
http://mashable.com/2015/10/29/copenhagen-bike-traffic/#AEayfblOQPqd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07o-TASvIxY
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/mar/11/i-am-terrified-of-riding-on-sydney-roads-nsw-cyclists-on-new-road-rules

Circular economy

Circular economy vs Linear economy

The idea of circular economy has been around for quite some time but I've only came to learn about it recently through an article "How circular economy could end take make waste business" by Coro Strandberg.

Circular economy model (source: http://cbsr.ca/transformationalcompany/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/10-closed-loop.pdf)

Essentially the idea of circular economy is a closed loop model where business focuses on longevity, renewability, reuse, repair, upgrade, refurbishment, capacity sharing and dematerialisation. Oppose to linear model that is typically 'take-waste-waste' system. Our industrial economy is at a tipping point in which the linear model no longer viable for a number of reasons. First, the growth in population and urbanisation dramatically increase the scarcity of non-renewable materials such as metals, minerals and fossils fuels. In addition, the decline in regenerative capacity of renewables such as land, forest and water forces us to rethink our production methods and consumption systems.

One of the key element of circular economy is that the products produce is restorative by design. It aims to keep the products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times. This is important to our environment as it reduce the need for extractions and processing of new resource which can decrease the pressure of our environment.

Appart from environmental benefits there are some of the key benefits and opportunity from circular economy approach which includes:

• Build value-added customer relationship
• Create a platform for innovation and new revenue generation
• Minimize the impact of raw material price
• build brand and reputation

I believe that this a great approach which more companies should adopt. For example, businesses such as Colgate L'Oreal and Nespresso has partnered with TerraCycle which encourages recycling of their packaging.

Reference
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-circular-economy-could-end-take-make-waste-businesses
http://cbsr.ca/transformationalcompany/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/10-closed-loop.pdf
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-circular-economy-plays-out-packaging

I've joined TerraCycle!

I've joined TerraCycle! 

I've first came across TerraCycle during tutorial through John. It was appealing to me to find out more about the program because it's doesn't require a lot of effort for me to sort the products individually compared to throwing it in the normal recycling bins. 

Program process (source: http://www.terracycle.com.au/en-AU/brigades/beauty-products-recycling-program)

So that lead to me learning more about the program on their website - TerraCycle offers a variety of free programs that are funded by conscientious company and also providing recycling solutions for purchase for a range of waste. The programs available are free recycling program, zero waste box, municipal programs and industrial waste solutions.

Types of programs (source: http://www.terracycle.com.au/en-AU/brigades)

The most relevant program for me is the free recycling program. These programs are free recycling programs funded by brands, manufactures and retails to help users to collect, recycle hard -to- recycle waste. To do that, i'll just choose a program I would like to join, start collecting these goods; for me the most relevant is the oral care recycling program and the beauty products recycling program; and send TerraCycle waste to be recycled. The best thing about it is, once the waste is collected, it can accumulate monetary rewards and that will go to a school or a non-profit organisation. Based on all these social, environmental and economics benefits, it's a great program that I will encourage my friends and family to join.