Finding Sustainability

Appliance shopping, usually something most people would dread doing. But after reading Ann Thorpe’s The Designer’s Atlas of Sustainability I took a fresh approach when shopping for a new washer and dryer. As Ann states in her book, “sustainable design are practices for design that cultivate ecological, economic, and cultural conditions that will support human well-being indefinitely.” How will a new washer and dryer help to achieve a more sustainable future? First, most appliances these days are Energy Star, which is a  joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. The results are already adding up. With the help of Energy Star, Americans have saved enough energy in the year 2010 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 33 million cars. This includes saving nearly $18 billion on utility bills.

Cosette M. Armstrong and Melody L A LeHew point out in their article, Shifting the New Dominant Social Paradigm in the Apparel Industry: Acknowledging the Pink Elephant, if designers are perceptive and open to the principles of sustainability, the concept of fashion may be used to attract attention, energy, and imagination around sustainable solutions. One company that is committed to continual improvement and that understands sustainability is a journey of ongoing movement and innovation is Advanced Technology, Inc.

Advanced Technology, Inc. uses a life-cycle approach to manufacture quality design products for the home and office. Currently they are investigating alternative methods to minimize their off-fall through “waste-to-profit” networking where their manufacturing waste becomes material for another product. But their efforts don’t just stop there. Advanced Technology Inc. knows that their supply chain partners are also part of the company’s environmental footprint. So they work with their suppliers to reclaim their leftover material to go into ATI’s final product assembly. This will further minimize the manufacturing waste that ends up in landfills.

In the March 2007 Forum for the Future: Fashioning Sustainability several initiatives are mentioned to promote sustainable fashion including: being able to know where the materials of a product originate from, support within the supply chain, and having desirable, functional and stylish sustainable products. Forum of the Fashion also states that a high quality product is one that benefits both the consumer and the planet. I believe that Advanced Technology Inc. is a leader in this effort.  From the raw materials they use to reclaiming material from their suppliers, they also provide highly fashionable and durable materials for walls, floors and ceilings without breaking the bank.

Back to Armstrong and LeHew’s Pink Elephant and consumerism, while some consumers may just want to buy this year’s hot item and not give two seconds to what kind of chemicals or toxins go into it just as long as “it’s current.” Recently though, some consumers are actually digging fuller to find out about business practices, mottos and what the overall green aspect of the company is. However, most people don’t have time to do that kind of in-depth research on a product and so they will just go with what they’ve heard from friends or family.  But what if there was an easier way to find out if they clothes you love to wear or the dishwasher that gets your plates sparkling clean are in fact made eco-friendly. If there was a list out there that named what companies used sustainability methods in one convenient place I’m sure more and more consumers would be willing to jump on the green movement wagon.

Advanced Technology, Inc. http://isources.hotims.com/r5/navigate.asp?listing_id=4388999&access=4&location=www%2Eadvtechnology%2Ecom&hotbar=y