LibGuides: ISTC Sustainability Film Festival 2014: Waste=Food

Waste=Food Synopsis & Trailer

In a world where more and more societies with high consumption rates generate excessive amounts of waste, traditional environmental notions of reducing or recycling waste products are no longer sufficient. The new theory of ecologically intelligent design, green design and building, argues that manufacturers' products, when discarded, should either be completely recyclable in the Technosphere or become biodegradable food for the Biosphere.

WASTE = FOOD explores this revolutionary "cradle to cradle" (as opposed to "cradle to grave") concept through interviews with its leading proponents, American architect William McDonough and German ecological chemist Michael Braungart, coauthors of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Their ideas are increasingly being embraced by major corporations and governments worldwide, unleashing a new, ecologically-inspired industrial revolution.

The film shows how their "intelligent product system," utilizing completely non-toxic and sustainable production methods, has been adapted by major corporations, visiting a Swiss textile factory, a German clothing manufacturer, the Nike shoe headquarters, a U.S. furniture manufacturer, the Ford Motor Company, and a government housing project in China. The manufacturers discuss the concept of "eco-effectiveness," designing for eco-safety as well as cost efficiency, in their respective industries.

WASTE = FOOD also illustrates McDonough's environmentally focused architectural designs, where buildings function like trees, and become part of nature rather than conflict with it, including his designs for Ford's new River Rouge plant, a GreenHouse factory for the Herman Miller company, and a model village in rural China.

The DVD of this documentary should be used for educational, non-commercial purposes only. For more information, please see the Icarus Films web site at http://www.icarusfilms.com/new2007/waste.html.

Learn More

Use the resources below to learn more about sustainable design, the 'cradle to cradle' concept, and projects of McDonough and Braungart.

Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies
Wikipedia article on the building on the campus of Oberlin College in Ohio, for which William McDonough was lead architect. The building is considered one of the most advanced green buildings in the US.
Adam Joseph Lewis Center--Building Dashboard
Website for the Adam Joseph Lewis Center at Oberlin College in Ohio, designed by William McDonough. From the site: "The server computer that receives processes and displays data for the AJLC Dashboard crashed in early August of 2012. Since that time we have been working to recreate the dashboard on a new server and update software in the process. Currently this site includes only electricity and water flow data since September 1. Over time we will add back in other variables on building performance. Fortunately, we have been able to recover all of the archival data for the AJLC. However, we are in the process of verifying that data are error free before we import these into the new database. Please bear with us while we work to make the full set of data available again."
Biomimicry 3.8
Biomimicry 3.8 is the global leader in biomimicry innovation consulting, professional training, and educational program and curricula development. Its mission is to train, equip, and connect scientists, engineers, architects, educators, and other innovators to sustainably emulate nature's 3.8 billion years of brilliant designs and strategies.
Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature
Biomimicry is innovation inspired by nature – taking advantage of evolution's 3.8 billion years of R&D since the first bacteria. Biomimics study nature's best ideas: photosynthesis, brain power, and shells – and adapt them for human use. They are revolutionising how we invent, compute, heal ourselves, harness energy, repair the environment, and feed the world. Science writer and lecturer Janine Benyus names and explains this phenomenon. She takes us into the lab and out in the field with cutting-edge researchers as they stir vats of proteins to unleash their computing power; analyse how electrons zipping around a leaf cell convert sunlight into fuel in trillionths of a second; discover miracle drugs by watching what chimps eat when they’re sick; study the hardy prairie as a model for low-maintenance agriculture; and more.
C2C-Centre
C2C-Centre is the leading Cradle to Cradle® knowledge platform, facilitated by the C2C ExpoLAB. We actively gather information on Cradle to Cradle® and share our knowledge. In this way we aim to encourage and support Cradle to Cradle® inspired developments.
Ciba Specialty Chemicals
Mentioned in Waste=Food as the chemical company that worked with Rohner to develop non-toxic textile dyes. This Wikipedia article indicates the company divested its Textile Dyes and Chemical Auxiliaries business in a sale to Huntsman Corporation in 2006.
Cradle to Cradle
'Reduce, reuse, recycle' urge environmentalists; in other words, do more with less in order to minimize damage. But as architect William McDonough and chemist Michael Braungart point out in this provocative, visionary book, this approach only perpetuates the one-way, 'cradle to grave' manufacturing model, dating to the Industrial Revolution, that creates such fantastic amounts of waste and pollution in the first place. Why not challenge the belief that human industry must damage the natural world? In fact, why not take nature itself as our model for making things? A tree produces thousands of blossoms in order to create another tree, yet we consider its abundance not wasteful but safe, beautiful and highly effective.
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
The Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, a non-profit organization, administers the Cradle to Cradle CertifiedTM Product Standard. It was created to bring about a new industrial revolution that turns the making of things into a positive force for society, economy, and the planet.
Ford Motor Company's River Rouge Plant
Project overview on Greenroofs.com.
Ford Rouge Factory Tour
Web site for the River Rouge complex in Dearborn, MI, which was renovated by William McDonough. Includes information on the living roof and visiting the complex to take part in the Living Laboratory Walking Tour.
Frontline: China: Green Dreams--A NOT SO Model Village
The village of Huangbaiyu in rural northeast China was supposed to be a model for energy-conscious design. The initial project was to build 400 sustainable homes, a collaboration between US architect William McDonough and the Chinese. But something went awry. FRONTLINE/World reporter Timothy Lesle traveled to the region to investigate.
Herman Miller: MBDC
Description of MBDC's work with Herman Miller, and a list of featured Cradle to Cradle certified products.
Huangbaiyu
Wikipedia article on Huangbaiyu, a model sustainable village in Benxi, Liaoning, People's Republic of China, which was conceived by William McDonough and Partners in conjunction with Tongji University in Shanghai, the Benxi Design Institute, and China-U.S. Center for Sustainable Development. The town is being built in stages and is to be model of sustainable development using principles laid out by McDonough.
Huntsman Textile Effects
Huntsman purchased the textile dyes portion of Ciba, the chemical company mentioned in Waste=Food as having working with textile manufacturer Rohner on more environmentally responsible textile dyes. This portion of the Huntsman web site describes the company's product stewardship efforts.
IL Governor's Awards Case Study: C-U Mass Transit District
This case study from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center highlights the efforts of the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District. CUMTD received a 2013 IL Governor's Sustainability Award in recognition of their long-standing vehicle and emissions policies, sustainable infrastructure development, and community engagement efforts.
IL Governor's Awards Case Study: J.L. Clark
This case study from the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center highlights the waste reduction and sustainability efforts of J.L. Clark, a winner of the 2013 IL Governor's Sustainability Awards. J.L. Clark is a mid-sized packaging design and manufacturing company based in Rockford, IL.
ISTC Zero Waste Case Study: ISTC Headquarters Building
The purposes of creating, implementing, testing, and refining a pilot Zero Waste program at ISTC was to investigate the feasibility of moving towards a Zero Waste lab. The primary objective was to explore the waste diversion activities of the Champaign office, with the aim of better practicing what we preach. The secondary objective was to provide the facility with an accurate and precise measurement of our landfill diversion rate. This case study highlights the results of the pilot study.
ISTC Zero Waste Program Case Study: City of Urbana

The City of Urbana engaged the ISTC Zero Waste team to assist them with waste characterization and waste reduction implementation.This study was intended to help the
City fulfill the following objectives: examine the composition and quantity of recyclable materials discarded; evaluate the effectiveness of existing waste reduction and recycling
programs;provide baseline metrics to increase waste diversion rates and create directed institutional policies;identify opportunities for increased materials recovery. This case study provides highlights of the results.
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC)
McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry advises companies on integrating C2C principles into products, operations, and corporate strategy to regenerate economy, ecology, and equity.
Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise: The Interface Model
Of value to business people, environmentalists, and educators alike, Mid-Course Correction is a business book about the environment that's written from a personal perspective. With passion and pride, Ray Anderson, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of one of the world's largest interior furnishings companies, recounts his awakening to the importance of environmental issues and outlines the steps his petroleum-dependent company, Atlanta-based Interface, Inc., is taking in its quest to become a sustainable enterprise - one that will never have to take another drop of oil from the earth.
Natural Capitalism
This groundbreaking book reveals how today's global businesses can be both environmentally responsible and highly profitable.
Nike Reuse a Shoe
Nike Reuse-a-Shoe takes worn out athletic shoes and grinds them down to create a new material called Nike Grind, which is used to make high-quality sports surfaces including courts, turf fields, tracks and more.
Rohner Textil AG (Climatex)
This web site features information on the brands and products of textile manufacturer Rohner Textil AG. This company was featured in the documentary Waste=Food regarding its collaboration with McDonough & Braungart to make their products more environmentally friendly.
Rohner Textiles: Cradle to Cradle® innovation and sustainability
Six mini-case studies cosponsored by IEHN offer examples of innovation and efficency that save money, eliminate chemical hazard and toxicity, differentiate products and services, increase profits and revenues, and enhance brands. On a smaller scale, C2C certified equipment goods are available to consumers, and Swiss firm Rohner produces the Climatex Lifecycle biodegradable fabric, used extensively in the office furniture manufacturing business. The material is compostable, and true to the C2C founding principle of "waste = food“, the team decided to design a fabric that would be safe enough to eat”, said architect William McDonough. But the story of Climatex also illustrates another aspect of the Cradle to Cradle philosophy, that places social responsibility; among its principles.
Shannon May: Huangbaiyu
First hand perspectives on Huangbaiyu from anthropologist Shannon May, who lived in the ecovillage with sponsorship from Intel, in order to monitor the transformation. She writes: "There was the possibility that I would move into one of the two 'model' houses in September. While the shells were completed, there were significant problems with the function of the houses: there was no electricity, no water, no gas. The houses have essentially remained in this state through the end of 2008. Conflicts of interest, desire for rapid scale, personal aggrandizement, a persistently global perspective, technical inexperience, faulty materials, lack of oversight, and poor communication, amongst other things, ensured that the promise of a model ecological development in Huangbaiyu never came to pass."
Sustainable Materials, Processes, and Production
This latest book in Rob Thompson's series of reference guides for design students provides an understanding of the environmental impact of materials, manufacturing processes and product lifecycles, and a guide on how to select and use them in an intelligent way. Divided into three easily referenced parts Materials, Processes and Lifecycle the book is packed with practical information and in-depth analysis on 15 materials, 14 processes and six production lifecycles. Each material, process or production lifecycle features a full technical description, concise notes for the designer on its suitability, efficiency, cost-effectiveness and environmental impact, and fully illustrated, step-by-step case studies showing a product, component or material being manufactured by a leading international supplier.
Sustainable Product Design LibGuide
This guide is an introduction to sustainable product design resources, primarily aimed at industrial design students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
TED Talk: Ray Anderson--The Business Logic of Sustainability
At his carpet company, Ray Anderson has increased sales and doubled profits while turning the traditional "take / make / waste" industrial system on its head. In a gentle, understated way, he shares a powerful vision for sustainable commerce.
TED Talk: William McDonough--Cradle to Cradle Design
Green-minded architect and designer William McDonough asks what our buildings and products would look like if designers took into account "all children, all species, for all time."
The Upcycle: Beyond Sustainability--Designing for Abundance
The Upcycle is the follow-up to Cradle to Cradle. Now, drawing on the lessons gained from 10 years of putting the Cradle to Cradle concept into practice with businesses, governments, and ordinary people, William McDonough and Michael Braungart envision the next step in the solution to our ecological crisis: We don't just use or reuse resources with greater effectiveness, we actually improve the world as we live, create, and build.
Trigema Develops Biodegradable T-shirt
This 2006 article from TreeHugger describes the biodegradable t-shirt project that Trigema worked on with Michael Braungart. This project was highlighted in the documentary, Waste=Food.
US EPA Design for Environment Program
EPA's Design for the Environment program helps consumers, businesses, and institutional buyers identify cleaning and other products that perform well, are cost-effective, and are safer for the environment.
Waste=Food Discussion Guide
Compiled by Kirsten Walker of ISTC, this set of questions can be used in classroom or small group discussions of the documentary, Waste=Food.
What are B Corps?
B Corps are certified by the nonprofit B Lab to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
William McDonough + Partners
Architecture and community design firm which has worked on projects like the NASA Sustainability Base.

What You Can Do

101 ways to turn your business green : the business guide to eco-friendly profits

Going green is no longer an option, but a "must" for successful businesses who want to turn greater profits, expand their customer base, and compete in today's market. Author Rich Mintzer presents you with 101 ways to turn your current company into a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly business. With this book, you have the tools necessary to modify your current business practices and incorporate new, green practices while also saving money, expanding your consumer base, and increasing profits.

These links will help consumers find sustainably designed products and businesses that work to reduce waste and produce greener products. There are also resources for businesses that wish to be greener.

Cradle to Cradle Certified Products Registry
Green Purchasing > Green Business LibGuide
Links to product guides and certification bodies.
Green Purchasing > Green Living LibGuide
Greening your business : a hands-on guide to creating a successful and sustainable business
In the next few years, energy and carbon restraints will affect every small and medium-sized business owner. This hands-on guide shows entrepreneurs how to save energy, materials, and money by reducing their businesses' impact on the Earth. Unlike any other similar books, this book provides a step-by-step and hands-on approach to analyzing any businesses' operations and developing detailed plans to make those operations much more efficient and energy conscious while increasing the bottom line.
Illinois Governor's Sustainability Awards
Since 1987, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) has presented the Illinois Governor's Sustainability Award (Governor's Award) to organizations in Illinois that demonstrate a commitment to our economy, society and environment through outstanding and innovative sustainability practices. The Governor's Award is given to companies and organizations that implement techniques or technologies that reduce or eliminate pollutants, toxicity and other environmental impacts, including the amount of and/or toxicity of pollutants that would have otherwise been released into the environment. Sustainability includes processes such as raw material and solvent substitution, preventive maintenance programs, beneficial reuse of by-products, waste reduction and recycling, employee engagement efforts, and comprehensive environmental management systems or governing policies.
Illinois Green Business Association
Illinois Green Business Association (IGBA) is committed to improving sustainable practices in Illinois businesses through education and engagement. IGBA envisions that a sustainable business culture can be the standard practice of economic activity. IGBA has three main programs: green business certification, efficient equipment assessments and installations, and education—including the Illinois Green Business Summit.
ISTC Zero Waste Program
The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center's Zero Waste Program provides a variety of cost-effective, sustainable waste minimization and diversion services through ISTC's staff of trained engineers and scientists, as well as partner organizations. The Program's mission is to be a resource for innovative disposal and reuse of materials. ISTC provides information and technical assistance on issues such as integrated waste management planning and process redesign to minimize waste generation and increase process efficiency. Small local businesses, manufacturers, food and beverage providers, solid waste managers, government entities and others can utilize this resource. ISTC partners with public and private agencies to support waste diversion from landfills and aspires to achieve Zero Waste at every step.
US EPA: Smart Steps to Sustainability--A Guide to Greening Your Small Business
The guide offers a framework to strategically green your business and presents realistic opportunities to improve environmental performance.

Film evaluation

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