Sustainability
is the future of interior design. By specifying sustainable products, designers
can create safer, long-lasting, environmentally and economically conscious
spaces. Bill McDonough is at the forefront of sustainability. He believes that
“Being less bad is still not good.” Designers in all fields need to rethink how
we create products and what effect it has on people and our environment.
Integrating
nature with spaces creates a more enriching experience, improves productivity,
increases attendance, and increase job satisfaction. Being sustainable improves
the way people experience spaces. Less than 3% of products are actually tested
for harmfulness. Fabrics, plastics, flooring, furniture, and everything else we
interact with on a daily basis could be hurting us. A sustainable world would
have harsher product testing and less worries about being poisoned by your
environment. There are not enough environmental regulations and few companies
care about the environment over money. This means products can be hazardous and
poor quality but it’s cheap so if you have to buy another one who cares, right?
Society need to rethink and eliminate the concept of waste. Everything should
be able to enter the biological cycle or technical cycle. Sweden recycles trash
for electricity and heating. They do it so effectively they are forced to
import trash from Norway. Imagine if all first-world countries adopted this
recycling model.
Instead
of cradle to grave, it should be cradle to cradle. The principles are simple
and effective:
·
Material Health:
Value materials as nutrients for safe, continuous cycling
·
Material Reutilization: Maintain
continuous flows of biological and technical nutrients
·
Renewable Energy:
Power all operations with 100% renewable energy
·
Water Stewardship: Regard
water as a precious resource
·
Social Fairness: Celebrate
all people and natural systems
Sustainability
can be profitable and there should be more awareness to the public. If people
knew what their environments are doing to their health they would be outraged.
Maybe this would force industries to adopt a sustainable model.
