Every year students move in and out
of their houses at the end of December and May. What does not move around with
them is the extra baggage that out of style clothes and fabrics cause. I’m
speaking from personal experience- when it’s time to move out, its time to move
out. The last thing I am worried about is a shirt I bought last summer that
doesn’t fit anymore due to my outdated dryers that bake clothes rather than dry
them. This is where the Concept of Cradle to Cradle comes into play, and
something I believe would be extremely sustainable. In cradle to cradle, waste
or outdated products have a second life. In this second life, they are used as
a resource. Sounds crazy I know, but my baked T-shirts can be reincarnated.
I’ll explain in a second. Unlike recycling, where products are separated for
specific components and made less valuable. In my idea, the uptaking takes the
stage over recycling. On the podium, my idea creates waste into something MORE
valuable. One significant difference is that not only will my crispy tshirts
turn an out of style college freshman into Miss OSU, but it also please the
ones who enjoy making frequent visits to coffee shops with their friend
Macbook. Now to the idea.
Starting with me, I
will begin collecting old clothes and use them as a “technical nutrient” which
will allow the out of style college girls to have a trendy iphone case that is
made from this fabric. This is one of the two concepts that are pertinent in
Cradle to Cradle. Don’t worry I wasn’t trying to offend anyone who enjoys going
to starbucks, because I am a coffee addict and own a macbook. Consider me a
hypocrite, but spare me. The phone cases can be useful in many ways, but with
my idea they can useful to the environment by promoting healthier and more
beautiful gardens. The fabrics from the iphone cases have many uses to the
environment- solely promoting biological process- not deterring. Holding in
moisture, protecting from erosion, and protecting plants from chemicals that
may enter the soil without this covering.
Lastly, I found an
interesting excerpt from the article. “Whatever our society makes does not go
away, and whatever is natural here, does not go away.” In saying, why should we
not allow these things to provide the out of style girls with a dream guy?
Cliché I know, but if the guys have are worth anything at all, they have a
sense of style, and Iphones can make or break some girls. You don’t want your
phone breaking on a night out with the girls, and you also
don’t want to your phone to look like all the other ones, might as well make it
cute.
Kellee,
ReplyDeleteI was a little confused when I first started reading your blog this week, but then slowly caught on to what your idea is. What I gathered is that your plan is to transform old, cripsy college t-shirts into iPhone cases by recycling the fabric. Not only will they be trendy for users, but they will also be eco-friendly and give back to the environment. However, I am confused as to how the biological process of your case will protect plants from erosion and chemicals? Are you planning on planting them into the ground at their end use to feed the plants? I think you have a great general idea, you just need to be more specific in the concepts that make up your idea. If you are going down the biological metabolism route, the reading makes some strong points about a fabric that was designed to be "safe enough to eat" and would ultimately "nourish nature". Pull some points from there to help you with this part of your idea!
Kellee,
ReplyDeleteLike Mallory, I have a few questions of clarity. However, here is what I gathered and please correct me if I am wrong. You take recycled t-shirts, create phone cases, and then at the end of their use as a phone cover become a part of the biological cycle? I feel as though the aspect you mention of protecting the plants could also be marketed in protecting the phone. For example, perhaps its moisture wicking if a drink was spilled nearby? In the C2C reading they state that form follows evolution, not just function. From what I can gather your product does just that. It evolves from one product to another! The only thing that stood out to me negatively is perhaps your definition of recycling. I might urge you to read over the professors notes as the slides do a good job of explaining how types of recycling and reuse are downcycling and upcycling.