GENERAL SUSTAINABLE DESIGN RESEARCH
“We all know that our environment’s resources are limited and that our world’s natural balance has become disrupted. Toxins and byproducts from manufacturing not only harm our environment, but also our health. We are a consumer-based culture with a desire for the next best thing. The key to a sustainable future lies in finding a way to satisfy our current society’s lifestyle in a more constructive manner.”
“If we learn from nature and change the quality of the energy and materials we use, then we can move closer to being fully sustainable. For example, if we use solar energy, there may be no environmental impact at all, so we could use as much as we like or could afford. Another important idea is that the flows of materials in nature tend to be cyclic, so you can never run out of resources. By recycling more minerals we can mimic nature. And obviously, using materials that have been grown is also a good thing-there are now some very high- tech and high performance plastics made from corn as well as wood and soya biocomposites to choose from.”
My research started by looking at different environmental problems, especially waste problem. I always believe that packaging is a huge part of our waste. Since we don’t need it after we finish with a specific product, so it is thrown in the trash and making waste and damaging the environment. The first thing that come to my mind to solve this problem is to reuse those packaging especially the paper and cardboard packages, by making workshops and showing people how to reuse stuff, but then I thought that after recycling people might also throw these packages, so I didn’t solve the problem. So I understand that without carefully designed packages we can’t avoid these problems. Since most people care about giving gift with a fancy packaging, I decide to change those criteria of gift giving, because all these things turned to be waste by the end and even the gift itself sometimes.
PROJECT SPECIFIC RESEARCH:
So what is a gift? A gift is something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show appreciation toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance. So as this definition shows that the main purpose of gift giving is to transfer our emotions and to show our care, respect gratitude and love. According to care2.com, “one of the very best things we can do for the Earth is simply to preserve natural resources by consuming less, but this does not mean that we must forget gift giving. Gift giving should not increase our earth problems; since we want to show our love for other people we should first show our love for our earth, because we are all living on this earth and if this earth was fine we are all going to have a good life and this is the best gift we give for ourselves and for who we love, so we should encourage giving good for the earth and giving the earth before giving people.
Gift Problem:
According to Elizabeth Royes’s, “much of what we buy never gets used at all. It is just thrown away.” Also “Products are the source of all environmental problems. Major issues such as pollution, deforestation, species loss, and global warming are all side-effects of the activities that provide consumers with food, transport, shelter, clothing and the endless array of consumer goods on the market today. Ecological and social issues are becoming more important than ever before, and a vital new role is opening up for design. Many beautiful-looking products have an underlying ugliness that is hidden to the consumer and is often invisible to the designer as well.” “As many products are designed with “built-in obsolescence,” to last only for a certain period of time, to allow – to encourage – the customer to get rid of the thing and buy a new model.”
Every material and component, from wood and steel through to aluminum and carbon fiber, has an environmental story behind it. Usually it is a tale of effluent, pollution, and scarred landscapes behind an otherwise beautiful looking product. It is the same with gifts since they are usually made from oil, tree and our limited resources from the environment and they have vary nice looking from outside but we don’t know what they are from inside.
As all design has a limited lifespan, whether it becomes redundant, breaks, or simply becomes outdated, gifts are the same since they have a specific time line and they are going to be thrown in the trash some day. The problem with our gift giving is that most gifts we give are turned to be waste and sometimes are useless and people don’t really need them or have it already. Also people give gifts because they have to give who ever give them a gift before not to express their love and emotions, so gift purpose has changed. In addition, we give money for children as gift in Ead in UAE and as children don’t know how to spend the money they tend to make more waste. As they usually buy more toxic toys and computer games.
Solution:
According to Peter Danko, “the furnishings we choose reflect who we are-our values, our heritage, and where we fit in the social hierarchy. The issue of sustainability has recently become a consideration when we choose products. Sustainability, however, will never be the sole key to the success of a product. As always this will be its design and how it reflects our values. So, in order to become a sustainable society, our values need to evolve so that we perceive products from a different frame of reference.” I believe that this is the same with gift giving as gifts represent who we are. We should be carful about what kind of gifts we give, because gifts affect who we are as people and others tend to know us from our gifts, so we have to make sure that people take a good attribute about as.
As to solve our gift giving problem, I designed an event that will promote the idea of new gift giving, which is based on giving without making more waste and giving to show our emotions and love. Also emphasizing that gift should be something that will last and there is nothing last more than our emotions. In addition, suggesting some symbolic gifts that show love and real emotions such as poem, flower or even only a card since it is the only thing that we keep from a gift.
Furthermore, “Giving experiences you can share, rather than material goods, saves resources. And you can also simply give a gift of yourself. The key to giving a gift of yourself is to know the wants and needs of the person to whom you are giving the gift. Equally important, don’t underestimate peoples’ own special skills and talents. One valuable aspect of giving a gift of yourself is that it is the perfect solution for those who “have everything.” In addition, “giving a gift that will increase our loved one’s appreciation for living more climate-friendly lifestyle, such as environmental group memberships, compost bins, or gardening tools.” Also “creating our own personalized artwork-cards, books pictures- using recycled materials” helps to save our resources and show our emotions in a unique different way. In addition, “Many times our busy lives get ahead of us. The gift of time can be more meaningful to many people than material gifts. Create memories by taking time out of your busy schedule to go out or cook dinner, or take in a concert or play with someone special. Sign-up together for one of the many outdoor and environmental education courses offered through Dakota County. Spending time with you could be just what they needed.” There are many more solutions on giving without making waste, if we just think out of the normal gift and we think about what the person we are giving really needs. As I mention before, living a sustainable life is the best gift that we all should give for us and for others. According to Ezio Manzini, “we all have to learn to consume fewer environmental resources. We need to create new forms of community, from the local to the planetary level. In this way we will be able to make the transition toward sustainability.
Case studies:
1- eco gift festival
It is a festival where people can find sustainable goods that they can give as gifts and I think that it will be a good idea if we have this kind if festivals before Ead and other occasions.
http://www.ecogift.com/mission-philanthropy
2- eartheasy
It is a website that has some ideas for giving without waste, such as services instead of goods, experiences to enjoy and remember, gifts of social service and I see that these are the right and best gifts.
http://www.eartheasy.com/give_tips_for_susgivg.htm
3- THE GIFT OF WASTE
Which is suggesting some suggestions for a less-wasteful holiday season such as:
• Give homemade gifts, such as cookies, handcrafts, or framed photos.
• Give entertainment, such as museum memberships; tickets to movies, theater, concerts, or sporting events; gift certificates to a favorite restaurant.
• Give learning, such as language or music lessons; classes in cooking, photography, or other favorite hobbies.
• Give your time or talent, such as baby-sitting, pet-sitting, computer help, or home repairs.
• Give fitness, such as gym memberships, personal training sessions, or classes in yoga, pilates, or dance.
• Give pampering, such as a massage, facial, manicure, or pedicure.
• Give to the greater good by making a contribution to someone’s favorite charity.
http://www.nyrealestatelawblog.com/2008/12/the_gift_of_waste.html
