As defined by UN, sustainability is a way which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Introductionary fact
In 2008 2.7 (global) hectares per person was required to provide with the current level of comforts. However, 2.1 (global) hectares per person is estimated to be the Earth’s carrying capacity. That is without providing for the needs of other organisms.1
Our Tactics
Constant reassessment of your inventory, action and environment ensures survivability. Some of the simplest guidelines here are the six Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Renew, Repair and Re-think.
Our strategy
- To minimise the use of resources (Reduce resource): use the most commonly available (Reduce cost) when possible.
- We reuse our materials to the max (Reuse) - finding new applications for materials and avoiding intensive customisation processes. Reuse is core winning element of our research - we have performed countless experiments utilising the same set of inventory we have started with, applying it in different configurations. We have managed to reduce the cost of prototyping to nearly zero by picking up discarded items fitting the job which was required of them. One man's trash is another man's treasure - true for both individuals and organisations (Industrial Symbiosis). Check out cool places like Reverse Garbage in areas near you. Please exercise caution when reusing discarded industrial inventory - as we have discovered, many industries do use toxic compounds and some of them are colorless and odorless (such as isocyanates which are in many plastic products).
- To encourage the future we want - we buy our electricity from accredited renewable sources (Renew). We seek to replace every material with a renewable analogue.
- If not renewable, we are doing our best to recycle.
- We advise all researchers and producers to appreciate the ability to efficiently modify and adapt inventory. We love duct tape - it has saved us thousands in new equipment orders. "If you can't build it with duct tape, you can't build it…."
- Re-thinking the necessity of new equipment and materials saved us a great amount - leaving us with bare essentials, just what was needed to carry out the tasks planned.
If not for the above mentioned sustainability and survivability strategies, along with patience - this project would not be possible.
We would welcome any ideas or suggestions on how to improve our approach to sustainability.
