Antenna zero waste exhibition-science museum, Kensington.
Research question (1) (sent to 20 people)
1. What would you describe as waste?
2. What annoys you about waste?
3. Would you prefer waste to be transformed into art or a functional product?
Feedback
1. Waste to me is something I can't find an obvious use for. I get annoyed about the amount of waste we are forced to create through packaging eg fruit/veg especially as everything comes in family packs which are no good for us singletons! I'd like to think most waste can be re-used as a useful product but think art is also useful as it enriches our lives just in a different way. (Andrea)
2. Waste is something that you have discarded, unwanted materials. More produce could be recycled, there's too much packaging on food items which contribute to pollution, yes if it could be used as a functional product-why not? (Rosie)
3. Supermarkets like Sainsburies and Tesco throwing away food is waste. Annoyingly food is waste, it's seen as a commodity, not essential for life. Food grows without human intervention therefore it perhaps could be considered not a product, though it's primary function when not being tossed into a waste bin a supermarket worker is functional. (Rob)
4. All the materials wasted and taken for granted, causing unwanted cost to the world and space. The thing that really annoys me most about waste, is that if people are just throwing waste down, for example plastic bags on a beach, then more than likely it will end up in the sea, and kill our wildlife! Answer to Q3 is absolutely agree, who wants to be wasteful really, it's just lazy! (Kate)
5. I would describe waste as something an individual doesn't need anymore, but something that might not be waste to someone else. I'd say most waste is needless and could still be used or recycled. I think I'd prefer it to be used as something functional. (Steve)
6.
Q: What would you describe as "waste"?
A: A product which is no longer useful to its user.
Q: What annoys you about waste?
A: How insufficient thought companies and their designers put into designing products which reduce the extent to which they are wasted, and which also can be readily re-used and recycled. Also how systems (by which I mean national and local government funding, projects, incentives and policies) are insufficient to maximise reduction in waste.
Q: Would you prefer waste to be transformed into art or a functional product?
A: Tricky to make an 'either/or' choice - both are valid ways of reducing the environmental impact of waste. My instinct is that there's a greater level of consumer demand for re-used and recycled (functional) products - e.g. today I replaced part of my stereo speakers with a part from an identical pair I bought ages ago on Ebay, which would otherwise have been thrown away - and I would have had to throw my speakers away too as the spare parts aren't manufactured any more. Therefore in terms of which would have the greatest reduction of environmental impact I would put more focus on policies and incentives to encourage transformation of waste into functional objects - however there is also a useful role to be played by transforming waste into art, but not to the same extent in terms of reduced environmental impact. To return to a point I made earlier, I also think there's a really important role to be played by the designers of the original products, who can 'design-in' the potential for their products to be less wasteful in themselves (e.g. packaging), and to be re-used and recycled. (Alex)
7. I tend to think of waste now in terms of food as I recycle so much else. Would love to see more of food waste going to people who need it, there are charities who do this. One thing which annoys me is that euro countries seem so behind us in recycling-all those plastic water bottles going in the bin! (Michela)
8. Making a functional product is the way to go! I hate the idea of waste if it means you have wasted money due to the fact you work hard for your money and also that you feel someone who doesn't have much could have done so much with your waste that people would discard so easy. I would describe waste as things that people do not make use of in some way or another. (Louise)
Weeks 3 and 4 (New direction - minimalism)
Territories presentation (week 7) currently showing...
