Waste

While much of our culture is “throw away,” we at Greenlight feel that if we make our consumption more visible, perhaps we would have a greater understanding of our impacts. The problem with waste is that we can simply toss it into a trash bin, place it at the curb, and a truck will ship it far off, where we are to never interact with it again. If that same garbage began to pile up, we would begin to understand the vast amounts of waste we produce.

In the architectural studio, this concept is multiplied by the vast amounts of paper and modeling materials used. Perhaps the word “waste” is destructive in that it defines something that we no longer need. Through the green room project, student store, and awareness program it is our goal to greatly reduce the incredible amounts of waste created every year. If we take into account the embodied energy in every material we use and every material we throw away, even a small shift in waste policy will make large energy savings. If we look to nature, we will understand that there is no waste, only surplus.