We need to move from a system of waste to a system of reuse—an economy that’s a circle and not a line. Some businesses are getting closer to this ideal than others. Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity’s use of natural resources has been basically the same: take, make, throw away. The World Bank’s predictions for global waste generation are chastening: on current trends it will double between now and 2025 to 6.5 million tons of solid waste every day. For sure, we are better at using virgin resources more efficiently while second-hand markets and recycling rates have both improved. But this hasn’t altered the fundamentals. Many companies’ business models are not set up to do much else than earn money from volume. The fact that few businesses are vertically integrated makes it more difficult for businesses to reform the model for “closed” product loops even if their CEOs want to. When you add to this the OECD’s estimate of an extra two billion middle class consumers before 2030, commodity price volatility and new environmental regulations, you start to see the scale of the challenge. The good news, though, is that circular economy thinking—building an economy that doesn’t create waste—can make business-sense.
I tasted Beyond Meat’s chicken alternative, for example, and honestly couldn’t tell it from real chicken. Beyond Eggs, an egg alternative from Hampton Creek Foods, does away with the high cholesterol content of real eggs. Lyrical has drastically reduced fat in its non-dairy cheeses. Even things like salt are getting a makeover: Nu-Tek has found a way to make potassium chloride taste like salt (and nothing but salt) with only a fraction of the sodium.
All this innovation could be great news for people concerned about health problems related to overconsumption of fat, salt and cholesterol. It’s important too in light of the environmental impacts of large-scale meat and dairy production, with livestock estimated to produce nearly 51% of the world’s greenhouse gases. April 04, 2013 at 09:00PM
All eyes on the sharing economy
economist.comCollaborative consumption: Technology makes it easier for people to rent items to each other. But as it grows, the “sharing economy” is hitting roadblocks.
So don’t be too shocked if something as insanely impractical as the C’SEED 201-inch home theater behemoth becomes ubiquitous. The Porsche-designed outdoor TV screen, billed by C’SEED as the world’s largest, features a high-resolution display comprised of 725,000 LEDs all working synchronously to project as much as 4.4 trillion colors at 5000 nits of brightness.
‘World’s biggest TV’ designed by Porsche [video] | SmartPlanet
Gerd adds: talk about ‘Obsession with MORE’ — digital obesity here we come!!

(via greenfuturist)
MAN (by Steve Cutts)
Nice video on consumption and sustainability
Since BNNM was conceived in 2010, it has become something of a beacon for the conscientious and collaborative consumption movement in Melbourne. “Part of it is about conscientious consumption or collaborative consumption and asking the questions like who made it? Where is it going to go after I use it? Do I really need it? How much is ‘enough’?” DiMattina says. According to DiMattina, there are different models of new consumption. For example, some people would never consider going to a charity store but will go out and buy something new that is made ethically. While other people swap their wardrobes around constantly and share their things. November 29, 2012 at 08:04AM
Since BNNM was conceived in 2010, it has become something of a beacon for the conscientious and collaborative consumption movement in Melbourne. “Part of it is about conscientious consumption or collaborative consumption and asking the questions like who made it? Where is it going to go after I use it? Do I really need it? How much is ‘enough’?” DiMattina says. According to DiMattina, there are different models of new consumption. For example, some people would never consider going to a charity store but will go out and buy something new that is made ethically. While other people swap their wardrobes around constantly and share their things. November 29, 2012 at 08:04AM
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