Good Intentions by Liz McDonough

© 2021, 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this zine may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means without permission from it’s creator, Elizabeth McDonough. Carnegie Mellon University Design Minds (51601) Professor Jonathan Chapman

This zine was created in an attempt to shed light on how decision making is effected by the conditioned, routine cycle of consumption that is rampant in the Global North. We’re accustomed to cheap conveniences delivered on silver platters that serve short-lived, single purpose existences. We don’t do our due diligence to educate ourselves on the harmful materials, practices, and consequences we endorse and perpetuate. All we see is the object we want - a final product that’s the direct result of an extensive chain of events we are happily blind to. The same could be said about it’s life after we throw it away. It’s clear this cycle of desire and discard is inevitable, so how do we raise awareness and inspire change? How do we place value on both the entrance and exit strategy of our things? How do we counteract this never-ending stream of harmful waste that’s a direct by-product of our consumption? We need transparency around materials, supply chains, and recycling practices. We need products that can transform and adapt to their ever-changing environments. We need to reconfigure the flow of goods and disrupt the inertia of the linear economy. We essentially need to reframe our relationship with consumer goods entirely.

This zine examines a few of the objects and materials we regularly interact with that are a direct result of said linear economy. The words contained within are meant to inspire solutions and democratize knowledge. Some of the information you encounter might feel redundant or unsettled, but I hope that most of what you find is thought provoking and stimulating. Let this serve as a physical reminder to always take an active role in raising your awareness and mindfulness. Take stock of what you consume, what you surround yourself with, and most simply, what you carry in your bag. The first step is to simply pay attention. Our good intentions are not enough. We must act upon those intentions, live by those intentions, and make choices guided by those intentions. I too struggle with staying true to my ideals when faced with the reality of sacrificing convenience for ethics. I am eager to make more space to understand the ramifications of my choices in all moments, not just the painless ones. All of Earth’s inhabitants have this responsibilty. Collectively, we face enormous challenges that threaten our survival. And certainly it’s easier to identify problems rather than propose actionable solutions, but that’s where the power of design comes in. Design is a tool to build bridges and discover solutions. If we harness it’s power, we can build a better future. It’s important to remember that we are not constrained to the confines of the world that exists today. We designed this world and what we demand from the built environment, along with the products we consume, and the companies we endorse, dictate what is prevalent and available.

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As both designers and consumers, we have a responsibility to acknowledge the outlying effects of what we produce and consume, respectively. While the cheap, convenient option is just that, it only takes us further down a path towards destruction. In the case of the plastic bottle, the problem is obvious, and not all products are as forthcoming. This bottle will never die. Plastic does not naturally decompose, and it could take thousands of years for it just to break down into smaller parts. It will always be present in our world in one toxic form or another. Imagine 1000 years from now, what will be the identifying markers that tell the story of our species? Those that come after us won’t be digging up artifacts and mementos - they will be digging up our plastic. ...that’s if the planet is even still habitable.

And if you’re content to think that recycling is the solution, I’m sorry to say that you would be wrong. This may come as a surprise, but most plastic is very hard to recycle, regardless of whether or not you opt to toss it in the blue bin. According to the World Economic Forum, only 2% of plastic is effectively recycled. This means that only 2% is recycled into something that’s as useful as it was before. We are producing over 380 million tons of plastic every year. Do the math. Is 16.9 fluid ounces of water worth the heavy cost?

FILL IN THE BLANK: It took me ____________ minutes to drink my bottle of water.

These types of wicked problems are rampant, colossal, and interwoven. They are not isolated from one another - quite the opposite. They feed each other. They are tangled, deep, and constantly evolving. To pull the first string in the knot to try and unravel their interconnected systems can be intimidating. To make matters worse, the ways in which these problems are understood is never universal. More often than not, those that are the most affected have the least influence. We must unite in our goals, understand the problem from every perspective, and reach for unprecedented solutions if we have any chance of improving our current state.

FUN FACT: The “paper” cup that you rely on for a quick, casual cup of coffee also has a massive environmental impact. Paper can’t hold hot liquid on it’s own, right? So what do we reinforce it with? Plastic. The plastic lining must be separated from the cup before an attempt at recycling can be made... and it isn’t. Due to the high cost of processing, it’s likely this cup will end up in an incinerator. But burning it does not eliminate it entirely it then assumes the form of toxic gas that is released into the air we breathe. And yes, there are adverse health effects.

CIRCLE EACH ITEM YOU’VE USED IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS:

SCORE 0 = You’re doing great, keep it up! 1-2 = Better than average and on the right track! 3-4 = Average, you’ve got some work to do 5-6 = Time to change your habits

“We’re going to the future. Can our natural resources come?” 12

According to the EPA, more than 80,000 chemicals are currently on the market in the United States...

...and hundreds more are introduced every year...

As consumers in a capitalist society, we are constantly faced with the power of “choice.” Our freedom is most evident when it comes to what we are encouraged to consume; media, food, clothing, technology, the list goes on. Unfortunately, this power is often exploited under the guise of products that we’re told will help make life easier, save money, or improve our social status.

The advertising we’re bombarded with has yet to lose it’s charm. And the reliability and consistency that come with it keep us coming back for more. But there are chemicals and toxins; endocrine disruptors and carcinogens; that live in our everyday products, hiding behind a facade of unfamiliar terms. Additives that exist purely to sustain color, fragrance, shelf life, etc. From sofas to moisturizers to breakfast cereals, you can be sure to find at least one line item from the list. Many of the products that appear to help us are actually harming us. And we are unknowingly, yet willingly, bringing them into our homes.

EXAMPLE: We’re encouraged to try the new fat free, sugar free candy bar that’s wrapped in plastic and *scientifically proven* to cut calories while still tasting like the real thing. What we’re not told is that if you continually consume it over the course of several years, it could potentially give you cancer, effect your reproductive health, or contribute to myriad other health problems. If you knew this, then you would never buy it, right? While this particular example is facetious, it’s true that these effects can result from interactions with many of the consumer goods we are force fed everyday. Tangential choices lurking in the dark that we don’t realize we are opting into.

The power lies in the abstraction. Let’s take the power back. 18

If we allow our ecosystem a seat at the table and include nonhuman persons as key stakeholders in our decision making and planning, we can preserve and improve our way of life. There is much to learn from the innate, natural systems that surround us. We can, and should, implement said observations into our design practices. Further, it’s important to consider more than just aesthetics when designing with the guidance of nature’s hand. We must widen our scope and examine how nature collaborates, regenerates, and renews. Take note of the process of evolution, healing, and harmony.

How does a tree mend itself after losing a limb?

What have we to learn from the collaborative healing process that exists in forests?

How does a spider rebuild after it’s web has been destroyed?

Is it stronger the second time?

The concept of healing is of specific importance. Our modern industrial society has lost touch with the art of repair. We discard things that are perfectly functional and we are unable to access the parts that are broken when they need fixing. When we’re no longer getting lost within the inner-workings of an object, the opportunity to discover is lost. Many inventions owe their creation to mistakes that were made while in pursuit of an alternate quest: chocolate chip cookies, the slinky, microwave ovens, the pacemaker, to name a few. 23

Does the cycle of breaking and mending naturally lead to improvement and growth?

Can it actually expand meaning, use case, and vitality?

How do these forced variations generate new purpose and fulfillment that we are missing out on?

What are we losing in not getting lost?

The longevity of the life cycle of a design should also be a key component in the development process. We must make choices not solely based on the initial, intended life, but future lives as well. It is not enough to design a product, system, or environment for a single intended purpose. As a designer, you are accountable and should take responsibility for potential subsequent lives and uses. Empower your design with the ability to change with it’s environment until it can assume a form so small it no longer has an impact.

How do we grow solutions that can replenish themselves?

How do we design with adaptability built in?

How do we induce regeneration without intervention?

Time is of

the essence.

Send me your photo: elizmcdo@gmail.com 33

“Meaningful and lasting connections with each other, and our respective worlds, have been surpassed through this hedonistic culture of competition and individualism that conspicuous consumption has fostered over the past century. Indeed, so long as material throughput is upheld as a proxy for economic and social well-being, there is little hope. ” - Jonathan Chapman, Meaningful Stuff