Category Archives: Design

Wasteful ways are here by design. Meet one of the crusaders fighting to change the ways we design and build. Every item we use in our daily lives started the same way – as an idea in a designer’s mind. Unfortunately, decades of commercialism have resulted in products that are often designed to be short-lived,…

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Meet two of the innovative organizations making circular economy and biofabrication solutions mainstream. The pioneering work of Suzanne Lee, founder of Biofabricate and a keynote at the 2020 Zero Waste Conference,  as well as other early adopters in the field of bio-engineered materials continues to inspire entrepreneurs, scientists and brands worldwide to push the boundaries…

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It’s easy to take buildings for granted, but the structures we occupy every day actually have tremendous implications for climate change, waste management and the circular economy. An Urban Planet Currently, more than half of the human population lives in cities, and this is expected to reach 68% by 2050 – and this rapid growth…

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If you’re looking for a practical example of the circular economy in action, you need look no further than Vancouver-based ChopValue. Having achieved commercial success and “carbon negative” status, ChopValue is now boldly expanding across North America. Read on to find out how. Leading Circular Innovation, One Chopstick at a Time The Zero Waste Conference…

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Suzanne Lee was once an up-and-coming fashion designer. Now she’s revolutionizing the fashion world from the ground up. The Zero Waste Conference welcomes Suzanne Lee, material innovator and founder of Biofabricate, as morning Keynote for the “Next Generation Materials” session. In Metro Vancouver and around the world, textiles are one of the fastest growing categories…

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THE FUTURE OF HOW WE BUILD Humans are endlessly creative, but one of our greatest shortcomings is that we build things that have no ability to adapt to changes in the environment. MIT Self-Assembly Lab’s architects, biologists and engineers have set out to change that. They're collaborating to revolutionize the way we build by inventing…

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Calling all Canadian entrepreneurs – Submit your plastic waste solutions to the Canadian Innovation Showcase! Canadian Innovation Showcase Submission Application Plastic pollution. It’s on everyone’s mind nowadays, and for good reason. It’s an economic, environmental and aesthetic challenge that forces us to confront our global human legacy. The good news is that this challenge is…

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Innovation Showcase to Highlight Made-in-Canada Solutions Plastic pollution. News about the state of marine environments has made the need for solutions even more urgent. Fortunately, great ideas are emerging from a number of sources, including science labs, start-ups, and policy groups. Recognizing the  power of innovation,  Canada’s National Zero Waste Council  and Think Beyond PlasticTM…

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 The 2018 Zero Waste Conference promises to build on past successes – offering inspirational keynotes, practical discussions, real-world solutions, and unparalleled networking opportunities. The principles of the circular economy are quickly becoming mainstream thinking. Organizations must understand and be able to respond. Are you ready for the coming revolution in materials, design, culture, and…

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It's been seen well over a million times. Dr Leyla Acaroglu's TED Talk Paper Beats Plastic - How to Rethink Environmental Folklore is clearly touching a nerve. What insights will this designer, disruptor, social scientist, and entrepreneur bring to the 2018 Zero Waste Conference? You'll have to attend to find out... but here's a taste…

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