What are your thoughts on embodied waste within a product ?

Question

Harumbah like unwrapping a swede at the checkout and handing it to the cashier? I do that if there is not a big agressive queue

Answer 1

I wish there was less waste embodied in products eg:

material waste (92% thrown away before final product made)

human waste (made in a sweat shop)

Answer 2

It will take ages for manufacturers to "design out" embodied waste in products unless they are forced to do so by law, commercial pressures etc.  The simple example of excess packaging around supermarket products demonstrates this: the supermarkets won't remove this unless they're forced to.

It does happen sometimes: when you used to buy a shirt, there was a mass of pins, plastic thingummies, cardboard formers, celluloid stiffeners, and a cellophane bag with it - all to make it look nice in the shop. M&S have worked very hard to eliminate most of this with their shirts - I'm guessing because it eliminates cost and increases profit.

When manufacturers see reducing embodied waste in a product is good for business, they'll do it.  But they may need prodding first.

Blossom: I applaud the (unwrapped swede) principle, but ... "grass roots" action only goes so far.  For companies to be influenced requires enormous pressure (and time, money, people, skills).  

It can be done, if you have those resources at your disposal, but few of us do.   The answer is 'leverage' - apply the same amount of pressure as with the swede but generate greater results. Simple examples - lobbying your MP, providing "stories" for your local paper.  Presenting it as a "win-win" situation (as in the M&S shirt case) is more likely to be effective.

You have to use the same methods, Tesco etc, use when they want to get things changed in their favour.

Answer 3

Every product is made from raw materials and after the useful life of product all will be waste if proper treatment process is nor folowed.  So the product must be produced using least harmful materials and process. The waste can cause major environmental problem and best way to control is to follow this 4 things

Refuse (Refuse the thins causing pollution)

Reduce ( Reduce the waste in its productin process or source like use of plastics.)

Reuse (things which causes pollution but is very important like plastic materials , try to use them again and again so that waste doesn't increse)

Recycle (Finally after all above, recycle the waste which is best way o controlling waste)

So make ur habits environmently friendly, start from today.

Answer 4

It's a double edged sword. You shop at the supermarket because they sell the cheapest products. A single warehouse supplies branches across the country and the fresh products like lettuce, tomato or even swede are wrapped to minimise transit damage.

The obvious solution is to source locally produced, but then you are down scaling your crop production to meet the market demand and increasing end cost.

The price of embodied waste is passed directly to the consumer, there is no financial advantage in taking the pins out of shirts, (you are paying for the pins regardless and they are a marketing tool).

It's a no win situation, the objective is to mass sell cheaply. Whilst a minority will source locally, the majority are more concerned with the money in their pocket. The carbon footprint of basic food bought from Aldi and Liddell is greater than the big supermarkets, but the end product is cheaper and locally sourced organic food is out of price range of the greater population.

My thoughts are it's an economic issue and whilst I support any individuals action leaving the wrapper at the checkout means it is going to landfill with the supermarkets unsorted waste and taking it home gives you a chance to recycle.

Nothing is as easy as it would first seem.

Answer 5

could you explain you're question a little - i'm not sure what you mean !!!