Terry Young argues that innovation systems should copy nature’s circularity: preserve and recirculate discoveries, failures, prototypes, and intellectual property so value compounds instead of being written off.
Zero-waste innovation treats every output—research, prototypes, failed pilots, patents—as reusable inputs that can seed future possibilities.
Human systems waste potential because legal, cultural, and accounting practices often lock knowledge away or treat it as a terminal loss.
Designing for reuse and circulation increases the chances of unexpected combinations and long-term compounding of learning.
How do we expand what is possible and create the conditions to turn bold ideas into reality? One of its core principles begins with a lesson nature has understood all along: nothing is wasted. Zero waste, for me, began in childhood with a mother whose hands were always in the garden, grounded by the earth and patient with its pace.
Intellectual property systems built for a slower era encourage organizations to guard patents as if they were heirlooms. It simply goes dormant because no one has an incentive or permission to bring it back into play. Valuable lessons vanish because the culture measures boldness by success more than by learning.
Fungi decompose matter into nutrients that feed the next generation. What looks intuitive in nature becomes far more fragile in human systems, especially when complexity and speed begin to outpace our inherited operating models. We live in an era where discovery exceeds our ability to connect it across domains.
Meeting the global challenge of plastic waste and the opportunity to help build a low-carbon and circular economy requires innovation, investment and collaboration.
Nora Griefahn’s office showcases her work better than words: The interior walls at the C2C LAB on a busy street in Berlin, Germany, are alive with lush, air-purifying plants; lamp shades have been grown from mycelium; in the kitchen, visitors can choose between tea cultivated via regenerative agriculture and beer... Th
Lagos is beginning to rethink what it means to call something “waste.” Plastic, aluminium, textiles, organic materials and even electronic components are increasingly finding their way into recycling and reuse
A zero-waste meal plan starts with a simple question: what food do you already have? Rather than planning a week of meals from scratch, look for ingredients that need us… The post How to Create a Zero-Waste Meal Plan appeared first on Upcycle That .
Maybe I’m not the only one whose mind has a hundred conversations a day. Continue reading on Medium »
Every few years, I like to work my way through James Allen’s short book, As a Man Thinketh. This time, I listened to it as an audiobook. Each time I work through this classic, I come away with lots of thoughts and feelings. Our Thoughts are Powerful The first takeaway Continue Reading The post Think, Act, Improve: Less
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