Columns

Designing Plastics That Never Reach the Sea

— Vol.14 Designing Out Waste: Rethinking How Things Begin — Every time I go out into the ocean, I find small plastic bottles drifting between the waves. When I pick one up, I always wonder: How could we design things so that they never end up here in the first place?

The Hidden Cost of Plastic Seas

Vol.13— Floating Waste and Sinking Responsibility — I once watched a small plastic bottle drift past while sitting on my board between sets. Where did it come from? And how long will it take before it disappears—or will it ever? For more than thirty years, I’ve surfed in

Plastic: From the “Dream Material” to the Next Transition

Vol.12— The Background to the Global Plastics Treaty — By the 1970s, the side effects of this revolution became visible. Plastic waste accumulated faster than society could manage it. Its durability — once a virtue — became an environmental liability. Landfills overflowed, incineration produced toxic emissions, and plastics began infiltrating oceans and

“The Era of Regulating Throwaway Fashion”

Vol.11 ―Learning from France: The Future of Sustainable Fashion “Fashion freedom does not mean freedom to waste.” Across Europe—especially in France—policies are now accelerating efforts to extend the lifespan of clothing through regulation. Why fashion is being regulated The fashion industry is becoming a target of regulation

The Future Going Up in Flames Behind Fashion’s Glamour

Vol.10— What We Need to Know About the Fashion Industry ― “Where did the clothes you’re wearing come from—and where will they go?” Fashion is a powerful means of expressing personality, beauty, and culture—an industry millions around the world enjoy daily. But behind the glamour lies a

From the Frontlines of Life-Threatening Recycling — Agbogbloshie, and Beyond

Vol.9⁻Introduction: Is Recycling Always “Good”? The word “recycling” often brings us a sense of reassurance. We separate our used products, confident they’ll be repurposed into valuable resources—almost as if our consumption has been transformed into something good. But from the perspective of the circular economy, there

The World’s “Invisible Waste Wars”

The Reality of Using Up the Earth’s Resources — in Numbers

Vol.7— The Real Story Behind Resource Extraction — Every day we put on clothes, buy a drink, use a smartphone, or get into a car. It feels so natural we hardly ever stop to think. But what does the Earth lose in the process of making just one of these

Where Buried Things Go

｜ Vol.6— From a “Make It Invisible” Economy to “Design for Circulation” — The Earth accepts everything we put into it. But that doesn’t mean it offers us infinite silence. Hello, and welcome back to our series on learning about the circular economy together. In this sixth installment, we look

The Invisible Pain That Begins After We Throw Things Away

Vol.5 — The Hidden Costs of Waste for Society and the Environment When a new incineration plant or landfill is planned nearby, most of us feel uneasy. The smell, the impact on the landscape, the risk of harmful substances—few would welcome it if they could avoid it. Yet in