Join us for a panel discussion on Sustainability, Design, & the Circular Economy with professionals from design, fashion, and urban farming.
About this Event
Circular Design: Designing for sustainability and a circular economy
- In 2016, a global population of more than 7 billion people produced over 320 million tons of plastic. This is set to double by 2034.
- Every second the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burnt.
- Globally, 30–40% of food produced for consumption is wasted every year. In the meantime, 800 million people are undernourished globally, and in the U.S. one in seven people are food insecure.
These figures along with many others illustrate how our current way of doing things is no longer working for people, for environment as well as businesses. This is why there is a growing movement for moving towards a more circular economy in line with the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
A circular economy invites us to “design, make and use things within planetary boundaries” (Ellen McArthur Foundation).
But what does this mean in practice? And what is the role of design in this process? How can we redesign products, services, business models, cities and communities and move away from the linear systems that have lasted for the past centuries?
To discuss these questions, we are thrilled to be join by a panel of five passionate engineers, designers, social innovators, who are all disrupting our traditional linear ways of doing things in multiple domains (food, urban farming, clothing, products, packaging, electronics, clean energy, etc.) in order to reinvent more circular systems and creating a more sustainable future for all.
This panel is part of the 2020 Design Week organized by the Design Lab @ NYU MakerSpace. Our focus this year is Sustainability, Circular Economy and Design.
Panelist Bios:
Zero Waste Daniel is the Creative Director and Founder of Zero Waste Daniel. Zero Waste Daniel is a New York based clothing designer and zero-waste pioneer. In 2016, after running a eponymous formal wear line for several years, he embarked on a new journey by creating Zero Waste Daniel, a line of genderless basics fabricated completely from pre-consumer waste sourced from New York’s garment industry.
Bertha Jimenez is the Co-founder and CEO of Rise Products and graduated from NYU Tandon with a Ph.D. in Technology Management and Innovation. Rise Products is a food-tech startup that uses its patent-pending process and technology to convert organic byproducts into food-grade ingredients. She is an expert in upcycled ingredients, and consults with food brands to help them develop, market and launch sustainable products.
Paula Luu is a Project Director at Closed Loop Partners, a NYC-based investment firm that invests to build and transition the circular economy. She sits on the firm's innovation and R&D team, leading research and cross-brand collaborations which support supply chain innovations and drive investment in chemical recycling. Before Closed Loop Partners, Paula worked in water policy, started a social enterprise that upcycled textile waste, and held different supply chain and operations roles for companies including Nike, Amazon, and Starbucks.
Inna Lobel is currently an Associate Creative Director at Frog Design. Before joining Frog, she architected next generation technologies and brought many products to market as a senior member of Apple's product design team. As a product designer and engineering leader, she is focused on reimagining products and systems to create thoughtful experiences. She works across disciplines, but focus on the intersection of industrial design, engineering, and connected experiences.
Jennifer Tirado is Chief Service Officer at Green City Force (GCF), an AmeriCorps organization who recruit young adults of NYCHA to serve and train in the sector of sustainability. In her role, she leads the Green City Force Service Corps and training experience and oversee staff involved. Jen previously worked at GrowNYC and studied sustainable development and agriculture in Iowa. Jen has a passion and vision for efficient, closed-loop systems, innovative green infrastructure and sustainable food production in cities, that also support social, economic and environmental justice. Currently consulting for organizations to scale local business programs and grow local movements from New Jersey to Puerto Rico.