This is the final in a series of documents that follow my UCLA winter 2010 course titled Cradle to Cradle: Closed Loop Systems. This interdisciplinary course contributes to the school’s Certificate of Global Sustainability.

1. UCLAx class 12 1
UCLAx Cradle to Cradle: class 12
Our twelfth class was also the last of the quarter. The past three months have passed so
quickly. I have to admit, I had a crisis of conscience just past the mid point. I was
concerned that we had not yet covered enough of the material outlined in the syllabus, still
had many concepts and ideas to present, and it seemed likely that we would run out of
time. I did make some adjustments, and we did manage to discuss all the topics I had
intended. Looking back now, I’m pretty amazed at how much we were able to accomplish
in twelve evenings.
Since it was our final class, we spent the bulk of the time discussing the quarter long
Disassembly Project. With it, their task was to select an every-day object seen or used
regularly, disassemble it, catalog all the component parts, analyze the materials those parts
are made of, trace the origins of those materials, research any organizations or agencies
that regulate manufacturing standards or regulations, and make suggestions for how the
object and its production could be improved to diminish environmental impact. Students
were also responsible for three other research projects, discussed in earlier posts, which
investigated materials/resources, companies/people, and certificates/labels. In assigning
those three in conjunction with the Disassembly Project I hoped students would begin to
see the complexity of products we take for granted.
Cradle to cradle, or closed loop, systems are more than just converting waste to useful raw
material. To consider changing even the smallest elements of any production framework
requires some understanding of materials and resources, the total impact and sources of
waste, how much energy is consumed, how much water is embodied, what unintended
toxins are present, how far materials travel, and much more. To contemplate a transition
from current linear industrial production to sustainable alternatives demands investigating
more than rerouting or repurposing waste material.
When I first introduced the Disassembly Project to students, my description was met with
blank stares. A few weeks later when I talked about it again, blank stares were replaced
with horror. And half way through the quarter, when it was clear that very few students had
even selected an object to disassemble, I knew there was something wrong. I have to
admit the title I gave it was part of the problem. Some students were concerned about their
ability to actually take an object apart. Others were worried I was looking for an object with
an overwhelming level of complexity.
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2. UCLAx class 12 2
In the end, I was amazed at how unexpected the chosen objects were. One of my favorite
surprises was a Ticonderoga number 2 pencil. Can you get any more every-day than that?
And you might think at first that it’s too simple an object to learn anything, but the average
pencil is composed of several simple yet deceptively complex parts - the wood body, the
graphite core, the paint finish, the eraser, and a metal ferule which holds the eraser. Tracing
these components and their constituent materials uncovers more than thirty elements,
chemicals, and compounds used - materials such as butadiene, brass, epoxy resin,
pumice, zinc, and titanium oxide. It’s like reading the ingredients list on a junk food
package. Other objects selected include marmoleum flooring, an alkaline battery, a pair of
glasses, a bottle of wine, a coffee maker, a pair of shoes, a greeting card that sings happy
birthday with burps, a water pitcher with built in filter, and a milk carton.
Our class discussion of these objects was just the tip of the iceberg, this coming week I
have to dig into a dozen reports in detail. I’m pretty excited about what I’ve seen so far and
I’m anxious to get to work. I’ll let you know what the students discovered in a later post.
www.threadcollaborative.com
➜ threadcollaborative
11250 morrison street no. 201, north hollywood ca 91601