Monthly Archives: February 2014

I should start by saying that architecture and design is what first got me “into” sustainability. As a result, for me personally, the word sustainability will forever be tied to the physical environments we inhabit. Fortunately, over time I’ve found that when architecture and sustainability intercept, some really amazing things can happen.

One of these amazing creations is the Bullitt Center in Seattle. This April 2013 article discusses the many ways that the building is pushing the boundaries of sustainable design. One notable goal is the achievement of the Living Building Challenge, the “the built environment’s most rigorous performance standard.” A few of the ways Bullitt Center will achieve this: 100% on-site renewable energy generation; 100% of water needs provided by harvested rainwater; and, a water-less toilet system that composts human waste and turns it into fertilizer.

The interesting thing about this article is that despite being written a year ago, it is still very relevant. Why? Well, in order to become a designated Living Building (in the entire world, there are only 5 so far) Bullitt Centre needs to be fully self-sufficient for 12 continuous months (after it is fully occupied), and it hasn’t hit the 12 month mark yet. Even so, there seems to be no doubt that it will achieve its goal.

Another aspect of this article resonates with me, in large part due to our in-class discussion about how maybe it isn’t enough for a company to create a green solution to a problem; the problem might be a consumer behaviour issue that needs to be addressed. (Remember: FreshPaper, which lowers food waste by extending the life of produce) This discussion came to mind when I read about Bullitt Center, because the tenants are forced to change their behaviour to adapt to the building. One example, there is no parking, only bike storage. Another example: a staircase is the only way to get from floor to floor (there is one slow elevator if needed, accessible by key-card only). While these are small sacrifices (it’s only a six-storey building), they are not ones that you often see in commercial architecture.

In my opinion, I think the Bullitt Center has truly pushed the envelope. (Talk about giving the Architect path to green growth some literal meaning!) And the best part is, Bullitt Center is committed to showing others how to do what they’ve done. According to the president and CEO of Bullitt Foundation, “If the building is still the highest-performing one of its kind 10 years from now, the experiment will have failed.” To me, this sounds like a challenge, and I’m excited to see who takes it on, and how.

While getting my weekly dose of sustainability news, I came across a reference to Levi’s waste<less program. Having never heard of the program, I had to investigate, and was intrigued by what I found.

The ad above kind of says it all. Levi’s takes plastic bottles and food trays, and turns them into a polyester fibre which is then incorporated into it’s cotton fabric. The result? A pair of jeans that contains the equivalent of 8 bottles worth of plastic. So what sort of environmental impact does this have? According to Levi’s website, “In the spring of 2013, we’ll recycle approximately 3.5 million PET plastic bottles.”

This is a pretty great environmental initiative from the world’s largest jean company, and it turns out it’s not the first. Levi’s also works with Better Cotton Initiative, to improve the lives of the people that produce cotton. And, in 2011, Levi’s launched water<less, a denim collection that uses significantly less water in its finishing process. In 2012, that initiative saved 170 million litres of water.

Levi’s seems to be taking a leadership role, promoting sustainability in every step of its manufacturing and sales process. And really, it should. Levi’s invented the blue jean, and I personally love it when a company that basically started an industry can change with the times and stay on top. (Anyone following recent Nintendo news will know what I mean).

There is one other thing that crossed my mind: what happens to the denim when it wears out? Levi’s actively encourages consumers to donate their used denim to Goodwill (which in my opinion, just makes sense) but what happens when the jeans are beyond repair? Most discarded denim ends up in the landfill, and I’m wondering how Levi’s plastic/cotton blend material will fare. Interestingly, the company doesn’t address this on its website. Personally, I would like to see Levi’s adopt a recycling program, such as the one offered by  Blue Jeans Go Green. Because, while it is great to have denim go to two or more users, the end result is the same: the clothing is discarded.