Is Waste Natural?

Last weekend, I helped a friend move into a new apartment with her partner. Part of the process was sorting through her belongings and deciding what was worth keeping, trashing, or gifting.

To be clear, she’s not a hoarder. She’s not the type to buy every new gadget promoted by influencers, nor does she have closets full of fast fashion. Yet —?

There was so much stuff. Things she could have used but couldn’t bring along because they’d duplicate items her partner already had. Items she needed to return. Groceries and kitchen essentials intended for near-future use. I actually ended up taking home three bags of groceries and kitchen items that otherwise would’ve been left behind.

All these items could have been repurposed. But finding the time, energy, and logistics to do so was challenging. Many perfectly good items ended up at the local thrift store. I’m not sure what percentage of donations actually get reused, but I doubt it’s high.

Waste is easy. Repurposing is hard.

We all know we have a waste problem. You know it, I know it, everyone knows it. Waste is everywhere, and we mostly try not to dwell on it.

Which got me wondering: Is waste natural?

When I think about waste, I don’t just mean the plastic littering our streets on trash day. I think about the waste we encounter in our work lives, too.

Not just wasted materials like outdated computers or misordered supplies (though there’s plenty of that). I’m talking about the waste that occurs when we put effort into something that doesn’t achieve its purpose.

How often have you completed a task, poured time and energy into a deliverable, only for it to be unused? Perhaps you’ve scrambled to finish a presentation hours before a big meeting, only for it to never be shown. Or maybe you’ve wasted effort because you had to do something a certain way, even when you knew a better approach.

Economics talks a lot about efficient use of capital, resources, and labor. It often suggests that some level of waste is inevitable, as there’s always room for improvement.

Nature, however, provides a different perspective. While there are examples of waste in nature, they’re usually repurposed in some way. Worms’ waste enriches soil, and decaying organisms provide habitat for other life forms. Nature has a way of capturing and reusing byproducts, almost as if it’s designed to do so.

Can the same be said for the overflowing items in our trash cans? Or the energy we expend on work that doesn’t see the light of day?

We haven’t designed our material world to prioritize recollection and repurposing. Some people are working on it, though, and their efforts deserve amplification. My favorites include designer bacteria, salvaging electronics with cheese, and rethinking solid waste management.

But what about our work? Can we prevent wasted labor, wasted energy, wasted potential?

Is waste a natural consequence of getting things done? Of achieving anything, really?

Or could it be possible for all our efforts, material or otherwise, to be repurposed in some way?

Perhaps, if we designed our systems?—?both physical and organizational?—?with repurposing in mind, we could create a cycle closer to nature’s model. Instead of letting waste be an inevitable byproduct, we could treat it as a resource, a step in a continual process. Whether it’s objects left behind in a move or work that feels purposeless, we can shift our approach to view waste as a temporary state, one that can find new purpose with the right intention and structure. If we rethink how we consume, create, and work, maybe we’ll find that waste isn’t natural after all?—?just a product of design choices we have the power to change.

Ari Mostov is a narrative strategist. She works with innovators to craft irresistible futures. Learn more www.wellplay.world