2.4 Erica Purvis: Creative Sustainability and the Joy of Buying Less
Hello and welcome to episode four, series two of Prompted by Nature. I’m really excited about releasing this absolutely fascinating interview on sustainability in tech and engineering with Eco-designer, Engineer and constant questioner Erica Purvis.
Erica does so much in her arena and set up as TechnicalNature, an independent design hub, 6 years ago to explore and question the “evolving role of a designer in a world that doesn’t really need more stuff”. She collaborates across sectors, business, NGO’s, policy and community, to inspire, connect and support taking creative action for people and planet though various “levers for change.”
As TechnicalNature she blends all of her experiences, perspectives and disciplines to “Cultivate Considered Design and Tech for Life – often working with electronic and product based organisations, accelerators and startups to seed ideas, build ecodesign and circular knowledge and develop holistic sustainability strategies that dig deeper into the root cause of problems and systems. A lot of her recent work has been on the growing global issue of e-waste.
Erica co-founded the Open Source Circular Economy Days a global campaign and practical action hub exploring and championing the role of open source in circular design. She has also published research on the role of “circular makespaces for redistributed manufacturing” and was on the drafting committee for the BSI 8001 Framework for implementing the principles of the circular economy in organisations. Most recently she has contributed to a book on the circular economy and design coming out in Brazil later in the year: https://www.sympla.com.br/circular-economy---global-discussion-brazillian-learning__980782?token=39f3b7e2d0e7021396803a4990a67720
Erica volunteers and champions great things going on in the local Reading area where she now lives, involved with bring the local community energy scheme Reading Hydro CBS to life and co-founding the Circular Economy Club in Reading. She is also an Environmenstrual ambassador and edits the London area Pituitary Foundation newsletter.
In this conversation, we discuss:
Sustainable product design The link between social justice and environmental justice The possibilities surrounding start-ups, product design and circular economies Repair cafes, E-waste and circular economies Recycling as a last resort and the need to focus on reduction and reuse of ‘waste’ products How she came to blend tech with her creativity and love of nature Biomimicry, zoomorphic design and looking to nature for inspiration The true cost of product design and the need for true leadership The need to honour indigenous wisdom and to take inspiration from their traditional design systems The concept of ‘trash into treasure’ Her message for you as a ‘consumer’ How she stays creative as an engineer an her hope for the future
You can find Erica over on her website www.technicalnature.org.uk and on Instagram and Twitter @technicalnature
You can find me over on Insta @prompted.by.nature or on the website www.promptedbynature.co.uk
Happy listening! Helen x
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Hello!
I thought I'd share something a little different for this prompt - a 'minisode', if you will!
In this prompt, I give you a few ideas for turning your trash to treasure. If you'd like to share any ideas with me, I'm always @prompted.by.nature on Instagram or you can contact me via my website www.promptedbynature.co.uk
Take care and I'll speak to you soon!
Helen x
