Chemical materials and sustainable design: Michael Werner at TEDxMacatawa

As a chemist working in a major office furniture company, Michael Werner has the assignment to analyze many of the materials used in their company's products. He shares with us the story behind the wide array of chemicals that we are exposed to through our daily contacts with everyday products. He shows us a better way to live in which products are designed for reuse and that the chemicals used to make them take into account their impact on the ecosystem are part of the design consideration. He describes a world in which our design moves from an economic system to an ecological one in a circular economy.

Mike Werner is a chemist, engineer, and sustainability strategist with Haworth, a global office furniture manufacturer. Having decided to give up the life of a pharmaceutical chemist, he has been dedicated to eliminating toxic chemicals from consumer products instead of creating them. Mike also advocates for design thinking as a platform for addressing corporate sustainability and driving business solutions. He has served as a sustainability advisor to the Department of Homeland Security and the National Institute of Building Sciences. When asked about the future of business growth, Mike responded: "Because we expect to see significant global changes in consumption, resource availability, and volatility over the next 15 years, our businesses must find ways to decouple growth from constrained resources. Innovation must start today if we are to have sustainable, profitable business."

Видео Chemical materials and sustainable design: Michael Werner at TEDxMacatawa канала TEDx Talks