PETAL INTENT
The intent of the Water Petal is to realign how manufacturers use water. It also aims to redefine “waste” in the manufacturing environment so that water is respected as a precious resource. Scarcity of potable water is quickly becoming a serious issue as many communities around the world face severe water shortages and compromised quality. Even regions that have so far avoided the majority of these problems due to a historical abundance of freshwater are at risk; the consequences of climate change, unsustainable water-use patterns and the drawdown of major aquifers signal significant challenges ahead.
IDEAL CONDITIONS + CURRENT LIMITATIONS
The Living Product Challenge envisions a future in which all manufacturing processes are configured based on the carrying capacity and water balance of the facility’s site. The processes should also not harm water quality through resource extraction methods required for material inputs. We further envision a future where water used to make any product respects the natural hydrology of the land, the water needs of the ecosystem it inhabits and those of its neighbors without threatening the water system’s ability to meet those needs. Water does not need to be used as a throughput; rather, it can be used, purified and then used again cyclically—just as nature intended.
Currently many industries are often able to skirt regulations and avoid ethical water use, or deliberately put factories in places where impacts to water and watersheds are not regulated. In other cases, goods are made with an excessive amount of water. In locations where there is water scarcity, overusing a resource that should be a basic human right is undemocratic and unjust. Reaching ideal water-use standards means
challenging outdated attitudes and technology with an approach that treats water as an essential resource for all life on this planet, and considers the impact of how water is used along the entire supply chain.
