17 Sustainable Development Goals by the UN

Why focus on Goal #12: Responsible Consumption & Production?

UN Goal #12: Responsible Consumption and Production is about minimizing the use of natural resources and toxic materials to reduce pollutants and waste. This is a vital step in the fight against Climate Change and shares an impact with all of the other goals.

Demographic

Why Grade School Kids in WA, ages 7-11?

By teaching our youth and future generations how they can be better responsible consumers and producers than we currently are, we can take a preventative approach to reducing waste. At this age, kids are learning how to be consumers of their own.

Early Brainstorm

What are the research goals?

To gather ideas and identify assumptions about Responsible Consumption & Production, a classmate and I did a timed brainstorm which led me to think about society’s relationship with how and what we waste; food, energy, water. More info about this topic was needed, I started to organize my research into four categories:

1. What exactly is the UN trying to achieve in Goal #12?

2. What are the misconceptions of reducing our waste?

3. Competitive Research: What solutions already exist?

4. How can kids become responsible consumers & producers?

Finding the Answers to the Research Goals

UN Goal Targets & truTV Show: Adam Ruins Everything

I grew curious about throw away culture and why there’s still so much waste despite recycling. To identify any misconceptions I watched an American truTV show called Adam Ruins Everything. The host, Adam Conover & his reputable research team comically debunk common misconceptions with facts and cite their sources on their website. I took notes on Episode ‘Adam Ruins Going Green’ and merged those insights with the UN’s specific targets to achieve within Goal#12 which I found on the UN website along with infographics of data insights. Considering the scope of the project, I chose to focus on targets 12.5 and 12.8 which are explained in the key research takeaways.

1. Recycling is a Last Resort

Like many, I assumed recycling was the key to responsible consumption and production. Plastic producers promote recycling so customers will buy & use without guilt but studies show this causes more waste. Recycling is still important, but it is not enough as it should be the last option.

2. Reduce & Reuse

In order to prevent more waste, we must first reduce what we consume and produce and then reuse what we already have instead of buying new things. This aligns with the UN Goal#12 Target 12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

3. Global Action is Vital

In addition to reducing & reusing, individuals need to encourage collective responsibility for global action. This aligns with the UN Goal#12 Target 12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature.

Competitive Analysis

What are the existing solutions to teaching kids how to reduce waste?

I researched kids environmental games, apps, school environmental clubs/programs, PSAs and volunteer environmental activities. These solutions mainly focused on recycling, planting, composting, renewable energy and the effects of pollution. The market was especially saturated with recycling in comparison to solutions based on reducing and geared towards parents. I began to wonder if this would reflect in the kids’ knowledge and practice of environmental solutions.

Field Study

Kids know Earth is sick, they want to help.

I walked near a few Seattle schools and bus stops to observe student work that was painted at bus stops and posted on school window displays for the public. Seattle schools taught them to care for the planet and kids know that our planet is sick. I wondered to what extent do the students know or practice any environmental solutions?

Mind Mapping

Synthesizing the Research

With all the info gathered, I decided to create a mind map to see the connections between the UN Goal and research insights. This led to three early concepts all grounded in reducing and reusing as a way to be a more responsible consumer and producer.

1. Fossil Fuels

Teach kids what fossil fuels are and how we use them in manufacturing so that they know the environmental cost of consuming certain goods. Deliverables: Interactive Game, Visual Metaphor, Fossil Free USA collaboration

2. Donation Drive

Teach kids that donating something means more than giving old items away.. It also means that item can be reused for a longer product life cycle.Deliverables: School Event, Donation Rally, Interactive Game

3. Recycling Process

Teach kids the process of how a single-use plastic item is recycled and why recycling should be a last resort after reducing and reusing. Deliverables: Educational Animation, Kids Activity, Interactive Game

Understanding the Users

How much do kids know about reducing & reusing?

Before going further in concept development, I first had to seek validity from the users, kids. I had the opportunity to visit Spruce Street School and interviewed 4 students as a group with the permission of their parents and school faculty. I needed to find out what environmental issues & solutions they already knew.

Interview Questions

1. Where does garbage/trash go?

2. How does that make you feel?

3. Do you know how recycling works?

4. Can you describe what low-waste living is?

User Testing: Worksheet Activity

Do kids know the difference between disposable & reusable?

I created a worksheet to see if kids understood a key principle of consumption and production; differences between reusable & disposable items. Instructions read: Draw a line from a disposable item to its reusable match. The left column shows pictures of the most common disposable items. The right column shows pictures of their reusable alternatives.

Worksheet Results

Some kids know disposable vs reusable, others learned

Two students, J and R did not have any trouble at all as they enthusiastically started drawing lines right away and correctly. The other two students, U and E, needed some guidance about the differences between disposable and reusable items. I did one example with them and then they were able to complete the rest of the worksheet on their own.

Testing Illustration Styles

Illustration Style B resonated the most for all students

Considering the competition, I knew an illustrative approach would be the best type of solution for kids. I created a list of different illustration styles for students to vote on. Style A was a close second due to its color choices but Style B won for a variety of reasons. All students liked style B the best because of its 3D quality, shades, and paper-craft texture.

1. Kids are Eco-Activists

Students participated in school environmental activities like recycling & composting but they wanted to participate more at home, not just at school.

The solution needs to:
Empower Kids with Tools

2. Influenced to Recycle

Since recycling is widely promoted by many companies, students viewed recycling as a main eco- solution. They know the general process of how it works.

The solution needs to:
Teach Kids to Reduce First

3. Unaware of Low-waste Living

All of the students were unaware of the sustainable lifestyle of low-waste living. However, they were all able to understand it easily and quickly once explained.

The solution needs to:
Introduce Low-waste Living

4. Enjoy Digital Entertainment

I also asked the students what they did in their free time. All of the students enjoyed playing computer games, Nintendo Switch and browsing YouTube videos.

The solution needs to:
Use a Digital Platform

Re-evaluating the User Need

Changing Directions to focus on Low-waste Living

Since none of the three earlier concepts met any of the uncovered solution requirements, I knew I had to pivot. The users didn’t need to know the flaws of fossil fuels, recycling process or more ways to donate. Kids need an easy, fun way to learn & practice a sustainable lifestyle of the future that would help them reduce waste: low-waste living.

Low-waste living is a sustainable lifestyle that embodies United Nations Goal#12 Responsible Consumption & Production, because they both share the same goal of reducing waste by doing more with less.

New Concept: No More 4.4

Low-waste DIY Youtube Channel for kids ages 7-11

The user research led me to create a YouTube Channel called No More 4.4 which is designed specifically for kids to learn about low-waste living as a way to reduce waste while helping achieve UN Goal#12. Each animated episode features a DIY low-waste alternative versus buying a disposable item. Given time constraints, the final deliverable is Episode 1: Toothpaste.

YouTube Channel, No More 4.4 is named after the fact that the average American produces about 4.4 lbs of waste per day after recycling and composting which means the U.S. population produces an estimated average of 719,840 tons of waste every day.

Animation Prototype: Storyboard & Script

YouTube Channel No More 4.4: Episode One: Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a basic everyday item but the tube it usually comes in is wasteful; making it the perfect candidate for No More 4.4 Episode One.
It features a DIY low-waste toothpaste recipe as an alternative to buying toothpaste tubes. Before rendering the animation, this lo-fi prototype maps out the story, animation action and VoiceOver script.

Globally, over 1.5 Billion toothpaste tubes end up in landfills every year. These tubes are made of an unrecyclable mixture of plastic and aluminium which takes over 500 years to decompose.

Expert Review by Low-waste Store Co-owner

Is the animation prototype accurate to low-waste living?

To make sure the DIY low-waste alternative activity shown in the animation is accurate, I was able to visit Eco-Collective; a low-waste store in Ballard, WA where I interviewed the co-owner and an employee. My goal was to find out any misconceptions about low-waste living, how someone new can learn it and if they had any kids in their customer base. I also received feedback on the animation prototype: storyboard & script.

Left: Me, Lia Matthews
Middle: Eco-Collective Co-Owner
Right: Eco-Collective Employee

Eco-Collective Interview Questions

1. Why did you start living low-waste?

2. Can you describe your customer base?

3. How can someone start this lifestyle?

4. Are kids showing interest in this lifestyle?

5. Any DIY recipe recommendations?

6. Are there any low-waste misconceptions?

What’s the biggest misconception of low-waste living?

“Low-waste does not mean buying new things to be plastic free. Get through things before trying a more sustainable option. Don’t consume something new when you don’t need to.”

— Eco Collective Co-Owner

Prototype Feedback from Eco-Collective

Explain more of why kids should build low-waste habits.

The low-waste living experts at Eco-Collective taught me the essential motto of this sustainable lifestyle and referenced zero-waste founder, Bea Johnson. ‘Zero-waste’ is also a common name for this lifestyle but is technically not possible. I use the term ‘low-waste’ because it is more attainable for beginners and easier for kids to understand. Eco-Collective showed me that it’s easy to transition to low-waste living but the aspects of refusing new/free items and reducing what we need are the most difficult for kids because they are constantly losing reusable items or want to buy the ‘new’ thing. Although the animation prototype balances showing the problem of waste with a low-waste solution to prevent kids from eco-anxiety, the co-owner of Eco-Collective said it could explain more of why kids should build these low-waste habits, not just how to.