Earth, Inc.

1

Materials Parsimony

RULE 1

Minimize the types of materials used in products with a focus on materials that are life-friendly and economically recyclable.

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitate. (Entities should not be multiplied without necessity.)—William of Ockham (ca. 1285–1349)

In January 2008, if you had walked into any sporting goods retailer, particularly one focused on the outdoors such as Eastern Mountain Sports or REI, you would have found a large display of water bottles and cooking implements made from a wonder plastic invented more than forty years ago called polycarbonate. Most carried the Nalgene brand. Polycarbonate bottles and the like were wildly popular among the outdoors and sporting set because they are lightweight ...