I must admit, until I read Julia Freer Goldstein’s first book, Material Value, I hadn’t given much thought to the environmental impact of the man-made materials we’ve come to rely on every day. Not as much as I should have, anyway.
But since that book opened my eyes, I’ve looked at the world differently. It impacts how long I keep my laptop and iPhone. It also impacted how quickly I ditched my Teflon-coated pans. Mostly, it heightened my concern and awareness of how much semiconductor manufacturing contributes to climate change and how important it is to take sustainability issues seriously.
When I read her second book, Rethink the Bins, of which I was a beta reader, I committed to reducing the use of single-use plastics in my home. I bought flannels to replace paper towels, and beeswax coated paper to replace saran wrap. I sought out recycling options for kitchen and bath fixtures and cabinets when we remodeled.
Not everything I tried stuck – the compostable plastic trash bags worked a little too well – they started decomposing well before I could fill them. But you get the idea. Julia’s books make you think about things you can do as an individual and a company to contribute to the climate change solution. If you follow her Sustainability 101 blogs on 3D InCites, then you know what I mean.
This brings me to her most recently published book, Materials and Sustainability: Building a Circular Future. It came out this summer and I reserved an advanced copy to write this review.
The inspiration to write this book came from Julia’s co-author, Paul Foulkes-Arellano who came across Julia’s first book, Material Value, and convinced her that there was more to tell. A collaboration was born.
Written in a similar style to Material Value, tackling one topic at a time, this book dives deeper into the issues. With a focus on circularity, it provides detailed explanations of what that means and examples of how some of what seemed like best practices aren’t hitting the mark. It also extends across many more industries than Material Value.
I can’t imagine how much research and time went into compiling such comprehensive information about one of the most critical topics of our time. in 244 pages of fine print (Because it is more sustainable than more pages), this book covers it all, no matter what manufacturing industry you come from.
If you’re inclined to skip the intro – because you just don’t read intros – don’t. It tells Julia and Paul’s origin stories and sets the stage for the rest of the book. You might be surprised that Julia didn’t always view the world through an environmental lens.
Pursuing a Ph.D. in materials science sparked her passion. She studied lead-free solders before it was the fashion. Her background ensures she looks at things through the lens of practicality. For example, she explains how removing a dangerous material only makes sense if its replacement doesn’t create a bigger problem.
Paul brings a background in industrial design, packaging, publishing, and branding to the duo. He’s a known speaker on sustainable packaging and circularity. His expertise helped them expand into other manufacturing industries beyond electronics.
As such, Materials and Sustainability is neither a sequel nor the next edition of Material Value – it’s more of an expansion into nearly all areas of product packaging and durable goods. In some cases, it provides opposing opinions to give the full picture.
Materials and Sustainability looks at circularity through the societal lens and offers steps we can take as business owners and consumers to encourage change. For example, you’ll learn how much energy it takes to make materials. Did you know it takes less to recycle than to mine critical minerals? Mining is linear, and reclaiming is circular.
The introduction explains what a circular economy is, how it differs from a linear economy, and why the authors believe we can achieve a circular future. The urgency for action is clear. As a society, we are losing ground.
There is a lot of information here, and at times it’s overwhelming. The best way to absorb it is to read it in segments, one chapter at a time. It is the ideal textbook. It should be required reading for anyone getting an MBA or PhD with a focus on a career in manufacturing. There is deep analysis, opinion, tips, and case studies in every chapter. It’s written plainly and is easy to understand, even for a non-scientific mind.
The authors examine more environmental replacements and address the life cycle of materials. They provide suggestions for improving the e-waste system. They talk about using additive manufacturing to reduce waste in industrial manufacturing. They also talk about internal and external motivators to implement change.
Who should read it? Manufacturers and anyone else who wants to understand how to make choices that are less harmful to people and the environment.
For those in the semiconductor industry, you’ll want to focus on the chemicals chapter (Chapter 2), which dives right into the current issue with PFAS. Anyone dealing with eliminating PFAS from semiconductor manufacturing will find it interesting.
E-waste (Chapter 10) is another chapter this audience should read thoroughly. In fact, read the whole section on rethinking the product lifecycle. The big takeaways: Planned obsolescence has created a very big problem with e-waste from our electronics. Re-use before recycling, because even mining from e-waste is a dirty job, it’s better to make things repairable.
Part IV is also a must. there you’ll get practical advice on topics like the role of regulation, the value of transparency, and real-world implementations for your company.
Bottomline: Read the book. Educating yourself on the important role materials play in sustainability and what a circular future looks like is the easiest thing you can do to be part of the climate change solution. Order it here.
