How Nature Develops Sustainable Solutions for the Home

Here’s one example. The tenacity of the blue mussel inspired the development of a formaldehyde-free wood glue. The filaments that the shellfish secretes These Columbia Forest Products’ library shelves use the PureBond® technology inspired by the blue mussel.       © Columbia Forest Products contain a unique combination of amino acids that give it super-sticking powers. Using that as a basis, Columbia Forest Products, the College of Forestry at Oregon State University and Hercules Inc. (now Ashland Hercules) cooperatively developed what has become the patented PureBond® technology, which closely resembles the mussel’s important proteins uses inexpensive, accessible soy. With that technology, Columbia Forest Products was able to eliminate urea-formaldehyde, a recognized human carcinogen, from its hardwood plywood products.  “Since our products are all wood-based panels, we look to nature to begin many of our product innovation initiatives and work to preserve nature by practicing responsible forestry,” says Todd Vogelsinger, director of marketing for Columbia Forest Products. For example, the company wanted to expand the color choices in its line of formaldehyde-free hardwood plywood panels, which led to the introduction of Lyptus faces. The wood for these options comes from its partners at Weyerhaeuser who source the material and compose the veneer faces in South America from a non-genetically modified hybrid of fast-growing eucalyptus trees. The use of small trim pieces of veneer in random patterns for a premium lumber look allows panels to harmoniously blend, eliminating shop waste and making it easier if replacements or additions are ever needed. Database of Solutions In November 2008, the Web site AskNature.org launched, allowing users to search for and study nature’s solutions to design challenges with its database. Say you are a budding entrepreneur and looking for the next great idea in keeping fabrics clean or allowing carpeting to be self-healing. Maybe you are a student studying architecture and want to come up with a new idea for heating and cooling homes. Perhaps as a child you always liked playing in the dirt and now want to learn more about building materials. At the Web site, visitors have a chance to explore nature’s strategies and to interact with others with similar interests. The site was launched with the support of Autodesk, a world leader in 2D and 3D design software, and with the guiding vision of Janine Benyus, founder of The Biomimicry Institute and author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. “Biomimicry is interdisciplinary: biology applied to architecture, engineering, product design, city planning, medicine, organizational theory,” says Stier. “So to design the site, we had to make it accessible to all of these various audiences, and the result is something that is essentially accessible to everyone.  “K-12 and college/university students and teachers are already using it. Investors are using it. In fact, it's primarily non-academics who use it and will want to use it because academics, biologists especially, already know how to navigate through biological literature. That said, even biologists are using it and contributing to the site as a way of highlighting their research or expertise and making connections between their work and technological applications as well as to other biologists. The site isn't just about finding inspiration from nature; it's also about finding other people who are interested in the same things you are. And online tools are coming to allow these communities of people to work together.” The site is still in its infancy, but users can explore the forums to get an appreciation of what can be done, such as the young British woman who created a sustainable refrigerator for impoverished Africans. You can pose a question asking: “What would nature do…” to launch your quest. Users can discover nature-inspired products such as StoCoat Lotusan® self-cleaning exterior coating. It possesses a highly water-repellent surface that allows dirt to run off with the water that falls on a building’s façade. The coating’s microstructure has been modeled on the lotus plant to minimize the contact area for water and dirt. Inspired by Morpho butterflies that remain a vibrant blue throughout their lives, Morphotex® structural colored fibers by Teijin Fibers Limited of Japan produce colors based on the thickness and structure of the fibers without the use of dyes or pigments. Nature will continue to inspire both innovative design and technologies and give us even more answers to sustainable living at home.

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