Zero Waste Philosophy on the Example of a Selection of International Projects

The article discusses the topic of sustainable design, understood as an answer to the growing amount of concepts of using pro-environmental solutions in the process of creating works of architecture. Due to rising population numbers, as well as the migration of the population to large urban centres, in addition to the development of settlements, there comes the question: are currently used solutions sufficient in order to protect the environment and save its resources in an effective manner? What alternative methods of optimising resource use can we use in order to design in an economical and environmentally friendly way, one which does not waste non-renewable sources of energy? The article includes examples of alternative methods that bring our manner of thinking about environmentally friendly design up to date with modern developments. The article is focused on design methods that incorporate environmentally friendly construction materials that are obtainable from natural sources and that do not require technologically advanced processes in both their manufacturing and use. Thanks to these solutions, these materials can be used in regions where the level of technological advancement does not allow the use of high-end and technologically advanced environmentally friendly materials, or in places where the very transport of these materials would cause a negative impact on the environment because of the consumption of fuel, which is currently largely still based on non-renewable resources. The approaches outlined in the article include those of the zero-waste movement and the cradle-to-cradle design philosophy.