Connecting the DOTS: MATERiALS + ART + EDUCATiON --> iMPACT

The MATERiALS: Bamboo, kaolin clay, and algae

Why bamboo?

Bamboo is a super-fast-growing grass that regrows after harvest and stores a lot of carbon while it grows. Turning bamboo fibers into durable composites lets us replace more virgin plastic without giving up everyday performance. I recently discovered rivercane bamboo (Arundinaria gigantea), the only native species of bamboo in North America, and its plight in Southeastern United States when a close childhood friend told me it was growing on his family’s lakeside property in central Kentucky. It sparked a culturally important idea and founding initiative for SARi CONNECTiONS: Establish a scalable and sustainable supply chain of rivercane bamboo in the Southeast to potentially replace some of the $1billion we currently import annually, or in addition to this material for novel innovative applications creating opportunities and connections for design-forward applications, composites, architectural designs, and beautiful, yet functional spaces within local communities supported by academic infrastructure.

At SARi, we believe in the healing and transformative potential of rivercane bamboo and other bamboo species to bridge cultures (both internationally and domestically, as Native American people and tribes in the Southeast understand the value of rivercane bamboo which has traditionally been an important material for them for many applications long before European colonization), restore habitats, preserve biodiversity, rebalance carbon globally, create beautiful wood for construction, artisan products, and composites, and meaningful opportunities for local communities including technical jobs, collaborations, and education.

Why kaolin clay?

It turns out, the “kaolin clay belt” is also located in the Southeastern U.S. (Georgia and South Carolina). Using locally sourced kaolin clay as the primary raw material for porcelain and other ceramic products can significantly enhance the sustainability of handcrafted products by shortening supply chains and reducing transport-related emissions. Instead of importing clay bodies or finished goods from overseas, working with regional kaolin deposits keeps more of the value—materials, craftsmanship, and jobs—within the local economy. This close-to-source approach also supports better transparency and stewardship of the land, as makers can build direct relationships with quarries and prioritize responsible extraction. The result is beautifully crafted porcelain that not only reflects a region’s aesthetic and cultural identity but also carries a lighter environmental footprint from mine to table.

We recognize that firing is the most energy-intensive part of porcelain production, so we’ll treat kiln energy as a design constraint, not an afterthought. Our approach is to prioritize high-efficiency, well-insulated kilns, run on renewable electricity wherever possible, and optimize firing schedules (loading, ramp rates, and soak times) to achieve strength and translucency with the fewest firings and lowest practical peak temperatures. We’ll explore single-firing where quality allows, support facilities that recover or reuse waste heat, and regularly measure and report energy use and emissions per piece so we can set reduction targets and improve over time. By making these choices visible—publishing our methods, sharing better firing practices with partner studios, and favoring kilns powered by clean energy—we intend to lead by example, showing that beautifully handcrafted porcelain can also be a benchmark for low-carbon ceramic production.

Why algae?

We’re turning to macroalgae (kelp) because it’s one of the fastest-growing, most regenerative feedstocks on the planet: it doesn’t need freshwater, fertilizer, or arable land, and when farmed well it can actually improve ocean ecosystems while supplying polymers that behave a lot like plastics. Companies like Sway are already proving what’s possible here, using seaweed to create home-compostable, flexible packaging (TPSea™ polybags and films) that slot into existing plastic workflows but are designed to return safely to soil instead of lingering as waste.

In parallel, Algenesis and its Soleic® platform are demonstrating fully biodegradable, algae-based polyurethane foams for footwear, surfboards, and other products—materials that match performance while eliminating persistent microplastics and drawing their carbon from contemporary biomass instead of fossil fuels.

Our intention is to harvest learnings, not just biomass—pairing seaweed and algae innovation with the same playbook we’re developing through the rivercane bamboo initiative: place-based feedstocks, strong academic collaborations, and regionally anchored supply chains. In Southern California, that points naturally to partners like University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Sway and Algenesis ecosystems; in Hawaiʻi, we envision partners with a long history of research activities such as the University of Hawai'i and decades of expertise from microalgae leaders such as Cyanotech, who cultivate spirulina and astaxanthin at scale on the Kona coast. They have clearly demonstrated what’s possible when algae, sunlight, and seawater are integrated into a long-term production platform.

Over time, we see microalgae (for pigments, binders, and specialty bio-resins) and macroalgae (for films, foams, and flexible bioplastics) feeding a pipeline of next-gen, design-forward materials—tested first in Southern California and Hawaiʻi, then scaled outward as models of climate-smart, ocean-positive production.

We are confident these materials will offer better end-of-life options, energy profiles, material aesthetics, cultural and ecological significance, potential for artistic design and expression (my next journal entry), and products than those from processing crude oil from a fossil-based fluid catalytic CRACKER  (FCC), which will, in turn, contribute to an overall improved CUSTOMER EXPERiENCE   and a positive iMPACT for leaving a place, our HOME, better than we found it ...

Recent reports indicate there are approximately 600-700 fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units in operation, with the number fluctuating as new ones are built and old ones are retired. For example, one source states that as of 2014, over 300 refineries had FCC units, and another source suggests there are about 646 total refineries in the world today, meaning a significant portion of them have FCC technology. 

• Number of units: While a precise figure is elusive, estimates place the number of FCC units in the hundreds, likely between 600 and 700, according to GlobeNewswire
• Location: The United States, China, and India are major hubs for FCC capacity
• Capacity: The global FCCU capacity was approximately 13,987 thousand barrels per day in 2022 and is projected to reach 16,944 thousand barrels per day by 2027, according to Yahoo Finance and GlobeNewswire.
• Function: FCC units are a core technology in oil refineries, used to break down heavier crude oil into lighter, more valuable products like high-octane gasoline

Another important book I mistakenly omitted from the list last week:

• Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution, Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, L. Hunter Lovins, 1999

Continuing on foundational themes presented in Ecology of Commerce, Hawken and Lovins outline a new business strategy that integrates ecological principles with economic profitability, proposing a "Next Industrial Revolution". The book argues that traditional capitalism fails by not valuing natural capital (natural resources) and calls for a new approach based on four shifts: drastically increasing resource productivity, shifting to closed-loop manufacturing to eliminate waste, changing business models to selling services instead of products, and investing in the restoration and expansion of natural capital. This new model is presented as not only environmentally necessary but also a source of competitive advantage, differentiation,  job creation, and employee satisfaction and fulfillment