96. Unraveling Linear Thinking: Unlocking $500B in Hidden Economic Value Through Ecosystemic Transformation
96. Unraveling Linear Thinking: Unlocking $500B in Hidden Economic Value Through Ecosystemic Transformation  
Podcast: Ecosystemic Futures
Published On: Tue Jul 08 2025
Description: Linear thinking squanders $500 billion annually. The revelation? Ecosystemic collaboration across value chains unlocks it.Textile innovators shatter assumptions—strategic design choices create immediate circular economics. Dr. Rawaa Ammar, Chief Sustainability & Impact Officer at Resortecs, reveals a counterintuitive reality: While companies optimize in isolation, the industry collectively discards $500 billion in materials (equivalent to one garbage truck of textiles every second). Ecosystemic design captures 85-90% through active disassembly—but only when entire value chains collaborate.Unexpected Paradigm Shifts:→ Value Chain Orchestration: Success requires collaboration across entire ecosystems (brands, collectors, recyclers)—silos prevent circular economics → Scale Inversion: Siloed, manual processes hit scaling walls—you can't "hire more workers" for circular economics → Critical Materials Redefinition: Cotton becomes strategically critical when supply chains break (Suez Canal delays cost billions) → Policy Innovation Engine: EU's 16 textile regulations generate ecosystemic collaboration and profit centersEconomic Reality: → 100 billion garments produced annually, → Active disassembly: 15x faster processing, 3.3x yield optimization → UN study: 110 billion euros at risk, 54 trillion savings potentialThe Innovation:Smart stitching threads dissolve with targeted heat, enabling automated disassembly at scale. Design-for-circularity transforms costs into revenue streams.Opportunity for Other Sectors:Considering the space economy as an example - where resupply is constrained and every gram costs thousands to transport - could the incorporation of design for disassembly enable a greater economic impact through in-space repair and material recovery?Getting There: Stop asking "How do we dispose efficiently?" Start by asking: "What if 90% of our material value was designed for profitable recovery across our entire value chain?"Guest: Dr. Rawaa Ammar, Chief Sustainability & Impact Officer, Resortecs | PhD Earth & Environmental SciencesHost: Dyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin WorksSeries Hosts: Vikram Shyam, Lead Futurist, NASA Glenn Research CenterDyan Finkhousen, Founder & CEO, Shoshin WorksEcosystemic Futures is provided by NASA Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project in collaboration with Shoshin Works.