SUPPLY CHAIN -
This summer, whilst working in Barbados, I got my hands on an old drum set and learnt how to play the classic four-on-the-floor disco beat. It felt great to (just about) crack something so quickly, partly because it makes a nice change from the day job — building ethical brands, which takes a lot longer than a couple of weeks.
WALKING THE TALK -
Today’s consumers are increasingly concerned about the impact their purchasing decisions have on the planet. People want to know how products they buy affect social and environmental ecosystems, and are paying more money for and attention to healthy foods and consumer goods.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
As Apple, the world’s second-largest smartphone producer, prepares to sign the death warrant of the wildly popular iPhone 6s with the rumored launch of multiple new models later this month, Back Market — the largest marketplace exclusively dedicated to bringing thousands of refurbished electronic devices and appliances from certified professionals to consumers — has launched an awareness campaign rallying the public against planned obsolescence.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The Kubota tractor parked out front is the first tip-off that Michael Crooke is not your typical executive. While other startup founders might sport a Tesla, Crooke’s home office in Ojai is a far cry from Silicon Valley. Step over the welcome mat with the Pearl Izumi mark, look up at the Patagonia surfboard in the rafters, and you realize this little converted garden shed is like a history lesson in Crooke’s path from Navy SEAL to being a leading figure in sustainable business.
COLLABORATION -
Marking a major milestone moment for the organic food movement, Nature’s Path — the world’s largest organic breakfast company — and sustainable food and garden startup Back to the Roots have inked an exclusive licensing agreement to bring Back to the Roots’ organic, four-ingredients-or-less cereals into every school cafeteria across the country.
WASTE NOT -
Thread, the Pittsburgh-based startup that's collected over 41 million plastic bottles from landfill communities in Haiti and Honduras and created fabric for some of the world's leading brands, today launched its own product on Kickstarter with a first-of-its-kind bag — the Better Backpack.
PRESS RELEASE -
The Natural Products Association (NPA) recognized BASF for having the largest selection of ingredients for cosmetic manufacturers who want to certify their products according to the NPA Natural Standard. The 25th Annual NPA Awards honors outstanding individuals and companies that have made valuable contributions to the success of the natural products industry.
“BASF is a truly innovative company that continues to deliver new natural alternatives for consumers year in and year out,” said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., President and CEO of NPA. “We are pleased to honor BASF for their contributions to our industry and to NPA, the nation’s largest and oldest association for natural products.”
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
It’s estimated that nearly 8 million tons of plastic flow into our oceans every year; even more goes into landfills. While there are many great companies focused on recovering this plastic, there is one developing a plan for what to do with those millions of tons after the cleanup is done.
BUSINESS CASE -
To keep the global temperature increase to well below 2⁰C and meet the goals laid out in the Paris Agreement, everyone must take bold action to reduce their share of emissions as soon as possible. Companies are responsible for the majority of global emissions and therefore play an integral role in meeting these goals.
PRESS RELEASE -
Company is First Major CPG Company to Disclose Fragrance Ingredients
Down to .01% Globally
RACINE, Wis., July 17, 2018 – SC Johnson today announced that it is the first major consumer packaged goods (CPG) company to globally disclose fragrance ingredients down to .01 percent of the product formula across its portfolio of brands. This action, which goes beyond what is required, continues the company’s decade-long journey to transform industry efforts when it comes to ingredient transparency.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
The erosion of trust among consumers – and especially young consumers bucketed as Millennials or Gen Z – is top-of-mind for brands fighting for brand loyalty in a world with the highest youth population in history.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
The rise of natural health products and cosmetics has set off a flurry of research and development to discover the next great breakthrough for skin care or for specialized foods that provide an energy boost when you need it most. From shampoos and natural medicines to herbal teas and healthy spreadable fats, Earth’s biodiversity is providing the inspiration for a growing number of consumer goods. What began as luxury products for high-end shoppers have now gone more mainstream, as ingredient-savvy consumers look to natural alternatives in our chemically saturated stores.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Increasing circularity in the apparel sector will require a variety of initiatives and some of the most valuable ways to bridge the implementation gap will be to provide funding, design new products with closed-loop design and launch take-back programs for would-be-waste items. Announcements on Monday revealed that these are exactly the contributions being made by the C&A Foundation, Looptworks and John Lewis.
COLLABORATION -
For more information or to engage in the collaboratory, contact Sustainable Brands.
Sustainability can often feel like a selling point that we push onto consumers; only a small portion of brands are truly sought out for their sustainability attributes alone. Creating lust, craving or desire for sustainability requires a deep understanding of the core human emotions that drive action, and a knowledge of how to reliably elicit these emotions in a market setting.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Last week, over 2,000 representatives from our global community of sustainability practitioners, brand strategists, product and service innovators, thought leaders and other change-makers converged at SB’18 Vancouver to share their latest insights on a multitude of themes pertinent to all of those committed to improving business around the world. Here, we dig into brand and organizational efforts to get consumers to deliver their part of the equation, through responsible consumption.
P&G: The road to responsible consumption
By Marissa Rosen
PRESS RELEASE -
Today Procter & Gamble (P&G) announced presentations given on new research into sustainability innovations for its Tide® laundry detergent. The presentations discussed the potential for improved cleaning performance in cold water conditions with detergents containing a patented branched surfactant. While machine washing in cold water can reduce a household’s energy footprint, detergents may not perform as well on this setting, which can compel consumers to use more energy and water to compensate.
Tide Research Fellow Phillip Vinson, PhD, and Tide Senior Scientist Patrick Stenger, PhD, gave presentations at the 2018 American Oil Chemists Society Annual Meeting and the 22nd International Symposium on Surfactants in Solution, respectively.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
Jennifer Motles Svigilsky detests cigarettes. But she recently began focusing on the ambitious vision to help 1.1B smokers quit smoking within a generation. Which is how she found herself in front of a crowded room at SB’18 Vancouver, representing one of the world’s largest cigarette companies.
WASTE NOT -
These days — especially in sustainability circles — it seems impossible to avoid hearing about the massive problem that is plastic pollution, and what we can do to address it. In the past two weeks alone, there have been announcements from public, non-profit and private organizations alike, such as the European Commission, City of Vancouver, Zero Waste Scotland, and Hilton. It’s great to see, but before we declare that we’re “winning the war” on plastic waste, we need to take it one battle at a time.
PRESS RELEASE -
Stanley Black & Decker announced that its long-term environmental sustainability goals have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Science-based targets provide a clearly defined pathway to future-proof growth by specifying how much and how quickly a company needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
On Tuesday, Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) published its Sustainability Report 2017, outlining the concrete steps being taken to fundamentally transform its business, by putting smoke-free products at the core of its sustainability efforts to address wider societal challenges, drive operational excellence, manage its social impact and reduce its environmental footprint. PMI says it is committed to replace cigarettes as soon as possible with better alternatives to smoking for the millions of men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke.