CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Canopy’s ‘Pulp Thriller’ outlines a plan to save the world’s forests and climate by replacing 50% of forest fiber from pulp manufacturing with next-generation, alternative fibers such as agricultural residues and waste cotton.
WASTE NOT -
Consumers appreciate recycled packaging as long as it doesn’t affect the quality, functionality and price of the product. But how do brands remain competitive in view of added costs for high-quality recycling and the low price of virgin plastics?
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
As retail sales reportedly fell for the first time in 25 years, with particularly weak holiday sales, new research reveals that a new conscientiousness may be a central cause — with sustainability-concerned consumers buying less.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
With higher-priced products, “sustainability” can still be seen as a privilege. It is time for brands to empower consumers by offering them accessible choices that are better for them, for the planet and for generations to come.
WASTE NOT -
Whether the eradication of poverty, or the support of climate positivity, all of the SDGs are about creating a balance of resource flows. Responsible production and consumption are essential to this — and achievable through connection, community and a bit of creativity.
WASTE NOT -
What better way to celebrate and participate in the season of giving than with gifts that truly keep on giving? Here are just a few of our favorite discoveries this year of products we'd be thrilled to give and receive.
WASTE NOT -
Or, how to expand your conscious consumerism to include anti-waste cocktails, carbon-negative nightcaps and a hard kombucha that’s easy on the environment.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Envision a future where every material thing in our world is made out of a handful of materials, carefully selected to be safe, healthy and infinitely recyclable. Everything from coffee cup to countertop could be broken down and used as raw materials for a new shawl or lampshade.
WALKING THE TALK -
On the third and final day at the UN Forum on Business and Human Rights, it was clear all businesses are being asked to address a fourth ‘p’ — peace. As well as helping to prevent conflict, companies are increasingly taking responsibility for sustaining peace.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE -
60% of consumers surveyed agree protecting the environment should be given priority, even if it slows economic growth. But as we’ve seen for years, while
consumers widely agree on the need for sustainability, behavior is slow to change.
WASTE NOT -
As we enter the season of giving — and the season of returns — two new, next-gen online retailers aim to address the rampant clothing waste inherent in
e-commerce; and reward users for donating their used, unwanted clothing.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Sustainability experts for decades have been exhorting managers to focus more on the function their products deliver and less on the product itself. Biosphere Rule #5, Function Over Form, is focused on fulfilling customers’ functional needs in ways that sustain the value cycle.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
New analysis from Forum for the Future explores the public commitments of 132 leading food companies and outlines a five-point plan to get businesses on track towards a more sustainable global food system.
COLLABORATION -
Over the course of three action-packed days, the inaugural Sustainable Brands Oceans (14-16 Nov) in Porto, Portugal convened a stellar lineup of business leaders laser-focused on saving the ocean while there’s still time. Here’s what we learned from
some of the practitioners and storytellers …
WALKING THE TALK -
New CDP research says industry 2020 zero-deforestation commitments are now impossible; and Councilmembers and Indigenous activists in New York and LA call for a boycott of Brazilian meat companies and a shift toward plant-based diets.
WASTE NOT -
The waste we produce in our daily lives is just one small portion of the total waste stream. Public Thread and Rewilder, two winners of the recently
announced Upcyclers Network Annual Product Awards, are putting non-household waste streams to creative use.
BUSINESS CASE -
While California’s recent drought is officially over, more intense rainfall means more rain is running off, rather than soaking into the ground. But what if some of this water could be collected to help recharge thirsty
aquifers and mitigate the effects of overdraft?
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The US’ biggest beverage companies have invested into ensuring they get ‘Every Bottle Back’ for recycling; Bluewater is helping Londoners ditch single-use bottles; and SC Johnson and Plastic Bank are broadening the Social Plastic ecosystem.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
Algramo’s unique, refillable packaging system allows customers to buy as much or as little of a product as they want, in reusable containers, with no difference in the price per gram — then recycles all packaging at the end of its life.
COLLABORATION -
In committing to the nine principles, companies pledge to take action to prevent pollution, manage their use of marine resources to ensure long-term sustainability, and be transparent about their ocean-related activities and
impacts.