Product, Service & Design Innovation
The latest products, services, design approaches and business models that are helping organizations of all sizes deliver on their sustainability ambitions and establish a new business as usual.
Report: Scaling Circular Economy in China Could Save Businesses, Households ¥70T by 2040
New research from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) finds that a transition to a circular economy in China’s cities could make goods and services more affordable for citizens while reducing the impacts normally associated with middle-class lifestyles. The findings are being presented today at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions in Tianjin, China.
Trending: Cloud-Based, Wood-Based Solutions Latest Attacks on Plastic Waste
This week, SAP UKI announced plans to work with partners to pilot a “Plastics Cloud,” which will collect existing and live data from across the plastics supply chain to spark new ideas for waste reduction. The Plastics Cloud will use the power of SAP Leonardo, including machine learning, to compile information which can be used to forecast trends in plastics purchasing and recycling, enabling services to meet demand. Data could also be shared with consumers to help them understand their own plastics impact.
FoodShot Global Looking to Fund Innovators Taking 'Moonshots for Better Food'
FoodShot Global today launches a new investment platform aimed at accelerating food system transformation through an annual challenge — a call for “Moonshots for Better Food” that will create a healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food system worldwide. FoodShot is a nonprofit, global consortium of mission-aligned venture funds, banks, corporations, universities and foundations. A combination of equity and debt funding will be awarded to innovative businesses, while a GroundBreaker Prize of more than $500,000 in philanthropic capital will be awarded to researchers, social entrepreneurs and advocates.
The Former CEO of Patagonia Is Taking on Bad Baby Gear
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.
Chipotle Seeking Startups That Can Help 'Cultivate a Better World'
Chipotle Mexican Grill announced this week that the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation will sponsor the first Chipotle Aluminaries Project, a seven-month-long accelerator program designed to help growth-stage ventures with a shared vision to cultivate a better world take their businesses to the next level.
secondtoNAKED, adidas by Stella McCartney Boost Ethical Activewear Market
Earlier this month, adidas by Stella McCartney launched its Fall/Winter 2018 sustainable women’s activewear collection, paying tribute to the power of nature. Designed to equip female athletes whatever the weather, the animal-inspired pieces serve as a reminder that everyone can do their part to protect the world around them. The campaign features supermodel Ming Xi as its new global ambassador who is charged with bringing the brand’s continued mission of LESS IMPACT = MORE POWER to life.
New App Demystifies Nutrition Labels for Those with Special Dietary Needs
A new app is eliminating our last excuse for breaking our diet: Pinto aggregates nutrition information from over 100,000 of the most commonly eaten foods in the US and creates personalized nutrition labels that focuses specifically on the ingredients and nutritional information users are concerned about.
C&A Releases First-Ever C2C Certified™ GOLD Denim Garment, Shares Recipe
Today, MBDC — the world’s foremost advisors in material health, product design and the Cradle to Cradle Design® framework co-founded by William McDonough and Michael Braungart — is proud to support C&A as the world’s first retailer to offer Cradle to Cradle Certified™ GOLD denim jeans.
Confessions of a Former Fast Fashion Executive
I have been an executive for large fashion companies most of my career. I held senior management positions in buying and production in Footwear and Accessories for multi-chain retailers. It was not clear to me at the time, but truth be told, I played a part in the explosion of fast fashion and mass consumerism, as we know it today.
Can We 3D Print Our Way to Plastic-Free Oceans?
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.
Trending: Students, Startups Continue to Disrupt How Food Is Grown, Made, Packaged, Salvaged
FoodBytes! — the global pitch competition/networking event by Rabobank, a premier global food and agribusiness bank, has announced the 20 food and ag startups that will get a chance to pitch their ideas at the inaugural FoodBytes! London in September.
Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge Seeks Ways to Use Voice to Make a Positive Impact
Amazon has launched a new challenge to reward developers of Alexa skills that have a positive impact on the environment, local communities and the world.
Inaugural Ocean Solutions Accelerator Cultivating Diverse Crop of Innovations
Can market solutions and innovative technologies help the world solve its growing ocean crisis? That’s what the nonprofit Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) hopes, as it recently launched a new startup incubator program in Silicon Valley, the Ocean Solutions Accelerator, with five companies in the initial cohort.
Latest Youth Solutions Report Showcases 50 Projects to Support SDGs
The second edition of the Youth Solutions Report, which identifies 50 youth-led projects that aim to solve the world’s toughest issues, was released Tuesday in New York during a launch event at the headquarters of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network. The solutions, which come from 61 countries and operate across all continents and regions, address crucial sustainable development issues such as clean energy, education, digitalization, e-participation, access to healthcare, ecosystem restoration, sustainable agriculture and waste.
McDonald's Joins Starbucks in Quest for Compostable Cup; Ireland Already Found One
The NextGen Cup Consortium and Challenge, convened by Closed Loop Partners, announced today that McDonald’s joins Starbucks as a founding member of the group, working to develop a global recyclable and/or compostable cup solution. This announcement follows recent commitments by both companies to drive innovation of their packaging and help reduce plastic waste.
Jellyfish, Eyelids Among Inspiration for 8 Winners of 2018 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge
From soil erosion solutions that draw inspiration from natural tide pools and a kingfisher’s eyelid, to technologies that use protection methods developed by plants, the winners of this year’s Biomimicry Global Design Challenge present some truly creative solutions inspired by nature.
First Global Competition for Tourism Startups Seeks Future of Travel, Environment, Community
The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Globalia have announced the first worldwide competition for tourism startups. The UNWTO Tourism Startup Competition is accepting applications from entrepreneurs across 164 countries whose companies aim to transform tourism, whether their focus is on the future of travel, tourism experience, environmental impact or community development.
Over 90 Startups to Compete in Urban Drinking Water Scarcity Challenge
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 calls for universal access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030, but the planet’s growing population is a major challenge in the way of achieving it. The UN predicts a 40 percent shortfall in global water supply by 2030. Meanwhile, about 54 percent of the world population currently lives in urban areas and the UN forecasts that percentage will grow to 66 percent by 2050.
Nature Your Inspiration for a New Product? Wait a Minute …
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.
Q&A: How NewGen Surgical Is Redesigning Sustainable Healthcare
The U.S. healthcare sector is the second most intensive commercial user of energy. Hospitals are one of the largest energy users, contributing 8 percent of the U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the purchase of healthcare goods and services, and produce more than 4.67 million tons of waste each year. Realizing the significance of these impacts, NewGen Surgical was started in 2012 with a vision to make single-use medical devices more sustainable through their redesign and material inputs.
