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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.

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Countertop Meat Printer Could Change the Conversation Around Unsustainable Production

In the future, you may be able to print meat in your kitchen. That is the hope behind the Cultivator, a conceptual prototype for a countertop 3D printer made by design students Sarah Mautsch and Aaron Abentheuer.The Cultivator intends to spark conversation about the future of food production and bioprinting, a technology currently being explored to fabricate human organs in experimental medicine. Inspiration for the Cultivator was based on the assumed development of this technology over the next 30 years.

This Startup Wants to Sell You a Solar-Powered Scooter

Canadian startup Daymark has developed a fully electric, solar-powered scooter capable of playing music from built-in speakers, charging your phone and traveling up to 10 miles using its 24V battery pack, which is available in lithium or lead acid varieties.The Photon scooter re-charges under daylight during any kind of weather, gaining approximately 0.2 miles for every hour of exposure the 6W solar panel receives.

THRIVE Farmers, Second-Fastest Growing Company in Georgia, Cites Sustainability as Key to Rapid Growth

Mission-driven coffee startup THRIVE Farmers was recently recognized as the second-fastest growing company in Georgia by The Association for Corporate Growth in Atlanta.

Startup Says It Holds Key to Better, Cheaper, More Sustainable Batteries

Battery storage has long been one of the last remaining significant barriers to the widespread adoption of solar energy — and a nimbler, more resilient energy grid. But a number of players are quickly emerging with solutions.In May, Tesla Energy dominated headlines when it unveiled a new home battery called the “Powerwall,” which can store solar energy and allow customers to cache grid electricity from non-peak periods to use during peak times. For business and utilities, there is a larger version available called the “Powerpack.”

Social Enterprise Uses Mobile Technology to Deliver Healthcare in India

Sevamob, a social enterprise which aims to fundamentally transform primary healthcare in India through mobile clinics and a tele-health marketplace, has joined the Business Call to Action (BCtA) to reduce anemia by 30 percent, HIV transmission to children by at least half of the national average and dental issues like caries by 25 percent, in the areas where it is active.The company says it provides primary healthcare and dental care to low-income people through a subscription-based model that combines local health teams with a network of specialists and a 24/7 call center for accurate diagnosis and treatment and leverages cloud-based mobile technology and data analytics to manage and monitor health outcomes.

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The On-Demand Economy is Now Hiring … Employees?

Last week, courier service Shyp announced it will convert its contract workers to full-fledged W2 employees. The company’s decision bucks the surge of startups fueling the 1099 economy, which avoids paying workers benefits by classifying them as independent contractors.“This move is an investment in a longer-term relationship with our couriers, which we believe will ultimately create the best experience for our customers,” Shyp CEO Kevin Gibbon wrote in a company blog post.

London’s First Subterranean Farm Bringing Its Sustainable Produce to Market

London’s first subterranean farm will begin selling produce to its first commercial client later this month, marking a breakthrough for the city’s urban farming.

Can a Book Help to Market Your Mission?

TerraCycle has always approached marketing in an unconventional way. We have to, really, considering the success of our business model is dependent on how engaged and motivated our consumers are. In a world with so many conflicts and globally relevant issues, getting people to realize the scope and scale of some of our most serious environmental issues is always an uphill battle.

UK Startup Crowdfunding to Bring World’s First Solar Paint to Market

London-based startup SolarLayer claims to have developed a new additive for paints, coatings and flooring that transforms any surface into a solar energy receptor.Through its application, any roof, wall, street or path becomes a photovoltaic generator, that works as a replacement or supplement to the traditional power grid. This technology is designed to work in 3 / 12V and is expected to lasts for more than 20 years, the company says.SolarLayer was created by a group of scientists from the United Kingdom, Argentina and Switzerland who claim that the paint additive will revolutionize everything known in photovoltaics. The product already has been tested for durability and performance in different parts of the world.

UNIFORM: An Ethical Brand Creating Solutions to Social, Business Challenges Left in Wake of Ebola

Though Liberia has begun recovering from the Ebola crisis, the consequences of the epidemic continue to shock the country. Since March of 2014, Ebola claimed 4,500 Liberian lives, left 50 percent of the population unemployed, kept children out of school for eight months, and devastated food security and business, suspending much of West Africa’s commerce with the world.

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Meet 'Denise,' a Triple Threat That Just May Help Rid the World of Produce Waste

As we discuss all too often here at SB, food waste around the world is one of our most pressing issues; nearly a third of all food produced — over 1.3 billion tons per year — is wasted, according to the FAO.

adidas, Parley for the Oceans Unveil First Footwear Made from Upcycled Ocean Waste

This week at the United Nations headquarters, adidas celebrated its new partnership with Parley for the Oceans by showcasing the first innovative footwear concept born from the collaboration.Parley for the Oceans brings together creators, thinkers and leaders to raise awareness about the disastrous state of the oceans and to collaborate on promising projects that can protect and conserve them. As a founding member, adidas supports Parley for the Oceans in its education and communication efforts and its Ocean Plastic Program that aims to end the rampant plastic pollution of the oceans.

#BusinessCase: SABMiller Saves US $17M Through Water, Carbon Reductions

This week, SABMiller released its annual Sustainable Development Report, announcing progress to reduce water use and carbon emissions and achievement of significant financial savings associated with these environmental measures.

Adventure for Good: Cotopaxi's New CIO on Truly Integrated, Effective Philanthropy

Last month I did a feature interview with Davis Smith, CEO of outdoor gear and apparel company Cotopaxi, and was impressed with the way the brand had managed to build sustainability and social responsibility into its business model.

Wearables, Startups, 3D Printing Helping Ford Drive Progress in Autonomous Vehicles Technology

Today, Ford announced progress on its commitment to developing autonomous vehicle technology, including innovations in wearable technology and collaborations with startups in Silicon Valley to make mobility solutions more accessible. The announcement, made at the Further with Ford trend conference, marks a transition from Ford’s investment in autonomous vehicle technology as a research effort to an advanced engineering program.

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A Planetisation of Finance: The Earth as a Going Concern

“We have statesmen and politicians who profess to guide our destinies. Whither are they guiding our destinies?”— H.G WellsValuing continuing existenceIn recent decades considerable effort has been invested into describing and identifying the planet’s natural environment in terms that can be appreciated and integrated into the language of economics and finance.

How to Rewire Business: SustainAbility Releases Second 'Model Behavior' Report

Despite bold efforts to make companies’ processes and products more sustainable, many businesses that flourish today are inherently unsustainable. Companies must fundamentally change their modus operandi to survive in a future of resource scarcity and climate change — no amount of renewable energy sourcing or green product engineering, for example, can accommodate these conditions.

Five Human Aspirations That Hold the Future for Brands

We marketers can be obsessed with generational trends. How many meetings have you had lately on what Millennials think of your brand? Or what Generation Z means for your digital strategy?And yet, while important, we may be asking the wrong questions — or at least seeking insights and revelations in the wrong place.

Verb Secures $2.3M in Seed Funding to Help Social Entrepreneurs Solve 'Wicked' Problems

Social enterprise Verb has closed $2.3 million in series seed funding — one of the largest rounds ever for an Austin-based social enterprise, according to a recent announcement.The investment capital will be used to fund global expansion, platform development and strategic hires, the company says. Recent additions to the company include a chief operating officer and chief creative officer, and Verb says it expects to continue to grow the team throughout the year.

Lego Group Investing $150M in R&D for Sustainable Materials

This week, LEGO Group announced an investment of 1 billion Danish Kroner (~US$152 million) in the research, development and implementation of sustainable raw materials to manufacture LEGO® toys and packaging materials.

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