Collaboration & Co-Creation

Startups, Consumers Helping Brands Make Business ‘Future Positive’

In keynotes on day 3 of SB’24 San Diego, major players in electronics, beauty, retail and recycling extolled the virtues of partnering with stakeholders to drive sustainability and circularity initiatives both inside and outside their companies.

By Hannah Zimmerman | Published 1 month ago | About a 5 minute read

Image: Credo Beauty's eponymous new skincare line features pumps and caps made from New Matter — a first-of-its-kind, recycled resin made from landfill- and ocean-bound plastic — which can be re-recycled by Pact Collective. | Credo Beauty

Day 3 of SB’24 San Diego opened with a lineup of keynotes from industry leaders showcasing the innovative and collaborative sustainability efforts of leading brands.

Roma McCaig

Roma McCaig, Chief Public Affairs and Impact Officer at REI, kicked off the session by emphasizing REI's mission to make outdoor access available to all, with a strong focus on advocacy and environmental initiatives. A cornerstone of its efforts is the long-running "Opt Outside" campaign — an aspect of which encourages employees and consumers to spend time outdoors by closing all REI stores on Black Friday.

In line with its commitment to removing barriers to outdoor engagement, REI has conducted extensive research to better understand the challenges people face when it comes to advocating for the climate. Despite widespread environmental concern, many individuals feel overwhelmed, uncertain about how to take action, or believe their efforts won't make a meaningful difference. REI seeks to address this gap by cultivating optimism and a sense of community, turning concern into tangible action.

Circularity by Design: How to Influence Sustainable Consumer Behaviors

Join us Thursday, December 5, at 1pm ET for a free webinar on making circular behaviors the easy choice! Nudge & behavioral design expert Sille Krukow will explore the power of Consumer Behavior Design to drive circular decision-making and encourage behaviors including recycling and using take-back services. She will share key insights on consumer psychology, behavior design related to in-store and on-pack experiences, and how small changes in the environment can help make it easy for consumers to choose circularity.

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“When ‘me’ becomes ‘we,’ radical change is at our fingertips,” McCaig stressed. With this idea in mind, REI launched the Cooperative Action Network, which has successfully mobilized 350,000 members to advocate for climate-friendly policies — resulting in significant environmental protections, including preserving 250 million acres of land.

How Amazon is helping customers switch to sustainable

Zac Ludington

Zac Ludington, Head of Product & Operations at Amazon, then spoke about the retail giant’s commitment to sustainability through its Climate Pledge, which aims to meet the Paris Agreement's goals 10 years ahead of schedule. Amazon's Climate Pledge Friendly program simplifies sustainable shopping by labeling over a million eco-friendly products, increasing consumer engagement and global expansion. An example of this can be seen if you hover over the green leaf on a product to see its verified sustainability features — such as worker wellbeing or FSC-certified packaging — encouraging consumers to both educate themselves on the product and make a better choice, depending on what matters to them. Since its launch, over 100 million customers have switched to more sustainable products; the challenge, Ludington said, lies in balancing innovation with affordability.

Still, Amazon continues to drive industry-wide change by providing educational resources; finding ways to collaborate; and developing new, sustainable initiatives for both consumers and brands. “We accept that there is never an end to innovation,” Ludington said. “We will always insist on better features.”

Lessons from Logitech’s collaborations with transformative disruptors

Prakash Arunkundrum

Next, Prakash Arunkundrum — Chief Operating Officer & GM of Logitech for Business at Logitech — emphasized sustainability as integral to product design. By reducing environmental impacts across its portfolio — including increasing renewable energy and responsible materials in manufacturing — Logitech has made significant strides. And in 2023, the company launched its Future Positive Challenge — inviting startups and industry disrupters to collaborate on sustainability solutions, especially in areas such as packaging and circuit technology — through which Logitech has been able to reduce its footprint by 24 percent. Logitech is committed to transparency, carbon labeling all products, and prioritizing circularity and longevity in design.

“Small things we can do to add up to big things,” Arunkundrum asserted.

Check out more highlights from throughout the week at SB’24 San Diego!

Cleaning up the beauty industry’s ugly packaging waste

Victor Casale

Speaking of small things adding up, MOB Beauty co-founder Victor Casale then shared insights from the company’s efforts to eliminate beauty packaging waste on an industrywide scale. Casale, who pioneered one of MAC’s first take-back programs in 1991, launched MOB four years ago with sustainability at its core — promoting refillable, recyclable and compostable packaging options. To foster broader industry change, MOB co-founded the PACT Collective — a nonprofit that unites beauty brands, suppliers and retailers — including Ulta, Sephora and Eastman — to reduce waste and standardize circular packaging practices with take-back programs for difficult-to-recycle packaging from personal-care products. One notable innovation, New Matter — a new, recyclable pump recently debuted by Credo Beauty — features 85 percent recycled resin, demonstrating the dawn of a new class of sustainable beauty packaging.

As Casale emphasized, "Commitment is the key to making meaningful change."

Unlocking circularity with molecular recycling

Katherine Hofmann

Speaking of recyclability, a way to drive sustainability across industries is by expanding the existing recycling infrastructure. Katherine Hofmann, Sustainability Strategic Initiatives Manager at Eastman, rounded out the keynotes by highlighting the role of molecular recycling in advancing circular economies. Eastman’s process breaks down plastics on a molecular level — allowing for the recycling of previously non-recyclable materials, including textiles and opaque packaging. Molecular recycling not only preserves the quality of materials but also addresses the need for diverse recycling technologies to manage different types of materials. Eastman’s facilities aim to restore confidence in recycling through transparency and third-party certification — demonstrating that a comprehensive, system-wide approach is essential to achieving circularity.

Hannah Zimmerman

Impact Manager, Purpose + Sustainability

Formerly working in the advertising world in Kansas City, Hannah Zimmerman has now married her past experience with her passion for sustainability. When she isn't chasing her four-year-old daughter or helping companies along on their sustainability journey through consulting, reporting, communications and certifications, she is working on her master's in Sustainability through Harvard.

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