Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Changing weather patterns, disruptive floods and unprecedented forest fires have all dominated headlines over the past few years. Combined with continued warnings about the detrimental effects of climate change overall, these events have raised consumer awareness of the impact daily purchases have on the environment and society as a whole.
Sustainability has developed into “an extraordinarily disruptive phenomenon impacting business.” The changes are not limited to measures relating to the environment in a traditional sense. Instead, a more modern take on sustainability includes environmental, societal and even economic factors.
Brands that want to stay ahead of their competitors need to put sustainability at the heart of their identity to build a secure future.
The importance of sustainability and green branding
It is almost impossible to escape daily headlines about the negative impacts of climate change on entire populations. For this article, however, we will focus on the impact of the transition toward sustainability on businesses and the opportunities created by green branding.
First and foremost, offering sustainable products and positioning a brand as one that puts sustainability at the heart of its decision-making helps businesses attract new customers. Nearly four out of five participants in a recent survey conducted by Nielsen IQ stated that they valued a sustainable lifestyle.
In addition to that sentiment, consumers are increasingly willing to back up their intentions with actual purchases. A 2022 study by Deloitte found that two-thirds of all respondents were willing to pay a premium for sustainable offerings. The research went further and determined that those consumers would consider spending up to 41% more on environmentally friendly offerings.
Deloitte’s findings mirror those of a 2020 McKinsey consumer sentiment survey that focused specifically on sustainable packaging. In that survey, more than 60% of respondents stated they favor brands offering sustainably packaged products.
Green branding can help your business win new customers and become more profitable. But what about the alternative, can companies afford to ignore sustainability and the effects of climate change? The answer is no. Questioned for Deloitte’s 2022 C-Suite Sustainability Report, 97% of participants stated that their companies were already affected by disrupted supply chains and business models.
Putting sustainability at the heart of your business, including your branding, is necessary to ensure the company’s future.
How can businesses implement sustainable practices? The options depend on the nature of the business.
Sourcing eco-friendly materials is one of the most obvious options for brands to increase the sustainability of their products. Ensuring that raw materials come from reputable, proven sources increases consumer trust.
Reducing waste throughout production and other business processes is another option for businesses to become more sustainable. Not every company will have the same potential in this respect. But even if your business is offering a service, there are generally areas in which wastage can be reduced to benefit the environment and reduce expenses.
Look beyond the environmental aspects of sustainability and consider elements like diversity and inclusivity. They all increase the brand’s sustainability and contribute toward its positioning as a responsible business.
Implementing sustainable business practices is not something reserved for large multinational corporations. Businesses of any size have an opportunity to identify areas for improvement and work on those.
Here are just two examples of businesses that are putting sustainability first.
1. Patagonia
Outdoor clothing brand Patagonia has built its reputation as much on durable, high-performing gear as on its focus on sustainability. In 2022, the company’s founder and his family went one step further. Rather than selling the business to facilitate a comfortable retirement, the Chouinard family gave Patagonia away to a non-profit and a specifically designed trust.
The stipulations are simple: all profits will be used to fight climate change and protect undeveloped ground globally. Patagonia’s move was widely publicized and removed any doubt about the company’s standing as a leading sustainable brand.
2. Beyond Meat
Vegan meat manufacturer Beyond Meat is a company built on offering a more environmentally friendly alternative to traditional meat. The company also prides itself on producing a burger made from simple ingredients that require less water and has significantly less greenhouse gas emissions than classic beef burgers.
Challenges and risks
Like all major business transitions, green branding and moving toward more sustainable business practices do not come without risks and challenges for businesses. However, with a solid strategy in place, these can be overcome or mitigated in the first place.
Greenwashing: to be successful and resonate with consumers in the long term, sustainability efforts must be genuine. The practice of greenwashing, where companies make environmental claims that are found to be untrue, can be highly detrimental to a brand’s reputation. Instead of making big claims, businesses do better when they prioritize smaller but consistent efforts.
Increased costs: sustainable raw materials often come at a higher cost than other materials. However, bear in mind that customers are happy to pay more for sustainable products and services. Balance your costs against the benefits of gaining access to new audiences and ensure your business is charging a fair price to mitigate this risk.
These are only two examples of the potential challenges and risks brands face during their transition to sustainability. Although they can pose serious challenges, neither is as dangerous to your brand as the risk of being left behind by competitors embracing sustainability.
Over the past few years, consumer attitudes toward sustainability have changed dramatically. Sustainability, including environmental, societal and other aspects, is having a growing influence on purchase decisions. Research shows that consumers have good intentions in this respect and are prepared to back those up with actual purchases. To secure their future, brands must embrace sustainability now or risk being left behind.
BOCA RATON, Fla., May 18, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– 4ocean, a purpose-driven B Corp with a mission to end the ocean plastic crisis, in partnership with U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), are pleased to announce the extension of their partnership. The two entities have committed to removing 150,000 pounds of trash from the world’s oceans through the 4ocean Pound+ Services, now through 2024.
4ocean and U.S. Polo Assn.’s partnership began in early 2021 and successfully led to the removal of 60,000 pounds of plastic from the ocean, rivers, and coastlines. The two organizations worked together during that time towards ocean-positive sustainability with the help of 88 crew members and seven ocean vessels, with most of the waste being pulled in Indonesia across six specific beaches. This year’s goal more than doubles the previous year’s accomplishment.
“I’m stoked about the extension of our partnership with U.S. Polo Assn. and their commitment to increasing the amount of trash and plastic they pull,” said Alex Schulze, co-founder of 4ocean. “It’s inspiring to see a company take such a proactive approach to sustainability that will have a measurable impact on the ocean. U.S. Polo Assn. committing to 2.5 times the amount of trash and plastic they pulled last year is a bold move, and I’m excited to see the results of this initiative.”
Schulze added, “We are proud to be part of this effort and look forward to continuing our collaboration with U.S. Polo Assn. and other partners to make a positive impact on our ocean.”
This meaningful partnership is a component of U.S. Polo Assn.’s overarching sustainability initiative USPA Life, which works towards improving the impact of our business on the environment. The USPA Life initiative also offers a global and growing selection of apparel, footwear, and accessories with sustainable attributes.
“U.S. Polo Assn. has been taking a global and holistic approach to our long-term sustainability journey with initiatives like our 4ocean partnership and USPA Life,” said J. Michael Prince, President and CEO of USPA Global Licensing Inc., which manages the multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand. “We have been working diligently to improve our global footprint through products that are better for the environment and through partnerships with organizations like 4ocean that share our mission and vision for a sustainable future.”
4ocean was the Official Sustainability Partner of the U.S. Open Polo Championship Final, collecting plastic and trash from the prestigious and sold-out event in April at the USPA National Polo Center. 4ocean also had a series of commercial spots run during the U.S. Open Polo Championship Final on multiple ESPN platforms, bringing awareness to millions of consumers and sports fans. Click here for more information.
4ocean is an ocean cleanup company based in Boca Raton, Florida, that’s dedicated to ending the ocean plastic crisis. As a Public Benefit Corporation and Certified B Corp, 4ocean harnesses the power of business to fund a global cleanup operation that recovers millions of pounds of plastic and other debris from the world’s oceans, rivers, and coastlines each year.
About U.S. Polo Assn.
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through some 1,100 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores and thousands of department stores as well as sporting goods channels, independent retailers, and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in more than 190 countries worldwide. U.S. Polo Assn. was named one of the top five sports licensors in 2022, according to License Global. Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
HIROSHIMA, Japan — China on Saturday faced a strong pushback from the Group of Seven countries over its stances on Russia, Taiwan, trade bullying, economic monopoly and domestic interference, with the G7 leaders’ statement reflecting a broad convergence of the U.S., Europe and Japan on a need to change tack.
Issued around the time of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s arrival in Hiroshima, where the summit is taking place, the statement by leaders of the G7 wealthy democracies asked Beijing to do more to stop Russia’s war on Ukraine.
“We call on China to press Russia to stop its military aggression, and immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw its troops from Ukraine,” the leaders said in the statement. “We encourage China to support a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on territorial integrity and the principles and purposes of the U.N. Charter, including through its direct dialogue with Ukraine.”
Crucially, the U.S. and Europe — the two main constituents of the G7 — came round to a common set of language on China. For France and Germany, in particular, their focus on a conciliatory attitude to China was reflected in the final statement, which began the China section by stating “We stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China.”
The G7’s repeated emphasis of “de-risking, not decoupling” is a nod to the EU approach to China, as European member countries are wary of completely cutting off business ties with Beijing.
The language on Taiwan remained the same compared with recent statements. “We reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as indispensable to security and prosperity in the international community,” the statement said, adding there’s “no change in the basic positions” in terms of the one China policies.
Domestic interference
Apart from Russia, another new element this year is the mention of domestic interference — which human rights groups say is a reflection of the growing concern about China’s “overseas police stations” in other countries. “We call on China … not to conduct interference activities aimed at undermining the security and safety of our communities, the integrity of our democratic institutions and our economic prosperity,” the leaders said in their statement, citing the Vienna Convention which regulates diplomatic affairs.
On global economics, both sides of the Atlantic and Japan now see the need to fundamentally change the overall dynamic of economic globalization, placing security at the front of policy considerations.
“Our policy approaches are not designed to harm China nor do we seek to thwart China’s economic progress and development. A growing China that plays by international rules would be of global interest,” the G7 leaders said in the statement.
“We are not decoupling or turning inwards. At the same time, we recognize that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying. We will take steps, individually and collectively, to invest in our own economic vibrancy. We will reduce excessive dependencies in our critical supply chains,” they said.
One central theme is economic coercion, where China has punished a wide range of countries — from Japan and Australia to Lithuania and South Korea — over the decade when political disagreements arose.
The G7 countries launched a new “coordination platform on economic coercion” to “increase our collective assessment, preparedness, deterrence and response to economic coercion,” according to the statement. They also plan to coordinate with other partners to further the work on this.
For France, the focus on a conciliatory attitude to China was reflected in the final statement, which began by stating “We stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China” | Pool phot by Stefan Rousseau/Getty Images
The joint call for diverse sources of critical minerals, while stopping short of naming China, is widely seen as targeted against the Asian superpower that controls, for instance, 70 percent of global rare earths output. The G7 countries “support open, fair, transparent, secure, diverse, sustainable, traceable, rules and market-based trade in critical minerals” and “oppose market-distorting practices and monopolistic policies on critical minerals,” according to the statement.
They also vow to deliver the goal of mobilizing up to $600 billion in financing for quality infrastructure through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment, a rival to China’s Belt and Road initiative. “We will mobilize the private sector for accelerated action to this end,” they said.
In a bilateral in Hiroshima, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron “welcomed the strong unity of purpose at the G7 on … our collective approach to the economic threat posed by China,” a spokesperson for Sunak’s office said.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Overflowing public trash cans: Gone. Trudging to City Hall for a license: Done. Circling city blocks to find parking: Don’t have to worry about that, either.
All of these examples are potential benefits of smart cities — that is, cities that use technology to improve efficiency, growth and well-being for individuals and organizations. These cities, which are already developing globally, are necessary to achieve an economical, convenient and more sustainable future.
How smart cities can help people meet sustainability goals
One of the biggest hurdles to sustainability is manual upkeep or fulfillment. Suppose you had to collect garbage for your city. Because you can’t tell which cans need emptying, you have to drive to all of them to check how full they are. That wastes both time and gas and puts more wear and tear on the garbage truck.
But what if the trash cans had sensors? Now you can tell which cans are empty and, based on data over time, get a sense of which routes don’t need you to drive by as often.
Smart cities can reduce the need for manual work in dozens of areas besides trash. They can use collected data to improve processes and focus manual work where it’s needed most. The improvement and focus mean that people might be more likely to engage with services or complete tasks, such as attending meetings more often because they can participate virtually and don’t have to combat traffic.
In addition to improving sustainability through directing labor and resources, smart cities can provide real-time data people need to stay safe and have a good quality of life: An emergency response system can alert you to bad weather or accidents. Sensors and imaging can alert you that something within your infrastructure (e.g., a bridge) needs maintenance. Data also can result in increased accessibility that influences health and well-being, such as telehealth connections.
Smart cities are here — we just need way more of them
As in other areas of business and investment, many people want to see some proof of concept before they’ll put money behind something. Smart cities are no different. But thanks to forward-thinking leaders, we now have multiple examples of what sustainable living can look like in real life.
Consider Copenhagen, Denmark, which is slated to be the first carbon-neutral city in the world by 2025. Because the city naturally gets a lot of wind, it’s built enough wind turbines to power 22% of its electricity and has plans to boost that to 50% in the next three years. Copenhagen is also rethinking infrastructure and heating, mandating that vegetation and soil be part of architectural planning (i.e., green roofs), using waste heat from power plants and other sources, and establishing transportation lanes that allow 62% of residents to commute by bike.
Other cities aren’t far behind. Zurich, Switzerland; Madrid, Spain; and Canberra, Australia, are all making massive strides toward carbon neutrality. In the United States, California is known for its climate efforts, with cities like Berkeley, San Diego and San Jose all making pledges related to electric vehicles, emissions and energy. But there are smart cities across the entire country.
Businesses play one of the most important roles in supporting smart cities. They can create and implement new technologies and processes so their operations are less wasteful and more environmentally friendly. They can provide repeated exposure to sustainability values and get people used to considering how their habits influence the environment and their own health. The way they design campuses to fit within the larger community can also influence thinking and behavior. And businesses get benefits back, including reduced business costs, improved reputation with customers that value going green and better strategies that boost profit and competitiveness.
Non-profits are also heavyweights in making smart cities a reality. They can provide sustainability education and training and raise awareness about violations and potential in the community. This includes teaching individuals and organizations how to adapt to new environmental conditions.
Government is the third sustainability player. Representatives can introduce legislation to control what individuals and organizations do, such as with Copenhagen’s green roofs mandate, and they can provide incentives or rebates for using tools like solar power or automation. This work can stabilize the sustainability efforts people, businesses and non-profits try to make.
Ultimately, all three of these players have to cooperate if smart cities are going to be built effectively. To collaborate well, each player has to understand the needs and requirements of the other, such as the local government seeing that forcing people to come to city hall to pay a bill is counterproductive. Solutions also need to be built based on real problems people have. But because governmental regulation can determine what people adopt, the foundational work is to help representatives understand why smart cities are a good direction to go in.
Smart cities that can pave the way for sustainability are no longer a far-off dream — cities like Copenhagen provide proof of concept and show that people can protect the planet in practical ways. But Copenhagen has succeeded only because people made a deliberate choice about their values and how they wanted to live. To bring a smart city to where you live, you need to make a choice, too.
Once you’re committed to sustainability, be an advocate. Get involved in a non-profit or bring sustainability ideas to your manager or board. Most of all, come together with others and let your representatives know that smart cities are something you want. When they realize how important the citizen experience is and see how new data and tools can improve their own efficiency, they’ll start putting their clout behind development to support real change.
Ramping up production of a new product, using relatively new technology, is a tall order in the best of times. Electric-vehicle startups Rivian Automotive Inc. RIVN, Fisker Inc FSR and Lucid Group Inc. LCID are finding out that it is extra hard in the middle of economic uncertainty, lingering supply-chain worries, rising interest rates and less patient investors.
The award will support efforts to develop a robust and dynamic ecosystem for sustainable manufacturing and permit the team to compete for as much as $160 million from the NSF to be awarded in 2025—if the group can prove it has the ideas, relationships, track record and commitment to advance innovation and equitably benefit the regional economy.
“This is an unprecedented opportunity for regional industries, small businesses, community groups, state and local governments and universities to come together and transform, lift up and lead sustainable manufacturing in America,” said Michael Oakes, the project director and senior vice president for research and technology management at Case Western Reserve.
‘Making things that matter…smarter and greener’
The 11 initial planning partners are: Case Western Reserve, the Greater Cleveland Partnership (GCP), the City of Cleveland, TeamNEO, Cuyahoga County, MAGNET, JumpStart, Cleveland State University, the Cleveland Water Alliance, The Urban League of Greater Cleveland and the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development (NEOHCED).
Their efforts will focus on four areas: technology innovation, technology adoption, workforce and talent development, and leadership and governance.
To become a more sustainable region, group members say, more industries from Cleveland to Youngstown will have to embrace emerging technologies with unprecedented enthusiasm.
Among the priority areas are energy science; electrochemistry; “green” steel and microchip production; carbon capture, storage and sequestration; and production of alternatives to petroleum-based plastics and biodegradable byproducts. Talent pipelines and inclusive growth are fundamental to success.
Individual companies and entire industrial sectors will have to optimize or reduce energy use, water consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions. The Cleveland Water Alliance will guide the environmental innovation and impact efforts for the planning effort.
“Greater Cleveland is well known as a region where we make things that matter—this is about making things that matter, but making them smarter and greener,” Shah said. “Our leading companies are committed to sustainability for business growth as they see a strategic opportunity and they’re doing it together, not going it alone. Together, we can meet market needs and lead the world in sustainability.”
The Urban League and NEOHCED will lead efforts to attain excellence in inclusion and environmental equity. They will seek to develop inclusive pathways in sustainable manufacturing—including careers in factories and universities—and build entrepreneurial capacity in underrepresented communities across the region.
Ongoing efforts toward sustainability
The broader pitch to become an NSF Center coincides with related efforts at Case Western Reserve and among the partners:
In March 2022, CWRU and partners launched a newS. Department of Energy-funded center focused on helping small- and medium-sized manufacturers adopt “smart manufacturing” technologies.
In June 2022, the university announced it would also lead an effort to integrate artificial intelligence and sensing to improve materials and processing in manufacturing—part of a long-term, federally funded strategy to strengthen U.S. innovation and industrial productivity.
In January 2023, CWRU’s Oakes committed $1 million to foster sustainable manufacturing as a primary focus and accelerate faculty research.
Also in January 2023, the GCP hosted its inaugural “Sustainability Summit” for more than 300 business leaders and stakeholders at the Huntington Convention Center. Conference participants discussed the importance of being “All In” on sustainability for business growth and regional impact—and steps and resources to get there.
“Ultimately, this is about demonstrating that we have a working regional innovation
ecosystem here for sustainable manufacturing,” said Nick Barendt, executive director of the Institute for Smart, Secure and Connected Systems at Case Western Reserve and co-leader of the Engines planning project. “We’re excited to be working with our partners to make this happen.”
Federal Engines Program
The Engines program was authorized by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. Awardees span a broad range of states and regions, reaching geographic areas that have not fully benefited from the technology boom of the past decades.
“These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF’s vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere.”
Case Western Reserve University is one of the country’s leading private research institutions. Located in Cleveland, we offer a unique combination of forward-thinking educational opportunities in an inspiring cultural setting. Our leading-edge faculty engage in teaching and research in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Our nationally recognized programs include arts and sciences, dental medicine, engineering, law, management, medicine, nursing and social work. About 5,800 undergraduate and 6,300 graduate students comprise our student body. Visit case.edu to see how Case Western Reserve thinks beyond the possible.
Tradition Will Assist the City With Its Historic Transition to ERCOT and Electricity Deregulation
STAMFORD, Conn., May 10, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– Tradition Energy announces it was recently awarded a Professional Services Agreement through a competitive RFP process conducted by the City of Lubbock, the 10th-largest city in Texas.
The contracted Energy Consulting and Management Services are related to procuring electricity for the City and assisting it with its exciting entry into ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council of Texas) and the deregulated electricity market in the coming months.
Lubbock Power & Light (LP&L), the local utility company serving the City of Lubbock, has been working to make infrastructure updates to connect with the ERCOT system since March 2018. In May of 2021, LP&L successfully connected 70% of its system (approximately 83,000 customers) to the ERCOT grid, and the city council later confirmed the vote for deregulation in 2022. This interconnection with ERCOT is the first in Lubbock’s history and the first for any regulated municipality in the state in 25 years to move toward deregulation.
The City of Lubbock joins Lubbock County, Texas Tech University, University Medical Center, and others who have selected Tradition Energy as their advisor on procurement strategy and process as they transition to the deregulated ERCOT market.
“The City of Lubbock looks forward to working with Tradition Energy as we navigate our historical transition to the competitive markets and join other Texas cities participating in energy deregulation,” said Tray Payne, Mayor of the City of Lubbock.
“Their deep experience with Texas local government clients, ERCOT market expertise, client support, and team structure were critical factors in the City’s decision to award to Tradition,” said Jarrett Atkinson, City Manager of the City of Lubbock.
“We are honored to receive this award from the City of Lubbock,” said Alan Kurzer, CEO of Tradition Energy. “The Tradition team is very excited to share its ERCOT energy market expertise and introduce the City to the opportunities a competitive market presents.”
About Tradition Energy
Tradition Energy is the nation’s largest independent energy procurement and sustainability solutions advisor. Clients partner with us to manage their energy expenditures, implement renewable energy solutions, and develop integrated sustainability strategies to reduce their carbon footprint. Tradition Energy is part of the Tradition Group, ranked amongst the top 3 worldwide in financial products and commodities with over 2,400 employees in 30 countries. www.TraditionEnergy.com
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As a purpose-driven entrepreneur, your primary goal is to build a successful business and make a positive difference in the world. In today’s world, consumers are becoming more mindful of their impact on the environment and society, leading to the increased demand for purpose-driven businesses.
In this article, we’ll guide you on how to build a business that makes a positive impact.
Your business’s purpose is the driving force behind your company’s success. It is why you established your business and the driving force behind your brand. Every decision you make as a purpose-driven entrepreneur must align with your business’s purpose.
To determine your purpose, consider the difference you want to make in the world, addressing the societal and environmental issues you care about. Once you’ve established your purpose, integrate it into every aspect of your business, including your mission statement, branding and product or service offerings.
2. Creating a sustainable business model
A sustainable business model is essential in purpose-driven entrepreneurship, driven toward achieving long-term financial, societal and environmental sustainability. This allows for a balance between economic growth and social concerns while considering environmental impacts and ensuring that the business delivers value to its shareholders.
Within this model, use renewable resources to reduce waste and carbon footprints. Opt for eco-friendly transportation options, such as electric cars or bicycles. Instead of conventional energy sources, be open to using green energy and energy-efficient systems. Be sure to use packaging materials that are recyclable or biodegradable.
At the same time, focus on providing fair wages and benefits to your employees and creating a positive working environment. This will encourage team productivity, cost-efficiency and better customer service, all of which contribute to the long-term success of your business.
3. Building a community
Building a community is fundamental in purpose-driven entrepreneurship as it enables the business to create a positive impact and a thriving brand. A community can consist of stakeholders, comprising customers, employees, suppliers and peers who share your values and beliefs.
Creating a community allows for a sense of belonging and shared purpose where your customers can share their experiences with your brand, and you can reward them for their loyalty. You can create a platform for collaborative problem-solving where customers share insights on feedback regarding your product or services.
Through this engagement with your community, you can more effectively understand their needs, making developments that align with your purpose and creating a greater impact in the world.
Measuring your impact is fundamental in building a purpose-driven business. Track your progress, identify areas that need improvement, and justify your impact to stakeholders. Establish clear sets of key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your mission statement.
Social or environmental audits can help identify areas for improvement, track progress over time and guide better corporate social responsibility policies. You can also use assessment tools, such as the B Impact Assessment, the B Corp certification or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to assess your company’s impact on sustainability and set targets for improvement.
Another way to measure your impact is by engaging with your community of stakeholders, including customers, employees and suppliers. Ask for feedback on your impact, and consider their suggestions for improvement or corrective action. You can also participate in industry forums and collaborate with other purpose-driven businesses to share insights and best practices.
5. Telling your story
Telling an authentic and meaningful story is vital in building a purpose-driven business. Storytelling enables you to connect with customers on an emotional and personal level, creating meaningful bonds that lead to brand loyalty.
Your story should reflect your purpose and authenticity while being compelling. Utilize storytelling techniques like videos or images that appeal to human emotions. Share success stories, testimonials and the feedback you’ve received from customers or employees.
Leverage social media, blogs or other platforms to reach out to your customers and stay engaged with your community. Share what happens behind the scenes, and highlight efforts that contribute to making the world a better place.
6. Collaborate with other purpose-driven businesses
Collaboration is an essential aspect of purpose-driven entrepreneurship, allowing you to connect with other like-minded businesses to create a more significant impact. Use collaboration to seek new ideas, share key learnings and leverage best practices to achieve your business objectives.
Collaborating is an excellent way of creating awareness of your brand while bringing diverse perspectives and skill sets to the table. Seek out like-minded organizations that share your purpose, and engage them in collaborations such as joint marketing campaigns, networking events and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Not only will it strengthen your brand’s mission and purpose, but it will also create a lasting impact on society.
Purpose-driven entrepreneurship requires a mindset of agility and innovation. Entrepreneurs must be adaptable to the ever-changing business landscape, identifying new opportunities to innovate and trend with the latest developments. With that in mind, continuously review your business model and strategies while keeping abreast of the latest emerging trends and technologies.
Stay curious and, where possible, experiment with innovative solutions or new technologies that better assist your business goals. Ask your employees and stakeholders to offer suggestions, and always be ready to pivot when necessary to deliver the best results for your business, customers and the wider society.
Purpose-driven entrepreneurship presents a powerful way of building a successful and sustainable business while positively impacting society. By defining a clear purpose, creating an environmentally and financially sustainable business model, building a community, measuring your impact and telling your story, you can effectively differentiate your brand while creating a lasting legacy for future generations.
PJCArchitecture has noticed rising consumer demand for more sustainable solutions, like this … [+] induction cooktop, along with positive impact that codes can play in the process.
BJORG MAGNEA
While builders struggle to bring new housing online, the rest of the country’s housing stock is aging. Of the approximately 124 million housing units, the ABC Collaborative counts more than 21 million single family homes that were built before 1980 that need a retrofit, spurring a huge new industry focused on energy improvements.
Energy retrofits are appealing for several reasons—to meet the nation’s 2050 sustainability goals, to meet a growing social consciousness, to improve home equity, and to reduce home energy costs and energy use.
Meeting Sustainability Goals
Meeting the country’s sustainability goals isn’t just a checklist, it’s an integrated process that will take all housing stakeholders along with the right levers for public participation in addition to the pressure of regulations.
Katrin Klingenberg is the co-founder and executive director at Phius, a non-profit organization committed to creating a framework for climate-specific and adaptable building standards to achieve a zero-carbon built environment. Her Phius program is working its way into state code and is currently part of New York’s and Massachusetts’s zero energy stretch codes.
She said that Washington DC and Illinois are both considering adopting the code as well, plus several cities and states are flirting with a ban on natural gas that would go as far as requirements for equipment replacements.
Phil Consalvo is the principal at architecture firm PJCArchitecture and shared some examples of the gravity of codes.
“The example that I like to use was a 1920s gut renovation on Long Island where we had to comply to energy code,” he said. “It was a challenge on the exterior wall because we had to meet a certain rating on the R-value of the insulation. We had to come up with a creative way to meet the code and not build it out to a two-foot wall. It forced us to put on creative caps.”
His colleague and associate at the firm, Juliana Sorzano, added that the envelope update wasn’t part of the original scope of work, but it was required by code.
“In the long term they are going to thank the code because they are going to save on the energy bills,” she said. “This gesture made a big impact on the energy savings. The challenge was that the contractor was doing it the regular way and we had to stop them and educate them on a new process.”
Phius works on projects to achieve various levels of energy efficiency with a strategic design … [+] process.
Phius
Klingenberg is indefatigable in driving Phius’s efforts to decarbonize the built environment, facing the challenges of applying it to our aged infrastructure head on. The organization is participating in the retrofit exploration program REALIZE to facilitate market adoption of net zero carbon at scale.
“We want to transition the existing grid to become a renewable grid,” she said. “We need to reduce the load in existing buildings otherwise the grid will become completely unreliable.”
There is an intricate strategy to reducing that load.
“The design process is very important—it is important to map out measures so that they are synergistic with each other,” she shared. “First step is the assessment; you have to check if there are deficiencies to be fixed. Then, identify measures to get the building as close to zero as possible. If you do the wrong measure first, you close the door to some things that might be the optimal process and you may end up with stranded assets.”
With a design-first approach, the stakeholders can consider what is most cost effective, what drives the best efficiencies, and what the local jurisdiction might be implementing in the future so that the solution has a long-life span.
Homeowner Demand
Consumers want to make sustainable home improvements and their motivations vary as shown by this … [+] recent Thumbtack survey of more than 1,000 homeowners.
Thumbtack
Online home care platform Thumbtack surveyed 1,000 homeowners to find the top reasons they want to engage in energy retrofits. Most important was the feeling of neighborly pressure at 70%; next, 55% said lowering energy bills was most important; and 41% said it was altruistic, and they just want to help the planet.
Consalvo interacts with residential clients who take the work very personally and found that the pandemic motivated people to get more educated about their environment.
“When we approach a project, recently it comes easier because it is more in people’s awareness,” he said. “It is one of the good things that came out of the pandemic.”
Sorzano added that before the pandemic, studies showed that people spent 90% of their time indoors between the home and office, and when they started working from home, it became 90% at home.
“So, now they are more conscious about it,” she said. “Now they want to make sure their indoor quality is healthy. They are starting to associate gas ranges to allergies and sickness. A client recently was in planning and changed a gas range in the middle of the job to induction.”
Consalvo agrees.
“It’s not prompted by us, but the biggest roadblock is the additional cost if you are working on a job with a tight budget,” he said. “We have read that project costs have escalated by 12%. In the end, it may pay off or pay for itself but when you are in the midst of it and trying to tighten up the numbers, it becomes a tossup.”
Building Home Equity
Olivia Mariani serves as the chief marketing officer at Curbio, a company that focuses on renovations to sell homes, and is now talking to sellers about cashing in on energy updates to sell their home faster and to attract environmentally conscious, millennial homebuyers who will pay more for these upgrades.
“Across all markets, according to Zillow housing trends report, 60% of buyers overall wanted energy efficiency, which was very or extremely important,” she said. “And, they will pay up to $15,000 more for a solar powered home.”
Curbio has completed 2,000 projects across the country and is collecting data on what updates drive a return on investment. The company is educating their realtor customer base by sharing out that information, sharing both the pricing of the as is value of the home from the agent and then help them see the return on investment that they will get.
On project “refreshes” that don’t require a high level of contractor work, they are observing a 214% average ROI. The data is available on their mobile app, where a user can put in any project to see what it would cost in that geographic area and what the expected ROI would be.
Curbio also notices that buyers are calculating energy costs into the overall expense of the home and asking their agent about areas that may have been identified during the inspection and what upgrades should or could be made.
Product and Design Innovation
In preparations for a recent SXSW session on net zero housing I got to hear some of the industry’s top minds talk about ideas that took me a minute to fully absorb. Eric Werling from the U.S. Department of Energy pointed out that we have been able to build net zero for more than 30 years, which means now we have three decades of building science advancements making it a reality, and with federal incentives, we are poised for rapid transformation.
The products and technologies for energy retrofits are advancing at an exponential pace. Sean Armstrong is partner at energy consulting firm Redwood Energy and recently posted his thoughts on the improvements in heat pumps.
Some of the main enhancements he has seen include more efficient compressors, refrigerants that are 35% more efficient than they were 13 years ago, and the introduction of computer controls that enable performance at very cold temperatures.
In terms of building envelope, manufacturers such as LP SmartSide are creating products that can perform in new ways, such as siding that is the only carbon-negative engineered wood siding available. The company has adopted intentional processes to be able to produce products that store 10 times more carbon than fiber cement-based products with a manufacturing process that produces 54% less greenhouse gas emissions.
Sometimes it isn’t the technology, but how the product is applied.
Chris Gray serves as the chief technology officer at real estate retrofit company RENU Communities and has held several other roles in the industry. In his current role, he evaluates energy use at acquired properties and then designs and executes a tailored retrofit to improve its carbon footprint, aiming for net zero and targeting a minimum 30% reduction in energy costs.
He has been able to replace the internals of every toilet in a 400-unit complex to save 30% of the property’s water consumption – a project that paid back in less than a year. In another project, he combined a state incentive program with toilet replacements to save more than 3.5M gallons per year and make a pay back in less than a year.
While these are large scale, the example certainly shows what can happen in a neighborhood or community of single family homes. No matter the size of the property, Gray says the process should start with a model of current and past energy consumption.
“Start with the envelope since it is the separation between indoors and outdoors to minimize communication between indoor and outdoor air,” he said. “Then, look at roof line, how much insulation is in the roof with the solar beating down. Also, look at the exterior walls because windows and doors can leak over time changing the airflow and effectiveness. Evaluating the envelope is the most cost-effective place to start before you replace mechanical systems to minimize the equipment that you have to replace.”
After the energy evaluation, a budget has to be put in place, understanding up-front costs, along with when where and how rebates and tax credits may come into play. Sometimes it may mean creating a multi-year plan.
Two new technologies are helping simplify that process for homeowners and contractors. Online permitting and rebate evaluation site Symbium easily finds the rebates relevant to a project, including heat pumps, stovetops, furnaces, as well as larger home renovation projects including solar panels, and electric vehicle charging stations. The site identifies what is required to apply for a rebate, submits a completed application directly to the rebate provider, helps manage communication until the reimbursement is received, and even consolidates rebate programs from different providers and surfaces rebates that are applicable to a specific project.
DR Richardson is the founder at consulting and project management firm Elephant Energy that helps design the right energy system, procures the equipment, connects the work to available rebates, and then sets up the work with a vetted contractor.
“We make electrification super easy, accessible and affordable by integrating all the refunds and tax credits and by designing systems so they apply for the rebates also with a focus on the total cost of ownership,” Richardson said. “We can drive costs down by working with installer partners and offer the training and system design.”
In this difficult labor environment, Elephant Energy is providing contractors with reliable repeatable revenue, where they don’t have to do some of the work because the system design is provided. Amid a lot of misinformation, the company is highlighting the capabilities of cold weather heat pumps, and making it all work without upgrading electric service, since rewiring a home can be an intensive process. R
Richardson says that upgrading to a 200 amp panel usually costs between $6,000 and $10,000, and is sometimes not feasible for logistical reasons. Fortunately, he says that a panel upgrade is needed less than 5% of the time.
Contractors have to understand the hard costs and the future savings to make the right presentation to a home owner.
Homeowners can validate the spend on an energy upgrade through the long term cost savings.
Thumbtack
Thumbtack breaks down the investment with help from nonprofit data group Rewiring America. Heat pumps require a large up-front investment at an average cost of $16,588 but can be up to five times more efficient than traditional heating and cooling systems. Plus, there are government incentives for up to $8,000 in upfront costs, up to $2,000 in a tax credit, and another $330 in average annual energy bill savings.
If homeowners could budget for all energy efficiency projects at once, it would come in at an average total spend of $23,000 after incentives and rebates. But it could pay off in less than a decade by delivering average energy savings of $2,500 per year, plus the benefit of reducing the home’s carbon footprint.
Messages around these money savings are making a mark, especially when they are married with social impact.
“Consumers are savvier and more environmentally conscious than ever,” Mariani said. “We have been asked by them about materials, so we have an entire sourcing team staying up to date on these trends. I wouldn’t be surprised if we had an entire green portfolio by next year.”
In addition to solar panels, Curbio notices growing demand for options like bamboo flooring. The company is sourcing product from volume discount vendors and adding more sustainable products to its portfolio.
Home sellers are making bank on going energy efficient before putting their home on the market.
“Energy efficiency is an ROI positive decision,” she added. “Sellers are making sure windows are efficient and well designed. In markets where lawns are not as common, the lawn is on its way out. They require a lot of water and so are very unsustainable. So, we are looking for hardscape instead of a traditional green lawn.”
Water is becoming a more critical topic in many large markets. Greywater systems are in early adopter mode, but are a more intensive retrofit that might require re-piping the house, Gray pointed out. In larger retrofits where the walls are opened, it becomes feasible, but Gray warns that it’s still necessary to evaluate local regulations to understand greywater restrictions.
The Labor Challenge
So, technology exists, demand is strong, and incentives are in place. However, there is still a missing element – how all of it will be delivered.
In some cases, tools exist for contractors to educate themselves, which is mildly humorous because even if the tools exist how many contractors can stop what they are doing to educate themselves? They are in high demand and not only need training, but Gray says they also need behavior modification.
For instance, they need to change their knowledge about sizing a heat pump system, and the load capacity degradation that happens with temperature changes, along with new, evolving technologies that address that.
Plus, there is a lot to learn regarding heat pump water heaters.
“Heat pump water heaters use an air conditioning cycle to cool the air around the water heater and pull that air into the tank,” he said. “They can recover air and use it to heat the water. Contractors have to educate on where they can be located and how much air flow they need. They cannot be in a closet, and they are larger than standard water heaters. There also are different voltages, and an electric circuit is needed. Some can now run off a standard 150W, but that means less capacity of hot water, so it needs to be applied appropriately.”
To address the contractor education piece, Phius offers online training, which is incredibly important to jurisdictions as they start to standardize passive house.
I honestly am crazy excited about the opportunities that retrofitting our existing homes offer for changing the country’s entire energy dynamics and look forward to sharing more case studies as these projects are completed.
Courtesy of Nanushka; Courtesy of Ninety Percent; Courtesy of Filippa K; Courtesy of Themoirè;
Take a second and think… how do you define what’s sustainable? If we’re being honest, the collective definition has been watered down over the past few decades. What once was a call-to-action to combat the environmental impact of various sectors has been co-opted by corporations hoping to cash in on the “trendiness” of the social movement without making any fundamental changes. Sadly, that’s an even more relevant phenomenon within the fashion industry. Clothing production accounts for 10% of all global carbon emissions, which is more than the sum of maritime shipping and international flights combined.
Yet, more fashion brands than ever claim to be “vegan” or “eco-conscious” without actually having the receipts to back up their claims. Basically, there’s a whole lot of greenwashing happening right now. And while we can’t discount some of the genuine shifts happening—e.g., more brands than ever are addressing textile waste, and consumers are adopting a more minimalist approach to their wardrobes. Still, though, there’s more confusion than ever on what makes a brand actually sustainable.
Some of that confusion comes from a lack of transparency around how things are made, but it is also the myth of sustainable fashion itself. As much as we’d all like to believe anything can be defined as “sustainable,” when over 100 billion garments are produced in a single year, being in the business of making anything new is unsustainable. But before you lose all hope, there are some sustainably-minded brands out there aiming to do better, for real.
By no means is any brand perfect, but with a focus on mitigating impact—albeit through minimizing water waste, opting for biodegradable fabrics, or investing back into the community—they are, in fact, better for the environment. So without further ado, here are 35 fashion brands that have adopted more sustainable production practices.
I know I’m not alone when I say that I’m committed to becoming more thoughtful about what and where I shop, taking into consideration which brands I support and the impact my purchases have on the environment. More than ever, I want to feel good about my shopping choices.
Although it’s not talked about as much, the reality is that the fashion industry remains one of the world’s top contributors to climate change. The good news? There have never been more brands that are committed to lightening their carbon footprint and creating a circular fashion economy than there are today. Between the number of emerging labels using upcycled materials, larger brands making the switch to deadstock fabrics, and the rise in popularity of the made-to-order model, it seems as though zero-waste fashion is taking over the indsutry. And I’m so here for it.
So this Earth Day, I’m not only highlighting some of these cool sustainable brands, but I’m also showing you that staying on-trend and being a conscious consumer don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Ahead, you’ll find six overarching spring trends that are happening in fashion right now and plenty of Earth-friendly ways to try them out yourself. Sure, these looks are current now, but I happen to think these silhouettes, colors, and prints should also earn a spot in your forever closet because, at the end of the day, the most sustainable item of clothing is the one you already own.
A martini dirtied with the last of the caper juice. Egg salad sizzled into fried rice. Sauce for noodles born inside a scraped-out nut-butter jar. Sad greens sorted with a “bullish, unwavering practicality.” The encyclopedic array that Tamar Adler presents in The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A–Z, a follow-up to her poetically instructive 2012 book, spells an off-roading adventure in the kitchen. (“Or, or, or” is a common sentence-ender, signaling untold paths forward.) “Listen to your inner voice and follow its lead,” she writes, a mystical voice on a rather prosaic matter: what to do about moldy jam.
“I do feel like, to some degree, how you cook and serve people is a little bit how you live,” Adler says by phone, taking the proverbial saying—You are what you eat—a step further. There is bottomless creativity in her thrift; obvious deliciousness too. (The author and Vogue contributor, now based in Hudson, New York, previously ran a restaurant in Georgia, alongside stints with the literary-minded chefs Alice Waters and Gabrielle Hamilton.) Adler, whose husband works in the climate sector around carbon sequestration, acknowledges that rescuing forlorn produce from the trash heap could seem to be a thimble-size effort. But as the New York Times recently pointed out, food waste—more than a third of it coming from households—contributes twice as many greenhouse gas emissions as commercial air travel. In other words, the odds and ends add up. Adler, who is loath to toss out a perfectly mendable sweater and saves vegetable scraps for broth, paraphrases Wendell Berry: “His statement was something like, ‘God is a materialist, God made things.’ It’s not that I am a particularly religious person, but the idea that to love things and treasure things, like material things—it’s not bad. It’s just that you have to actually love and treasure them.”
An Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A–Z, by Tamar Adler
Adler isn’t dogmatic, though. She appreciates the wave of self-forgiveness that accompanied the COVID quarantine era. “So many people were publicly saying, ‘Wow, this is hard. I’m not great at this. I thought I was going to run a school out of my house and now we’re just watching movies.’ Or, ‘My family has been living on peanut butter for three days straight and that’s just going to be okay,’” she says. That spirit weaves into The Everlasting Meal Cookbook, as with her instructions for frying: “You’re not doing anything wrong even if it’s a little painful and a little messy. The way you’re doing it is the one you’ll learn from.” Straightforward directives double as gentle counsel. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me that I was writing culinary self-help,” says Adler, who logs a Zoom session with her own therapist in this three-day wellness diary. “I’m practicing what I preach. I’m being as kind to myself as I’m counseling other people to be themselves, which is nice to know.”
The contents of Adler’s double-decker freezer reflect her commitment to the cause. Waffles made with leftover sourdough starter sit next to bagels (gifts from city visitors), croutons, and eight different kinds of sliced bread. Mashed potatoes and sofrito and cheese-less pesto fill a series of ice cube–style trays by Anyday, a brand she learned about while recipe-testing. A blend of chopped ginger, scallion, and Chinese celery—prepped on a particularly industrious afternoon—is earmarked for dumplings. “That’s a reassuring drawer,” she says. “In the past I was looking out for me now, and I think that’s a very self-respectful thing.” Such grace for one’s future self is, in a way, another exercise in sustainability. A line from the book comes to mind: “When leeks look old and tired,” Adler writes, “they remain lively within.”
Wednesday, March 1
6:50 a.m.: My son wakes me up every morning. This is the only way I’ll get up. I’m against alarms unless I have a train or plane to catch. (My husband sets his alarm for 6 then spends like 30 minutes in the shower, but he’s quiet and I usually doze through. He’s away for work this week, though.) Our son is officially allowed in at 7. But he comes in at 6:50 every day, tells me it’s 10 to 7, then spends 10 minutes taking my covers, taking my pillows, and talking loudly about Pokemon cards.
At 7 I get up.
Sometimes I feel like my life is a series of tricks I play with myself. The first of the day is waking up and getting dressed in exercise clothes because it’s actually harder to remove exercise clothes than it is to just exercise at some point before the school bus returns at the end of the day. It usually works. I put on exercise clothes.
I make my son breakfast and lunch—these tasks are usually handed off between me and Pete, but this week it’s me. I sit down with Louis but don’t eat breakfast with him because it’s too early. I drink a mason jar full of half coffee, half whole milk, and maple syrup. I don’t think it’s particularly healthy. But I also don’t think it’s particularly unhealthy. It has what I need for the first few hours of the day—caffeine, fat, and maple syrup.
Including natural elements enhances the wellness potential of a home.
LANG ARCHITECTURE_HUDSON WOODS_DEBORAH DEGRAFFENREID (PHOTOGRAPHER)
The American Society of Interior Designers released its 2023 Trend Outlook and it’s clear that wellness design is not fading from the industry, even as most of us have fully emerged from our Covid home cocoons.
Designers’ focus on wellness is also tying into client concerns about the planet’s well-being – which has an impact on resilience and comfort – and particular concerns about mental health.
“Designers are responding to changing needs in their communities by creating new spaces or adapting existing ones to make a positive impact on places where people live, work, play, heal, or learn,” stated said Khoi Vo in the report’s press announcement. A quick round of emailed replies from designers and architects across the country shared their own professional experiences with these top-line trends.
ANNA POPOV_INTERIORS BY POPOV_NOVIKOV ARTS (PHOTOGRAPHER)
“Modifications can make interior environments more suitable and supportive for persons with mental health issues and can help aid in reducing environmental factors that can contribute to feelings of stress and unease,” wrote the association in its report.
“Physical surroundings have a profound effect on one’s mental health,” declared Anna Popov, a Seattle-based interior designer. “It can look amazing, be glamorous, and cost a fortune, but how does it make you feel?” She asked. Popov cited the importance of maximizing natural light in the sometimes gloomy Pacific Northwest. “It is common practice in our firm to evaluate every design early on against very simple criteria: Does this solution allow us to maximize the amount of natural light in the space? If the answer is no, we pretty much automatically drop the idea because there is a better solution out there,” she added.
Popov’s designs incorporate strategic window styles and placement, extensive skylights and accordion door styles, she explained. “This approach not only provides us with brighter and ‘happier’ interiors but also deepens our relationship with the outdoors. Which is another essential element for a person’s mental health.”
2. Health and wellness remain top priorities in the built environment
Color selection can support soothing spaces and avoid creating anxiety.
THE TURETT COLLABORATIVE_COSTAS PICADAS (PHOTOGRAPHER)
“ASID’s report identified a growing trend towards holistic healthy living, and interior design that addresses both the mind and body. New design choices can range from the choice of colors, lighting and daylighting, and the use of plants and natural materials to adding spa-like bathrooms and retreat spaces for exercise and meditation,” the announcement noted.
Drew Lang, principal of Lang Architecture in New York agreed. “Using natural materials creates a tangible relationship between people and nature through design, which in turn enhances wellbeing. Materials like wood foster this physical connectivity, and we find our clients respond to the familiar warmth and comfort it brings to a home.” This concept ties into biophilia, which is the use of nature in the built environment, and is very much a feature of wellness design.
Jessica Shaw, interior design director at The Turett Collaborative, also in New York, is glad to see wellness becoming a major talking point in interiors, she said. “It is also nice to see the conversation around the effects of color on mood. I tend to avoid any colors or color combinations that produce anxiety. Steering away from clashing colors and looking for cooler colors that complement each other are more likely to create a calmer, and more relaxing frequency in the space. While it can sound minor, these considerations can have major effects on the health and wellness properties of interiors,” she pointed out.
3. Consumers want to protect the planet and are making sustainable choices
Catskill Mountain homes maximize natural materials and settings.
LANG ARCHITECTURE_TY COLE (PHOTOGRAPHER)
“Consumers, including home buyers, are placing increasing emphasis on sustainability as a value guiding their purchasing choices, with increasing numbers of consumers saying they are willing to pay a purchase premium for sustainability,’ according to the report.
“Clients are willing to pay for well designed, sustainable homes— we saw this firsthand in our Hudson Woods development, an eco-friendly community in New York’s Catskills, commented Lang. “The Hudson Woods’ sustainability story compelled buyers to purchase homes, and we’ve begun working on similar models across the country thanks to this reaction.”
Shaw is seeing this in her practice too, she commented. “Clients have become more proactive in inquiring about materials’ ethical sourcing, manufacturing process, and negative traits such as off-gassing. While these were always considerations on the design side, seeing clients become more engaged in the conversation is evidence of an increased interest in being responsible consumers.”
Sustainability and wellness design overlap in choices like induction over gas cooktops, LED lighting, and materials that don’t release toxins in the home to preserve indoor air quality.
4. Designing in and for the metaverse is gaining momentum as a design specialty
Home offices today are designed for their online appearance as well as ergonomics and functionality. … [+]
ANNA POPOV_INTERIORS BY POPOV_JEFF BECK (PHOTOGRAPHER)
“Forward-thinking companies are already exploring how they might use the metaverse to engage with customers. Recent articles from design publications have urged interior designers to “get on board,” even going so far as to creating Metaverse design awards for interior and architectural firms to showcase their work done within the digital space,” ASID commented on this trend report conclusion.
How does this relate to wellness design? For the millions of Americans who work from home, the metaverse provides an opportunity for more dynamic interaction with others around the firm and around the world. It also calls for a workspace that feels more personal and creative, enhancing the user’s enjoyment of being there both off-camera and on.
Popov is seeing the trend in her practice, she shared. “The majority of our clients work at a computer, have virtual meetings, and want to have a lovely background which reflects their personality, interests, and hobbies. We are always taking into consideration the digital world we live in.”
This means providing optimal lighting and factoring in the wall that will be seen on camera. “Having a background that reflects your personality and interests can be a great opportunity for connection and socialization especially in our remote work environments,” the designer noted.
The report also noted more older adults ‘un-retiring’ and seeking hybrid work arrangements. “Workplaces are adapting to support a multigenerational workforce,” it noted. The same is true for many households as well.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Companies have vision statements that summarize their values for a reason — employees that get on board with your mission and vision tend to work harder for you, and according to the Dale Carnegie institute, companies with engaged workers outperform competitors by 202%. Still, as the current focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) demonstrates, times change. You’ll have to update your vision to keep pace with this new ESG focus, but as little as one word can be all you need to improve your relevancy and influence.
Good vision statements are memorable. To achieve that memorability, your best bet is to keep your new, ESG-oriented vision statement as brief as possible.
Take Cisco. If they had written something like “to build voice-over-IP systems that utilize the most advanced internet connection technologies, are the best in the industry, and return a great value to our shareholders,” people probably wouldn’t have given the words more than a quick skim before moving on to something more interesting. Their actual vision, “changing the way we work, live, play and learn,” is more to the point and free of jargon. It gets across that Cisco wants to be a change agent and that it understands the significance of connection and communication in our world.
At Merchants Fleet, we adhered to this rule of simplicity first by consolidating the multiple vision statements we had for different areas of the business into just one: “Enabling the movement of people, goods and services freely.” To update this for ESG later on, we added a single word: “responsibly.”
Once you have a concise vision statement that incorporates some ESG values, you’re not done. You then have to go back and look at all the training and messaging your company has. Are the ESG values there, too?
Ensuring that the values are consistently visible in everything you do supports buy-in to the vision statement because it shows your team that you’re serious about the ESG shift and are going to follow it up with a real plan of action. At the same time, the concise vision statement helps workers understand why you’re approaching the training and messaging the way you are.
When we added the word “responsibly” to our vision to ensure it had an ESG focus, we recognized a critical point — “responsibly” means different things to different people.
If our business suddenly got rid of every gas vehicle we’ve got, it would seem responsible to clients who are fully behind electric cars, vans and trucks. But it would seem irresponsible to clients who don’t have a lot of charging stations around or who have to travel distances that are still beyond the range of an electric vehicle (EV). For one of our clients, it didn’t make financial sense to try to install the infrastructure EVs would have required.
In the same way, our company’s diversity profiles in New Hampshire and Chicago are very different. In New Hampshire, our profile is at 5% diversity, yet that’s higher than the New Hampshire average. In Chicago, we’re 45% diverse, simply because that area is more diverse overall. To require 45% diversity would seem responsible in Chicago but near impossible in New Hampshire.
So as you adapt for ESG, be careful to give the word or words you add careful thought and avoid absolutes, even as you push for something that’s still specific. The words should be acceptable and understandable on a broad level, but they should also be flexible enough that you can still meet the needs and expectations of your entire base. They shouldn’t alienate anyone, including your employees.
Similarly, make sure that your mission statement is realistic and attainable. If you choose a word that makes it impossible to follow through on your promise, customers will see that you’re not doing what you said and lose faith in you. Suppose you’re an airline company. If you added the phrase “on time” to your mission statement, you’d be opening the door to a massive number of complaints, as there are just too many variables around airlines to promise you’ll hit every time point perfectly. If you add “safely,” though, that’s much easier to achieve consistently.
The best practice is to aim for something that’s timeless and a little better than what you had. Leave buzzwords and trends on the shelf because the more you change your vision statement, the less memorable or sticky it will be.
The journey, action, and accountability are all ongoing
Keeping in mind that there’s a connection between your ESG vision statement and the practices of your company, consider your vision statement an ongoing journey. Revisit it on a regular basis to make sure it still works for you in an authentic way.
Any time you tweak your statement and add more words, make sure you have an execution plan and accountability. When we added “responsibly” to Merchants Fleet’s vision statement, we were clear that we were adding an ESG team. But your moves could also include reorganizing, doing more training or developing checks and balances. Expect to sum up what you’re doing and the results you’re getting in reports along the way. The rule is to understand that you’re signing up to develop new goals and take additional action with whatever you add.
ESG can deliver both stability and positive change
Even though ESG is getting more press than it used to, it’s something great companies have always practiced, and the need to connect your ethics to your action will always be relevant. ESG values can ground your business through multiple generations in a powerful way. At the same time, they can help you continuously explore how you can still grow to be a larger help to everyone around you. If you integrate those values into your vision statement, which is the foundation for everything you do, you’ll get the buy-in necessary for the positive change you want.
• Sustainalytics ESG rating places INNIO in top 1 percentile of all industry peers and in top 2 percentile of companies rated by Sustainalytics on a global level.
• INNIO receives Sustainalytics’ ESG risk score of 9.8, improving by 11% compared to 2022.
• INNIO also receives Sustainalytics’ 2023 “ESG Industry Top rated” and “ESG Regional Top Rated” badges.
JENBACH, Austria, March 16, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– INNIO today announced that Sustainalytics has upgraded INNIO Group’s ESG risk score to 9.8, an improvement of 1.2 points year-over-year, and has upgraded the company’s risk rating from low to negligible. The rating from Sustainalytics, a global leader in ESG research, ratings, and data, reinforces INNIO’s number 1 position compared to peers across both Machinery and Industrial Machinery worldwide.
“Improving our Sustainalytics rating is not only a reflection of our dedication to environmental, social and governance responsibility, it is also a testament to the hard work and collaboration of our talented team,” said Dr. Olaf Berlien, president and CEO of INNIO. “We will continue to prioritize sustainable practices and innovation for the benefit of our business, our stakeholders, and our planet.”
The Sustainalytics risk rating improvement is a vital recognition for INNIO and an indicator of the company’s commitment to sustainable policies and programs. The risk rating focus includes health and safety, environment and carbon management, human capital, procurement practices and circularity. The rating upgrade signals that INNIO’s initiatives and actions to reduce its environmental impact, promote social equity, and ensure good governance are demonstrating positive results. It also underlines INNIO’s commitment to transparency and accountability, which are important factors in building trust and credibility with stakeholders, including customers, suppliers, investors, and employees.
Sustainalytics is a global leader in ESG research, ratings, and data, serving the world’s leading institutional investors and corporations. Sustainalytics works with hundreds of the world’s leading asset managers and pension funds who incorporate ESG and corporate governance information and assessments into their investment processes. For more information regarding Sustainalytics ESG rating, please visit https://www.sustainalytics.com/esg-ratings.
About INNIO
INNIO is a leading energy solution and service provider that empowers industries and communities to make sustainable energy work today. With our product brands Jenbacher and Waukesha and our digital platform myPlant, INNIO offers innovative solutions for the power generation and compression segments that help industries and communities generate and manage energy sustainably while navigating the fast-changing landscape of traditional and green energy sources. We are individual in scope, but global in scale. With our flexible, scalable, and resilient energy solutions and services, we are enabling our customers to manage the energy transition along the energy value chain wherever they are in their transition journey.
INNIO is headquartered in Jenbach (Austria), with other primary operations in Waukesha (Wisconsin, U.S.) and Welland (Ontario, Canada). A team of more than 4,000 experts provides life-cycle support to the more than 55,000 delivered engines globally through a service network in more than 100 countries.
INNIO’s improved ESG Risk Rating again secures the number one position across more than 500 companies globally in the machinery industry assessed by Sustainalytics.
The living room of Apartment 3 at No.1 St.James. Styled and completed with vintage pieces, reclaimed … [+] textiles and consciously created designs.
Mark Anthony Fox / Obbard
Preserving the historical charm of a period property is a skill which is often overlooked and one which brings depth and soul to a residential space. In the case of property investment and development company Obbard, and design expert Kate Watson-Smyth, this was a critical factor in the recent redesign of No.1 St James, a block of residential apartments owned by, and situated above, the iconic London-based wine merchants Berry Bros. & Rudd.
The exterior of the iconic No.1 St James, designed and built in 1881-2 by architect Richard Norman … [+] Shaw.
Mark Anthony Fox / Obbard
The red brick, Grade II listed building, beautifully designed with its Portland Stone details (circa. 1881) by Richard Norman Shaw, was originally built as compact apartments for country dwellers coming into the city to attend nearby clubs. The block was divided into a selection of pieds-à-terre, mostly consisting of a bedroom, sitting room and a WC with limited catering facilities. The landlords, Berry Bros. & Rudd, who have been on the site since 1698, and who originally started out as a grocers before diversifying into coffee and finally wine, decided to renovate the block two years ago after it had become outdated with previous improvements which hadn’t been sympathetic to the buildings original architecture and layout. Enlisting the help of Obbard and Watson-Smyth was the first step in the process of reviving the building while being mindful of the heritage behind it.
Now, two years on, the apartments are complete and ready for new residents to move in. And the finishing touches and historic references certainly make them a special rental investment. From reclaimed fireplaces to vintage furniture and restored artworks from the Berry Bros. & Rudd archive, the design team has paid close attention to the impact of each interior element. “The dedication to re-using furnishings in this project was a labour of love,” says Watson-Smyth. “Our design studio was constantly visiting vintage markets and auctions to find perfect pieces for each apartment.”
A cosy reading nook under the penthouse windows, complete with vintage mid-century chairs and a … [+] handmade Moroccan carpet.
Mark Anthony Fox / Obbard
Approaching interior design with this mindset can pose a variety of challenges, especially when working within strict timelines and budgets. And, as Watson-Smyth reveals, it wasn’t a simple case of placing an order for 15 identical side tables from one supplier, which meant they had to work with a range of styles and finishes across each space. “Some key pieces we sourced were snapped up before we even got a chance to put our bids in,” she laughs, “so our designs had to be a bit fluid and not everything is uniform but to us that’s what we think gives the apartments such charm.” And on visiting, the apartments’ homely, ‘lived-in’ ambience is undeniable, a result that can be difficult to achieve when redeveloping an entire block.
Where new purchases were inevitable, the team also ensured they worked with brands who work tirelessly to reduce their environmental impact. This included beds from The Cornish Bed Company, paint from Graphenstone and sofas from Love Your Home. Repurposed textiles were also utilised in a lot of the accessories within each space, thanks to a collaboration with Haines, a UK-based platform enabling the resale of dead-stock and leftover fabrics.
Striking paint colours from Graphenstone and reclaimed textiles from Haines add a beautiful … [+] sensitivity to the interiors.
Mark Anthony Fox / Obbard
Keeping it personally connected to the history behind Berry Bros. and Rudd, a variety of archive pieces have been repaired and upcycled to fit into the contemporary scheme. Notable items include a letter from The White Star Line (dated April 16th 1912) which is addressed to the company informing them of the loss of a shipment which was on the Titanic. In the bathroom of the penthouse, framed original, handwritten drinks recipes decorate the walls as well as an original hand-drawn plan of the tea clipper ship ‘Cutty Sark’ which is hanging in the first floor apartment: the inspiration behind the original ‘Cutty Sark’ whisky which was developed by Berry Bros. & Rudd in 1923. These nostalgic touches provide beautiful points of interest throughout each space, where the narrative of such a long history is given the room to live on into the future.
Framed handwritten wine recipes hang in the WC of the penthouse, another nod to the heritage behind … [+] the building itself.
Mark Anthony Fox / Obbard
“What we didn’t want was a building that felt completely disconnected,” explains Patti Patrick, Head of Design & Development for Obbard. “A lot of this project has been about reclaiming the buildings narrative that had been erased and, in working with this mindset, we want these apartments to appeal to those that respect the history of St James’s and are genuinely interested by the neighbouring St James’ Palace, and Berry Bros. & Rudd as well as a host of other iconic British institutions.” Far from being stuck in the past, the apartments boast a cohesive blend of both classic and contemporary design, a feat which has been achieved through a curated approach.
Patti Patrick – Head of Development & Design for Obbard & Kate Watson-Smyth – Design Consultant for … [+] the interior design of the redevelopment.
Mark Anthony Fox / Obbard
While the interiors speak for themselves, added services to the block also add an extra special touch. All tenants of No.1 St James will have access to a dedicated wine concierge, provided by Berry Bros. & Rudd. During store hours, residents are able to ask for advice, recommendations, as well as tastings, which means bottles can be delivered directly to their door. For wine lovers, this is an extremely attractive benefit!
Looking back at the development as a whole, Watson-Smyth reflects on the need to approach every interior design project with a conscious and responsible attitude but also allude to the fact that you need to invest time to carry out the necessary research. “Compared to five years ago there are many more eco-friendly options on the market, even when buying new,” she comments. “It’s about taking the time to research as these brands exist but perhaps aren’t the most known. What’s exciting is that there is change afoot though, specifically in an industry that has taken its time to start evolving for the better.”
Special moments are captured and the architecture has been celebrated in the redesign of No.1 St … [+] James, especially here in the Penthouse’s hidden games room where one can enjoy wine or whisky, directly from the Berry Bros. & Rudd cellar.
Mark Anthony Fox
While this project is just a snapshot of what can be achieved, especially when working at a larger scale, it is a positive step in showcasing the realm of opportunities that do exist when sustainability underpins the ethos of any design project. Paying close attention to impact does not have to mean a compromise in style, in fact it’s quite the opposite. When paying homage to history through sensitive materials and reclaimed designs, a certain depth is created which results in a striking, yet welcoming, aesthetic. For me, it is the foundation to the making of not just a house, but a home.
CHICAGO, February 16, 2023 (Newswire.com)
– CSE’s Annual Sustainability Practitioners event, “Winning the ESG & Net-Zero Race – Trends for 2023 and beyond”, on Feb. 7, 2023, brought togetherthought leaders, institutions and corporate executives. They engaged in a dialogue on regulatory changes and new trends, ESG reporting, risk management and challenges that heads of Sustainability and ESG functions face towards integration.
This event celebrates 15 years of the Certified Sustainability (ESG) Practitioner Program that has become the first choice for Sustainability and ESG Professionals around the globe, as proven by more than 9,000 certified practitioners in 90 countries, representing 85% of Global FT 500 firms.
The unique findings of CSE’s Annual ESG Research in the U.S. and Canada were presented, investigating ESG best practices and standards used by 31 leading business sectors. It identified the Top 10 ESG Performing Companies in each sector and common success factors, using consolidated scores from several ESG rating agencies for each company and analyzed potential key success factors such as ESG Reporting, Νet-Zero Goal setting and ESG Standards used.
The event hosted as guest speakers Matthew Rusk, Head of Regional Hub North America at Global Reporting Initiative (GRI); David Marshall, Director, Sustainability & Public Affairs at RESOLUTE; Elisabeth Philippe, Senior Manager, CSR and Media Relations, Executive Operations at United Nations FCU; Rosalinda Sanquiche, Head of Global Sustainability & Communications at CHG; and Arlette Palacio, CEO at Club de Innovación RD and Sustainable Innovation Partners (SIP) Group. The panel discussionfocused on good ESG practices, challenges, opportunities and how business leaders can effectively leverage ESG practices strategically.
Matthew Rusk presented how the GRI standards work, what they have to offer and why GRI and SASB reporting complement each other. David Marshall explained why the three great ESG challenges for RESOLUTE are tracking and balancing ESG metrics, ensuring information gets to stakeholders and determining where to focus their resources. Elisabeth Philippe spoke about the journey of UNFCU from a green team to a sustainability movement; taking collective action on sustainability, advocating about transparency and serving as a convener of ideas and best practices for all its 200,000+ members globally. Rosalinda Sanquiche analyzed the ESG challenges for the Food and Beverage industry, and finally, Arlette Palacio presented the C-suite executive’s perspective on ESG and how sustainability could be used as an organizational competence.
Nikos Avlonas, President of CSE, said, “For more than 16 years, we have provided top of the notch advisory services and tools to FT 500 and government organizations, and we have reached the record number of qualifying 9,000 sustainability practitioners from 90 countries, placing CSE as one of the most important influencers in ESG-Net Zero integration globally.“
Fireplaces can warm up your valentine any cold night of the year.
getty
Valentine’s Day is all about flowers, chocolate and romantic dates. And nothing says romance quite like cuddling in front of a fireplace. These architectural features are popular for both indoor and outdoor spaces, with an intriguing array of new technologies and formats for almost every homeowner.
Having a fire feature is no longer limited to winning bids on real estate listings boasting fireplaces. You can add your own in more ways, styles and places than ever before – with comfort, health and safety benefits. “It seems that every home wants some type of fire feature,” shared Sharon L. Sherman, a Northern New Jersey-based interior designer, in an email for this article. Always popular in great rooms, “principal bedroom and bathrooms, libraries, wine rooms, and even kitchens are gaining in popularity,” she added.
Fire features are also increasingly popular for outdoor living, where they can add comfort as well as ambiance, on chilly winter nights. In those spaces, traditional fireplace configurations are being augmented with fire pits and fire tables surrounded by seating groups.
Health Benefits
Relaxing in front of a fireplace can be a stress release, studies show.
Thyme & Place Design / Sharon L Sherman / Mike Van Tassell Photography
Fire features are not just great for romance. They can be good for your physical and mental health when safely enjoyed. “Sitting by a fireplace generates a soothing and relaxing feeling, tranquility, and enjoyment,” pointed out Andrea De Vizcaya Ruiz, associate professor of environmental health at the University of California Irvine, in an emailed response to questions about their health-related pros and cons. She pointed to studies showing blood pressure decreases and relaxation from sitting near fireplaces.
Safety Topics
Fire tables and fire pits are joining fireplaces to enhance outdoor living areas.
They are not without problems though. House fires and accidental burns have been hazards since before records were kept on this topic. Building codes and manufacturing improvements have helped increase safety in recent years, but research has uncovered health hazards associated with fuel types, similar to those cited for gas cooking appliances.
This is less of an issue with fire features in outdoor rooms, De Vizcaya Ruiz noted. “The emission is diluted into open air and sitting within a sufficient space reduces the risk of inhaling toxic pollutants.” Keeping two or three feet between most users and fire features is recommended for wood-burning fire features outside, she commented. People with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions should take extra care, she warned though, since even low exposure can trigger adverse health effects. Adequate ventilation and distance are key with indoor fireplaces, she noted.
Fire Feature Trends
Electric fireplaces, more realistic than in past years, can be installed in more spaces with fewer … [+] downsides than gas or wood-burning versions.
Heat & Glo
“Electric fireplaces are the fastest-growing segment and for good reasons!” emailed fireplace manufacturer Napoleon’s vice president of marketing David Brown. “Beyond the fossil fuel issue, the quality/realism of electric fireplaces has improved immensely.” That was definitely on display in several booths at the recent International Builder’s Show, with notable improvements over past years’ offerings.
“The old electric ones were not very attractive,” Sherman recalled, noting that gas bans are helping to accelerate development of better alternatives. “I still prefer a real flame from gas or wood, but when you cannot vent a fire feature, electric is the way to go,“ she suggested. “We have installed linear gas and linear electric. We have converted traditional wood burning fireplaces with gas inserts and we have even installed a biofuel fireplace,” the designer added.
A Heat & Glo IBS representative said electric is an extremely strong focus for the company today. Its latest model uses digital imagery to create a realistic-looking experience. One fireplace contractor with his own IBS booth put a Touchstone electric fireplace in his personal residence, and said he is recommending them for client projects, indoors and out.
“I am seeing the convenience of gas and electric outweighing wood-burning fire features,” Sherman reported. There are also areas in the country where wood-burning fireplaces have long been restricted or banned for environmental reasons.
Fuel Sources
Venting, health and environmental issues are making alternative fuel fireplaces, like electric and … [+] biofuel, good alternatives.
Thyme & Place Design / Sharon L Sherman / Peter Rymwid Photography
“In general there are four types of fireplaces,” De Vizcaya Ruiz explained: “Wood (nice to view and feel, generates heat, yet it is least efficient and releases air pollutants like particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, etc.); gas (more energy-efficient, yet also generates carbon monoxide); electric (flameless, uses coil and a fan to distribute heat, cozy and nice to view, more ecological, but does not generate a lot of heat), and ethanol (does not produce any smoke, ventilation is not required, opposite to the other previously mentioned, ecological, and also nice to the view but does not generate much heat either).
Biofuel, also called bi-ethanol fuel, is produced from crops like corn and is a cleaner-burning source than gas. As House Beautiful noted in a 2020 biofuel fireplace explainer, it doesn’t need to be vented and doesn’t create indoor air quality issues, but has some drawbacks, including lack of heat and slow starts.
Randall Veenstra is a Northern New Jersey-based general contractor who works with Sherman on her designs. While they’ve specified all types, as the designer noted, “For our projects, 98% of the fire features we are installing are gas,” he commented in a written response to questions. Building codes can be challenging, he noted, and often vary from county to county, even town to town.
“Both gas and wood-burning fire features must be vented to the outside,” Veenstra commented, and this isn’t always possible. He cites those instances as being good sites for biofuel or electric fireplaces. Many wellness- and environmentally minded homeowners prefer these cleaner installations regardless of need or law.
Last Words
Fireplaces add coziness to family spaces on cold winter days and nights.
getty
“It really is about the ambiance and the romance of a fire flame, not the fuel source,” concluded Sherman. Being able to add a fire feature to your home safely and easily can enhance its resale value, (according to Redfin and Zillow), and your enjoyment year-round.
***
Author’s Note:
Contributors De Vizcaya Ruiz, Sherman and Veenstrawill be sharing more fire feature insights in an hour-long Clubhouse conversation tomorrow afternoon (February 15, 2023) at 4 pm Eastern/1 pm Pacific. You can save the date and join this WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS discussion here. If you’re unable to attend, you can catch the recording via Clubhouse Replays here or the Gold Notes design blog here next Wednesday.
At its base level, sustainability refers to practicing productive habits that contribute toward a cleaner, healthier environment to combat climate change. Anyone can practice sustainability, even the fashion world.
Is there fashion that is not sustainable? How can such a large industry operate sustainably? What would that look like? Keep reading to find out more.
The evolution of the fashion industry: From handmade to fast fashion
The fashion industry is unavoidable. Some struggle to access clothing, some wear it out of necessity and others use it as a luxury or form of expression. No matter the situation, the fashion industry touches everyone’s lives and has for centuries.
There was a time when people made clothes by hand, often with fabric and a needle.
As times evolved, people began to turn to local artisans and craftsmen for clothing throughout different seasons of the year. Once the Industrial Revolution hit in the 1800s, everything changed.
The widespread use of machines to create clothing made it faster and more accessible to more classes than ever before. Eras and decades became known for iconic looks that are cemented in history.
The one evolution that affected fashion even more than the Industrial Revolution was the internet boom of the late 90s and early 2000s. Ecommerce changed the fashion landscape forever, and fast fashion burst onto the scene — leaving its mark on the environment.
Fast fashion is the business model that mass produces clothes — generally, copycats of runway looks — through a cheap and expedited supply chain to get the latest styles into the hands of buyers as quickly as possible.
Due to the swift production process, workers are often exposed to poor working conditions, cheap labor and toxic materials.
The fast fashion industry has shouldered much blame for adverse environmental effects. While this part of the industry is not innocent, what has happened with fast fashion is a trickle-down effect from the luxury industry.
The trends that are made in fast fashion are simply copycats of runway looks. Once a look premiers on the runway, fast fashion companies mass-produce copycat looks at a fraction of the price in a matter of weeks.
The problem? These clothes are produced with cheap fabrics, like polyester, and are colored with toxic textiledyes.
Fast fashion: Polyester and pollution
Polyester is a synthetic fabric made chiefly from petroleum, a fossil fuel that releases harmful carbon emissions. It is now the most commonly used textile fiber in the world, surpassing cotton.
Polyester is no small player in the fashion industry — the market for this material is projected to reach $174.7 billion over the next ten years.
In addition to that, polyester is not easy to manufacture. It takes a considerable amount of energy to produce, and in 2015, a reported 282 tons of carbon dioxide were used during polyester production.
This mass production of harmful materials makes the fashion industry the world’s second-largest contributor to air and water pollution.
The entire industry is part of a chain reaction that begins with toxic materials that shed microfibers and microplastics into water and air, causing harmful pollution to humans, animals and the entire ecosystem.
Because fast fashion is produced so quickly, trends change rapidly. When it’s time to trade in a new trend for the old, the lifecycle of a piece of clothing does not simply end.
According to the EPA, U.S. clothing waste amounted to 13 million tons in 2018. Up to 70% of that waste ended up in landfills rather than being recycled. This waste comes from both companies and individuals.
What is sustainable fashion?
Unsustainable fashion is a massive portion of the industry. However, some companies have moved toward more sustainable practices to contribute positively to the world’s environment.
It refers to practices geared towards paying a proper living wage to garment workers, reducing the carbon footprint and eventually achieving net zero operations to positively affect the environment and society.
A carbon footprint is the level of harmful greenhouse gasses any entity produces. To achieve net zero, operations must eliminate dangerous products that produce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to climate change.
Waste would decrease significantly if the entire fashion industry moved to more sustainable practices. The issue with fast fashion is that low-quality materials, like polymers, are weakened with wash and wear.
Once this clothing is used, it cannot be upcycled and turned into a new piece of clothing. As these materials decompose in landfills, which can take up to 200 years, they produce a greenhouse gas called methane.
If the fashion industry used more sustainable materials for clothing, discarded clothing could be reproduced into a different garment and continue that lifecycle rather than starting all over.
2. Reduces harmful emissions
Often when emissions are involved, what might come to mind are factories that have visible smoke coming out of them. While that is not the wrong picture, it is not the only picture.
The fashion industry produces a vast carbon footprint because of how much energy it takes to create the raw materials and the materials used.
Some startling numbers about the fashion industry’s operations include:
70 million trees are cut down each year.
1.2 million metric tons of CO2 are produced each year.
70 million barrels of oil are used each year.
Sustainable fashion is vital because natural fabrics made from biodegradable materials do not require using so many resources.
3. Conserves water
The unsustainable part of the fashion industry not only uses an excessive amount of water but has also been proven to pollute water.
The industry uses 93 billion metric tons of water each year, and on top of that, the pesticides used to make clothing are often found in nearby runoffs that pollute local water, which then makes its way into lakes, rivers and oceans.
Sustainable fashion reduces this pollution by:
Creating water budgets that limit water usage during production.
Prioritizing organic, non-toxic, natural materials that do not need water or contribute toxins to runoffs.
4. Preserves the ecosystem
Once toxic chemicals make it into the water, it affects the whole ecosystem. Animals that drink the contaminated water may become sick, and the animals that eat those animals might become ill. This continues through the food chain until those now toxic animals also reach a human dinner table.
Sustainable fashion brands are doing what it takes to use chemical-free, sustainable fabrics and better monitor their water pollution.
In addition, many brands have also vowed to remain vegan and cruelty-free, meaning they use leather and fur alternatives so that no materials come from animals to preserve the ecosystem’s biodiversity.
3 ways the fashion industry can become more sustainable
The fashion industry must do its part to create sustainable clothing and help promote healthier habits for a better planet. The good news is that many strategies can help companies play their part.
1. Watch the waste
15% of fabric is wasted, simply ending up on the floor and getting discarded. Many designers are implementing new practices to combat overproduction.
These strategies include:
Geometric concepts that use every inch of fabric.
Creating garments out of the scraps.
3D virtual sampling.
AI product image analytics.
Mobile body scanning to fit more body types.
2. Be intentional with materials
Technological advances and discoveries continue to make many more resources available for sustainable use. Many designers and companies have committed to using sustainable materials that are both recyclable and much more sustainable in the manufacturing process.
You can receive specific certifications for recycled, low-waste, biodegradable or otherwise sustainable materials.
Sustainable materials include:
Hemp.
Ramie.
Regenerative cotton (and some organic cotton).
Textiles from agricultural waste.
Cupro.
Fibers from kapok tree pods.
Kelp.
Microbial bioleather.
Other biodegradable textiles using synthetic biology.
Upcycling, in any context, means reusing and repurposing materials to make something new. The fashion industry refers to repurposing used garments or garment materials to create an entirely new piece of clothing.
Upcycling fashion can be eco-friendly by reducing waste, reusing materials that might otherwise decompose in a landfill and reducing toxic emissions caused by manufacturing and transport.
One of the great hopes of the future is the love that Gen Z has for thrifting. Thrifting is no new concept; however, much of the Gen Z generation has taken to it in another move toward being an environmentally and socially conscious generation.
Many members of Gen Z report loving the secondhand thrifting process not only because it is an affordable form of expression (think third-hand t-shirts from the 80s that are just now coming back into style), but because it is a way to fight back against fast fashion.
Renting clothes is a concept that has become more popular in the last couple of decades, so data has gone back and forth on whether it is a more sustainable option.
While it does mean that clothing has a longer lifespan, it also means more transportation which leads to toxic emissions. However, in 2021 Rent the Runway, a popular rental site, reported that through their operations over the last decade, they were able to:
If you’re interested in shifting your shopping as a consumer or creating more sustainable practices for your retailer business, check out some big brands that aren’t just greenwashing — they’re paving the way in sustainable fashion operations.
1. Patagonia
Patagonia has made sustainable fashion its mission. One of its most significant initiatives is its self-imposed Earth tax, which allocates 1% of its sales back to the environment through nonprofits and environmental groups.
The company is also dedicated to producing less waste, using less water, consuming less energy and recycling or upcycling gear.
2. Naadam
This brand focuses on creating luxury cashmere sweaters made from 100% renewable or recycled sources. Naadam is also dedicated to being transparent with its customers in practicing sustainability.
3. Allbirds
Allbirds is a shoe company committed to comfortable products with the environment in mind. They have two big goals: to cut their environmental footprint in half by 2025 and be as close to carbon neutral as possible by 2030. Allbirds uses sustainable materials that include:
Wool.
Tree.
Sugar.
Trino.
TrinoXO.
Why sustainable fashion matters for you
While the fashion industry has a long way to go, brands are doing their part to participate in ethical fashion. Sustainability takes commitment, hard work and often completely altering operations.
However, there are science and systems of operations that promote sustainable practices. Consumers and companies must work together to reduce waste and promote sustainable fashion practices to make a better environment for everybody.
The annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show is the top expo for spotting new products and trends for … [+] residential projects.
Kitchen & Bath Industry Show
Correction: A previous version of this story listed Beko’s dishwashers as being made with recycled bottles. It is actually their clothes washers that are.
The annual Kitchen & Bath Industry Show is always a great event for checking out the latest products and trends in the residential building, design and remodeling spheres. That show happened last week in Las Vegas, and its annual Best Products awards, announced on February 1, are a window into what specifiers are excited about. Many of this year’s winners, chosen by a panel of five respected designers, reflected the latest in wellness and sustainability innovations, as well as what’s likely to show up in your next home update.
Bathroom Wellness and Sustainability
Tile made from recycled fixtures adds wellness and sustainability to your home projects.
Kohler Co.
The top bathroom-specific award, Best of KBIS – Bath Gold, went to Italian manufacturer S.G. SRL for its inFINE Column Shower. Designed for pool baths, spas and other outdoor applications, this sleek setup extends design possibilities for a wide range of wellness-enhancing spaces.
The Silver award went to Kohler’s recycled tile initiative, WasteLAB, for its new ABSTRA Collection. Tile is a durable, low-maintenance material that is especially popular for bathroom spaces and an absolute wellness design selection. This collection has a nature-inspired palette, adding to its biophilic appeal.
Creating tiles from recycled toilets in the 150 year old manufacturer’s processes and keeping that material out of landfills, makes it a sustainable option as well.
Kitchen Wellness and Sustainability
Innovative range hood adjusts to cooking need.
Fotile
The Best of KBIS – Kitchen Gold went to a workstation sink from an Atlanta area manufacturer. The Baveno Kitchen Sink System by Bocchi uses a granite composite material known for its heat, stain and scratch resistance, adding to the functionality facet of wellness design. Also contributing to functionality is the set of accessories that come with the workstation that make it prep- and cleanup-friendly. This style of kitchen sink, also called chef sink, has become increasingly popular in recent years.
Kitchen Silver went to an innovative ventilation product from Fotile, a manufacturer based in China. The Insert Self-Adjusting Range Hood will automatically sense smoke and descend to the proper height to maximize capture. When used with a Fotile cooktop, it will automatically start ventilating, an increasingly popular smart feature seen in recent years.
Smart Home Wellness and Sustainability
GE Profile’s new induction cooktop makes learning to cook with this sustainable technology simple … [+] and convenient.
GE Profile
The Best of KBIS – Connected Home Technology Gold went to an outdoor product this year. Moen’s Smart Sprinkler Controller and Smart Wireless Soil Sensors are engineered to let your sprinkler system irrigate your yard when it needs water and turn off the sprinklers when it doesn’t. This can save both your lawn and water bill, definitely enhancing your home’s sustainability.
The Best of KBIS – Connected Home Technology Silver award went to GE Profile’s 36-inch Touch Control Induction Cooktop. Induction cooktops enhance both wellness and sustainability. The smart features in the mid-priced Profile brand ease the transition to induction with guided cooking functionality. With an app and smart pan, the user chooses the recipe and starts cooking without guesswork. The cooktop also offers more comprehensive temperature control than just low, medium, high options – giving the home chef more of the performance level professional chefs expect in their induction models.
More Awards
New composting appliance installs under a kitchen sink, adding sustainability and convenience to … [+] your home.
Sepura Home
There were other awards given at KBIS worth noting. The show features a small KickStarter Zone of small companies seeking wider sales and distribution for kitchen and bath products. The Grand Prize Winner was an under-sink composting system by Sepura Home. This model replaces a garbage disposal and keeps food scraps (and their odors) contained until the homeowner is ready to take the removable compost bucket to a curbside green bin for municipal pickup, or add to an outdoor compost bin. With California implementing mandated composting, this under-sink system will be a boon for conveniently processing and storing food waste. It definitely enhances one’s sustainability at home.
KBIS’ owner, the National Kitchen and Bath Association, sent its current class of Thirty Under 30 industry professionals across the show floor to choose their favorites. These Millennials and Gen Z kitchen and bath specialists gave their awards to kitchen sink, faucet and accessory maker Kraus USA for sustainability, GE Profile for smart home integration, GE’s luxury appliance brand Monogram for living in place (i.e., universal design, aging and accessibility) and Brondell, known for bidets, and air and water filtration products, for wellness.
KBIS has a ‘people’s choice’ award as part of its DesignBites segment, a speed-dating style round-up of hot new products. Called the “Brand With the Biggest Bite,” this year’s honor went to appliance maker Beko, a subsidiary of a Turkish-based global manufacturer, which promotes both sustainability with its clothes washers made using recycled bottles and wellness with its produce nutrient-protecting refrigerator technology. Last year, the brand debuted a lighting system that promised to keep produce fresh for up to 30 days. This year, they upped the freshness power with a circadian-style lighting system that protects your fruit and vegetables’ nutritional value.
