Ontera proves Interface is no fluke
June 24, 2012
It’s great to have a local story to combat “yes – but it’s different here”. A favourite story of ours is that of InterfaceFLOR – a commercial carpet manufacturer making a big difference. So hearing about the case study of Sydney carpet maker Ontera at a workshop last month was great. Ontera has profited significantly from their…
“The future is going to belong to the resource-efficient…”
June 10, 2012
“The past belonged to the labor-efficient… but the future is going to belong to the resource-efficient.” – Ray Anderson in “Confessions of a Radical Industrialist” As global population grows and recognition increases that business and industry operate inside a closed and finite ecosystem, new design criteria for our products and services are emerging.
Wisconsin hospital is powered by beer and cheese
May 22, 2012
At least two interesting principles at play here: Regenerative Business Principle #2: There are NO wastes Regenerative Business Principle #7: Think smart, small and local. Gundersen Lutheran Hospital, in La Crosse, Wis., aims to be energy independent by 2014. Hospitals use a ton of energy, so that’s a tough goal to meet. But Gundersen…
Beyond efficiency – leveling up in the sustainability game…
May 14, 2012
While efficiency is a critical element of sustainable business, it’s not the be-all and end all. Corporate Social Responsibility can be useful if it’s used as a source of strategy (not treated as a costly obligation). The real end game of sustainability is a big one – to re-invent how we make and deliver our products…
The power of procurement – buying in a more sustainable future
April 7, 2012
Sustainability is about resource usage – and the resources that organisations use are purchased. Smart purchasing and procurement people with good connections can make a big difference to the sustainability of their organisation and explore exciting new ways to develop their career success at the same time. The future of sustainable purchasing At its simplest level,…
DIY printable furniture ships as information, not parts
March 27, 2012
Interesting implementation of Regenerative Business Principle #1 – There are no products, only services. “If your modular furniture from IKEA was fashioned from wood harvested on one continent, cut and finished on another, and shipped to yet a third, that’s not exactly sustainable. That’s why design firm Filson and Rohrbacher decided to replace actual furniture…
Regenerative thinking – a big opportunity for small business
March 25, 2012
The word “business” hides a huge amount of detail. Business isn’t a single entity with a single set of motivations – the thing we call “business” is more like an eco-system, with a range of different players performing a huge range of functions. So saying “business should change” isn’t enough. Which businesses? In which industries? Big businesses? …
WHY? WHAT? HOW? WHAT ELSE? 4 key communication elements
March 25, 2012
In thinking about the quality of our communication, making sure we cover 4 key learning questions can make a big difference. Reflecting on mainstream sustainability messages, many of them are really heavy on the “Why?” question (potential ecological catastrophe) and have limited “What?”, “How” or “What Else?” content. Sustainability practitioners can increase their effectiveness by…
The ultimate in low waste food packaging?
March 22, 2012
Here’s a great example of the Regenerative Business Principle #2 “There are no wastes” combined with Principle #7 “Think small, local and smart”. Harvard professor Dr. David Edward is developing an edible packaging technology he calls a WikiCell. Imagine your single serve yoghurt packaged in a soft foam membrane of raspberry sauce. The yoghurt is packaged inside its…
The continuing evolution of car sharing
March 22, 2012
A recent start-up in Portland, Oregon is social car sharing. Instead of renting from a carshare company, you rent cars by the hour from people around you. So “waste” unused car hours are reduced and the car owner gets some extra income. (Part of the scheme includes management of risk issues such as insurance.) It’s…
7 design principles for Regenerative Business
March 16, 2012
I got seriously interested in sustainability years ago, during post-graduate studies. I was fortunate to be introduced through great books like “Natural Capitalism”, “Cradle to Cradle” and “Biomimicry”. Along with a mass of detail and lots of “reasons why” sustainability was important, I found a set of straightforward strategies that challenge out-of-date 20th century assumptions about the…
An elevator speech for Regenerative Business
March 13, 2012
At a networking event the other day, we were talking about business sustainability. Somebody asked me what I’d say if I found my ideal CEO client next to me in an elevator. KNOW / FEEL / DO One great tip I work with (from Bill Jensen’s Simplicity Survival Handbook) is about being clear in your communication. …
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