Module 4

Sustainability -

How we do business in this world

What impact is your business having on the planet and on the ability of future generations to thrive?

This is also the place where creativity comes into play. There is still so much undiscovered in the realm of sustainability, and there are new innovations and answers being found every day. Here’s some really interesting new innovations from the past couple years. 

·  Interior and exterior paint that purifies the air being used for murals.

·  The world’s largest air purifier that turns smog into actual diamonds that are sold to help finance more filtration projects.

·  A billboard that makes and purifies water from the air is now expanding into being the water source for hydroponic farms. Yes, you will find hydroponic farm stands to buy veggies just below these billboards!

·  Bus stops’ backlit advertisement boards turned into mood-boosting lights for dark winters.

·  New fabric that stores energy by day and lights up at night that is clean.

·  Computers that are powered with algae (using photosynthesis).

·  White paint that provides air conditioning.

·  Clothes are made of cellulose, spider silk, algae pigments, and wearable mushrooms.

And this is only the tip of the iceberg!

I’ve developed a program called the Artisan Residency where we explore and design your personal sustainable business model and sustainable product design, allowing the space to really dig in to all of this on a much deeper level. But for our time together we are going to focus on the high level overview.

Businesses are thinking outside the box. They are thinking about how they can make a difference in the world with new ideas. 

·  Researchers said 72 percent of respondents reported that they were actively buying more environmentally friendly products than they did five years ago, while 81 percent said they expected to buy even more over the next five years (Businessnewsdaily.com).

Is your business going to be one of them?

This brings up a topic that most people ignore, but has become a huge problem and I want to be sure we address this so that as you lean into sustainability, you are well informed.

Below are examples of greenwashing from the US Federal Trade Commission.

Another way businesses are greenwashing is using terms like “sustainable”, “eco-friendly”, “environmentally friendly”, etc… without actually being able to back up their claims. Maybe their packaging is made from recycled paper, but that doesn’t mean their product is sustainable at all. Maybe they use solar panels in their facility, but that doesn’t mean they don’t source their materials from an opaque supply chain that may use suppliers who use child labor. The only way to do better and know better is through Transparency (which we will get to later).

Where to start?

HOMEWORK:

Part 1: Calculate your carbon footprint.

Part 2: Take the Earth Overshoot Quiz

Part 3: Post your results & insights in our community

Extra: Post any greenwashing examples you might come across in our community.