Keith Loiselle and Lori Bussison have decades of experience in licensing, consumer products, and sustainability. Greenre’s journey toward becoming an environmentally conscious company highlights strategies and practices that can be adopted by other businesses aiming for sustainability.
The bottom-line is: sustainability is not just a top-down approach. It can be built from the ground up by integrating sustainable practices at every level of business operations. This method ensures that sustainability becomes a core aspect of a company’s culture and operations. Keep reading to learn how you can employ these strategies to implement sustainable practices in your business.
Key Strategies for Building Sustainability
1. Utilizing Recycled and Natural Materials:
Incorporating materials like recycled paper, cardboard, and biopolymers can significantly reduce a company’s environmental footprint. For example, try switching to eco-friendly inks and washes, such as soy-based inks and water-based washes.Simple, yet impactful, changes like these can be implemented by any company to reduce its reliance on harmful chemicals and non-renewable resources.
2. Implementing the Circular Economy Model:
A circular economy model focuses on reducing waste and promoting the continual use of resources. This can be achieved by designing products with minimal variations and extensive use of recyclable materials. For example, producing standard-sized
notebooks or box sets with recycled and recyclable materials can help control waste and promote sustainability.
3. Enhancing Sustainable Packaging:
Innovating packaging solutions is essential for reducing plastic waste. Companies can replace traditional single-use plastics with eco-friendly alternatives like recycled paper, biopolymers, or sustainable pouches. This not only minimizes environmental impact but also meets increasing consumer demand for sustainable products.
Practical Applications and Examples
1. Product Design and Iteration:
Continuous improvement and testing are crucial when it comes to implementing sustainable practices. Early stages of product design might face challenges like warping or printing inconsistencies due to the use of recycled materials. However, working closely with suppliers and iterating designs can help overcome these issues, leading to high-quality sustainable products.
2. Greenhouse Gas Accounting:
Measuring and managing greenhouse gas emissions is critical for sustainability. Establishing a baseline year for emissions and setting targets for reduction can help businesses track their progress and make informed decisions about energy usage, sourcing, and manufacturing processes.
3. Collaborating with Environmental Organizations:
Partnering with organizations dedicated to environmental sustainability can enhance a company’s efforts. Collaborations can involve initiatives like reforestation, reducing carbon footprints, and promoting environmental education. These partnerships can also provide credibility and support for sustainability claims.
Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Quality
Businesses may face skepticism about the quality and feasibility of sustainable products. It’s important to demonstrate that eco-friendly products can match the quality of traditional ones. By iterating designs and working closely with suppliers, companies can ensure that their sustainable products meet high standards while maintaining environmental consciousness.
Building sustainability from the ground up involves integrating eco-friendly practices into every aspect of business operations. By utilizing recycled materials, implementing circular economy models, innovating packaging solutions, and continuously iterating product designs, companies can make significant strides toward sustainability.
This blog is inspired by the WiT Webinar “Building Sustainability From the Bottom Up”. Watch it on WiT’s Video Library.
Comentários