CORPORATE INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY
What are Sustainable Innovations?
Sustainable Innovations are the creation and development of products, services, and processes that improve our position on environmental, social, or economic issues. These innovations can help mitigate effects of business’s negative impacts or encourage sustainability while providing value to business owners. Many of these products and services directly affect one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals and Planetary Boundaries.
Products and Services
Sustainable products and services refer to alternatives to traditional offerings that have an exceptionally improved environmental and social impact.
Key design principles include:
- Circular – design products and packages so that nothing ends up in a landfill or needs to be incinerated
- Clean – products are powered by renewable energy and use materials and chemicals not harmful to people or the planet
- Regenerative – products are designed to not just “do less harm” but to “do more good”
- Just – products are designed and made in ways that respect different cultural backgrounds and preferences, and employees involved are compensated fairly
See some examples sustainable innovations below.
This is a Lucky Iron Fish, a small reusable item reducing iron deficiencies and iron deficiency anemia in undernourished poverty-stricken communities. Families place the item in the water while starting to boil it to add iron to their diets. It is affordable and lasts about 5 years.
Plastic thread by Thread International diverts plastic waste and turns it into materials for clothing products. They now partner with big brands such as Adidas, Converse, Day Owl, Puma, HP, and Ralph Lauren.
Misfit Market is a subscription service that delivers in-season organic goods that are rejected by traditional grocery store standards for color and size. It reduces food waste by saving these foods from being thrown out, is packaged with recyclable objects, and makes healthy food affordable.
Learn about more sustainability concepts within this major.
ADVANCE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF CORPORATE INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY
Learn what sustainable supply chain is all about and its importance
Learn the important things to know in this field
Learn how sustainability fits into your courses
Learn how sustainability relates to your career