Waste Not:
Today's Most Innovative Approaches to Achieving Net Positivity

Calling all innovators and implementers! Beginning in February 2013, Sustainable Brands will be publishing a new “Issues in Focus” editorial package, including daily features, interviews and case studies on how businesses are “Striving for Net Positivity.”The Issue in FocusIn nature, we do not critique abundance; rather, we celebrate it. Every by-product of every organism is used for the next process of life. Nothing is wasted — “waste” equals food.

By Jennifer Elks | Published 11 years ago | About a 3 minute read

The Issue in Focus

In nature, we do not critique abundance; rather, we celebrate it. Every by-product of every organism is used for the next process of life. Nothing is wasted — “waste” equals food.

More and more emphasis is being placed on reducing humans’ collective environmental impact to zero. However, this idea goes against the human desire to produce and create and shames larger organizations for their impact on the planet. But by rethinking our processes and being more strategic with design and materials, we too can achieve net positivity.

Who is leading the charge in developing products with this circular economy and use of materials in mind? What innovations are taking place? Are merely the visionary leaders engaging in this practice or has it crossed into mainstream product manufacturing and lifecycle management? How do we demonstrate value of such a system and what is the economic benefit?

Guest editors Lewis Perkins of the Cradle to Cradle Product Innovation Institute and Jenni Baker of Goodwill Industries are seeking content to consider for publication in this issue. This is the opportunity to share your examples of real developments in recycling and waste stream management, highlighting creative, visionary and innovative solutions for eliminating or reutilizing waste streams in your operations.

Content guidelines

Our readers are business leaders seeking information about how others are profitably innovating for sustainability. They seek insights and ideas that might be applied across market sectors about how to drive top-line growth and shift toward sustainability across their value chains. We will evaluate submissions based on currency and relevance of the example or idea presented, balance of perspective, strength of content, and delivered principles, based on specific experience that might apply to a variety of markets or product sectors.

WHAT
Written (and/or audio and/or video) perspectives — 600-1000 words. Focus areas include:

Resource recovery
Take-back programs
Cradle-to-Cradle design
Industrial symbiosis
Circular economy
Technical nutrient space
eWaste
Urban mining
Reverse logistics
Waste-to-materials streams (especially agricultural)
Re-engineered materials (carbon fiber, polymers)
Material conservation
Extended Producer Responsibility Initiatives

WHO
Entrepreneurs, innovators, Corporate Sustainability Officers, educators, NGOs — anyone helping to eliminate waste from their operations

HOW
Share a one-paragraph to one-page overview of your ideas, initiatives, implementations and takeaways from your company, industry, students, staff, etc, focused on ways in which they are striving for net positivity.

Criteria

Contributions providing specific insights will be given highest priority, such as:

Development: Programs that are currently in development or have been implemented.
Vision: highlight new design innovations for end of life use/reuse
Metrics: Providing metrics that can guide the reader and give insight into the impact of the program
Financial Impact: while much of this implementation is in early phases, do examples of financial benefit or savings exist?
Partnerships: identify where public and private sector, or cross-industry partnerships, have allowed for more rapid adoption of the program
Communication: How are you communicating your solutions to various stakeholders, including customers, community members, investors, etc?