Bhutan aims to become the first country in the world to grow all of its crops using only organic agricultural practices within the next 10 years. Citing a desire to preserve the environment for both ecological and religious reasons, government officials say farmers will completely phase out artificial chemicals, relying instead on animal and farm waste fertilizers to make its staple foods of wheat, potatoes and fruits 100 percent organic.
Organisers of a European Citizens’ Initiative that seeks to halt sales of public water utilities say they have gathered one million signatures from across Europe, becoming the first such group to do so since the grass-roots efforts were launched last spring.
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2013-02-11 10:58:13 UTC
Thanks to the prevalence of powerful laptops and cloud-based infrastructure, dreary office cubicles can increasingly be jettisoned in favor of dynamic spaces which encourage collaboration and innovation. The Pop-Up Office installation by Dubbeldam Architecture and Design is an example of this, delivering an office space concept which seeks to re-invent the workspace for the Post-PC era using reclaimed wooden pallets.
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Continue Reading Pop-Up Office re-invents the workplace with reclaimed pallets
by: Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine, 2013-02-12 01:10:26 UTC
New technology may be ushering in the age of robotic surgery, but there is still a role for cutting-edge electronics to play in augmenting a surgeon's natural talents. The latest example of this comes from Germany, where researchers have proposed a way for doctors to operate using their own standard instruments by developing a special handle that fits on most surgical tools and lights up to indicate when enough pressure has been used during a procedure...
Continue Reading Pressure-sensing surgical handle lights up like a real-life game of Operation
Alexander Lervik has designed a new folding table called Lucy for Swedish furniture company Johanson Design. While most folding tables are simply functional with no real thought put into appearance, Lucy aims to change that with its innovative folding leg mechanism that looks great when the table is set up or folded flat.
The table legs lock into place when either folded out or flat with the help of leg tension and the S-shaped slot. It’s also what gives the table its unique look making it stand apart from folding tables of the past.
by: TreeHugger Design, 2013-02-08 12:00:00 UTC
Inspired by age-old cultures and fabrics of the historic silk route between East and West, Beirut's Bokja Design creates upcycled furniture with a story to tell.
Eco-minded it-boy architect Bjarke Ingels is the hottest thing to come out of Denmark since LEGO and Lars Ulrich. Possessing the “swagger of a night club DJ” and the looks a “former boy band star,” the internationally lauded 38-year-old is quite literally a BIG deal.
Seventh Generation, Sun Light and Power, and King Arthur Flour have stayed at the forefront of socially conscious business for years, by focusing on durability, resilience, and the ability to adapt.
In past months, B Lab has highlighted inspiring Rockstars of the new economy like Revolution Foods, Better World Books, Happy Family, Guayaki, DIRTT, and Sungevity--companies which inspire us with their ability to make money while making a difference, as well as their high growth and high impact. We’ve also profiled a few emerging artists like Warby Parker and Lumni that are young and disruptive and have the potential to scale fast. (Check out past Rockstars here and here.)
But great companies are not just fast, they are built to last. That’s why this month we’re honoring three new Rockstars with Lifetime Achievement Awards. These businesses exemplify qualities particularly important in times of uncertain economic outlook--durability, resilience, and the ability to adapt and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace.
Operating from 25 to nearly 225 years, these companies have maintained their commitment to mission through up and down business cycles, continued to create high-quality jobs and to improve the quality of life in our communities, and paved the way for today’s growing group of green, responsible, and sustainable businesses.
Founded in 1976, Sun Light and Power has been providing renewable energy and energy efficiency technology to California homeowners and businesses throughout on-again, off-again government support for solar since and well before the venture community sniffed a huge market opportunity. In the past 36 years, SLP has offset about 38,000 tons of CO2 and produced more than 53,000 MWh and 2.2 M therms of energy through their photovoltaic and solar thermal installations. In 2011 alone, the company installed 1,800 kilowatts of solar power.
For all solar companies, increased sales translate into a better environmental impact. However, this Rockstar also practices what it preaches: Sun Light and Power’s entire office is run on solar power generated from a system on its roof, its fleet of service vehicles runs on bio-diesel, and more than 75% of its office supplies come from recycled materials.
However, a real Rockstar must be a triple-threat. That’s why SLP has also remained devoted to its employees and the community and became a B Corp in 2009. Rather than subcontracting installations (a common industry practice), the company hires full-time employees and provides a living wage, health benefits, a retirement plan, and paid time off. Additionally, more than 10% of its net profits are donated to local nonprofit organizations active in affordable housing, community development, and green building.
With a growing demand for solar energy, a long track record of success, and deep roots in the community, Sun Light and Power is poised to capture more than its fair share of a booming market, demonstrating a better way to do business for generations to come.
Founded in 1988, Seventh Generation is one of the nation’s most recognized brands of natural household and personal care products and could be credited with helping make our homes more safe by cleaning up their industry. For nearly 25 years, the company has created non-toxic cleaners and personal hygiene products, and over the past five years its compound annual growth rate has been over 15%. The company has also grown its high-quality job base, doubling the size of its team to 113 in 2011.
Seventh Generation achieved this growth while navigating choppy waters through an early ‘90s transition from catalog to wholesale, a 1993 public offering that went private in 1999, significant layoffs during multiple recessions, and a large private equity investment and 2010 leadership transition that replaced their visionary long-time CEO.
Since all of Seventh Generation’s products, raw materials, byproducts, and processes are sustainable, not just those of one particular product line, the company’s overall environmental impact is impressive. Product sales in 2011 alone helped save 77,000 trees, 28 million gallons of water, and enough energy to heat 1,700 U.S. homes for a year. They also prevented 35,000 pounds of chlorine and 52,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from being released into the environment. Between 2010 and 2011 the company decreased normalized greenhouse gas emissions by 8%, a change whose impact is equivalent to the removal of 283 cars from the road for a year. All told, since 1999, the company’s product sales have saved nearly 523,000 trees or 1.8 million barrels of petroleum--a “Lifetime Achievement” in and of itself.
Seventh Generation is also committed to giving back to the human environment. The company donates 10% of profits to charity and offers employees paid time off to volunteer. In 2011, employees donated a total of 1,400 hours toward improving the community. Moving an industry, preserving the environment and strengthening the community for 25 years--that’s a true Rockstar.
After nearly 225 years in business, King Arthur Flour knows a thing or two about success. The company’s secret: focusing on employees. Based in Norwich, Vermont, this Rockstar (and America’s oldest flour company) began as a family-owned business before transitioning towards an employee-ownership model in 1996 and finally becoming 100% employee owned and thriving. The Employee Stock Ownership Plan provides each employee with a stake in the company and therefore a bigger incentive to make it a success--a fact reflected in the company’s growth. Revenue and their workforce have been steadily increasing over the last 10 years, both doubling in the years since converting to 100% employee ownership. Last year, KAF had gross sales of over $97 million and an employee count of 283--a huge increase from the six employees in 1990.
As an employee-owned B Corp, KAF has the freedom to emphasize values beyond profit, like environmental responsibility, community engagement, and the wellness and satisfaction of employees. More than 80% of health care premiums are paid for families and both full- and part-time employees receive a living wage. Providing employees with high-quality jobs and a great work environment also enables them to give back. With 40 hours of paid time to volunteer and company-wide service outings, KAF employees donated 1,524 hours of volunteer time in 2011. The company also donates both cash and products to local nonprofit organizations focusing on nutrition education, hunger relief, and environmental sustainability.
The ability to live their values at work is the secret to King Arthur Flour’s longevity and success. Thriving for more than 200 years in a competitive and often unpredictable economy is an achievement in itself. Doing so while consistently contributing to a better world is what makes King Arthur Flour a Lifetime Rockstar.
These three Rockstars have withstood the test of time, acting as models of durability and resilience for entrepreneurs everywhere. And as models for today’s growing class of socially and environmentally conscious capitalists, they are a part of the growing community of 670 Certified B Corporations from across more than 60 industries, meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.
Inspired by these Rockstars? Check out the rest of the B Corp community and stay tuned for when we announce the next class of Rockstars of the New Economy.
A new patent filing conjures up the idea that we could all be a little more generous any time we have our phones with us.
Apps like Square and Venmo have turned smartphones into an extension of the wallet, so it may come as no surprise that Apple wants to inject itself into the mobile payment industry that depends on its hardware and software--a segment that’s been toted as “the next big thing” for years now.
Just last week, the world’s most valuable company filed a patent application that describes an interesting twist on the mobile payment concept: the unnamed technology is described as an “ad-hoc cash-dispensing network” that would let nearby strangers borrow cash from one another. Say you need two dollars for bus fare. Hit up this program (presumably an app?) with your request, and it would facilitate a meetup with a willing stranger near you. The lender gives you the two dollars, and the app takes the same amount from your bank account and puts it in his. The patent filing describes applying service fees to the cash requester, which could be split between the lender and the service itself.
While the idea seems to be just that for now, it presents an interesting twist on the mobile payment scheme. Despite the possibility that someday physical cash will become obsolete, for now, there’s been no way for smartphones to address the divide between the reality of digital and physical money. You could have thousands available on your PayPal account, but still miss the bus because you don’t have six quarters on hand. Or you can’t buy a soda because your local bodega doesn’t take cash--and maybe Apple’s fee could just undercut ATM’s enough to make it worth it.
This isn’t the first patent application for a mobile payment technology that Apple has filed. Past ones include variations on price scanners and person-to-person payment systems for the iPhone.
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-02-06 14:04:15 UTC
The aging process brings about a natural decline in muscle tone and bone density that contributes to decreased mobility, stability, strength and endurance. ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-02-06 13:53:47 UTC
The German developed Loremo, standing for Low Resistance Mobility, combines aerodynamic design with low weight construction to achieve high fuel ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-02-04 12:57:26 UTC
24/25th of April Conny Bakker, Associate Professor Design for Sustainability at TU Delft's Industrial Design Engineering department runs a two day ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-02-03 17:24:58 UTC
BIONICTILE ® by CERACASA is a porcelain tile with the capacity to destroy harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) which are in the air. These NOx are present ...
by: Design 4 Sustainability, 2013-02-01 15:24:51 UTC
Sky is an alternative energy streetlamp employing photovoltaic cells. The lamp is designed for external use. The cells are located in the upper part ...
Inspired by age-old cultures and fabrics of the historic silk route between East and West, Beirut's Bokja Design creates upcycled furniture with a story to tell.
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