Sustainable Business

4 + 1 Zero Waste Strategies for Businesses.

Companies can lead the way in waste reduction by designing more sustainable business models.

Photo by Gaelle Marcel on Unsplash

In a finite world, we cannot survive with infinite waste.

The next decades requires complex behaviour change and new systems design to rethink how we manage the waste we generate. Personally, we all have a role to play — it starts at home and extends into our family, friends and companies.

The businesses of the future are starting to design new business models to ignite better ways to pack, produce and deliver products or services.

The opportunities to create new relationships with consumers are here. They can support more circular systems over linear and more wasteful systems.

As a result of our research process in how companies can minimize the global waste crisis, we can highlight 4 zero waste strategies for businesses to go plastic-free or dramatically reduce waste:

1 — Reuse & refill systems.

Photo by Jasmin Brunner on Unsplash

Refill and reusable systems are business models tailored to enable consumption with reusable packaging owned by the consumer or the producer, creating a circular shopping experience.

For example, bring your own container for coffee or food takeaway, reusable containers or bulk shops.

Pros:

• Drastically reduction of plastic packaging and CO2-emissions for transport;
• Packaging and food waste reduction;
• It’s personal and interactive;

Cons:

• Price point;
• Increased risks of spoilage;
• Overestimating your storage;

Companies pushing forward Reuse and refill systems:

• Loop: products in reusable, waste-free packaging;
• Cup Club: cup-as-a-service in London;
• Splosh — Refillable laundry, home, and personal care products;
• Ecover: You can refill Washing Up Liquids, Laundry Liquids, and All-Purpose Cleaners.

2 — Value chain innovations.

Photo by Ashley Winkler on Unsplash

Innovative models where you significantly shorten the value chain, use resources all along the chain as efficiently as possible and connect producers and consumers directly.

Example of tactics:

• Weekly urban pick-up points;
• Returning Policies;
• Product as a Service.

Pros:

• Shorten the value chain;
• Connect producers and consumers directly;
• Radically reducing the need for (excessive) single-use packaging, and also transport and cooling;
• Respond to product performance and customer feedback;
• Get your products to consumers faster;
• Avoid sharing profits with a third-party distributor.

Cons:

• Sizeable costs that can come with direct distribution;
• You may also find it harder to reach potential customers without the network an established distributor provides.

Companies pushing forward value chain innovations:

• The Food Assembly: with more than 8,000 local farmers that offer their products online to about 2 million members that purchase directly through the e-commerce platform;
• Washcot: Weekly clean cloth diapers are delivered, and dirty ones picked up.

3 — Do it yourself kits.

Photo by Ignacio F. on Unsplash

Do-it-yourself (DIY) & homemaking solutions are business models that enable consumers to make food and non-food products at home without purchasing packaged goods.

With this model, consumers become creators.

Example: Farming or cosmetics DIY kits.

Pros:

• Customization;
• Healthier and sustainable personal products;
• Reduce single-use plastics;
• Learning something new is fun and fulfilling;

Cons:

• Production time;
• Assembly transferred to the customer;

Companies pushing forward Diy Kits:

• Soda Stream: enables the consumer to make sodas at home — eliminating the need to buy soda in single-use plastic bottles;
• IKEA: mainstreaming indoor gardening with their latest hydroponic gardening and cultivation kits;
• DIY Soap: DIY skincare kits.

4 — New innovative materials for reuse.

Photo by Sri Lanka on Unsplash

Businesses consider using innovative materials that are durable, affordable, hygienic, smart and practical for reusable delivery concepts/products. Example: Stojo

All the pros and cons depending on the material selected.

As we want to trigger more designers to rethink why they create, what they create, what materials they use to maximize the value for people, and minimize the impact on our planet, check our two posts about sustainable materials here:

> Sustainable Materials Part 1

> Sustainable Materials Part 2

To this list, we added another strategy summoning two strategies that can optimize demand and offer to the maximum.

Unused products are way worse than not producing at all.

5 — Build to order and crowdfunding:

A model strategy where product production only happens with a confirmed customer order. A model that prevents overproduction and reduces resources waste. Crowdfunding and the Tesla model (at the beginning of production) are good to make this model possible.

Pros:

• Customization for customers;
• Reduction in stock obsolescence and finished goods inventory;
• Reduction of overall waste;

Cons:

• Increased costs;
• Increased wait times for a finished product;
• Manufacturers are susceptible to market demand fluctuations leading to reduced capacity utilization in manufacturing.

What are other key zero-waste business strategies?
Please share your thoughts and questions below. 👇💬

The businesses of the future are the businesses that place sustainability at the center of their strategy. No planet. No business.

If you are looking for a committed partner to help you navigate this challenging journey, 👉 Let’s talk: hello@designpossibility.com.