🎄 9 of the best eco-innovations from 2018!
12 Days of Trend-Driven Innovation: Day 5
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Sign up here, or dive into a brief round up below of a handful of our favorite eco-related innovations from 2018. Enjoy, and then go and apply these insights yourself!
2018 was the year when the excesses and indulgences of consumerism came into sharp focus for many people. There are always long-term shifts underpinning trends, but it often takes more immediate triggers to catalyze them. Sadly, 2018 saw many triggers: from cataclysmic warnings from scientists, never-ending news stories of extreme weather battering our planet and countless urgent calls to action.
The slightly better news? We also saw many smart, creative, collaborative and impactful eco-solutions emerge. Okay, none of these will solve the climate crisis overnight, but could one inspire your next eco-innovation?
HP, IKEA & NextWave | Two global giants joined the open-source coalition, founded by Dell Technologies, aiming to reduce and prevent ocean-bound plastics. Our planet needs more partnerships like this!
Flipflopi | This Kenyan boatbuilder collected 30,000 discarded flip flops to build a traditional dhow-style boat. The boat also launched a movement — #PlasticRevolution — showing how everyone can join the fight against plastic.
Allbirds | Shoe startup Allbirds partnered with Braskem to create a version of EVA foam (used in shoes’ soles) derived from sugarcane. The kicker (!): they haven’t patented it, encouraging the rest of the footwear industry to adopt it. An act of eco-generosity that you could copy, too?!
Starbucks | The coffee giant led the creation of a USD 10 million challenge to create a fully recyclable and compostable coffee cup. Again — and there’s a trend in here ;) — entries will be open-sourced to encourage them to be adopted by the wider industry.
Nelplast | Following stringent anti-plastic legislation, this Ghanaian company is working with the government to turn plastic waste into roads. Could you turn upcoming hurdles into positive-impact opportunities?
Skol | The Brazilian beer brand showered Rio’s carnival goers in biodegradable glitter. Will it save the world? No! It is frivolous? Undoubtedly! But it’s a powerful reminder that people will embrace guilt-free alternatives if you provide them.
Ben & Jerry’s | What if you could offset the impact of every purchase? Customers at this ice cream parlour could, thanks to a blockchain-based carbon credit purchasing initiative.
L’Oreal | The world’s largest beauty brand jumped on the plant-based trend with its new hair dye range. Expectations around sustainability will continue to break through industry borders.
WeWork | The co-working office provider banned its employees from expensing or serving meat at its events in an effort to reduce its environmental impact. Could your internal culture be the source of your next big eco-innovation?
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