Now if you don’t know Apple, well then, take this opportunity to learn something a little about, arguably, the most iconic company of the 21st century. For the crazy ones, as Steve Jobs would refer to us, we are all now well ingrained into the contributing success and brilliance of Apple Inc.

From the desktop computer, the iPod, the Macbook, the iPhone, the iPad, the iWatch, and whatever else I am missing, Apple has developed these iconic products to become an integral  part of consumers lives. Wether the goal was to simplify the life of consumers or to have world domination in the digital consumerism, Apple has had an obvious influence on our society.

Today, it seems like innovation is slowing down and Apple is relatively stagnant within the market. Nevertheless, with a very large bank account, Apple hasn’t stopped creating. For the last two years, the company has created their second Apple campus, commonly referred to as Apple Park.

Apple Park is unlike any other office space in the world. Being one the largest at 2.8 million square feet of office space and is designed to look like a spaceship, Apple Park is creating more buzz than just being the building from the future, but their building is powered on 100% renewable energy. WHAT! 100% renewable energy at that size, is something to be marvelled, envied and renowned. 

The designed is inspired by the late CEO, Steve Jobs who was not only the vision for the dynamics of Apple, but one who was well connected with the Earth. The campus features a circular spaceship design, with large panels of curved class, and a ceiling covered with solar panels.

Current CEO, Tim Cook, stated, “Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come”. This quote is not only a representation of the legacy of Steve Jobs, but also a continued promise to pursue innovation and to never stop creating.

Remember, we are all the crazy ones, the round pegs in square holes, the ones who see things differently. 

A wise man once stood on a stage in front of a crowd of 1000. With one hand he gripped the podium, and with the other he held the very breath of his audience. With power, jubilation and grit he said to them:

“If it is not yours, don’t take it

If you break it, fix it

Don’t say bad things about other people

Live a honorable life

Stand up for good in the world

Lead with dignity

Make a contribution in the world”

Sitting there trying to make sense of it all, I wasn’t exactly sure what it meant nor how could I apply that to my life. So I sat and pondered, reciting each line over and over again in my head. Until it struck me, “was there something else I could do without have to change the world of thought, reorganize an industry, or restrict consumer behaviour.”

Then it hit me! If you break it, fix it!

What a simple set of 6 words, struck deep into the core of my thoughts. When we as consumers break something or create something that isn’t easily recyclable, we often leave it to fade or ship it to landfills. Nevertheless, there are the spirited ones, the creative thinkers, the ones who have this amazing ability to see things differently. These innovators are not solving climate change, but they are showing that past mistakes can be created into new ideas.

Ocean plastic is an ongoing issue that consumers have yet to solve. However, there are companies actively trying to find ways to not only collect and remove these plastics from the ocean, but repurpose them into durable consumer goods. For example, a company by the name of Bureo, located in Chile, are salvaging fish nets from the ocean (these make up 10% of all plastics in the ocean). The company takes these fish nets, makes it into plastic pelts and in turn creates
great, recycled and fun skateboards. What began as a little project in 2013, the men and women at Bureo have to date recycled more than 175,000 square feet of fish nets from the ocean.

Striving to rid the ocean’s of this harmful waste, Bureo is shifting their focus to educate youth in both Chile and North America not only about their recycling program, but the ability to see a problem and with simple ingenuity, create a fun and positive solution.