Vancouver has long been thought as a Canada’s green city on the edge of a rainforest. Shortly after Mayor Gregor Robertson was elected in 2008, he dramatically reshaped the city’s economy, infrastructure, energy and transportation systems through a deep green lens. [3] And in recent years, Vancouver has taken steps in order to be even more environmentally sustainable, craving for the world greenest city.

The redevelopment of False Creek and Coal Harbour near Vancouver downtown area had put more homes within walking distance of the central business district. Vancouver had been putting efforts into encouraging walking and biking that by 2004 it had already surpassed the target set for 2021. [3]

But to a committed environmentalist as Robertson, it was not enough. Months after his election, Robertson assembled 20 experts for a Greenest City Action Team. The goals the team had set for the city’s Greenest City Action Plan were: (1) Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33 per cent from 2007 levels by 2020, (2) Double the number of “green jobs” from 2010 levels, (3) Require as of 2020 that all new buildings be carbon neutral, and cut energy by 20 per cent from 2007, (4) Cut per capita water consumption by 33 per cent from 2006 levels, and (5) Reduce waste going to landfills or incinerators by half from 2008 levels. [3]

Although the goals seemed to be implausible, five years after the team was established, there were tangible evidence everywhere reshaping citizens’ views on the environment. Sometimes, the biggest change drivers were hidden. The 2012 BC Building Code, one of the most advanced in the world, affects many of city’s green initiatives behind the scenes, including mandatory low flow water devices, construction materials and methods. [1] [3] Considering the buildings representing total 55 percent of city’s greenhouse gases, changing and regulating the way they are built will make a difference, although it might take a long period of time. [3]

In its report last year, the city said it is on track with many of its targets. For instance, water consumption has dropped by 20 percent, more people are walking or biking that the number of hazardous air quality alerts declined by 41 percent. [3] Hundreds of garden plots were created and thousands of trees were planted. The overall level of greenhouse gas emissions has declined by four percent. [3]

Robertson says, “The greenest city in the world goal was unprecedented and required lots of definition and community process to hammer out what that means and how we get there. So taking the first few years to deliberately define and timeline our targets was really important. There has been really solid progress on several goals in the first five (years) but I expect our pace will quicken and as other cities innovate we can learn from them and the global progress in greening cities will accelerate dramatically.” [3] With the passion and enthusiasm for green, Robertson and the Greenest City Action Plan team bring, let’s look forward to see how Vancouver turns into a greenest city in the world.

References:

[1] http://housing.gov.bc.ca/building/code_questions/index.htm#01

[2] http://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/greenest-city-2020-action-plan.aspx

[3] http://www.vancouversun.com/technology/green+Vancouver/9537550/story.html

In 2010 TED Talk, Mitchell Joachim, a co-founder of Terreform ONE and an associate professor at NYU, introduced his vision for sustainable and organic architecture: eco-friendly abodes grown from plants and meat. [2] Fab Tree Hab is a hypothetical ecological home that is designed for its sustainability without any waste. The home’s gardens and exterior walls continue to produce nutrients for people and animals that this living home is entirely edible so as to provide food to some organisms at each stage of its life cycle. [1]

This Fab Tree House presents a sophisticated methodology to grow homes from living native trees. This 100% living habitat is prefabricated using Computer Numeric Controlled (CNC) reusable scaffolding, manufactured off-site in advance. [1] These scaffold sections can be readily and assembled to fit local tree and woody plant species. [1]

Prefabricated templates cut from 3D computer files control the early vegetative development and it is then channeled into a specific geometry using the CNC scaffolds and grafted into its shape. [1] After the plants are pleached together, the scaffolding is removed to be reused for another dwelling.

The Fab Tree House is a living structure single-family home that unprecedentedly encompasses the nature. Considering increases population, lack of houses, importance of sustainability, Fab Tree House could be part of solution for our future.

References:

[1] http://www.archinode.com/Arch9fab.html

[2] https://www.ted.com/playlists/28/sustainability_by_design

Five years back, Starbucks had set a goal of making 100 percent of its cups reusable or recyclable by 2015, which is a one billion paper cups a year and another billion for plastic. [2] In order to prove the theory, Starbucks completed a six-week pilot program in which it collected three bales (or 6,000 pounds) of used cups from 170 Starbucks and other retail stores in the greater Toronto area and sent them for recycling at the Mississippi River Pulp mill, the only mill in the United States that produced recycled paper fiber of high enough quality that it can be reused in products for eating and drinking. [3]

Starbucks management team then strategically planned to reduce its contribution to the growing waste by the means of innovative packaging materials and smart marketing strategies: planned to increasingly replace paper by recyclable plastics, offer personalized cups for repeated use and discounted prices for guests who bring their own coffee mugs. [5] However, in 2011, the company achieved a mere 1.89 percent of its goal, leading the company to adjust the 2015 goal to 5 percent. [6] And in 2012, the company drastically reduced the goal of serving 25 percent of beverages in reusable cups by 2015. [6]

In January 2013, in an effort to increase customer adoption of reusable cups, Starbucks introduced a new low-cost reusable cups. The plastic cups were roughly the same size, looked as the company’s paper cups, and at a cost of a dollar. Starbucks granted a 10 cents discount every time when the customers using the cups that the cost recouped after 10 uses. The company as well pursued other ways to reduce the impact of its disposable cups, including increased availability of in-store recycling, redesigning cup sleeves with less material, and the development of cup-to-cup recycling. [6]

Overall, composting keeps the cups out of landfills, but it generated greenhouse gases while destroying the recycling the value packed into the cup’s fibers. Reusable cups seemed to be a nice idea, but after all it was one that consumers simply don’t embrace. In fact, after Starbucks green initiatives, strives to  bring the company green, the best outcome may be the discussion that Starbucks inadvertently began when it gave up on the possibility of recycling in all of its stores: “Recycling seems like a simple, straightforward initiative, but it’s actually quite challenging.” [1] If consumers were to truly understand how the company came with that humble insight, consumers might stop buying and throwing away so many paper cups in the first place. [4]

References:

[1] https://greenlivingvirginia.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/are-starbucks-cups-recycled-the-short-answer-is-no/

[2] http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/what-next-after-tossing-a-starbucks-cup/?ref=science&_r=0

[3] http://inhabitat.com/all-starbucks-cups-will-be-recyclable-or-reusable-by-2015/

[4] http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-04-07/why-starbucks-won-t-recycle-your-cup

[5] http://www.interpack.com/cipp/md_interpack/lib/pub/tt,oid,20860/lang,2/ticket,g_u_e_s_t/~/Paper_Cups_by_Starbucks_more_sustainable_than_ceramic_cups.html

[6] http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/articles/starbucks-introduces-reusable-coffee-cup

In 2013, PUMA introduced InCycle, a closed-loop collection includes of footwear, apparel, and accessories that, rather than being discarded in the garbage after its use, can be returned under the company’s “Bring Me Back” program. [4]

Following cradle to cradle approach, where every material is recycled back to a raw material or into a benign or beneficial soil amendment, the collection falls into two divisions: biodegradable or recyclable. [5] The biodegradable components of the InCycle collection include of the materials that can be broken down by microorganisms to biological nutrients. Under the Cradle to Cradle Basic Certificate Standard, the raw materials that PUMA is using for this new biodegradable and recyclable line are organic fibers without toxic materials and can be broken down by microorganisms into biological nutrients. [4] The raw material follows international standards for composting in order to minimize their environmental impacts. On the other hand, the recyclable products which include a backpack and jacket, all use homogenous materials, such as metals, textiles and plastic that can be later reused to make other products.

The majority of PUMA locations now have “Bring Back Bins” that can accept used clothings, shoes, and bags. After an InCycle purchaser has all worn the item, they can bring it to a PUMA Bring Back Bin. Then, I:CO will collect the contents of the bins, and later puts it back into the InCycle system.

As mentioned by Franz Koch, the company’s CEO, “The InCycle collection will address not only PUMA’s environmental footprint but also those of its customers.” [3] PUMA is taking the sustainably leading steps to become a completely sustainable company. It is not only lessening the impact of what its products have on the environment, but also engaging its customers to make more sustainable choices behalf the benefit of our planet. The positive impact that PUMA’s products have on the environment will put pressure on other companies to follow the example in making environmentally friendly choices in their production of products, bringing the positive cycle as a whole.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9zfkYHtuMc

References:

[1] http://revolve.media/pumas-incycle-eco-collection/

[2] http://www.c2ccertified.org/innovation-stories/puma

[3] http://www.ecouterre.com/puma-unveils-incycle-line-of-cradle-to-cradle-certified-apparel-footwear/puma-incycle-cradle-to-cradle-1/

[4] http://www.gizmag.com/puma-incycle-recyclable-biodegradable/26273/

[5] http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2011/02/16/companies-learn-close-loop

On February 2015, Walmart launched its Sustainability Leaders Shop, a virtual shopping site where consumers are able to identify sustainable products and producers by a badge that reads “Made by a Sustainable Leader.” It is for the first time, a major retailer is giving prominent shelf space – albeit virtual – to companies operating in a better way. [3]

It is a customer-facing iteration of Walmart’s Sustainability Index, launched in 2009 in collaboration with The Sustainability Consortium (TSC). [4] For long, Walmart’s Sustainability Index had been a tool only for Walmart and its suppliers. And now, as part of the Sustainable Leaders Shop, the insights are available to the consumers. [4]

The products with a Sustainability Leaders badge shows that their supplier ranked as the top among other suppliers in that same category and it is based on the responses to the category survey created by TSC. If there are many leading manufacturers within that category, products with over 80 percent score on the survey will all be qualified.

The badge is not specific to the individual product’s social and environmental impact that being best-in-class not necessarily mean being sustainable. [3] However, as Unilever’s VP of Sustainable Living, Jonathan Atwood asserts, “The launch of the Walmart Sustainability Leaders Store is a significant moment for the industry and shoppers. It’s a major signal that embedding sustainability into your business can drive growth and help people make more sustainable choices without making trade-offs between quality, accessibility, and affordability.” [3] It’s interesting to see as years of surveys indicated that a large portion of consumers will seek out more environmentally friendly and socially aware products, if all else is equal. [3]

Walmart’s Sustainability Leaders Shop would show a real indication of consumer behaviours on sustainable products. If it works out, we will be able to see them in physical stores as the last two specialty stores of “made in the USA” and “women owned”, which both started online and moved into the real world. [3]

References:

[1] http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environmental-sustainability/sustainability-leaders/introducing-the-walmart-sustainability-leaders-shop

[2] http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/environmental-sustainability/sustainability-leaders/sustainability-leaders-frequently-asked-questions

[3] https://hbr.org/2015/02/can-walmart-get-us-to-buy-sustainable-products

[4] http://www.environmentalleader.com/2015/02/25/walmart-launches-sustainable-products-shop/

[5] http://www.triplepundit.com/2015/02/walmart-announces-virtual-sustainability-shop/

Despite the intense scrutiny and brutal attacks for its global supply chain management policies and priorities fifteen years back, NIKE Inc. is now one of the leading global sustainable brands with its sustainable innovations. [7] Let’s have a look on the four sustainable innovations.

INNOVATION # 1: NIKE Flyknit – Strong, Lightweight, Less  Waste

The first sustainable innovation is NIKE Flyknit. First introduced in 2012, NIKE Flyknit is a technology which precisely engineers yarns and fabric variations to only where they are needed, formfitting the virtually seamless upper. It uses ultrastrong yarn knit into different textures to remove any excess weight, making it much lighter. Its single strand construction drastically reduces waste and materials that Flyknit Racer has 80% less waste in the upper than a traditional-profile running shoe.

INNOVATION # 2: NIKE Materials Sustainability Index

NIKE footwear and apparel designers access to more than 80,000 materials from 1,500 suppliers and selecting the sustainable materials were extremely complex. Believing materials drive the majority of environmental impacts in the value chain, NIKE decided to develop and share its own material evaluation tool called NIKE Materials Sustainability Index (NIKE MSI).

NIKE MSI scores individual materials according to multiple criteria including: supplier practices, publicly disclosed information, and environmental factors of waste, chemistry, water, energy and greenhouse gases. NIKE made it easy to access by both consumers and suppliers within the industry via the MAKING App, available to download on iPhone.

INNOVATION # 3: The MAKING App – Making Better Things, Making Things Better

Powered by NIKE MSI data, MAKING App is readily available for designers to make better choices in the materials that they use. Here are links to see how MAKING App works: MAKING OF MAKING, MAKING APP, and MAKING MATTERS.

INNOVATION # 4: ColorDry

In 2013, NIKE opened a water-free dyeing facility, featuring high-tech equipment that eliminates the use of water and process chemicals from fabric dyeing. This new technology is called ColorDry, an revolution in manufacturing that used recycled CO2 as a more sustainable alternative considering the traditionally dyeing process needed approximately 30 litres of water to dye a single t-shirt.

It is interesting to see how NIKE has evolved from past to present as one of the leading sustainable companies with its sustainable innovations. With ongoing research and development of each, let’s look forward to see the good impacts NIKE creates.

References:

[1] http://about.nike.com/pages/sustainability

[2] http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/innovations/flyknit

[3] http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/innovations/nike-colordry

[4] http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/innovations/nike-materials-sustainability-index

[5] http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/innovations/reuse-a-shoe

[6] http://www.nikeresponsibility.com/innovations/using-waste-for-good

[7] http://www.sustainablebrands.com/news_and_views/supply_chain/swoosh-and-sustainability-nikes-emergence-global-sustainable-brand

Few weeks back, the Center of Sustainable Shale Development (CSSD), based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US, announced its certification of Shell’s Appalachian operations as having successfully completed CSSD’s 15 Performance Standards. [7] As fracking is recently extensively utilized across the world, this news brings some thoughts to current energy industry.

According to BBC, fracking (aslo known as hydraulic fracturing) is a process of drilling down on the earth with high pressure of water mixture, which is composed of water, sand, and some special chemicals to release the gas inside the rocks. [3]

Easily accessible fossil fuels are almost gone that fracking is referred to be the next step to efficiently extract difficult-to-reach resources of oil and gas to sustain our current energy consumption rate. Natural gas is referred to be cleaner than coal as it releases fewer carbon emissions than burning coal and generates electricity at half the CO2 emissions of coal. However, fracking still leads to several environmental concerns.

First of all, fracking requires huge amount of water. According to Eoin Madden of B.C.’s Wilderness Committee, B.C. as one of the world’s largest place for hydraulic fracturing, “There are currently permits in B.C. gifting the gas industry 60 million gallons of our freshwater – from 540 of our creeks, rivers, and lakes – every single day. To put this amount into perspective, that’s twice the amount the city of Victoria uses on daily basis.” [6]

Also, the chemicals included in the water mixture can potentially escape that multiple studies have shown these may contaminate the groundwater. [1] Last but not least, fracking increases in seismic activities. As the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission report states, “Fracking caused hundreds of seismic events in the Montney basin area surrounding Fort St. John and Dawson Creek between August 2013 and October 2014, including 11 earthquakes that could be felt on the surface.” [4]

Recently, hydraulic fracturing significantly boosted the oil production across US and Canada and it is estimated to offer gas security over next several decades. [1] However, it is a simple band-aid strategy to delay the inevitable end of the fossil fuel usage.

As Thomas Friedman, the author of Hot, Flat, and Crowded,  states, fracking must not be relied upon for long-term. Rather, fracking should be short-term basis only, while we quickly transition to a sustainable, renewable energy future. It is imperative to continue developing renewable energy technologies and government should provide political and economical incentives to implement such technologies. [1]

References:

[1] http://blogs.worldwatch.org/sustainabilitypossible/fracking-solution-or-problem/

[2] http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/01/10/Fracking_Industry_Shakes_Up_Northern_BC/

[3] http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-14432401

[4] http://www.biv.com/article/2015/1/fracking-triggered-hundreds-earthquakes-northern-b/

[5] http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability/the-energy-future/unconventional-gas-and-hydraulic-fracturing.html

[6] http://www.canadians.org/sites/default/files/publications/fracking-across-canada.pdf

[7] https://www.sustainableshale.org/news/

PepsiCo found its well-established brand, Frito-Lay’s empty bags discarded in parks and on roadside, publicly linked the company to waste, negatively impacting its brand’s image for consumers. Their R&D group developed an innovative packaging solution to market so that in April 2009, PepsiCo introduced 100 percent compostable bags for SunChips replacing plastic ones. Every 10.5 ounce bag was said to be fully biodegradable in 14 weeks time, after being placed in a hot, active compost bin or pile.

However, the trouble was that the unusual molecular structure of the new bag that made it more rigid and also made it extraordinarily loud when crumpled. PepsiCo thought the tradeoffs would be worth it, despite the fact that the noise was an issue for many consumers. A Facebook page called, “SORRY BUT I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THIS SUN CHIPS BAG” got more than 49,000 likes. [1] (Here, you can watch how loud SunChips’ compostable bags were.)

After a year and half, PepsiCo faced an overall 11 percent drop of SunChips sales [3] and they announced that it would transition back to the original packaging for five of its six flavors. The original, plain-flavored chips would still be sold in the eco-friendly wrappers. PepsiCo are now more focused on emphasizing the recycling for the packages.

Although the consumers could not stand the tradeoffs and eventually PepsiCo had to switch back to the original packaging, I would still give credit to PepsiCo for introducing Canada’s first 100 percent compostable bags. This is commendable because plastic bag pollution is a huge issue in oceans.

However, most of their marketing ads for SunChips 100 percent compostable bag lines were heavily focused only on its ability to fully compost that this also drew the consumers’ attention whether or not it was possible to compost in the 14-week time. The green impacts, which the 100 percent compostable bags could have on the environment and the difference it could result, was not at all well addressed. In fact, PepsiCo was not so successful in terms of delivering the sustainable marketing goals of change and at the same time changing what people do and the way they see the world.

References:

[1] http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/03/18/pepsis-biodegradable-backlash-snack-bag-was-too-noisy

[2] http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/frito-scraps-loud-sunchips-bag/story?id=11806952

[3] http://www.businessinsider.com/14-brands-that-had-to-reverse-their-horrible-attempts-at-rebranding-2012-3?op=1