Hello Reader,
It's funny how themes seem to naturally take shape. The theme that comes to mind for me at the moment is all about limited resources. Since moving to a rural area from an inner city metro area, certain things we take for granted are emerging into awareness. We now are fully reliant on tank water, so I've found myself thinking extra carefully about every drop - and finding such joy in the "tank-filling" bouts of rain we've had across the week. Not that we were ever frivolous or wasteful with water - it's just now that there's a very real consequence of using up a resource that has a clear limit.
The theme continued in my conversations with business owners being particularly mindful about expenditure. When capital reserves are low, you make very careful choices about where to spend your money to ensure you maximise your return on investment.
Even in larger organisations, I painfully remember the moments when my brand budget would get slashed during challenging periods (usually just before the end of the financial calendar when it was apparent that profit targets across the company were not going to be met). In the resulting scramble, I would be forced to reconsider my plans and provoke some creative thinking about how to get more from less - to still achieve the objective. Which (miraculously?) could often be done.
A little bit of pressure forces us to be more conscious about how we're using resources. And the pressure most certainly is on. Is it enough to create change at scale and pace?
What if we did this by design by implementing deliberate limits to growth to help us remain conscious of inputs, outputs and impacts within manageable constraints?
All hands on deck πͺ
Melissa
Business Reimagined
βFabBrick is a French company repurposing waste textiles into aesthetic-led interior design materials. Worth a look for the sensory stimulation alone, the result is a visually appealing material that demonstrates how waste can be art. While this project focuses mainly on the design element, with the very real challenge of textile and fashion waste (mountains of which are quite literally able to be seen from space), initiatives like these could provide viable waste diversion avenues and address future interior space needs (non-flammable, insulation and acoustic absorption).
π ROI & Impact: Interestingly, FabBrick has little in their communication about the environmental impact of this initiative, apart from a few almost hidden stats on kilograms of repurposed textiles per project. Playing this out, we think the additional impacts could be:
- Waste Diversion: Each square metre of FabBrick material repurposes ~10kg of textile waste, directly reducing landfill contributions.
- Insulation & Acoustics Benefits: FabBrickβs compressed textile bricks have natural thermal and soundproofing properties, potentially reducing energy consumption for heating, cooling, and noise mitigation when in place.
- Alternative to Virgin Materials: Could replace resource-intensive materials like concrete, which according to the World Economic Forum accounts for 8% of global COβ emissions offering a lower-impact alternative.
π Transferrable Ideas:
- Material Repurposing: Can other waste streams (e.g., plastic packaging, sawdust, food waste byproducts) be transformed into building materials or other high-value products?
- Local Sourcing & Circularity: How can your business form partnerships to create localised, closed-loop systems for resource use?
- Modular & Recyclable Products: How might your business design for disassembly and reuse, ensuring materials remain valuable?
π Minimum Viable Adaptation:
- Audit Waste Streams β Identify what materials your business is discarding that could have a second life. Start by mapping this out in a flow-chart to visually engage your team on what it takes to bring your offer to market.
- Explore Partnerships β Engage your current suppliers, or connect with startups or manufacturers experimenting with waste-to-resource solutions. Local universities and TAFEs could also be avenues for partnerships with 3-way win potential.
- Prototype & Test β Could your waste become a new product or material? Start with small-scale trials.
- Communicate Impact β Highlight circular solutions in sustainability reports and customer messaging to build credibility and invite further stakeholder engagement and participation.
π€ The Cynical Questions:
- True circularity or just downcycling? Are these bricks genuinely closing a loop, or will they still end up as waste in the long run? There's a danger of enabling business as usual if there isn't a coupling with solving the root cause of the waste.
- Water & energy use? Whatβs the energy and water requirement to transform textiles into bricks compared to alternatives?
- Toxicity & end-of-life management? Are there hidden chemicals or unintended consequences of using textile waste that could make these bricks problematic over time? (*ahem*, asbestos anyone?)
- Scalability & business model viability? Is this a niche concept or something that could truly disrupt interior supply chains?
FabBrick gave us lots to think about, including the cultural and social impacts (how might this sort of waste diversion/resource use influence art, design and what is aesthetically coveted?). With some of their notable projects with hotels and retail, we can't help think about how design-led demand could be an important lever in getting ideas like this off the ground.
Signals & Noise
Reuters calls out an entire industry in this commentary piece. White goods manufacturers might be reducing the impacts of their manufacture, but a product that is used everyday and for years needs a different approach to impact. How can they reduce (or stop) significantly contributing to global e-waste and emissions after they leave the factory?
Signal Strength: π²π²π²π² (4/5)
Why it's a Signal:
There's nothing new about what this article talks about. It uses one industry as an example to remind us of the same relevant points.
- Greenwashing is being called out.
- Businesses are part of bigger systems. Impacts don't start and stop at your doors.
- The longevity and end-of-life options for goods are as important as how they're made.
The Insight: Businesses need to adopt systems thinking and comprehensive impact measurement across their operations. Overlooked areas can have unexpectedly large consequences.
Questions for Leaders:
- What are you measuring? Is it enough?
- Are you thinking about the impact of the entire life of your products?
- For your own business purchases: What's recyclable, repairable and robust?
Signal Strength: π²π²π³ (2.5/5)
Why it's Noise:
- The U.S. is stepping down (again) from sustainability leadership β While historically influential, the U.S. stepping away from the SDGs signals a retreat from global problem-solving rather than a collapse of sustainability efforts. Other countries and regions, like the EU, are already driving ambitious sustainability policies without waiting for U.S. leadership.
- Arguably the SDGs are not helpful targets anyway β This might be controversial (especially as until recently we too were proponents of the SDGs), but the Goals broadly presume we can continue with business as usual. They provide a good wake-up call for nations and the private sector to consider their impacts, but at the same time, constrain innovation towards the real future-proofing work that needs to be done.
- Missed opportunity for U.S. businesses β While U.S. firms risk falling behind in sustainability-driven markets, countries that embrace the SDGs will be better positioned to attract investment, trade partnerships, and innovation opportunities in the growing green economy.
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Watch Out For:
- Shifts in global leadership β With the U.S. retreating, expect increased leadership from the EU, China, and even smaller nations leveraging sustainability for competitive advantage. Australia and other mid-sized economies must decide whether to step up or be left behind.
- Trade & investment implications β As sustainability regulations tighten in Europe and Asia, countries that lag behind may face barriers in export markets. The U.S. ignoring SDG-aligned policies opens up for other nations to gain preferential trade relationships with markets prioritising sustainable practices.
- The risk of stagnation β Countries following the U.S.βs lead in deprioritising global commitments risk losing access to international funding, policy alignment, and innovation networks that are shaping the future economy. Economic benefits aside - the problems aren't going away just because we choose to turn away from them.
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The Real Signal to Watch:
- Who steps into the leadership void? β Pay attention to which nations or regions take advantage of this shift to shape global sustainability standards - and whether Australia aligns with them or falls behind.
- Business-led sustainability growth β Once again this is simply a sign that we cannot wait for governments to take action. The private sector, especially in finance and supply chains, may continue pushing SDG-aligned strategies regardless of political posturing.
- Regulation & market access β Countries prioritising sustainability (e.g., the EUβs Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) will continue to shape international trade. Those aligned with global sustainability goals will have an easier path to market access and investment.
The U.S. rejecting the SDGs is not a sign that sustainability efforts are failing - just that global leadership is shifting. The real opportunity lies in stepping up, not stepping back.
What We're Reading
Bewilderment by Richard Powers. A moving piece of fiction that won the 2021 Booker Prize. Read for its poignancy, deep human insight and totally engaging story about our relationship with technology, nature and each other. - M
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