Tech and the fourth wave of environmentalism

Make Lasting Environmental Impact by Leveraging Technologies in New Ways.

The rate of technological advancements since the recent turn of the 21st century has been unlike anything we’ve seen before. According to Moore’s Law, technological abilities grow exponentially, with computer processing speeds doubling every 18 months. With so much growing potential, and its many forms becoming more and more ubiquitous in our lives, it’s no wonder that in looking for ways to tackle our current environmental challenges, we’ve been looking to innovative technologies to provide the solution.

In looking at our societies’ evolving approach to environmental challenges, major shifts have been marked by four distinct eras, or waves. We’ll examine our current, fourth wave and what it means for today’s business approaches.

The First 3 Waves

Marked by President Theodore Roosevelt’s land conservation initiatives, the first era took place in the 19th century. The second wave leveraged legislation to hold government and corporations responsible for their roles in contributing to wildlife pollution, seeing its height in the mid-20th century. Then in the late-20th century, we saw a shift in focus to market-based solutions to solve these problems. The common thread between these different approaches was that they leveraged what was available at the time to bring lasting changes.  It is no surprise then that our current wave is centered on the use of innovation, especially through technology, to apply those changes at scale.

The Fourth Wave

Not only does the fourth wave leverage available technology in new ways, it draws on a very important lesson that we’ve learned in our previous wave – business practices and sustainability practices are not only at odds with one another, but require one another to meet their individual goals.

“In any era, solving environmental problems means making use of the best available tools. In this era, those tools include innovations that can help drive transparency, responsibility, and least-cost action.” – Fred Krupp

The 7 Innovation Technologies

While infinite types of technologies will contribute to the fourth wave, the report focused on seven in particular:

Mobile Ubiquity

The last wave saw a shift from desktop programs to the cloud, as we continue to untether ourselves from conventional workstations, the fourth wave will continue to highlight the importance of developing solutions for mobile execution.

Automation Technologies

We’re seeing technology applied to more quickly and accurately perform repetitive tasks previously performed by humans. 

Data Analytics

We generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data a day. Our ability to quickly analyze and create practices around what we learn will be a key feature of the fourth wave.

Blockchain

While often confused with bitcoin and cryptocurrency, blockchain as a technology is actually a really secure way of transferring and storing data. Making it a great tool for medical and financial data. Still convinced blockchain isn’t going to take off? Walmart just recently won a patent for a system that would house medical records on a blockchain for faster lookups.

Sharing Technology

Solving global problems will require adapting a global mindset. Open source practices and collaborative thinking will need to be part of the DNA of business practices.

Sensors

As sensors continue to become more affordable and use cases more adaptable, we’re seeing them leveraged in new ways to help detect, measure and visualize environments.

“When sensors, machine learning, IT, and data analytics are used to shape smart policy, rein in free riders, and reward corporate responsibility, the result will be positive change that helps people and nature prosper.” Fred Krupp

Innovations at Work

While we’ve just scratched the surface on the potential of some of these technologies, companies are already successfully implementing many of them. For example, orbiting 500 miles above the earth’s surface is the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite. To help us better understand the sources of global warming causing greenhouse gases, it’s measuring hot spots of air pollution around the globe. Adding sensors to Google Street View cars enables them to map out occurrences of methane gas leaks in many major US cities.

Among retail companies, more focus is being put on using automation technologies to increase efficiencies and productivity. Everything from robots to stock shelves, to apps that allow shoppers to ring up their own groceries are being tested for eventual rollout. If in the Seattle area, you can already check out Amazon Go, their smart grocery store that employs computer vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensor fusions to allow shoppers to put the groceries they want into their bags, walk out the store without waiting in line and be charged via the app.

Levi Strauss & Co’s automation efforts are focused on the manufacturing side of the process. They’ve introduced Project F.L.X. (future-led execution), a “new model [that] replaces manual techniques and automates the jeans finishing process, allowing the company to reduce the number of chemical formulations used in finishing from thousands to a few dozen”.  Through the program, they’re able to not only cut down on thousands of chemical formulations but also reduce textile waste.

Executives and the Fourth Wave

A recent report by the Environmental Defense Fund took a deeper look at these seven innovative technologies, and how companies leverage them. They surveyed 500 top-level executives (VP, SVP, and C-suite) of retail, manufacturing, energy, technology and finance industries making over $500 million in revenue.  The goal was to examine the intersection of business strategy, technological innovation and corporate responsibility.

Some key takeaways:

• Over 70% of business leaders see greater alignment between business and environmental goals.
• Executives see sensors and data analytics as the most promising innovations.
• Almost half of executives cite government regulations as drivers to implement Fourth Wave technologies, while more than 40% cite pressure from customers and positive business results.
• The retail industry scored the highest for constantly trying to find new ways to reduce its environmental impact, 78% of retail executives say their business and environmental goals are more aligned than five years ago, 65% of respondents attributing that to an increase in Fourth Wave technological advancements.

A company’s adoption of environmental practices does not just help to maximize efficiencies, it’s an increasingly growing demand from customers and employees alike. Consumers are holding companies accountable for their impact, of the leaders surveyed, 80% felt that this would continue to increase. 84% of these same leaders said that having sustainability-based business practices helped them attract and retain talent.  This is a trend that’s sure to continue to increase as numerous studies show that purpose driven career choices are becoming the norm among younger generations.

What’s Next

Leveraging technological solutions to today’s environmental issues is not only a moral obligation but also a financial one to a growing number of companies. Long gone are the days when large corporations could argue that corporate responsibility is at odds with revenue goals and shareholder obligations. As EDF President Fred Krupp explains, “The Fourth Wave is not pro-tech for technology’s sake. It’s pro-tech because we see incredible opportunity for people around the world to use technology to scale environmental solutions as never before”.

Behind the green: a conversation between co-founders

Behind the Green: a Podcast Conversation Between the Founders of LimeLoop, CTO Chantal Emmanuel and CEO Ashley Etling.

Chantal: if you weren’t an entrepreneur, what would you be doing?

Ashley: Probably something in food and wine. And, I always said, too, that if I didn’t get into entrepreneurship, I’d probably still be in school, because one way or another you are constantly learning, and I think that’s something with food and wine as well. While they seem so simple, there’s endless opportunities for both. 

Chantal: For sure, I was trying to think of what my answer to this would be, and similarly I think that there is something about building and making and food that each lends itself to that that’s very similar to the building of a company too.

Ashley: Yeah I think that in those really long days I joke: “Why don’t I just make cheese?” And someone tells me, “you can’t just make cheese, Ashley. It would have to be the world renowned cheese…” So I think it’s the love for making and making at scale. 

Chantal: …But is there anything like that where you set out with a hypothesis, or you thought you understood something, and through this journey has completely kind of turned that around for you?

Ashley: I think anyone who says “no” to that would be completely off in what they are saying, in any journey that they go down, especially building a new company. As you get deeper into the problem, new problems arise, and so that’s why I love it so much, oddly. And especially when you are working in supply-chain logistics, there is so much that goes into it. As you get into it, you realize some new things. I think one thing we quickly realized, which we were kind of thinking we would run into, is consumer behavior change, that making this shift to actually bringing your boxes out to the recycling bin versus leaving it on your front door would be a large shift, but actually we found really quickly that people were so delighted by this shift and feeling a relief of guilt. 

As we started working with warehouse management systems, [we found] a lot of software that a lot of 3PLs and DC centers use to actually fulfill orders were all designed for retail 150 years ago. Some were up to speed, some were not, some were in the middle. So being able to generate a third or a second label actually created more challenges than we ever thought would bring up into the system. So we continue to run into things like that, but the beautiful part of a problem solving team is that you constantly ask, can you solve that manually, [or] can you solve it with software, and I think that’s a continued fun of what we are working on.

Chantal: For sure, and you answered my next question which I feel like people ask me sometimes, “Why are you a logistics company? Aren’t you a packaging company?” And I think even when you brought the idea to me, I’m like “that sounds great, but why do you need a CTO for reusable packaging?” and I think you just hit the nail on the head that the packaging is really just one part of it, but I would love to hear you elaborate on the bigger system, on the bigger vision for that.

Ashley: Yeah, I mean I constantly talk to really, really inspiring, smart people within the industry and [when] you start to talk about that, we always look at this bigger vision where we all have this kind of coined word that has kind of become a buzz word which is ‘autonomous delivery,’ and these robots moving around almost back to The Jetsons. And, you know we’re not that far off, but we’re far enough off that 10 years of continuing to build up and do things the way we are will have that double bottom line impact on the environment and then also move into the profitability of a lot of these brands. So, we really looked at this ‘what’s the in-between’ until we get to that true autonomous delivery, and I think that’s where I continue to be excited that we are building up to this bigger vision where eventually we eliminate packaging, which is very exciting. 

Chantal: Cannot wait. Clearly there is still a pile. 

I think everyone assumes that we don’t order online and if anything it’s the opposite where we are feeling this pain and where we are looking for our own solution as well.

Ashley: Yeah, and I still get so excited when a LimeLoop shipper shows up at the front door [amid] a pile of cardboard boxes is just such, such a delight

Chantal: Oh, it stands out in the best way possible. What does it take to scale something like LimeLoop?

Ashley: The two big things I always say and have on my computer when I wake up in the morning is ‘simplify, simplify, simplify,’ which brings it back to focus of what we’re truly trying to solve, because it is a huge, huge problem and many layers that go underneath that, and then 100 nos equals one yes.

You’re going to continue to come across the people who actually don’t understand and don’t know where that’s going, but then the yeses are where the collaboration comes in and really starts to bring it to that scale. So by taking those core basics and building that solid foundation, that’s where we can start to see a scale. And then the other part is just the full collaboration of carriers and consumers and brands to really spearhead this, and that becomes this really incredible vision that we can’t wait for, when you go to UPS or FedEx, and you drop off the LimeLoop shipper, and you get to come in behind me and actually grab that shipper and use it for a package as well.

Chantal: I love that. Obviously, we have our big goals, but then the smaller goals I have in my own head are one of things like when a friend or family member calls me up and gets a package … and then a lot of the things we see posting online that has a lot of testing is that people are looking for this solution or are excited about the future of it. And those collaborations, as you mentioned, are another one where those folks are reaching out because they recognize that you start to see it all start melding together. 

But, The elephant in the room of this year that is Covid-19, you know obviously when we think about ecommerce, we think about packets, we can’t’ really think about that without thinking about Covid-19, so [I’m] curious about how you see that relationship and what has to happen next in response to it.

Ashley: I think what Covid-19 revealed in the supply-chain is that we’re not clear where all of our supply sits. And when we have something so critical as Covid and needing immediate help from PPP all the way to basic needs like toilet paper and food and water, when you’re unaware where that inventory is and where to move it, that’s where we really start to show that [smart reusable packaging] is a true critical need as we move forward, especially with ecommerce. So what we found very quickly, the road map we had developed was accelerated 3-5 years which is what we are seeing with most software companies that we’re now living in 2023 yet we have 2019 technology that’s built for that.

So it’s this rapid increase to develop and to push forward, so on one end it’s been incredible to be a part of it and to be that solution. On the other end, it’s just really pulling together as much as possible to work collaboratively to be able to move into 2023, and sometimes I think people feel it overnight.

Chantal: Exactly. That’s been one of the positives through this all, too – these big brands had to figure out how to work almost like a startup and change on the drop of a dime when the suppliers are calling from China that they can’t deliver, what does that mean for your next one. And so for us who have been living in that world from the very beginning, it’s very serendipitous that we are able to come in and provide that solution for other sustainability for these brands, which is amazing. 

For more and to listen to the full episode, find the LimeLoop podcast Behind the Green wherever you get your podcasts.

How to turn every single-use package into a reusable solution.

Welcome to The Package Loop, the world’s first open marketplace for the free exchange of boxes and mailers, transforming single-use packages into multi-use solutions. Created and powered by the reuse experts at LimeLoop, it couldn’t be more simple: You get a package. You open it and remove your goods. But now, instead of breaking it down for recycling or chucking in the trash (no judgment), you scan a little QR code and easily post it on the Package Loop community app. Next thing you know, you get a notice that someone will take it. Sweet. Or you discover you can take it to a participating retail location that doubles as a collection spot. Or you work out a way to swap it with someone who has a different box you want. Use the Package Loop every time you get a box or mailer, or save up a bunch and post ‘em when you have 10 or 20. 

It may sound immodest for us to say, but The Package Loop is an idea whose time has truly come. A recent study revealed that somewhere around 93% of all single-use boxes and mailers were structurally sound enough to be used at least four times. All we have to do is strip off the old labels, re-tape ‘em, and set ‘em back out there to do their jobs again. And again. The Package Loop fosters this obvious action. And makes it feel damn good.

If you’re a company, you’ll be a member of Package Loop because it gives you a super simple way to be part of the solution toward fixing the single-use conundrum. Imagine giving every box or mailer you send into the world a chance to be used again. Imagine each package you ship working to inspire loyalty, save you money and build a bridge toward your company’s fully circular packaging future. Now stop imagining it, and be part of it. Because we’re ready for you.

If you’re a consumer, you’ll use the Package Loop because you’ve had enough of the guilt that comes with knowing that, even when we do recycle our boxes and mailers, most actually aren’t. And even if they are, it takes crazy amounts of energy and resources to turn them into toilet paper or whatever. Plus you’ll get points and earn credits with member companies every time you use it. 

The way we see it, the LimeLoop Package Loop program is a win win win. Shippers win with free boxes and mailers. Companies win by being part of the future, building loyalty, earning real “eco-cred” and saving against their shipping bottom line. Consumers win by feeling empowered, exchanging what used to be a source of guilt into a source of sustainability. All in all, The Package Loop abides. Let’s give it a try, shall we?

The need for a circular solution

With the rise of consumerism, and the continued expectation of convenience and fast delivery, online shopping undoubtedly embedded itself in our culture. In a letter to shareholders, Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos revealed they have more than 100 million Prime subscribers. The digital economy has officially arrived. Inevitably, every new age brings with it a new set of challenges.

E-commerce’s rise simultaneously resulted in a momentous rise in packaging waste. At LimeLoop, instead of focusing on the existing packaging solutions – traditionally cardboard boxes and plastic poly mailers – we chose to re-imagine an entirely new shipping landscape and introduce a circular solution: smart reusable packaging.

Why, you ask, do we need to consider alternative shipping materials? After all, cardboard boxes and paper mailers are recyclable. As it turns out, recycling is a complex matter. What consumers understand as recyclable has led to a significant amount of non-recyclables making their way into single-stream containers. From plastic bags, organic matter to metal… you name it. Today, the average contamination rate sits at approximately 25%, which translates into 1 in every 4 non-recyclable item being placed in a recycling container.

For example, when foods or liquids contaminate good cardboard and paper, their value is lost and, are then, un-recyclable. Papers can only be recycled 5 to 7 times before the cellulose fibers become too short, as stated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  And with rising recycling costs  and as much as we like to think our packaging materials are being recycled, that is not entirely accurate.

The Circular Solution

Rather than emulating the current packaging and shipping ecosystem, we decided to shift our thinking towards envisioning a different kind of shipping landscape. We asked ourselves, what if we shipped items using something that is not a cardboard box? What would that look like? How would it move an item from point A to B? Beyond product, what else could this shipper hold? How would it interact with the user and the environment? And the list goes on.

In this stage of the brainstorming process, we don’t edit ourselves. No question is stupid, and no answer is correct (or wrong). The goal is to think outside of the (cardboard) box, literally, and examine the root of the problem. Essentially, we were looking to solve for packaging waste in a sustainable way, as opposed to designing a single product to replace the cardboard box. This means examining form, function, and material use for the entirety of the product lifecycle. The result: a full-circle shipping solution in the form of a reusable, trackable shipper that lasts up to 10 years.

How it Works

The LimeLoop shipper is made from recycled billboard vinyl and is designed to be reused over and over, in place of a cardboard box or mailer. Designed to be modular, the shipper can snap and contract as needed. When expanded, the shipper is large enough to hold up to 11 adult shirts comfortably. Waterproof, abrasion-proof, and trackable, the shipper is built to last up to 10 years. This extended lifecycle reduces carbon emissions, energy, and the consumption of valuable resources such as trees, water, and oil.

When you receive your order from participating brands, all you need to do is take your product out, flip the mailing label over, and put the shipper back in the mailbox instead of in the trash. The shipper is then mailed back to the brand so it can be used again for the next customer. As we like to say, it’s as easy as zip, flip + ship.