UNIVERSITY OF SUFFOLK

BA BUSINESS STUDIES

Module: Building a Sustainable Organisation

Title: Individual case study analysis

Student ID:

Date: 20th June 2022

Introduction

It is becoming more critical for organisations across all sectors to keep up with the pace of
technological change and increase their awareness of sustainable innovation. Sustainability
experts are four times more likely to be seen as innovators than non-sustainability experts in
today's world since the two ideas are so tightly linked. For a firm to thrive and expand, it is
essential to keep innovating, and a failure to innovate may lead to the demise of an entire
company (Boylston, 2017).

Though they may produce lucrative goods, ideas, and procedures, conventional types of
innovation may damage workers or overuse environmental assets. Consider the convenience of
coffee capsule makers, which let consumers enjoy café-quality brews at home with a single
button. 40% of UK coffee consumers possess at least one of these devices. However, as a
consequence, 29,000 plastic packets are discarded into dumpsters every minute (Gin, 2018).

Sustainable innovation aims to address new technologies' unforeseen social and environmental
implications. Long-term benefits may be achieved for both the company and society via its
goods and services (Gin, 2018). What does it mean to practise sustainable innovation? Why is it
essential? Moreover, how does one put it into practice? That is the aim of this article.

Ideologies, attitudes, practices, and commodities that are good for the environment, society, and
the economy may be brought into general use via sustainable innovation. Although it is typically
referred to as "corporate social responsibility" or "ethical innovation," sustainability is becoming
more accepted by businesses and other groups. This commitment may be shown in several
instances of sustainable innovation (Day, 2019).

Sustainability and innovation function simultaneously. For instance, the green building initiative
is accomplishing several goals by putting pressure on everyone in the construction industry to
think differently than they have in the past or even from the inside. More than a generation after
it began, the green building initiative has transformed the entire construction and engineering
machinery manufacturing industries. Environmentally friendly resources, energy-efficient
appliances, and furnishings have made green buildings more affordable and attainable (Day,
2019).
Examples of Sustainable Innovations

Eco-friendly Biofuels: Organizations have the power to innovate and provide innovative goods
or services via the process of sustainable innovation. This helps significantly towards the goal of
attaining sustainable development. For instance, a British company called Bio-bean produces an
environmentally friendly biofuel generated from used coffee grounds to help power double-
decker vans in London. Another Bio-bean is up cycling used coffee beans into environmentally
beneficial goods like coffee trees and coffee granules. These materials are substitutes for carbon-
heavy biofuels like coal biomass materials and imported timber logs. Bio-bean is helping to build
a regenerative economy by using things that people used to throw away. The company is
expected to make about $10 million (USD) a year in profit by 2020 (Lee, 2021).

Fairly-sources Smartphone: It is not only about creating new goods or services that are
sustainable. Organizations may also economically innovate while providing current goods or
services by changing their procedures. In addition to architecture, manufacturing, promotion, and
HR, procedure modifications may also occur in a variety of other domains. For instance,
Fairphone, a social company in the Netherlands, sells cell phones that are obtained ethically.
Like bio-bean, Fairphone goods do not have new technological characteristics, unlike the coffee
waste wood and granules formed by bio-bean (Shields, 2022).

Instead, it radically altered smartphone manufacturing to make it more environmentally and

socially responsible. They use recycled and sustainably extracted resources, pay their employees
fairly and offer a safe working environment. Fairphone builds its smartphones to last and fits into
sustainability since the manufacturing process accounts for around 80% of the carbon intensity
of a smartphone. Because of its adaptable nature, maintenance and modifications may be done
more quickly and easily, thereby minimizing the amount of electronic waste generated (Lee,
2021).

Smog Vacuum Cleaner: Daan Roosegaarde invented the world's most giant smog vacuum
cleaner. The Pollution Free Pyramid, which rises to almost 23 feet (7 metres), takes in filthy air
and uses ionisation to purify it before discharging it back into the atmosphere. The turbine can
remove 30,000 cubic metres of air every hour at its highest efficiency. Even bands constructed
from compacted pollution fragments gathered from the turbine may now be worn by humans
according to Roosegaarde's design. By purchasing and wearing a Smog-Free Band, a firm can
generate over 10,000 square feet (1,000 square meters) of pure air. Since its start, the initiative
has attracted much attention and won several honours. South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands,
Uruguay, and Poland have recently begun tower initiatives (Alexander, 2020).

Solar Glass: The use of solar glass by builders of residential and commercial structures might
result in significant changes. Solar glass is an environmentally responsible construction project
that has received much attention over several years, and scientists at the University of Michigan
are developing it. The solar glass would be able to collect and conserve energy from the sun, just
as its name suggests it would be able to do. The study team estimates that there are between 5
and 7 billion square metres of available window space in the UK, sufficient to provide 40 percent
of the country's energy requirements using solar glass (Mishra, 2017).

Water Capture: Some innovations are the direct consequence of using nature as an architectural
role model, known as biomimicry. For instance, significant advancements in arid-climate cloud
cover collectors or webbing systems enabled settlements to gather foggy haze water. They were
patterned after an understanding of how the forelimbs of the Namibian Desert Weevil pitfall
moisture so effectively. Biomimicry has led to several innovations (biomimicry). The
Biomimicry Institute offers educational papers that might assist architects in developing a solid
basis upon which to build more knowledge. In addition to that, they have developed an
incredible webpage that they call "Ask Nature" (Shields, 2022).

Facilitating Change through Sustainable Innovation Design

Green Design: The most fundamental element of a sustainable system is called "green design,"
It refers to innovation initiatives that optimise specific components of product design. For
instance, replacing virgin plastics with recyclable materials illustrates sustainable innovation
(Shields, 2022).

Eco-Design: The next step up is eco-design, which instead of concentrating on individual

components of a product, looks at the product's whole lifespan as its primary concern. Several
factors may be considered, such as using environmentally-friendly materials, optimising
manufacturing processes, increasing marketing effectiveness, and keeping a product's lifecycle as
long as possible (Shields, 2022).

Sustainable Product Design: Because of this method, social justice considerations were

introduced to the layout process; hence, design could only be deemed to meet the triple bottom
line after reaching this stage.

Design for Sustainability: This is the moment in the design process when the emphasis shifts
from product design to a holistic view. Correspondence, tangible things, programs and events
and sophisticated methods or ecosystems are all part of a comprehensive approach to designing
for long-term sustainability, as are the four design categories. This perspective also considers
transparency and fairness (Terramai, 2022).

Transformative Design: It contains all of the components above plus the development of
entirely novel methods of considering human existence in the distant future. This is often
accomplished by developing solutions that showcase potential future modes of existence
(Terramai, 2022).

Perfected by modern civilization, the take-make-waste cycle is a masterful example of a cyclical

production system. Many of these systems use raw materials to be harvested, processed and
transported from one production unit to the next, all while using a large amount of energy and
resources. During this phase, the user is still in the process of being reached; hence it is
considered upstream. Customers then utilize the items until they become outdated, implying
anything from being out of style to needing a new update. Obsolete products are designed to
make money for organizations, but this is just a short-term strategy for long-term success in
business (Shields, 2022).

They finally throw it away when they are no longer using it. This last stage of the product's
lifecycle is known as the downstream phase. The natural systems that keep humans alive are
harmed when we use a linear system like this. Sustainability planning necessitates a shift in
thinking from linear to circular (Terramai, 2022).
Part II

Reflective writing

The actions and choices we make daily affect the environment and the inhabitant who inhabit it.
The environment is affected by everything humans do, from what people wear to how we get to
and from the workplace to the food humans consume. Even though the current generation is the
most environmentally conscious in history, there is still a long way. Making little changes to our
daily routines may go a long way toward ensuring that we use less environmental and natural
resources in the long run. It is becoming more and more popular all across the globe. Making
more thoughtful choices about the meals and drinks we ingest and our daily objects may help us
live more sustainably (Chaudhri, 2016). The following are methods I may assess my current
lifestyle and compose a reflection essay on how I might better adhere to sustainability principles.

You cannot dispose of plastic. Approximately 40% of the globe's ocean waters are made up of
these whirling convergences. More than a million aquatic animals are killed each year because
they swallow or get entangled in plastic waste. To reduce my plastic pollution, here are a few
straightforward measures I can take: In addition to using reusable shopping bags while
purchasing, I also try to avoid things made of or packed in plastic wherever I can (e.g., select
unwrapped produce at the grocery store, shop local, cut down on online shopping).

The number of choices available can be daunting, from caffeine to fruit to apparel. However,
when it comes to minimising the effect on biodiversity and the solar system, some clear leaders
can be found in each category. Coffee is one of my favourite beverages. Therefore, I would look
for "shade-grown" varieties produced without harming migratory bird nests or any other wildlife.
When I can, I will buy Decent Offer accredited products to show my support for businesses
committed to environmentally friendly manufacturing practices and providing their employees
with a living wage. Healthy produce may cost somewhat more, but it protects agricultural
workers, animals, and households from hazardous chemicals that enter the environment and
water supply.

Furthermore, by avoiding the purchase of bottled water, I can reduce my impact on the
environment. Even though tap water is essentially free and many municipal water supplies have
topped quality and taste assessments versus name-brand water, bottled water marketers are trying
to give tap water a poor image. Society and animals alike are harmed by water extraction and the
manufacturing of all those plastic bottles. Water management cannot be overstated as our
population grows and we confront severe droughts. Shortened baths, the repair of leaking
bathrooms, and low-flow and low-water appliances may all help me save water. A xeriscaping
strategy that incorporates drought-resistant species and provides shelter and food for wildlife and
pollinators will also be on my list of things to do in my garden.

Also, I would want to make my house more environmentally friendly. Just like driving a well-
maintained car helps you save money on gas, maintaining your home in tip-top shape may help
you save money on your utility bills. Energy-saving incandescent bulbs, a programmed
thermostat, and proper soundproofing are all things I want to implement in my house in order to
save money on my utility bills. If you live in a state that offers little or no-cost benefits to help
you become green, you may want to take advantage of them. Calling my electricity provider to
see whether they conduct free energy inspections or know of one might help me get started.
Conclusion

People who decide to buy a product are putting their trust in the company in a free-will act. If
companies want to stay relevant and competitive in today's marketplace, they must employ
sustainable goods. Efforts to improve a company's social and environmental impact must be
implemented across all of the corporation's functional areas. As a result, these businesses will be
able to demonstrate the value of their operations to customers to build trust and foster loyalty.
References

Alexander, D. (2020). 21 sustainability innovations that might just change the

world. https://interestingengineering.com/21-sustainability-innovations-that-might-just-change-
the-world.

Boylston, S (2017). Learning design for sustainability. [Video]. LinkedIn

Learning. https://www.linkedin.com/learning/learning-design-for-sustainability/a-diversity-of-
sustainable-design-approaches?

Day, J. (2019). Sustainable Innovation: Explanation and Examples. [online] IdeaScale.

Available at: https://ideascale.com/what-is-sustainable-innovation/.

Gin, F. (2018). Green building concepts foundation. [Video]. LinkedIn Learning. 

Lee, J. Y. (2021). What is sustainable innovation? https://www.nbs.net/articles/what-is-

sustainable-innovation-and-how-to-make-innovation-sustainable#_ftn1=

Mishra, A. (2017). Bakeys editable cutlery--an Indian

innovation. https://discoverfoodtech.com/bakeys-edible-cutlery/  

Shields, K. (2022). Chapter 5: Sustainable Innovation. ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub. [online]

Available at: https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/leadinginnovation/chapter/chapter-5-
sustainable-innovation/#footnote-44-1 [Accessed 8 Jun. 2022].

Terramai. (2022). 6 famous architects share their top sustainable design

tips. https://www.terramai.com/blog/6-famous-architects-share-their-top-sustainable-design-tips/