All Articles About Sustainable Consumption

Case Study: Actionable Research on Sustainability

Our Research team tracks emerging trends and solutions central to building sustainable business. We aim to help business leaders stay ahead of the curve and shape future-oriented decisions on a wide range of challenges, from energy management, to sustainable consumption, to human rights.

Posted: June 3, 2011 Topics: Climate Change, Ecosystem Services, Human Rights, Sustainable Consumption

Blog: A New Tool for Sustainable Product Design

Virginia Terry, Former Director, Advisory Services

This week, I had the opportunity to see a demonstration of Autodesk’s new Eco Materials Adviser, a tool the company developed with Granta Design that is intended to help product designers make better decisions around material choices. Since the majority of a product’s life-cycle impacts are determined during the design phase, the tool has the potential to help create smarter, cleaner, and more efficient products. Read more →

Posted: May 31, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Sustainable Consumption, Toxicity & Product Design

Blog: Sustainable Product Design: Closing the Loop on Plastics

Cody Sisco, Former Manager, Advisory Services

Last week I visited an HP service provider’s facility in Thurnau, Germany where plastic inkjet cartridges are collected and where they take the first step toward reentering the materials stream for HP recycled plastic cartridges. Read more →

Posted: April 21, 2011 | Topics: Strategy & Integration, Sustainable Consumption, Toxicity & Product Design

Blog: Jugaad Solutions for Sustainable Design

Virginia Terry, Former Director, Advisory Services

Jugaad is a Hindi term that means clever and resourceful. It describes a way of getting a job done by using easy-to-find materials, typically in collaboration with others. In Western terms, jugaad could be a kind of crowd-sourced innovation that makes efficient use of scarce resources or reused materials to help improve living conditions. Read more →

Posted: April 21, 2011 | Topics: Community Engagement & Development, Consumer Products, Human Rights, Strategy & Integration, Sustainable Consumption, Toxicity & Product Design

BSR Insight Article: Improving Product Sustainability Performance

According to Parametric Technology Corporation's recent white paper, companies must embrace "design-for-the-environment" strategies that allow them to remain competitive—and stay ahead of new sustainability requirements—by improving the environmental performance of their products. Read more →

Posted: April 19, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Environment, Strategy & Integration, Sustainable Consumption, Toxicity & Product Design