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You don’t hear climate activists talk much about the insurance industry, but increasingly, they are. And now businesses — insurance customers — are joining the conversation. That’s why Lemonade is asking our fellow insurers to stop both underwriting and investing in fossil fuels.

As the ultimate manager of risk, the insurance industry quietly shapes modern society, deciding what type of projects can be built and operated. And, at its core, insurance is intended to help people in their most desperate time of need.

That’s why we were shocked when we realized the connection between our industry and the climate crisis. Just like how you can't really drive without insurance, coal plants can't operate without insurance. The Trans Mountain Pipeline can't be built without insurance, and offshore oil rigs can't drill without insurance. In addition, insurance companies invest their customers’ premiums into coal and other seriously polluting industries — and the scale for this is massive. In fact, the 40 largest U.S. insurers hold over $450 billion in coal, oil, gas, and electric utility stocks and bonds. They hold a bigger proportion of their investments in fossil fuels than average index funds. 

When we insure oil, coal, and gas, we  are also driving the current global warming crisis. That warming powers wildfires, hurricanes, and other climate-related catastrophes — the very things insurers (like Lemonade) insure against. 

Our homeowners have a unique stake in the issue, with weather patterns caused by climate change estimated to put $405 billion worth of housing stock at risk. According to a recent survey, 47 percent of homeowners are worried about having enough insurance to protect their homes from a climate change-induced natural disaster.

And it’s not just property that’s being destroyed. Those greenhouse gasses poison our air too, bringing premature death to millions, and visiting pain and suffering on millions more. In as much as such tragedies can be paid for with money, it is often health and life insurance companies that do the paying.

You’d have thought that self interest, if not the greater good, would dissuade insurers from backing the worst offenders. As Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and Lemonade Giveback partner said, “It is a perverse loop that allows insurers to facilitate polluting projects that cause global warming while at the same time providing insurance against the climate impacts of these same projects”.

So, in 2018, Lemonade became the first U.S. insurer to commit to not investing in, or underwriting, all fossil fuels. To be paying for the damages of wildfires, hurricanes, floods, while simultaneously funding the very industries that are responsible for some of the worst of those damages, just doesn’t make sense to us.

But we’re a young company, and our actions will have the most impact if we’re joined by other, like-minded companies. Which is why we’re calling on other businesses, from all sectors, to raise a collective voice to encourage the insurance industry to move away from fossil fuels by signing onto this joint business statement. Many of you supported the global climate strikes - here’s your next opportunity for meaningful action. 

And for those in our industry who underwrite polluting projects (like coal power plants or tar sands mining) we have a simple ask: please don’t.

Lemonade is a Public Benefit Corporation, meaning we legally may (indeed must) consider the greater good of our decisions, even at the expense of near-term profits. We recognize other insurance companies operate in a more traditional legal framework, with a narrow mandate to maximize profits. But here’s the thing: the interests of our investors and our environment are not at loggerheads. It’s a false dichotomy. Doing the right thing benefits our customers and our shareholders and our future.

How often can you say that?

Image credit: Patrick Hendry/Unsplash

Once again, on this Black Friday, REI will shutter all of its stores, refrain from processing any online payments and will pay all 13,000 employees to once again #OptOutside with their friends and family. But this year, the outdoor clothing and gear retail says it is going several steps further: the company is asking all of those same employees and the 18 million members who belong to the co-op to fight to preserve the outdoors.

This weekend, REI is urging citizens to “opt to act.” The company is asking for a nationwide clean-up effort, with the goal to leave the outdoors better off than when people arrive at their favorite national or state park, or for that matter, any outdoors space. According to the company, employees have already been opting to act when it comes to clean-up, collecting tons of garbage.

Included in this effort to “fight for life outdoors” – is the long-term revamping its linear business model to a more circular one in which returned and used items are bought and sold; taking on waste; and eliminating unnecessary packaging used to store and ship its products.

“As a single company, our impact is limited, but as a community, we can drive change that powers meaningful action beyond our walls,” REI’s CEO Eric Artz said in a public statement. “As a co-op, we know that many people taking many small steps together can add up to big changes. Collective intention will drive collective impact.”

REI’s refusal to join in the Black Friday madness sets it far apart from other retailers - some open their doors on Black Friday as early as 5:00 a.m., and of course there are the culprits who open their doors on Thanksgiving day. True, to their credit, many leading retailers say they will not be open on Thanksgiving day at all. That list includes Costco, Lowe’s, Nordstrom, Staples and TJ Maxx. Patagonia, which in recent years has been a Black Friday outlier, will also close its doors on Thanksgiving – its brick-and-mortar stores will be open on Friday, but according to a chat bot on the company’s website, the company isn’t offering any deals or special sales.

Nevertheless, REI stands out for taking a stand against crass consumerism and overworking retail workers to the point of exhaustion.

On the flip side, the struggling retail sector can find hope – surveys suggest that Gen Z and millennial shoppers will fill up stores’ aisles over the holiday weekend.

Image credit: REI

As our technology steadily advances, we find more problems with the state of our environment and the impact we've had on our planet. Luckily, technology also gives us the means to make a course correction and try to reverse the damage already done. The mere idea of this feat is incredible, but we'll get nowhere if the general populace and large corporations don't work together to see things through.

One option that's starting to become a bigger and bigger trend is meat alternatives in our diets. Veganism has been known as a healthy alternative but cutting meat out of a diet completely isn't for everyone, whether it comes down to personal preference or a health-related situation. Now, the trend has grown due to recent technological breakthroughs allowing us to use plant-based meat substitutes that taste the same as (or sometimes better than) the real thing.

The main thrust of the argument is that these dietary options are better for the environment. "Going meatless" may indeed help reduce some of the pollution and environmental damage brought by keeping and slaughtering animals for meat. However, a deeper look reveals many of these alternative products take an environmental toll of their own – and their health benefits may not be what they seem.​​​​​​

What is the meatless revolution?

As we look closer at the impact we have on our planet, we search for ways to minimize the damage. Meat production is a major contributor to the world's carbon emissions and pollution, not to mention the reports of animal cruelty or proof that more land is being used to raise food for our livestock than for human consumption. Then, we come to personal health risks that one may face from eating too much meat and not enough other food products.

None of this is to say that eating meat is a bad thing, because it's not. Plenty of studies assert that humans need the substances that meat provides. However, overconsumption of meat has taken a negative turn for everyone as a whole. While vegetarian and vegan options are there, trying to convince a large number of people to suddenly switch their diets is just not feasible. That's why plant-based meats are earning so much attention.

Two companies have already started sweeping the market on plant-based meats. The first, Impossible Foods, has developed fake meats that provide the same taste and texture as the real deal. The other company, Beyond Meat, focuses on putting plant-based chicken strips and other products in grocery stores like Whole Foods – and is on the menu at fast food cult favorite Del Taco. This trend is gaining traction, but we need to know if it's better.​​​​​​

Are meat alternatives causing more pollution?

Water and energy are still necessary for creating these plant-based meats, so there's pollution being created even with the alternative. However, the differences between plant-based options and traditional meat options are compelling.

The Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan took a look at Beyond Meat's Beyond Burger, which contains a quarter-pound of plant-based meat. They then compared this burger's entire geological footprint to a normal quarter-pound beef burger. The Center found that the Beyond Burger produced 90 percent fewer greenhouse gasses, needed 46 percent less energy to create, used 99 percent less water and used 93 percent less land than the traditional alternative.

As of 2017, there were more than 17 billion heads of livestock in the world, or triple the human population. The Water Education Foundation reported that it takes 2,464 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef in California. In 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey reported that 40 percent of the country's freshwater went to irrigating crops used solely to feed livestock. Even our topsoil is eroding faster than we can replace it — at about 7 billion tons per year — due to the kinds of crops that only livestock can consume.

This all sounds like good news, but the data-collecting mission is far from over. Many more independent studies are required before we can make sweeping judgments about the chances of reversing climate change by transitioning to meatless meat, according to Ricardo San Martin, a research director at the University of California at Berkeley. Similarly, Michael Siegrist, a professor at ETH Zurich, says the crux of the problem is the demand for meat in the first place rather than the form that meat takes.

Siegrist also pointed out there's not enough data on consumer buying patterns to determine whether plant-based alternatives are replacing animal flesh in consumers' diets or merely complementing it. It's possible these companies are compounding the known problems rather than reducing them.

In short, while meatless meats may not contain animal products, they still require a huge industrial footprint for growing, processing, packaging and distributing them. Not enough information is available on the speed of this transition, and manufacturers haven't taken meaningful strides to curb consumers' demand for meat products in the first place. Anything less is a "solution" that benefits meat — or meatless — companies first and the planet second.

Is the planet benefiting from going meatless, or only big companies?

The meatless revolution may or may not be a cynical ploy from major food companies to make more money off of trends. Still, it's helping raise awareness of animal agriculture's untenable ecological and climate footprint. Companies like Impossible Foods pioneered these meatless alternatives ostensibly to help the planet and our health. However, there's little doubt the industry benefits when consumers believe the burden of change rests on their own shoulders.

Individual consumers can make changes — and even an impact. However, making consequential changes to how big industries operate as a whole can stave off environmental collapse — only 100 companies emit more than 70 percent of global greenhouse gases. The product itself doesn't matter if the apparatus supporting it requires sweeping, structural reforms.

Tyson, Smithfield, Perdue, Hormel, Nestlé and other major food companies have started marketing meat alternatives to get in on these latest trends. Popular items include plant-based burgers, meatballs and chicken nuggets. The growing demand for alternatives isn't going unnoticed, and this sort of reaction means that a voice, at the very least, being heard somewhere. If the trend continues, big meat companies could turn their attention more to alternatives than traditional means, which will lead to less pollution on a gigantic scale.

While meat is still a healthy part of most diets, overconsumption on a global scale has caused a lot of problems. Buying more vegetables, fruits and grains and a little less meat can tell big companies to start switching to other, more profitable options. It would be foolish to expect the animal agriculture industry to help reduce demand for its own products, however.

The benefits of plant-based meat have implications in combating hunger around the world and helping out the environment at a critical hour. While we have the means to help our planet, our approach must be more nuanced than "eat this, not that."

Image credit: Impossible Foods

Auto makers introducing electric vehicles (EVs) are increasing their efforts to address consumers’ ongoing hesitation against EV ownership. Concerns of many prospective customers remain centered on range anxiety and how to manage EV charging during longer trips away from home.

Key to allaying these concerns is taking the guesswork out of where to plug in. While Tesla built out its Supercharging network, and Ford, in announcing its forthcoming Mustang Mach-E, is partnering with third parties in giving access to charging networks, long-time EV manufacturer Nissan is bolstering its efforts to ensure LEAF drivers have more options when the time comes to charge up.

This week, Nissan, which has been selling its pure EV LEAF since 2010, announced it is providing new LEAF drivers access to EVgo’s United States charging network through a new program,“Nissan Energy Perks by EVgo.”

Nissan’s new program will provide $250 of pre-paid charging credits with EVgo, which according to a press release, is the largest and most reliable public EV fast charging network in America. The announced benefit will fall to customers who purchase a New Nissan LEAF or LEAF Plus in participating markets on or after November 1st, 2019.

EVgo’s network comprises more than 750 public charging stations hosting in excess of 1,200 fast charges, while through roaming agreements, LEAF customers will have access to more than 30,000 public EV chargers, which Nissan claims is the largest of any U.S. partnership.

The roaming agreement comes by way of access to the ChargePoint network, providing more than 28,000 Level 2 chargers. Level 2 charging operates at 240 volts, as compared with 120 volts for a standard household wall outlet and provides a useful charge to an EV in a considerably reduced amount of time. Under the program, EVgo will also hold roaming agreements with Electrify America and EV Connect, further augmenting the charging network available to new LEAF customers.

Additionally, through this program new LEAF drivers will have access to more than 300 fast chargers through Chargepoint’s network as well as through EVgo’s and Nissan’s commitment to install a further 200 direct current (DC) fast chargers across the United States. DC fast chargers are superior to level 2 chargers - the former, according to information on EVgo’s website, allows up to 90 miles of range in just 30 minutes of charging. 

Nissan says this program builds on a 6 year partnership with EVgo, while claiming that more than 100 million Americans live within a 15 minute drive of an EVgo fast charger. 

Nissan has sold more than 430,000 LEAFs globally since the vehicle was introduced at the beginning of the decade. The automaker should score recognition as the first automaker to introduce a mass production fully electric vehicle in its lineup, a model that has remained in continuous production since then. 

Now in its second generation, the LEAF is one of the more affordable EVs on the U.S. market, starting at $29,900 for the 150 mile range version. The longer range LEAF Plus, starting at $36,550, will go 226 miles between charges.

Image credit: EVgo

Arthur Potts Dawson is a rock star in the United Kingdom’s food scene. Dubbed the “The Original Green Chef” by celebrity-chef and former boss Jamie Oliver, this no-holds-barred cook and restaurateur, who has cooked for real-life rock stars and royalty, is quickly becoming a voice for sustainable food on the global stage.

Dawson was at the 2019 James Beard Foundation Chef Action Summit hosted earlier this fall at Princeton University. During the Summit, he called on fellow chefs to sign on to the Chefs' Manifesto and commit to a future where ingredients are grown with respect for the environment, where no good food goes to waste, and where everyone, everywhere, enjoys the nutritious meals they need to grow and thrive.

“Chefs are just one part of the food system but we have a voice and it needs to be a positive nurturing voice, making up in part for the past 50 years of the food industry’s negative impact on the environment and contribution to food waste,” Dawson said from his London office during a recent interview with TriplePundit.

Arthur Potts Dawson: reduce the food sector’s global impact

For Dawson, who credits the birth of his first child as making him aware of the connection between food and the planet, his mission is simple: to minimize the impact of the food business on the planet. 

Dawson’s message comes as scientists highlight risks to global food security due to environmental practices. Among the recommendations in the Special Report on Climate Change and Land, released in August by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is the need for Western countries to do more to replace, or at least partially shift, their high-meat diets with plant-based alternatives. In October, scientists warned that there will need to be a global shift to a “flexitarian” diet to help keep the global temperature increase from breaching the 2C° limit agreed by a number of the world’s governments.

Beyond doing what’s right for the planet, going green may also be the smart move for restaurants. Research shows that millennials are seeking food that’s natural, organic, and locally sourced, and want to know how it affects their carbon footprint.  

Greening the food supply

For Dawson, his job is more than simply encouraging customers to eat more “veg,” it’s about serving food – including meat and poultry – that has been produced in efficient and eco-friendly ways and taking steps to reduce food waste.

“Everything in nature is used up in a closed, continuous cycle, with waste being the end of the beginning, and that’s been something that’s been nurturing me for some time,” Dawson said in his 2010 TED Talk. “If we don’t stand up and make a difference and think about sustainable food … then we may fail.”

Dawson first worked in some of Britain’s most iconic restaurants, including London's Michelin 3-star La Tante Claire and later, Cecconi's, one of London's oldest Italian restaurants. He then designed and created what have been called “sustainably aware urban restaurants,” Acorn House and Water House. These restaurants include rooftop gardens, low-energy refrigerators and “wormeries” in which composting worms live and help convert organic material such as fruit and vegetable scraps, garden greens, and animal manure into valuable compost. The restaurants also purify their own water on-site, recycle all kitchen and packaging waste, and maximize the use of natural light so electric illumination is needed only in the evenings. The Water House goes a step further by using a heat-transference system from a nearby canal to provide hot and cold water and air conditioning, while the electric kitchen incorporates water-based fridges that make use of hydroelectricity.

So far Dawson’s recipe is working; restaurant critic Giles Coran described both Acorn House and Water House as the most important restaurants to open in London in 200 years – in other words, since the time of King George III was on the throne.

“Today, there is a sustainable restaurant on every corner [in London],” Dawson told 3p. “But I’d like to think we started a new genre….that we were at the head of the sustainability curve 14 years ago.”

Beyond the U.K., Dawson partnered in 2018 with the UN World Food Programme to launch a global challenge, called Recipe for Disaster, to end food waste. He also has joined with the UN’s ActNow climate campaign to inspire people through his recipes and cooking to enjoy “sustainable, climate-conscious and delicious food.”

Taking the green revolution mainstream

Dawson is also using his passion and expertise to help large retailers and restaurant chains make sustainability a core ingredient in their food offerings. 

Working with the Swedish retailer Ikea for the past three  years, he was instrumental in the introduction of its new veggie hot dog, made with kale, lentils, quinoa, onions and wheat protein. The company says it introduced the new option “because simple mathematics tell us that plant-based foods need less resources, less water and less soil to feed just as many, while making a smaller carbon footprint.”

Dawson also helped Ikea introduce a plant-based version of the company’s iconic Swedish meatball, available both in its bistros and for sale in its store. According to the retailer, the carbon footprint of the new veggie balls is 20 times smaller than its traditional meatball cousin.

Dawson is also working with the fast-growing U.S. burger chain, BurgerFi, which offers consumers burgers from “free-range, humanly treated cattle that have never been exposed to steroids, antibiotics or growth hormones.” The company also boasts an eco-in-restaurant design, including 10-foot fans, which the company says consume 66 percent less energy than alternative sources.

“When it comes to helping companies, it’s not only the products, but the whole internal brand,” Dawson said.

While it will hopefully be many years until Dawson hangs up his chef’s hat, he is already envisioning what he would like his legacy to be. “I hope I can say that chefs were able to push back and drive change inside the culinary field, and in peoples’ minds… but to get there, the world is going to have to go through a deep revolution.”

Fortunately it is a revolution that, thanks to Dawson and other chefs like him, has already begun.

Image credit: James Beard Foundation

Here at TriplePundit, we’ve long been tracking the disruptive impacts that climate change could have on coastal communities here in the U.S. Now, the private sector could be inspired by the latest round of private-public partnerships focused on the need to further secure resilience in communities most at risk. As a reminder, resilience can best be defined as the ability to bounce back when the worst happens; to that end, these grants are designed to help ensure that the most remote villages and largest cities can do so.

Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), Shell and TransRe announced $30 million in grants for coastal resilience projects in 23 U.S. states and territories. The 44 grants, which by and large have received bipartisan support, will generate an additional $60 million in matching funds, a significant amount for projects such as restoring or expanding coastal marshes, wetlands, dune systems, mangroves, and barrier islands, all important components to creating more resilient communities along the country’s coasts.

The list of recipient states and territories includes many that are familiar from recent storm damage stories: Puerto Rico, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and the Carolinas. Other communities along both the west and east coasts will also receive grants. A few of these grants, however, warrant a closer look because they highlight some important resilience issues.

Alaska and resilient indigenous communities

Two grants will go to the indigenous Alaskan communities of Point Hope and Shaktoolik, both of which are facing extreme challenges from climate change. Decades of fossil fuel extraction coupled with the impacts of warmer winters and rising seas are having a direct impact on these communities.

No one is more at risk than the indigenous communities living in Alaska’s coastal towns and villages. Alaska has already seen some of the first American climate refugees. The 400-person town of Kivalina (shown in the photo above) and neighboring 350-strong Newtok (which 3p covered back in 2014), home to Inupiat and Yupik people, respectively, needed to be moved because, according to then-U.S. Secretary of Interior Sally Jewell, they are “washing away.” The monetary costs are estimated at $100 to $200 million per village (and 29 more of these communities are listed as in imminent danger), but the cultural and social costs to the families that must be uprooted from their homes is immeasurable.

The Point Hope grant will provide funds to survey what the greater need is to bolster the natural infrastructure of that community. It specifies that native knowledge and expertise will be used in the determination of the best potential shoreline sites. The second grant will fund the building of a storm surge berm (similar in concept to what has been proposed for New York City) between the village of Shaktoolik and the Bering Sea that will use nature-based local materials to restore the coastal dune habitat.

Midwestern coastal resilience

When people talk about coastal resilience, they usually do not consider the the internal coasts along the Great Lakes. But these waterways are under severe pressure from climate change. According to the latest National Climate Assessment, the Great Lakes are facing a dire future, with Lake Erie topping the list of concern. Two of the three grants included in this round address needs on Lake Erie: one to restore a marsh and shrub-scrub peninsula in Michigan and one to undertake a resilience study in the eastern embayment in Cleveland Harbor in Ohio.

Climate change is already having an effect on the Great Lakes region, from lower lake levels and flooding to increased harmful algal blooms. More extreme weather events are threatening fish and wildlife as well as shipping, tourism, and recreation, not to mention the communities built along the shores of all of the Great Lakes. The government and its partners in the private sector that are funding efforts to improve resilience in these inland coastal communities together show a clear indication that the the scientific community sees this region as a target for coastal resilience.

Front-line climate change impacts require the greatest attention

Many coastal communities are already feeling the effects of climate change. Slowing or reversing its forward march is imperative, but it is also critical to improve the resilience of these regions to ensure their health and survival. After all, they are at the front lines. It is no coincidence that one of the partners in this group of funders is the reinsurance company TransRe, as it clearly understands the importance that effective planning for resilience has in reducing long-term financial risks.

“Coastal resilience is vital to the lives of millions of Americans,” said Mike Sapnar, TransRe’s President and CEO, in a public statement. “We applaud the progress already made by last year’s award recipients. This year’s projects are equally deserving, and we are pleased to support their important work.”

Image credit: Wiki Commons

Employees and customers increasingly expect companies to take the lead in solving today’s most pressing environmental and social problems. David Taylor, CEO of Procter & Gamble, is one U.S. corporate leader who is far ahead of the curve.

During his 30-plus years at P&G, colleagues have described Taylor as a man with a reputation for always doing the right thing. His leadership style has made him known as a chief executive with whom people want to work, and he has cemented his legacy with an excellent track record of bringing together the right mix of people, ideas and solutions that, in the end, can make the difficult actually possible.

Let’s start with Taylor’s role in developing circular-economy solutions, a task not easy for someone leading a company that uses many forms of plastic to store and preserve almost all of its products. He stepped up to this challenge with his current chairmanship of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, a group that includes almost 30 major global and regional companies that work together to develop and scale up answers that can help curb the use of single-use plastics.

Taylor agreed to chair this group as he realized companies across the entire plastic value chain must come together in order to coordinate efforts and investments in plastic recycling. Now, the group strives to integrate modern recycling technologies with the necessary strategic investments in collection and sorting practices, which often vary from region to region. His priority on leading reflects his belief that it will require more than one person, one company, or one idea to solve the massive challenge of plastic accumulating on our land and in our oceans.

Advances in technology can not only make the circular economy possible, but from Taylor’s perspective, it can also help people reach their potential. “I believe we will use technology more and more to execute repetitive tasks, which will unleash the creative capabilities of people,” he told CR Magazine.

Another challenge Taylor has not been shy about addressing is diversity and inclusion. He was one of the early signatories of the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge, which now includes 600 CEOs committed to ensuring diverse teams and inclusive workspaces.

From Taylor’s perspective, diversity and inclusion is not simply a checkbox that must be marked off to satisfy compliance—it can create a competitive advantage. “I am most proud of the many high-achieving, diverse teams I have had the privilege to lead over my 39 years with P&G,” Taylor told us.

Under his leadership, P&G is fostering workplace conversations that can lead to greater empathy and a more trusting environment in which all employees feel not just welcomed, but also empowered to discuss some of the most emotionally charged topics that center around diversity and inclusion.

Previously published in CR Magazine - you can read more about the other 2019 Responsible CEO Award winners here.

Image credit: P&G

Masses of plastic in the Pacific, straws in turtles’ nostrils, microplastics contaminating soil, water, food… These are just a few images from the plastic crisis that have motivated people to take action in recent years. They also paint a picture that has causes many to become discouraged, even uncertain or stressed about how to act.

Consumer action matters for an issue like plastic when 42 percent of plastic produced globally in 2015 was for packaging.

But while an increasing number of individuals are designing zero-waste practices into their lives, not everyone feels so empowered to transform their habits and diminish their carbon footprint. The reality is that nearly half of adults feel overwhelmed by environmental messages. And while 65 percent of consumers in one study have shown a desire to buy from brands with sustainability at their core, only 26 percent actually have done so.

It’s no wonder people want brands to help them make the right choices. A whopping 88 percent of people in the United States and the United Kingdom want companies to help them make environmentally and ethically sound choices. Only 28 percent of respondents to that same 2018 survey believed companies were succeeding.

A new type of sustainable brand: one that’s nonjudgmental

That’s where brands like Repurpose Compostables come in. Repurpose entered the scene almost a decade ago with the first line of compostable, plant-based tableware — products like hot and cold cups, plates and bowls and assorted utensils. The brand first entered stores like Safeway and Walmart, and that was on purpose. Repurpose positions itself to make choosing a sustainable option light and easy.

The company doesn’t supply to restaurants or cafes or sell exclusively in green grocery stores as it aims to intentionally bring sustainable solutions directly to the stores where people shop on a daily basis.

“We're realists’ brand. We're not here to yell at people to stop using disposable products. We're here to create an alternative for them to use today, not in the future,” Corey Scholibo, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Repurpose Compostables, told TriplePundit in recent interview.

“80 percent of consumers say they'll use a green product if it’s not inconvenient. And that means I'm using disposable. I’ve got kids; I've got places to go; I've got things to do. Don't yell at me about my coffee mug all day. I forgot it; I lost it; I left it on the subway. I don't want to pay a whole lot more.”

This strategy of ease and accessibility has been paying off. Two years in a row, Repurpose was placed on Inc.’s list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what leads to great success in business, but surely considering the needs of the customer doesn’t hurt.

Why so serious? Fun and ease mean effective communication

Repurpose’s philosophy is that more people living imperfectly sustainable lives is better than a few achieving zero-waste carbon neutrality. Small adjustments and simple choices make a difference and help turn individuals in the right direction.

And that’s where the heart of Repurpose’s work comes in. As people continue to choose Repurpose for its reliability, affordability and compostability, the company hopes to build relationships with its customers and start a conversation. For the founders, anti-plastic advocacy is the foundation of all their work.

“We are evolving the category and our branding beyond the traditional idea of green,” Scholibo said in a press release. “At our core, we’re an anti-plastic activist brand, but we use a positive, accessible approach to combat climate change, so consumers don’t shut down. Now more than ever, it’s vital to maintain a sense of humor and optimism. Why can’t fighting climate change be fun?"

Being consumer-facing helps Repurpose in its activism. The thinking is that, unlike cafes that go through thousands of disposable cups and plates a day and don’t care about the innovation behind the materials and design, individuals and families think carefully about what they bring into their homes.

Repurpose’s new website launched in November with only four drop-down menus, one of which is “Learn.” There, people can see the impact of their actions. To date, Repurpose’s customers have helped the brand keep 3,531,805 pounds of waste out of landfills; they’ve also prevented energy use and CO2 emissions.

Helping customers make the right choices to take on the plastic crisis

Today, the company’s branding matches its lighthearted principles. Repurpose’s packaging no longer bears simple serious green leaves — the traditional icons of sustainable brands. Instead, straws declare “These Straws Don’t Suck,” and plates recommend “Cut the Cake.”

For years, Repurpose’s products were the only compostable and plant-based options in the disposable housewares aisle; and now, they will only pop with joyous color and patterns.

While Repurpose’s message is mostly fun and games, its commitments are serious. Part of the company’s promise is to keep bringing innovative solutions to its customers. When straw bans were popping up across the states, Repurpose was already ahead of the curve – the company had launched its compostable straw just three months earlier.

Keeping its finger on the pulse of customer needs, the company recently unveiled its first reusable plant-based products. The line is starting its messaging by communicating with parents of small children.

Lauren Gropper, founder and CEO of Repurpose, had the idea when she couldn’t find plastic-free, break-proof, microwavable dishes for her young children. She mused, “Could we use this incredible technology that mimics the functionality of plastic but has no toxins and can be put in the microwave?” she said during her talk with 3p.

Gropper says eventually she hopes her company will have a full line of compostable and reusable products that suit a plastic-free lifestyle. Whatever the future holds, she says the company will continue to “provide people today with what will be in the future” and make it as accessible as buying it off the shelf.

Environmentalism is serious business. And there are plenty of organizations and individuals taking it seriously. Lawmakers are passing progressive bills, activists are speaking out for change, innovators are discovering groundbreaking solutions. With pervasive problems like plastic, though, not everything can be done perfectly. Repurpose shows its customers that it’s ok to do what can you can right now and feel good about it. The company has found its own spot in the sustainability picture, and that niche is filled with the joy and foresight that can actually make a difference and resonate with customers.

Image credit: Brian Yurasits/Unsplash

Watching the livestream of Tesla’s unveiling of the new Cybertruck in Los Angeles last Thursday evening, it was hard not to keep wondering - from the moment the vehicle rolled on to the stage, until the moment Elon Musk walked off following his presentation - whether or not Musk was punking the entire world. 

So outlandish is Tesla’s new vehicle, that judging by social media comments, gnawing away in the back of many people’s minds during the reveal was the refrain, ”is this a joke?” At any moment it seemed plausible Musk would say, “just kidding” and the real Cybertruck would fall from the sky or something.

The Cybertruck is no joke

But no, it turns out it was not a joke. The vehicle you see pictured here is indeed the long awaited pickup truck that Tesla has been promising. Pre-launch, artists impressions had suggested we should expect an appearance of a familiar Tesla-styled front end with a flatbed grafted onto the rear, but such images had clearly led everyone astray. In reality, the Cybertruck has completely blown up the Tesla design language - and indeed forces us to rethink the very concept of what a pickup truck actually is. 

Spending some time to let the visual onslaught marinate a bit though, perhaps allows the mind to shift a little from, “what the hell is that?” to something rather more accommodating.

It’s never been Tesla’s mode of operation to be bound by convention. The company’s tenacity to bring a fledgling EV car company building a limited production two seater roadster a little over a decade ago, to what is now a mass production automaker today, has not occurred by following a conservative playbook. And so, because we expect a pickup truck to look a certain way, in line with every pickup truck ever, it does not mean to say a superior utility vehicle can’t be conceived in an entirely different package.

A tough all-electric pickup that can compete with Ford

Love it or hate it, the statistics are impressive. 

The Tesla Cybertruck is, of course, fully electric. It will come in three variants, at three price points. The base model comes with a single motor rear wheel drivetrain and starts at $39,900, will travel 250 plus miles per charge and Tesla says it can go from zero to 60 mph in less than 6.5 seconds. This is a very respectable entry level spec-sheet at a real-world price, and not out of whack in the utility truck market segment. 

Up one notch, a $49,900 higher performing dual motor version sits in between the base model and the $69,900 top-of-the-range tri-motor, all-wheel drive flagship Cybertruck. Here’s where the real action is - zero to 60 mph in an astoundingly rapid 2.9 seconds, while achieving over 500 miles on a single charge. Range anxiety begone! 

Musk asserts the Cybertruck melds Porsche 911 performance with the utility of a Ford F150 and though some will, without question, buy this for whatever image it portrays, this vehicle is not positioned merely as a styling exercise. It’s designed to be a proper workhorse. 

In the truck segment, a performance figure even more important than horsepower and acceleration, is towing capacity. Here too the Cybertruck steps up.

The base model is capable of towing a very respectable 7,500 pounds, which is pretty much comparable with Ford’s base model F150 - not only America’s best selling pickup, but best selling vehicle outright. The top specification tri-motor Cybertruck, though, can tow an astounding 14,000 pounds, which is to say 800 pounds more than the F150’s most capable version, the F150 Raptor. 

And yes, $69,900 is pricey, but considering the F150 Raptor itself starts at over $54,000 it’s not a stretch to make a compelling economic case. After all, since the F150 gets just 18 miles per gallon on the highway, over the life of the vehicle, the electric Cybertruck quickly closes down the gap in the lifetime cost of vehicle ownership in fuel savings alone.

Tesla is challenging convention with the materials they are using, too, seemingly to impress upon prospective buyers that the Cybertruck is indestructible. The ultra-hard stainless steel exoskeleton was demonstrated during the reveal to be impervious to denting when hit with a sledgehammer. A couple of big whacks on stage rendered no damage. Video footage also showed body panels can resist a 9 mm bullet impact. Here Musk quipped it was redefining “tough” - a dig, no doubt, at the F150’s “Built Ford Tough” tagline. 

It must be said, however, running contrary to this narrative, there was one key fail on stage - toughness wise. As for the armour glass windows tested in front of the audience and supposedly able to withstand a steel ball bearing being thrown at them somewhat embarrassingly, failed twice to actually resist shattering - a bit of an “oops” moment! Musk laughed it off, and in any case, there’s time to fix this before production starts in 2021. 

Still, beyond these demonstrations of brute force, potential buyers may place more importance on some of Tesla’s other areas of focus. One practical feature is the incorporation of self leveling suspension to counter cargo weight and towing sag. Cybertruck also comes equipped with a liftgate that unfolds all the way down to the ground, thereby acting as a useful ramp.  

Creature comforts prevail, too. On the inside, there’s room for six people to travel in the roomy cabin - 3 per row - while the now familiar central tablet-like control screen also adorns the Cybertruck’s dash. Tesla’s driver assist technology is of course standard, and a $7,000 optional extra self-driving capability is promised as well.

Nevertheless, overwhelming all of these practical details is the question as to whether Tesla will be able to sell this thing, looking like this? Though Elon Musk pitched the Cybertruck against the capabilities of the Ford F150, an equally, if not more relevant, comparison should be drawn with the much anticipated $69,000 Rivian electric truck - which, when it is released, will come with quad motors, put up similar performance figures - and still look like a pickup truck. 

Don't forget about Rivian

It’s hard to predict which of these electric trucks the market will prefer; Tesla has a lot of devotees and Rivian to date is unproven, but will people embrace Cybertruck’s radical design? Since we’re two years away from it beginning to roll off production lines, it’s not impossible to imagine that while the overall design won’t deviate drastically to what we’re seeing here, it may however soften somewhat, (perhaps to meet regulations for crash performance or pedestrian safety) and look a bit less like an armored vehicle. Though perhaps by then, in any case, our eyes will have adjusted to find this design concept perfectly acceptable, and see conventionally styled pickups as old hat. \

And if that’s the case, Tesla may have just played its next move in the chess game. While established manufacturers are right now bringing out some great EVs; vehicles which derive inspiration in both form and function from Tesla like the Ford Mach-E we reported on recently,  Tesla meanwhile might just be saying - we’ve already moved on over here now - keeping one step ahead in the EV game! 

Image credit: Tesla