JKR

Which of these sustainability initiatives do you like? UPS have launched a reusable envelope. It looks nice, is a sound simple idea, but given the LOVEFiLM envelopes, not particularly original (although the online blurb gives the impression it’s an innovation).

Or the limited edition Heineken bottle billed as “100% sustainable”. It’s beautiful and made completely from recycled aluminum, but that aluminum would have been mined, typically leaving a nasty scar in the jungle. So the claim seems curious (and some desktop research yielded nothing more on this).

Or this sharpener for a razor, to promote your reusable blade’s life by many times.

You may think all these are great, and for sure they are steps in a more sustainable direction, which can only be positive. But two years after the received industry wisdom was to avoid green-wash and focus on effecting genuine change, do you get a sense that sustainability initiatives are still being co-opted into marketing buzz on a par with pop-up shops and limited editions? And are we not hoping for something a little more fundamental from our super brands?

For me, the razor sharpener wins hands down. Its flaw, if you are in marketing, is that it would lead to falling sales in disposable razors. So guess what? It is not being promoted by a brand. It reminds me of the Alec Guinness movie “The man in a white suit” where he invented a fabric which couldn’t be destroyed – a boon for the man in the street, but he was run out of town by the combined interests of the unions and the factory owners. Surely the time is ripe for a brand to grasp the opportunity to re-invent the category rules by such brave, rather than tactical, innovation. If you championed the longevity of your blade, you could own the thought leading high ground and charge a premium. It’s a wonky business case, but is it one worth considering?