After my own Brief Case research and presentation along with seeing other groups present, I was struck by how much these companies aligned with the Business Case for sustainability, saving money and reducing waste, yet certain products were marketed more for their low costs, with sustainability being an extra plus. For instance, Imperfect Produce both served an environmental justice purpose along with being economically cheap for consumers to buy their products. However, other companies like Keap Candles market their candles as the most eco-friendly, and they justify their expensive prices as a trade-off for being more sustainable. This idea of being marketed as more sustainable versus cost-friendly to consumers makes sense, as I always think of more sustainable products as more expensive because they are made in a better way that may be pricier, but it gave me hope that companies like Imperfect Produce can encompass both affordability and sustainability. Upon reflection, I also see sustainability as being an investment with extremely beneficial economic rewards. For example, Shades of Permaculture is a company that probably has a costly installation, but once this farming system is built, it is self-sustaining, and the up keep is fairly cheaper than buying grown products.
I want to remember the living principles high level assessment of the companies trying to do good by producing sustainable items. I admire the concept of humanizing a company by holding them up to clear standards. Also, I especially love the “People” and “Culture” aspects of the four-part assessment because I sometimes see products with no real purpose to improve the quality of people’s lives and building a culture of community, so I loved seeing many of the products presented having that high in importance. At the same time, I recognize the scale process can be seen as a subjective endeavor because it is one person’s opinion of where that company should be placed based on their own understanding of the product.
During the presentations, I was struck by how every group for “promotion” showed a wholesome video introducing their company and product. They all gave off a light and inspirational tone which made me more inclined to consider the product. I have taken a couple film classes, and I have learned about how influential a score can be for affecting an audience, and in this case creating good marketing. Additionally I felt like the target audience for each product influenced the content of the video. For instance, Imperfect Produce and Print Your City! began with generic statistics about social justice problems like food and plastic waste then transitioned to specific details about their products to encourage consumers to purchase their goods. On the other hand, other companies focusing on more niche consumers went straight into their product design and why even though it is a little more expensive it is worth it because of its sustainability.
The largest challenge of the project was trying to find pricing for our group’s project. The company’s website gave us extremely little information besides that they are a private company who has sponsorships with big international corporations. It was extra confusing because the product was serving a public purpose, yet Print Your City! is a private company which begs the question, how is the company paying for these benches? Other questions like what direction is the company going with this innovative 3D plastic printing idea, is the company going to be hired by city planning, and would this company want to create items for individuals’ own personal use frequently came up. It was definitely frustrating with this project’s newness and privacy because it was not a public company.