John Oliver, the British comedian, during his Terrifying Times tour detailed at what point the Chinese will become a threat to the United States. It didn’t have to do with GDP, debt or urban development. The point at which the US seeds its #1 status to China is when a grill that can float in a pool sells like hot cakes. In other words, the US will lose when the Chinese buy dumber crap.
John Oliver’s point strikes a deeper, systemic issue of unfettered consumerism that has taken a hold of the US culture. But the tide is turning and Oliver’s vision could be realized sooner rather than later. US consumers are seeking products that waste less and brands are responding in kind with innovative packaging and wellness ideas that cuts the fat.
Almost one thrid of the waste generated in the U.S. is from packaging and much of that waste is plastics, which take 1000 years to decompose. To get a measure and extent of US consumerism, consumers toss out enough paper & plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. These are just some of the few effects excessive consumerism has on the environment. Eco-packing’s mission is not to stop consumerism per se, but to make it less damaging to the environment, which takes innovative and creative thinking to accomplish.
Entrepreneurs are pushing the green envelope to develop new ways of sourcing food in eco-friendly ways and delivering them from point a to point b. Boxsal, for instance, makes sustainable picnic containers from Sustainable Forest Initiative-grade recycled paper and prints with eco-friendly links. Each Boxsal can be used around 10 times or so. And the German beverage company, LemonAid, uses its drinks to create a sustainable system. The pure-organic drink sources its ingredients from local farmers and a large portion of the proceeds are used to support small, local projects in impoverished countries.
While Boxsal and Upboxes has an indirect impact on consumer wellness (in that a good environment contributes to a healthier life), there are several beverage companies that are innovating to improve consumer wellness. Upboxes use boxes similar to Boxsal to deliver sustainable food, such as free-range chickens, with a rotating, ethnic menu. Back to the Roots offers urbanites a way to grow mushrooms using coffee grounds.
The objective of Boxsal, Upboxes, and LemonAid is to create a system that supports the longevity of individuals, local farmers, communities, culture and the environment. Their packaging, sourcing and menus lend themselves to this over-arching mission. It is about purposeful consumption that flies in the face of John Oliver’s floating grill; one that speaks to being conscious of not just the product, but what went into it.
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