Balancing Exploration and Exploitation in Sustainable Urban Innovation: An Ambidexterity Perspective toward Smart Cities: Journal of Urban Technology: Vol 0, No 0

The fashion label Stella McCartney sources its materials from sustainably-managed forests. Miyoko’s Creamery, the vegan cheese brand, launched a program to help struggling dairy farmers transition to plant-based alternatives. Elate Beauty, the ethically-made cosmetics company, has diverted more than 10,000 kgs of waste from landfills—so far.  In recent years, brands have stepped up and committed to more sustainable practices. In honor of Earth Day 2022, we wanted to take a closer look at what commercial photographers can do to help raise awareness about climate change and the protection of our environment, while also helping companies and consumers realize their goals.

The latest episode sees edie’s senior reporter Sarah George speaking with the Coca-Cola Company’s sustainability director for Europe, Therese Noorlander. 

Noorlander discusses how the company is working with its bottlers and suppliers to accelerate the net-zero transition. The Coca-Cola Company’s largest bottle in Western Europe, CCEP, notably set a 2040 net-zero target in 2020.

She also outlines the business’s plans on water stewardship and plastics – two of its most material topics – in 2021, in line with changing consumer and investor demands and improved scientific research. 

It’s hard to imagine a world without textiles. From the clothes we wear to the bedsheets we wake up in – we come into contact with textile fabrics nearly all the time. The textile sector, which includes the fashion industry, is marked by low rates of utilisation and low levels of recycling, leading to substantial and ever-expanding pressure on resources.
On average, European citizens discard 11kg of textiles per year, with garments typically having been worn only 7 or 8 times. At the same time, the European market has seen a sharp rise in apparel sales over the last two decades, with a 40% jump in pieces of clothing bought per person.
Both developments are mainly due to the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon, with quicker turnaround of new styles, increased number of collections and often, lower prices.