Sustainability-Focused Shopping Initiatives : madewell archive

When Los Angeles–based artist Shawn Button considered buying a rental property at the edge of Joshua Tree National Park during the height of the pandemic, he knew it would be a risk. But the stakes became even clearer when he set foot on the site of the dilapidated 1959 cabin. “The house was pretty busted up, but as I walked around the property, the sun was setting and I started having these crazy visions of what it could be,” Button recalls. “I knew it would be a gamble, so I asked the universe for a sign. Then, I looked down, and I saw a pair of dice in the sand.” 

The Product Platform Rulebook is an open-access guide, developed by the Construction Innovation Hub and industry leaders, for various stakeholders within the supply chain to develop and deploy Product Platforms. The Rulebook aims to enable and promote the adoption of Product Platform approaches by providing guidance, tools, and a common framework for the industry.  The construction industry needs disruption, which the innovators and early adopters have initiated over the last few decades with the adoption of Modern Methods of Construction. But we now need guidance to build confidence in the approach for the majority to follow.  A Product Platform is often referred to as a ‘Kit of Parts’ which is a group of common and repeatable assets that can be configured and combined with interoperable components to deliver a range of distinct projects.

Governments, companies and private financial institutions invest over $1.3 trillion a year in the circular economy, according to Chatham House, in the first-ever estimate of its kind. “Recycling, reusing materials and reducing waste makes clear business sense, which is why spending on the circular economy is rising rapidly,” said Patrick Schröder, senior research fellow at Chatham House. “However, funding remains far below where it needs to be to reap the full investment rewards. Moving from a linear ‘take-make-throw away’ economy to circular, sustainable business models will create jobs, promote investment and protect the planet.” The analysis by Chatham House and Just Economics found that companies invest around $800 billion a year in the circular economy – just over 2% of the $35 trillion that goes towards the linear economy.