Local design should lead sustainable products industry

Cincinnati has been called a design center city based on the number and quality of product design and advertising firms in the area. We’re also home to 7 fortune 500 companies.

With all this, a local government pushing for a climate protection plan, and a growing green building movement, Cincinnati should be a leading center for sustainable product design.

Currently, companies like Nike, Herman Miller, Clorox, and Steelcase are leading the industry in sustainable design efforts. Surveys are also showing that individuals are increasingly looking for green products and this market is positioned for growth.

The people are asking for it, the cutting edge companies are doing it, now it’s time for Cincinnati to step in and raise the bar.

• Change business as usual. Look for innovations in design that will streamline processes and use less resources.
• Make a commitment to conserve. Choose to work with materials that are from recycled or renewable resources instead of virgin materials.
• Focus on a triple bottom line. Success isn’t just about income, it’s about a balance of people, the planet, and profits.
• Listen to the next generation. Young professionals, students, and children are being raised to respect the environment and think about consumption and consequences differently than past generations.
• Set goals. Consider reduction, reuse, and recyclability of products instead of only focusing on units sold.
• Consider the lifecycle. Look into products that escape the cradle-to-grave mindset and aim for a cradle-to-cradle lifecycle that encourages a utilized product to become the seed material of a new product.

This is a call to all locally based companies to make the choice to educate themselves about true sustainability and become environmental leaders in the business industry. You can make great change with your large companies by introducing small changes. You can also take advantage of community interest in working for a sustainable future by utilizing the Live Green Cincinnati job board to recruit talented, passionate, and sharp individuals who can make your company better. We can all make small changes in our lives to help live green citywide, but we need the the large local companies to push regional, and even global, environmental change.