From Gradient Magazine

Over at Fast Company’s Co.Design site, there is a piece written by Jens Martin Skibsted and Rasmus Bech Hansen, two Danish designers, about how Over-Innovation Makes U.S. Firms Suck At Sustainability

They praise America’s “relentless pursuit of the Next Big Thing, its inherent optimism, and its go-getter attitude,” and say, “Only in America could brand innovators like Google, Nike, and Starbucks emerge.”

BUT

“The U.S. is by far the biggest environmental sinner, no matter how environmental impact is measured.”

Like they say, we suck at sustainability. So, why can’t we, in all our creative genius, do better at this?

According to the Danes, it has to do with this — Being good at sustainability requires the opposite of what Americans have cultivated and are so good at.

Finding sustainable solutions isn’t about discovering new, ever-more disruptive ideas. It requires the opposite, something very un-American: standardization, slowness, and centralization.

In a nutshell:

• Standardization: “American brands will lose the sustainability battle unless they learn to give up individuality for standards.”
• Slowness: “To become sustainable, companies need to take their time and extend their products’ life cycle.”
• Centralization: Don’t make more stuff, “add extra value to what you already produce.”

Great ideas, all. Maybe you have some too? Read their piece and tell them what you think.