2. Three Case
Studies
Sustainability and the Early Adopter – Birkenstock
Sustainability Today – Intelligentsia Coffee
Sustainability as a Design Method - fuseproject
4. Birkenstock Footprint
Sandals, Inc. Overview
! Birkenstock family in the shoe business for
230 years
! Birkenstock USA founded in 1966 by
Margot Fraser
! Grew from a $40 to $120 Million business
in USA from 1991-2001
! Recognized as the 2015 Vendor of the Year
by the National Shoe Retailers Association
! Birkenstock now has worldwide distribution
from China to California
! Focused on environment and positive work
conditions
5. Birkenstock – A Few Quotes
from Former President,
Margot Fraser
! “In the beginning, not much
awareness of the environment.
Carl Birkenstock was just old
fashioned. He was frugal and
didn’t like waste.”
! “From the beginning,
Birkenstock used recycled
paper and water based ink.”
! “Cork and latex left overs were
reground and reused.”
! “Birkenstock talked about
repair, and even offered do-it-
yourself kits”
! “Carl was always concerned
about workers and their
environment.”
! “Birkenstock allowed us to talk
to employees. Frequent visits to
factory demonstrated synergies
between workers and
commerce.”
! “Birkenstock customers in the
early years were more aware of
environmental impact, and
comfort. Customers today know
that they last longer and over
time they are less expensive.”
7. Cork Bark
Cork bark and uses
• Cork trees hold ground water
providing cover and shade for
smaller plants and animals.
• Over 60% of cork production is
from Portugal and Spain.
• Cork trees are an important basis
for traditional agricultural and
farming economies.
• Cork bark can be peeled away and
it will grow back in 9 to 10 years.
• Leftovers from the bottle cork
stamping process are ground down
in various sizes and then sorted by
quality.
8. Jute
Jute Plant
! Jute is a rain-fed crop with
little need for fertilizer or
pesticides.
! Bangladesh and India are the
top growers of Jute.
! Jute needs a plain alluvial soil
and standing water. The
suitable climate for growing
jute (warm and wet) is offered
by the monsoon climate,
during the monsoon season.
9. Latex
Latex Being Harvested
! Natural Latex protects plants
from Herbivores.
! Commercial Latex rubber is
produced by the Hevea
brasilienesis rubber tree and
is the protective fluid
contained beneath the bark.
! Hevea trees mature at five to
seven years of age and can be
tapped for up to 30 years.
! More than 90% of the total
world production of natural
rubber comes from Asia.
10. Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA)
EVA sole material
! EVA has become an
environmental concern
because of its poor
biodegradability.
! Recycling and composting are
two major proposed solutions
to end-of-life management.
! Birkenstock claims that Left-
over EVA from the sole
production process is broken
down and further processed
for use in children’s
playgrounds, sport fields and
sound barriers along freeways.
11. Leather and Synthetic
Uppers
Leather Hide
! Leather is a by-product of the
meat industry. Animals are not
killed for hide.
! Synthetic Birkenstocks are
also offered, and account for a
large percentage of the
company’s revenues.
! Wool felt is 100% natural.
12. Packaging
Birkenstock Box
! Birkenstock footwear is
packaged in boxes made of
90% recycled paper and
printed with inks that are
environmentally friendly.
! Stringent recycling and waste
laws in Germany mandate that
the manufacturer is
responsible for all the
packaging components and
their recyclability.
13. Repair vs. Replace
Repairable Components
! Most components in a
Birkenstock shoe are
repairable or replaceable.
! Lengthens the usable lifespan
of the product.
! Re-use rather than recycle.
! Provides employment for
trained repair people.
DER GRÜNE PUNKT
14. Factory and Workers
Conditions-
Birkenstock Assembly
! Most products made in Germany
! Birkenstock workers are paid
above the average industry wage.
! Pays workers' commuting costs,
and gives free shoes to
employees.
! Small teams whose members
willingly swap jobs with each
other.
! Heat that would normally be
wasted is used to heat the cork
footbed drying plant, through
which each cork footbed travels.
15. Retail Partners and the
Supply Chain
Birkenstock Licensed ‘Name Store’
! Early attempts to sell
Birkenstock to traditional shoe
stores failed, so a new retail
model was used, partnering
with small independent retail
health food stores.
! Annual educational sessions for
retailers and employees are held
at Birkenstock HQ, to help
retailers in marketing, sales and
business matters.
! Supply chain designed for
frequent small orders,
minimizing retailer financial
commitments.
17. Intelligentsia Coffee and Tea
History
! Founded in 1995 by Doug Zell and Emily
Mange
! 10 retail locations, Chicago, Los Angeles
and New York
! 2 Roasting Facilities and 2 training labs
! Works with over 70 co-ops and farmers in
19 countries
! Direct to Consumer Retail and E-com
Wholesale - Whole Foods, Restaurants
18. Q & A with Matt Riddle
3 generations of farmers from El Tambor in Guatemala
Q: Regarding sustainability and
the environment, what
responsibility does Intelligentsia
have to the consumer?
A: “Transparency throughout the
entire process, starting with a
sourcing model in which we
work closely with growers. Work
that intentionally delivers a
higher quality product by
increasing the knowledge base
of farmers.” ”This, in turn
improves the Farmer’s standard
of living.”
19. Q & A with Matt Riddle
4 Acre Estate in Nyeri, Kenya
Q: Does Intelligentsia follow any
specific sustainability philosophy
(Cradle to Cradle, Biomimicry)?
A: Sustainability towards what the
farmer is doing. Observational
experience based on bio-diversity of
growth area. Monitor erosion, water
usage. Make sure that cherry pulp is re-
used for compost. We visit twice a
year.
USDA certification is expensive and
time-consuming for grower. 3 years to
get certified. Certifications are narrow
and many don’t take into account how
it improves the quality of coffee.
Quality complements environmental
stewardship.
20. Q: What are the key areas
involving sustainability that
Intelligentsia excels in?
A: Impact in coffee producing
countries. Growing together
doesn’t just effect one farmer,
but it effects the work force and
town and has an exponential
effect on the way people are
treating their land. We believe in
long term relationships and are
there for the growers when times
are tough.
Reko washing station in the Kochere region of Ethiopia
Q & A with Matt Riddle
21. Q: How does the coffee farmer
or tea grower figure into the
sustainability of coffee/tea
production and the
environmental impact of coffee
growing?
A: Growers fuel all of the efforts.
Grower pesticides can have a
huge effect on surrounding
towns and populations.
Coopedota – Costa Rica
Q & A with Matt Riddle
22. “We use information from each country to educate
farmers in other countries. Our ‘Annual Extraordinary
Coffee Workshop’ shares ideas between growers.”
Ahuachapán region, El Salvador El Paradiso farm on the Finca Matalapa estate
Drying on tables versus flat concrete or patios. improvement in
quality of flavor profiles. Less labor.
23. Roaster at Intelligentsia, Chicago
Q: What else does Intelligentsia
do to lessen it’s environmental
impact?
A: When shipping coffee from
originating country, instead of
palatalization at origin, now we
load directly into a container
and unload in Chicago. Send
shipments to regional areas
based on need. We roast full
batches of coffee so that
electricity is not wasted. Donate
jute bags to local farmers for
soil and erosion control as well
as compost.
Q & A with Matt Riddle
24. Jute Coffee Bag with Gas Permeable Liner
Q: Is there another key area of
sustainability that Intelligentsia
focuses on?
A: Infrastructure. Use a
permeable bulk bag to maintain
quality for longer period of time.
Developing a 100% recycled
store footprint.
Little things add up over time.
Q & A with Matt Riddle
25. Q: What action would
Intelligentsia like from their
consumer’s?
A: Research more. Be more
knowledgeable about what you
are purchasing. Organic is not
just the only factor to look into.
Don’t fall into the organic trap.
Q & A with Matt Riddle
26. Intelligentsia – HQ Chicago
Q: Can Intelligentsia continue to
grow whilst maintaining a
commitment to sustainability?
A: We think so. A lot of the
farmer’s that we work with work
with other companies, but they
know that we will be consistent
in our offers. That builds trust
and loyalty.
Definitely, there is room for
growth while maintaining
quality.
Q & A with Matt Riddle
28. One Laptop per Child
10-inch OLPC XO Tablet
! It’s not a laptop project. It’s an education
project
! In 2002, MIT Professor Nicholas
Negroponte experienced first-hand how
connected laptops transformed the lives
of children and their families in a remote
Cambodian village.
! The One Laptop Per Child Association has
distributed 2.5 million of the original XO
Laptop in 60 countries, and is now
launching the a new $150 OLPC tablet in
the US as well as in developing countries
such as Uruguay, Cambodia and
Barbados.
! Centered around the idea of aspirational
"dreams", the main screen is organized
around topics rather than applications. A
clear hierarchy of information makes tiers
of learning within each dream easy to
follow and access.
29. See Better to Learn Better
– Augen Optics
Eyeglasses from Augen Optics
! "See Better to Learn Better" is a free
eyeglasses program in partnership
with the Mexican government and
Augen Optics. A collection of
customizable and iconic corrective
eyewear that is specifically designed
for students, ages 6-18 years old.
! Children receiving these glasses
need frames that are durable,
ergonomic and have key
customization elements like shape
and color that make wearing the
glasses fun and personal. The
glasses are designed to be worn
beyond the classrooms utilizing
advanced plastics, with hyper-
flexible properties, making them
practically indestructible.
30. Clever Little Bag - Puma
Eyeglasses from Augen Optics
! The challenge was to look at one of the most
difficult and stagnant issues facing the retail
industry in regards to sustainability and
environmental harm: packaging, and more
specifically shoeboxes.
! Boxes contribute to millions of tons of waste
a year and even with proposed second uses,
they are eventually thrown out.
! Through diagrams, photographs and
interviews fuseproject documented and
mapped the supply chain, indicating key
requirements and areas for improvement at
each step.
! Rooted in these insights, fuseproject designed
an innovative solution called the ‘clever little
bag’, which saves 20 million megajoules of
electricity, 1 million liters of water, 500,000
liters of diesel fuel (lighter weight), and 8,500
tons of paper per year. At the same time, the
solution is reusable for the consumer, and
fully recyclable at the end of its life.
31. Whole World Water - WWW
WWW On-site Filtered Water
! WHOLE WORLD Water is a
Campaign designed to unite the
Hospitality and Tourism
Industry on a non-competitive
platform to eradicate the issue
of planet-wide availability to
clean water.
! Whole World Water replaces
high-priced imported waters in
hotels with filtered on-site
reusable bottles, with 10% of
proceeds going to important
water programs that benefit the
1 billion people without access
to safe and clean water.
