Thanks to the cajoling of some of my best friends, I'm working on a MSFT case competition this weekend. You can read more about it here: http://blogs.msdn.com/firenze/. Teams participating from the Johnson School were asked to address a case surrounding environmental sustainability for the enterprise--a pretty lofty topic.
Through an entrepreneurial lens, the most interesting aspect of this topic is undoubtedly new product design, product line extension, and product augmentation. The arena of sustainability is no longer concerned simply with overlaying eco-friendly ideas atop pre-existing business models; it's about developing new business models to take advantage of opportunities created by awareness of issues surrounding sustainability.
Did you know, for example, that Coke is making apparel out of recycled bottles? Apparently, it's a 15 million dollar business. Check out the case study here: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/products_case_studies.html. Hats off to the team of innovators that decided it would be a good idea for Coke to make clothes out of plastic bottles--the idea would have never crossed my mind. The point herein is not that this initiative is the absolute best thing that Coke could be doing for society. Rather, the point is that Coke is making money off a hot trend, which, in the end, is doing more good than harm to our world.
Start-ups abound that focus on sustainability on much deeper levels, from organic food to clean technology, but the opportunity for innovation and profit is far more ubiquitous. Ask Coke.
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