That is the question: Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous green-wash, Or to take Arms against a Sea of plastic, And by opposing end them: to die, to sleep. W. Shakespear (with help)
So I’m thinking Greenward again and took to the Big Green Event at my local cricket stadium, the Ageas Bowl near Southampton.
And what an amazing event it was! The South’s pioneers of the circular economy were there. From large scale waste recyclers to coffee brickette makers. Each with a serious message to deliver. Sometimes more authentic than others, but all completely thought provoking.
We had taxi’s with futuristic Tesla cars charged entirely on power collected from windmills and cow gas!
There were at least 15 stands all claiming to shave 10% off your energy bill! I’d sign up to them all! Amazing green ways to wash floors, ventilate rooms, print stuff, bury some things and manage others!
I was there to present SplashMaps’ latest SplashTex EU sourced recycled map fabric (as you know a world first), to share our story and look for the next retailers and manufacturers to increase demand for fine printed ethical garments, clothes and maps. Know someone? Put them in touch!
And in the centre? A map company! Did you ever stop to think how much “knowing where you are” can save the planet? Well TomTom are putting numbers to it. I met Matthew Vass from their Telematics Team. It was the scary stuff of being able to watch remote staff, check their driving style, energy consumption and wasted (from a work perspective) journeys.
I do think this example of greening, as seen with a few of the businesses there, was a little stretching the “happy by-product” of the technology rather than truly demonstrating the potential of big data on our habits. However, there is no doubt about how the telematic systems in our cars have the ability to shape our behavior as drivers.
I was most impressed with Suez. A waste management business busting it’s own business model to stay relevant in the world. Mid way through a 30 year plan the business already makes more money from energy generated from waste than it does from burying rubbish for people. There’s a clear vision toward a future where people manage and execute their own waste disposal and a nice analogy with the Ice making industry (well, you had to be there…). With so many bi-products and paradigm shifts, the company even celebrates its role as a fly manufacturer, by “harvesting” maggots as high protein animal feed!
Appropriately the SplashMaps SplashTex chart of Southampton water was won by Brittany Ferries! Enjoy that chart and the first ever maps made from EU sourced recycled map fabric!
Know anyone that wants to help reduce bottles in the ocean with fine print garments and maps? Put us in contact!
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