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Quick Guide to the New ISO Circular Economy Standards

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Quick Guide to ISO Circular Economy Standards
 

The new ISO Circular Economy 59000 series of standards is a game-changer for businesses transitioning from a linear to a circular economy. These standards provide the framework, tools and business procedures necessary to enact and measure the circular economy.

On May 22, 2024, The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released the hotly anticipated set of three new standards for implementing and measuring the Circular Economy (CE). There will be more to come, but these first three are the foundational tools for enacting business circularity.

I don’t think I’m the only one who got very excited to see the contents of this first set of global circular economy standards. I was particularly inspired by the focus on systems thinking and design as key aspects of enacting CE, as these have been two features of sustainability that I have been promoting and teaching through the UnSchool for over a decade.

For those of us working to advance a circular and sustainable future, it’s been a very busy time, with lots of new regulations, especially in the European Union (EU), such as the new Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, and a massive increase in engagement and uptake by companies. So I dedicated the last couple of months to diving deep into the standards, synthesizing the key features and processes outlined within them in order to develop new graphics and put together this article as a detailed quick guide of the circular economy ISO standards.

We need companies to start activating these and for sustainability professionals to be well-versed in their features to support the transition. So, alongside this summary article, we have included more detailed content in our new Level 3 Circular Futures online training program, and I will be running a 2-week live online training in November.

About the new ISO Circular Economy Standards

The three new ISO Circular Economy standards are:

 
 

These new standards are a critical part of the maturation of the Circular Economy, as we now have universal frameworks for defining, measuring, reporting and enacting circular economy principles in business. Before these, businesses had to muddle their way through different options for validating CE initiatives. There have been significant contributions to this in the past, such as the Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, Circulytics by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). Still, many have also resorted to developing their own assessments and reporting methods, which came with a lack of rigor and transparency and often resulted in a non-science-based approach to CE.

 
 

What’s critical with any sustainability initiative is that it’s based on solid impact assessment methods and that data is collected throughout the transformation process in order to make measurable and quantifiable improvements. Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) are the best-practice method for products and services (mentioned throughout the new CE standards), and companies’ operations and supply chains can be assessed through reputable impact assessment approaches. However, there has generally been a scarcity of clarity on what approaches for enacting CE best fit a business, making it hard to determine if what a company has done is achieving measurable circularity and ensuring that claims made are indeed beneficial for the social, economic and environmental aspects of sustainability (this is also one of the key requirements of the standards).

Now, thanks to these new CE ISO standards (and the several additional ones in development), a uniform approach can be replicated. The guidance laid out in them also enables businesses to truly expand their circular ambitions, adopt a systems thinking foundation and ensure that they measure their impacts whilst aiming for high-level CE solutions.

Like anything that has to be universal, there will be some sacrifices and watering down to allow for widespread adoption. But the fact that we now have these in hand means that we can get to work on expanding the circular economy with clarity over which terms, approaches and methods best advance circularity.

 
“The ISO 59000 family of standards is intended to harmonize the understanding of the circular economy and to support its implementation and measurement.”
— ISO

This article provides a detailed summary, but there is a lot more to share. So, I have designed a 2-week live online training program to fully unpack what each entails. I’ve done a lot of the hard work in deciphering and synthesizing these so I can seamlessly share them with interested parties and help advance the knowledge set of sustainability practitioners and business leaders who want to ensure they are at the forefront of the CE standards adoption.

Sign up for the program here >

What Makes the Circular Economy So Critical?

Circular solutions are integral to transforming how we produce goods and services, eliminating waste, stopping excess resource use, regenerating nature and ensuring a sustainable future.

Indeed, the key goals of the circular economy are to eliminate waste, make things last longer, and ensure that all extraction and production processes are regenerative. We can achieve this by designing products and services that prioritize reuse, are intentionally designed to last longer, have multiple lives, and can be easily repaired/recaptured for remanufacturing so as not to pollute nature or negatively impact the systems we need to sustain us all.

In short, the circular economy ensures that we are working within the boundaries of the planet. It is a remedy to the current extractive and exploitative linear economy, which ignores consumption’s negative impacts on the environment. There is a progressive global movement to transition economies from linear to circular, with businesses pioneering new models that adopt this and governments mandating new initiatives and goals that enable CE at scale.

The circular economy is designed to be a positive force on the planet, where all players along a value chain take responsibility for their actions (known as product stewardship or extended producer responsibility). Indeed, through good design and leveraging the many different CE approaches, we can meet human needs in more sustainable ways and shift our relationship with nature so that we value the materials and resources that come from it all whilst removing waste and pollution at scale.

With that in mind, let’s unpack the new ISO circular economy standards and how they’ll be instrumental in organizational sustainability.

A quick note on this guide: I have synthesized the standards to create a reference for those wanting to know more about how they can advance CE in their business. We offer more extensive training on CE via a 3-part program, from introductory to advanced, and strongly advise that anyone who wants to significantly improve their capacity in this space based on a scientific approach consider upskilling through training and purchase a copy of the standards to review the internal details that we can’t share due to copyright.

 

Overview of the Three ISO Circular Economy Standards

 
 

While each standard offers unique standalone guidance, all three essentially work together.

The first one (59004) details six CE principles that form the basis for the other standards; it also creates a universal lexicon by defining key terms and offers a stepped approach to implementing CE. The other two main standards refer back to the concepts and terms defined in 59004.

The second standard (59010) shares how to transition organizations to circular models through guidance on value and network transitions, and the third (59020) details and enables measurable outcomes by providing information on impact assessment methods related to CE.

There are also several connected standards and technical papers that are in development:

 

ISO 59040: Circular Economy: Product Circularity Data Sheet (provides a framework for organizations to measure and assess circularity)

Together, the suite of ISO 59000 standards provides a framework for assessing, implementing and reporting on CE at different scales and enables companies to employ robust, measurable and transparent CE initiatives. Companies in the European Union will also need to comply with the new Ecodesign Regulation and follow the guidance in the ESRS5 when reporting under the CSRD requirements. Thankfully, there is a lot of crossover between these standards and the new ISO standards.

Let’s take a look at each of the three main standards in more detail.

ISO 59004: Circular economy — Vocabulary, principles and guidance for implementation

This overarching standard introduces six fundamental circular economy principles that are the foundations for all other aspects of the standards:

 

Additionally, the old R levels are expanded to include more R’s (plus a couple of C’s!): refuse, rethink, circular sourcing, reduce, repair, reuse, refurbish, remanufacture, repurpose, cascade, recycle, recover energy, and re-mine. These are referred to as “resource management actions” and enable the foundational application of CE.

The list provided in ISO 59004 on resource management forms the foundation for all of the standards. We have summarized the list provided into this graphic with our interpretations of the actions on the left.

 
 

This standard provides several key recommendations on how to enact CE, including:

  • Ensuring that considerations are made at the early stages of the design and development of a solution/product so that the designs create the highest CE outcomes for minimizing resource use and waste production, referred to as losses and releases (Check out our Sustainable Design course)

  • Applying a life cycle approach throughout the design process (We also have a course on life cycle thinking and assessment that you can take here)

  • Embedding systems thinking as a crucial foundation to CE (in fact, it is listed first in the 6 key CE principles!) I’ve written loads on this topic; Start with 6 Fundamental Concepts of Systems Thinking and take our Systems Thinking course here

  • Collaborating to improve transparency and identify opportunities to add, retain and recover value, as well as to track and manage resources with stakeholders in the value chain

  • Understanding and measuring the “stocks and flows” relevant to any activities performed by the organization. Stocks and flows are the inputs and outputs and the way they move through the system. This terminology is from systems dynamics (take my 30 Days of Systems Thinking course to learn more about this).

  • Optimizing production processes to enable product and resource circulation and to adopt the principle of resource stewardship

There are also specific recommendations for engaging with behavior change and for enacting design for circularity, as well as circular sourcing, circular procurement and process optimization.

Another major part of ISO 59004 is that key circular economy terms are defined.

 
 
 

The terms “value creation model” and “value creation networks” refer to how an organization makes money and adds value to society and the supply chain within which the company exists. Both of these must be transformed if a business is to move from linear to circular, and they are used throughout all the standards.

What the definitions help to demonstrate is just how we are shifting our thinking about key aspects of the circular transformation and the role that business plays in this. Whilst these are all terms used widely in the sustainability movement, the provision of definitions in relation to how they apply to CE helps to provide us all with a foundation to build from.

The body of ISO 59004 dedicates several sections to defining an implementation model, which we have summarized in this process flow diagram below. The implementation model is an overarching approach, and in the next standard (59010), there is a specific process of business CE strategy development.

The appendix of 59004 offers a long list of actions businesses can take to implement CE at scale (we provide a much more detailed exploration of these in our Circular Economy Level 3 course).

These actions are referred back to in the other standards; they form a foundational part of the business strategy and value model that a company develops and assesses as part of its circular transformation.

In summary, ISO 59004 is designed as a functional and foundational starting point, defining the universal CE principles, sharing definitions of key terms in relation to enacting CE and providing guidance for implementing CE. The other two standards refer back to this standard to provide all of the important background information.

“Adherence to ISO 59004 enables organizations to create and share more value within society while ensuring the quality and resilience of ecosystems, ultimately supporting a sustainable future.”
— ISO

ISO 59010: Circular economy — Guidance on the transition of business models and value networks

This standard is designed to provide clarity on how an organization transitions its business model and operations to the circular economy. It details a business-oriented methodology laid out as guidelines for transforming an organization of any size from linear to circular as an actual actionable business strategy.

The document is laid out across the following key stages of circularization:

  • Setting goals and boundary

  • Determining a Circular Economy Strategy

  • Transitioning the value creation model

  • Transitioning the value networks

  • Reviewing and monitoring for continuous improvement

The Circular Business Strategy Framework

ISO 59010 details several stages in a Circular Business Strategy (CBS). This process is summarized in the graphic we produced below, and the recommendation in the standard is that it can be applied to any size business or organization from any industry or region.

As the graphic demonstrates, the first stage for a business is to set clear CE goals before moving on to the next stage, determining a strategy that identifies the opportunities and risks. Then comes the transformation of the value creation model (this is the business model and involves considering all the “R” levels that apply to your business — but the R levels mentioned above are actually called resource management actions) and transformation of the value network (which is your supply chain and the role you play within it) before the final stage, reviewing and monitoring, in which you would connect to the measurement guidelines provided in ISO 59020.

Detailing the CE Transition Process

When defining your CE goals, you need to be specific about what you want to achieve in the transition from linear to circular. For example, this can relate to reducing waste/resource flows, improving regenerative practices or extending product life. This will set you up for effective measurement and ensure you have clear goals that influence the rest of your transition process.

Once the goal(s) are set, the company needs to understand the current value creation model and the value network that it exists within. The best way to do this is to map the system that it exists within and continues to operate within (recommendations for doing this are provided in the standard’s appendix, and we offer courses on how to do this as well. See our Intro to Systems Mapping course at the UnSchool and Circular Futures training).

The standard defines these 9 business model elements that the company needs to reflect and define CE in relation to. We have developed a detailed checklist and worksheet for companies to run through in line with the questions and prompts provided in the standard (available to our Workshop participants).

Next up is setting the boundaries for what you will be addressing when it comes to circularity and then understanding your current performance in reaction to CE.

One important thing to understand about the ISO standards (and something I’m personally VERY happy about) is that it’s based on systems thinking, so many of the approaches and terms from systems dynamics are used to provide the guidelines for moving through a CE business strategy.

In this goal-setting stage, you are not just thinking about what you want to achieve but also establishing what is going on within your business system and the network that your system exists within. The maps you produce should identify how resources come in and out of your system, informing the goals you wish to set. This also sets you up for the measurement and assessment processes outlined in ISO 59020.

Some key terms to understand when doing this:

  • Business System: The scope in which your business operates and how you define your business as a system.

  • System Boundary: The framework in which you define a system. This can be a physical boundary, such as a factory site, or an intangible one, such as a cultural practice.

  • Resource Inflows: These are the resources that flow into your system. They are usually materials and should be identified by their type and whether they are renewable, regenerative, or renewable. For the purpose of measurement in the standards, water and energy are addressed in separate categories, but all other resources that enter your business system are accounted for here.

  • Resource Outflows: An outflow is what exists in your business system. This will include products produced, waste, byproducts and secondary materials. Everything except water and energy are accounted for in this category.

Activating the Transition: Design for Circularity

Design for Circularity (DfC) is detailed as a significant part of the CE business strategy. It involves a product and service creation approach that ensures all design aspects facilitate the wider CE value creation model.

The standard provides extensive guidance on this, including advancing designs that integrate repair, are easily maintained, allow for refurbishment, and can be remanufactured, upgraded, or reused. These designs minimize resource use and prolong product lifetime.

One of the key goals with DfC is to optimize the number of loops or cycles the product/material goes through to actively avoid waste and reduce material use. DfC is based on a systems perspective. This means that the product is not created in isolation but instead designed within the broader systems context, and the specifics of how it exists in the world, specific locations/cultures, etc., are all taken into account when it is created. I’ve also written a couple of handbooks that cover how to do this. Check out Circular Systems Design and Swivel to Sustainability for practical tips.

The standard specifies the following in relation to DfC’s systems perspective: preventing the use or release of substances that can harm human health and ecosystem resilience; considering the full sustainability aspects throughout the life of the product; and exploring new relationships with customers, suppliers and partners to design a suitable value creation model. This approach takes a full life cycle perspective.

Taking Action: Determining a CE strategy

A CE strategy lays out the goals and approaches that your organization will take to enact CE. This should be based on the six circular economy principles identified in 59004 and developed based on the organization’s purpose, vision, mission, identified gaps and opportunities; its need to reposition within the value chain or the value network; its need to expand its sphere of influence; and its desire to achieve a transition towards a more circular value creation model. Again, the concept of a sphere of influence is something we have been teaching at the UnSchool for a decade, and we have many practical tools for exploring and enacting this, like this 10-day Micro Course, Activating your Agency).

Think about your role within the system you are operating within and the opportunity for you to transition your value network towards full circularity. This will involve resource sharing and stewardship, collaboration, traceability and waste minimization.

From the standards perspective, this is about setting up the framework for long-term sustainability by identifying what is needed to achieve your value proposition now and into the future through CE. Your strategy development needs to include long-term resource availability and impact considerations. There are many suggestions made in the standards and we have created checklists to support ease of engagement (available to our workshop participants).

In summary, ISO 59010 is a detailed look at the steps needed for any sized company to transition its entire business model and value chain from linear to circular. It provides specific guidance on how to do this and focuses on the critical role design plays in achieving CE. All businesses should look at this standard and follow the steps when doing a CE transition.

ISO 59020: Circular economy — Measuring and assessing circularity performance

ISO 59020 is structured to provide specific guidance on how to measure and assess circularity at different regional, organizational, product and inter-organizational levels through methods such as:

  • Defining the “system in focus” for assessment

  • Overseeing targets and actions (of reduction, repair, reuse, recycling),

  • Measuring resource flows (including inflows, outflows, and losses)

  • Assessing sustainability impacts (in social, environmental, and economic systems)

The standard underscores the importance of data collection and analysis by always considering key indicators of circularity, such as the utilization of resources like materials, energy and water. The standard provides these indicators along with the formulas for measuring and appropriate reporting techniques.

The Assessment Framework

The framework for assessment outlines that initially, a context for the assessment needs to be set (this is the system being measured, the CE goals of the organization and any complementary methods that will be used) and is referred to as the “system in focus”.

The former two standards are referred to as the foundations for setting the goals and context for the assessment.

Then, three stages are progressed through:

  1. Boundary setting (defining the system in focus, timeframe and level of the system)

  2. Circularity data acquisition and measurement (select indicators and measure against these)

  3. Assessment and reporting

We produced this graphic to show the steps and elements of these three stages.

The guidelines specify a process of assessment that starts with defining the organization’s goals and then setting a scope of assessment (a system in focus) and a timeframe for the assessment (referred to as temporal state). This is all in relation to CE and sustainability goals. At all stages, the user group, target audience and interested parties are considered.

Some key terms and concepts outlined in this standard:

Circularity measurement requires data acquisition and methods of obtaining and reporting against indicators, which is what this standard lays out the formulas and methods for.

A circularity indicator is a quantitative or qualitative measure of a circularity aspect. From the perspective of the standard, these include mandatory and optional indicators. Below is a table of the mandatory and optional CE indicators.

Resource flows are measured based on internal and external processes, such as what happens inside your scope of assessment and what is external to that. For example, if you are producing a complex product, there are likely many external impacts and flows that you are not accountable for but are critical to your product.

Resource inflows are measured to quantify four types of content and have to add up to 100%:

  • Percentage of reused content

  • Percentage of recycled content

  • Percentage of virgin, renewable content

  • Percentage of virgin, non-renewable content

In summary, ISO 59020 is more complex than the others, as it offers a robust explanation of circularity indicators, a measurement process and the assessment criteria for validating and reporting on circularity at different levels, from product to organizational to regional. Anyone working to justify their CE performance needs to understand these methods so they can set up appropriate data acquisition and ensure they have been making decisions in line with preferable CE outcomes.

To purchase the standards from the ISO, go here.

Conclusion

Needless to say, this is a complex and detailed arena, and even with my many years of experience and expertise in CE, I had to invest a considerable amount of time to unpack and synthesize the specifics of each of the standards. Now that I have, I am even more fond of them! They really do offer clarity and the specifics that enable businesses of any shape or size to follow a process of transformation, set up data acquisition systems and report effectively on their CE performance.

I’m excited to get started in helping companies apply these to their business and ensure they have the right thinking tools and systems to deliver high-value CE outcomes. If that sounds like something your organization is up for, reach out and contact me, as I’m looking for some interesting case studies to work on.

If you too want to be ahead of the pack on this, join my 2-week Live Online training this November 8th/12th/15th/19th, 12–2pm EST / 5–7pm UK for the 4 sessions.

 

Get in touch if you are interested in private training programs to advance your skill set or activate CE within your company.

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10 Highlights from 10 Years of The UnSchool

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It’s been 10 years since I had a crazy idea to start an experimental knowledge lab for adults who wanted to help change the world, and what an incredible decade it has been! 

The UnSchool was born of a need to share systems, sustainability and design as tools for making change. It started in New York City in 2014 and was built by hundreds of people who came to engage, learn, share and create as we ran experimental workshops, events and fellowships, first in New York and then around the world. The UnSchool began with no funding, a tiny team and a lot of passion. And today, at 10 years old, we have morphed and grown and adapted and evolved. We even set up a farm and a not-for-profit for a few years!

 
 

The UnSchool always wanted to be a provocative and positively disruptive force driving change to help address some of the world's most complex problems through using a systems approach to creative interventions. I created the Disruptive Design Method (DDM) to support creative people in activating their agency and effecting change within their sphere of influence. Everything we have done has been about advancing science-led sustainability in its full sense of the word, taking social, economic and environmental action to ensure an equitable, regenerative and nature-positive future. 

Over the last ten years, we have done some very cool, creative and collaborative things, here are just some of the highlights: 

  1. We ran 10 fellowship programs in nine countries for over 300 people, with the last one taking place in Kuching. Watch the recap below!

 
 

2. We’ve made 10 free toolkits and have had thousands of people download and use them.

3. We have had 30,000+ people take our online courses.

4. We collaborated with the United Nations to make the Anatomy of Action. 

5. We restored and ran an abandoned farm in rural Portugal into a brain spa and living learning lab and hosted summer camps, educator training, community open days, creative residencies and immersive sustainability workshops for hundreds of people workshops on the farm. 

 
 

6. We have had our unique methods, such as the DDM, picked up and used by academic institutions around the world (positively disrupting the education system!).

7. We have seen our alumni grow their impact and capacity to make change all over the world.

8. We’ve given away more than $500,000 in scholarships. 

9. We have always adopted an approach to sustainability and climate action that is future positive, solutions oriented and practically activating. We believe in the possibility of creating a future that works better for all of us, and we see the missing link being the number of dedicated people who have the knowledge and skills to contribute to the change we need, in whatever capacity and agency they have. Check out our alumni stories to learn more about this impact and watch the recap of our first very Fellowship in NYC to see how it all began!

 
 

10. We have tried and tested many things, failed first, then adapted and adjusted our processes and methods. We have experimented, laughed, cried, hugged and rejoiced. There have been all the highs and lows of an unfunded startup built on passion and grit, but most of all, there has been change. 

So, what’s next for the unschool?

On our five-year birthday, I wrote this article saying I wanted The UnSchool to be obsolete at year 10 because I’d hoped that after a decade, we would have sufficiently inspired enough transformation around education, systems thinking, science-led sustainability and agency development.

I am confident that we have helped make this happen in many ways, but there is still a lot more work to be done, especially when it comes to transforming the design industry and the role that we each play as citizen designers in constructing the future we want to live in. 

So, we are doing a big rejig of all our initiatives, building new tools, making more free stuff and listening to what people need to help them activate their agency to make change in their profession and part of the world. We will, for now, keep creating tools that help people make change. Most recently, we released a free Eco-Anxiety toolkit as we started to hear and see the impact that burnout and climate anxiety are having on change-makers and people bearing the brunt of a changing climate. We are working on a report that details the responses from our design transformation survey and are about to launch a detailed workshop on the new ISO standards for the circular economy (sign up here). 

 
 

But we also want to hear from you — what do you need to help you make change? 

To make it fun (and UnSchool it), we created a quiz that, of course, involves prizes! It's part treasure hunt, part personal experience reflection, part funny questionnaire. Your total score gets you credit for UnSchools online to get whatever courses or handbooks you want — up to $500 USD! 

Please Note: The quiz is open for 10 days, so be sure to complete it by 11:59pm EST on 15 Sep 2024 to get your UnSchools Online credit.

 
 

I can’t tell you if the UnSchool will be around in 2, 5 or 10 more years. But I, for one, am committed to continuing to create things that evolve and adapt to the complex ecosystem we are all a part of — things that support agents within this system to be equipped to effect positive change, overcome inertia and contribute to crafting a world that works better for all of us.

 
“This is how we change the world. We connect the dots, do the work, love the problems at play, find the connections that breed the places to intervene. We collaborate and test, explore and fail productively. We find joy in the challenges, and we challenge ourselves to be contributors, not just extractors. This is how we change the world with the intent to make it work better for all of us.

Design systems change.”
— Leyla Acaroglu
 
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3 Scientific Methods for Assessing Humanity's Impact on the Planet

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At The UnSchool, we have been anti-celebrating Earth Overshoot Day for several years now. It’s been fascinating to watch the significant rise in collective awareness of just how urgent the need to redesign our economy, production processes and consumption practices is if we are to reverse the destruction of ecosystems, climate and communities. 

It was in the 1970s when we really started to understand that human activity has significant impacts on the Earth. Over the last four decades, the scientific community has invested significantly in developing rigorous methods of examining the causal relationship between human activities and ecological impact. 

Three scientific methods help us all understand our own individual impacts, collective consumption effects, and the ecological boundaries that Earth has. 

Today we are sharing three leading scientific methods for assessing impacts that allow us to gain insights at the personal, product and economic level to go from impact to action: 

  1. Ecological Footprints and Earth Overshoot: Ecological Footprints can be used to assess individual lifestyle choice impacts, as well as collective city, country and global impacts on biodiversity. This method is used to determine when Earth Overshoot Day occurs, which is the date each year in which we exceed Earth's capacity to sustain us, based on collective consumption habits. And for many parts of the world, that is today (Aug. 1st)! 

  2. Planetary Boundaries: Developed by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, the Planetary Boundaries method looks at the Earth’s limits in relation to 9 key planetary systems and warns of the snowball effects that could occur if we exceed these. The science is used to show global health and has included such methods as the Doughnut Economy. 

  3. Life Cycle Assessment: A method of assessing the whole-of-life environmental impacts of a product or service, Life Cycle Assessments look at the interactions between all aspects of a product’s life in relation to its actions in the economy. This method is now an underlying element of environmental product declarations and is also the method towards using digital product passports to communicate sustainability across value chains. 

In this article, we’ll explore each of these in more detail. If you are interested in diving deeper into these methods in relation to your business decision-making, we offer professional training for these concepts. 

Check out our online courses “Ecological Footprint Methods” and “Life Cycle Assessment and Thinking”, each at the reduced rate of $59 USD.

 
 

Ecological Footprints and Earth Overshoot 

Every year humanity consumes more resources than the Earth can replenish. This is the definition of unsustainability. As we go into ecological deficit year after year, we consume the resources needed to maintain a healthy system that can sustain and carry all living things on this beautiful planet. 

Each year on World Environment Day (June 5th), the Global Footprint Network announces when Earth Overshoot Day falls in the current calendar year. The date moves around depending on many factors, but the method of assessment essentially looks at the global biocapacity of the Earth and the collective consumption rate of humans. Then a date is calculated for when we have used up the available resources for that year. After that date, we are in ecological deficit, eating into the future generation’s resources. 

 
“Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. We maintain this deficit by liquidating stocks of ecological resources and accumulating waste, primarily carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
”
— Earth Overshoot Day Website
 

In the 1970s, it typically fell around New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31st). That was the last time we lived within Earth’s carrying capacity; now, Earth Overshoot Day is often held in July or August, which means we use up all our allocated resources just over halfway through the year.  

This year, Earth Overshoot Day falls on August 1, 2024. The chart below shows how the date has moved up earlier and earlier each year since it was first calculated in 1971.

 
 

The Ecological Footprint Methodology allows for an assessment of the impacts of an individual, product, company, country, and even the entire planet. Developed in the 1990s, it’s a well-respected means of assessing and understanding the ecological impacts of actions, as well as providing the base data for the bi-annual Living Footprint Report.  

The Footprint Method looks at many “impact categories,” which are areas of our daily lives that impact the planet — like the food we eat, how we move around our communities, and the kinds of houses we live in. All our actions have impacts, and where we live also changes the size of our footprint as different countries have different amounts of biologically productive land. If you live in a colder country, for example, you often have to import food from a warmer country to accommodate your population’s needs. 

 
 
 

This is measured against biocapacity, which is the ability of areas to continuously renew resources or be regenerated. Carrying capacity refers to the ability for a country or ecosystem to sustain or support the population that lives there. This can be for humans and non-human species as well. This term comes from biology and refers to the number of organisms that can survive to the resources within an ecosystem. Ecosystems can't sustain themselves for too long when an overpopulation exploits all the available resources. The result is population decline or collapse; a population can only grow until it reaches the carrying capacity of the environment. 

Resource requirements are measured through global hectares (GHA), and a country or city is considered unsustainable if its demand for natural resources is greater than what it can supply itself. Most modern economies are unsustainable.

 
 

The Ecological Footprint method allows us to see how individual actions accumulate to have big impacts on the natural systems that sustain us. When you do your own ecological footprint, you will be asked to look at your lifestyle choices, which will then draw on the following impact areas:

 
 

The concept allows an average to be made: if everyone on the planet lived as you do, how many planets would we need to sustain them? The global average right now is 1.7 planets. 

Since the 1980s, we have rapidly increased the amount of natural resources that are extracted, used, and wasted; year-on-year, this gets worse.  This means we have a deficit, so we have to find innovative ways to meet our human needs while maintaining and respecting the life support systems that we currently have on Earth. 

One simple goal is to align the red line on this graphic with the green, which represents the Earth's carrying capacity. From this methodology, you can see how we started to expand our understanding of humanity's actions impacting the Earth's ecosystems, which leads us to the next important method, planetary boundaries. 

Planetary Boundaries 

The planet is a complex interdependent system with limitations or boundaries. The atmosphere’s edge is one reasonably obvious boundary, but research conducted by the Stockholm Resilience Centre has defined a set of nine planetary boundaries that are critical to the health and well-being of the planet and, once exceeded, threaten Earth's ability to sustain life. 

  The 9 planetary boundaries include:

  1. Stratospheric ozone depletion

  2. Loss of biosphere integrity (biodiversity loss and extinctions)

  3. Chemical pollution and the release of novel entities

  4. Climate change

  5. Ocean acidification

  6. Freshwater consumption and the global hydrological cycle

  7. Land-system change

  8. Nitrogen and phosphorus flows to the biosphere and oceans

  9. Atmospheric aerosol loading

These demonstrate what we need from nature in order to continue developing and thriving. This planetary boundaries concept shows that there are limits to our actions.  

Late in 2023, a team of scientists was able to quantify the 9 processes that regulate the resilience and stability of the Earth as an entire living system for the first time. 

The concept was first developed by Johan Rockström of the Stockholm Resilience Centre and a team of international scientists in 2009. Rockström says that we have raced past 6 of the 9 planetary boundaries, these being: climate change, biodiversity, deforestation and nitrogen/phosphorus cycle.

“Boundaries are interrelated processes within the complex biophysical Earth system. This means that a global focus on climate change alone is not sufficient for increased sustainability. Instead, understanding the interplay of boundaries, especially climate, and loss of biodiversity, is key in science and practice. ”
— Stockholm Resilience Institute

Watch Rockstrom explain this in detail:

This work also greatly influenced the development of the Doughnut Economics framework developed by economist Kate Raworth. 

Life Cycle Assessment 

Life Cycle Thinking is based on the methodology of product environmental impact assessment known as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). LCA is the scientific process of understanding what impacts occur as a result of the materials/products that move through our economy (it is also sometimes referred to as Life Cycle Analysis, depending on the country you are in). 

LCA is a complex, deeply detailed process of breaking down all of the inputs that go into making something exist and examining the outputs that result. The European Union states that LCAs are the best framework for assessing the environmental impacts of products. 

“LCA is the factual analysis of a product’s entire life cycle in terms of sustainability. Every part of a product’s life cycle – extraction of materials from the environment, the production of the product, the use phase and what happens to the product after it is no longer used – can have an impact on the environment in many ways. With LCA, you can evaluate the environmental impacts of your product or service from the very first to the very last or from cradle to grave. ”
— Pre Sustainability (developers of the LCA software SimaPro)

Data is a crucial component of an LCA, and the outcomes are often as good as the data used for the assessment. As part of the development of an LCA, an inventory is itemized and used to collect data. 

Functional Units, Goal, and Scope of a LCA

Because LCA has a standardized process of assessment, it makes it reliable and transparent. The standards provided by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) are ISO 14040 and 14044; they describe the four main phases of an LCA:

  1. Goal and scope definition

  2. Inventory analysis

  3. Impact assessment

  4. Interpretation

Firstly there is defining the functional unit of what you are assessing. Everything created can be defined by a primary functional unit that often can be quantified as a certain number of units. For coffee cups, it’s carrying a certain amount of hot liquid (the hot part is important as it dictates material quality), for a pen it’s writing x number of pages of text, for transporting humans on roads you could have a car, bus or bike, so to normalize the functional unit across these, you would define it as driving x number of kilometers per day. The LCA always has a clearly defined functional unit that each product being assessed can perform at the same level so that apples are being compared with apples and not apples to bananas. 

A system boundary is then defined. This is a simple explanation of what processes will be included in the study and what will be excluded.  

Then a goal and scope is outlined. This essentially is the framework for what is being studied. The scope sets the boundaries for assessment. So, if you wanted to look at coffee cup options, the scope would define all the processes needed to transform materials into a usable cup and not look at the coffee or the milk or any of the things that go inside it, as it's not part of the goal of the assessment. The goal would outline exactly what is being looked at, the functional unit and why it is being assessed. 

After that, data is collected and assessed and the findings reported. Usually, certain impact categories are selected. and these are then shown as comparisons against the different products assessed. 

This is the image that the ISO standard includes to describe the core stages of an LCA:

 

Scrutinizing LCAs

When reviewing an LCA study, consider who conducted it, where the data came from, and what the goal and scope are (this is always outlined in an LCA). Also, check for the commissioner's vested interests and what functional unit was used for comparison. 

Additional factors, like the age of the study and what variables may not have been taken into account if it’s an older study, are also important to determine the quality of the data. 

The degree of detail that goes into conducting a LCA is pretty intense and rightly should be as thorough as possible. This detail results in more clarity of what’s going on across the entire life of a product, rather than just one area.

Published LCAs allow the wider community to explore the findings, uncover new insights into industrial processes and understand the environmental impacts of everyday products and service delivery.

Connected to LCAs are the use of various forms of the data in other standards, such as ISO 14024 (Type I label), a voluntary, multiple criteria-based, ISO 14021 (Type II label) for any written or spoken environmental claim, ISO 14025 (Type III label) for Product Category Rules (PCRs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). There is also the advancement of digital product passports in the EU, which should include LCA data.

Remember that LCAs should pretty much always be peer-reviewed if the resulting information is to be publicly published. To check out examples and search for LCAs, type SCHOLAR into google (scholar.google.com) and it will come up. Once you are in there, search for things like Paper Cup vs Plastic Cup LCA and you will find quite a bit of data in the abstracts that are publicly available. The UN has a global database of life cycle data you can access here.

Life Cycle Thinking is a streamlined version of thinking about the full life cycle that anyone can do. We explored it in detail in this previous article, and if you want to dive into it in more detail, check out our dedicated “Introduction to Life Cycle Thinking” online course here. 

Anti-Celebrate by Taking Action this Earth Overshoot Day

The Global Footprint Network maintains a fantastic website dedicated solely to Earth Overshoot Day at overshoot.footprint.org. There you’ll find more information about the history of Earth Overshoot Day, resources for calculating your footprint, and the Power of Possibility platform, which “highlights many ways we can improve our resource security in five key areas (healthy planet, cities, energy, food, and population).”

Another way to take action is by checking out the everyday lifestyle choices you can make to reduce your footprint with our UN collaboration, the Anatomy of Action.  Finally, don’t miss the free courses provided by the UN’s Life Cycle Initiative here. 

Looking for online sustainability training?

To learn more about ecological footprinting, check out our online course “Ecological Footprint Methods” on our Swivel Skills online learning platform.

To gain skills in LCA and apply life cycle thinking to product design and development, check out “Life Cycle Assessment and Thinking”, which is also on our Swivel Skills sustainability training platform. 

Each of these courses is just $59 USD and comes with 365 days of access, downloadable worksheets and templates, and a certificate of completion that you can share with your network. 

UnSchool Online has a full course catalog of choices, including our popular Sustainability deep-dive course, also available through our brand new All Access Passes.

 
 
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Part 2: How Does Eco-Anxiety Affect Global Citizens?

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This is Part 2 of a 3-part series. Part 1 is here and is recommended reading before this article. 

Deep, complex emotional reactions to the realities of climate change are an important and natural response to an existential threat, and the way that the resulting eco-anxiety affects people is different. Where someone lives, their socio-economic situation, gender, age, cultural identity and worldview will impact the type and intensity of the feelings held regarding environmental destruction. 

Since the concept first entered the modern lexicon, there has been a significant increase in awareness, with Oxford Languages (2019) recording a 4290% increase in the use of the term eco-anxiety in English-language media sources during 2019 alone. 

In this article, we will explore some of the contextual aspects of climate and eco-anxiety, looking at the diversity of lived experiences and reflecting on our own experiences. The harsh reality of climate change is that many of the most affected communities are not the ones who have contributed to the creation of the issues. There are deep inequalities and systemic issues with all environmental impacts; thus, emotional reactions vary in relation to this. 

Here, an adoption of a climate justice lens and further research into the impact that geographical context has on eco-emotional experiences is needed. This would allow for a more nuanced conversation and exploration of coping and support strategies. 

The research shows that vulnerability to climate anxiety is most prevalent among those who:

 
 

As discussed in Part 1 of this series, there is a difference between feeling anxious about the anticipated effects of the climate crisis and reacting to the current experiences caused by a lived reality of climate change-related losses. 

There is even a new term for this called ”solastalgia”, which is the “distress caused by the transformation, deterioration, and degradation of one’s environment with relevance to the environment-health-place nexus.” Events that can trigger solastalgia include exposure to ecological destruction from prolonged environmental changes such as land clearing, biodiversity loss or forest fires; experiencing extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, or hurricanes; and changes to the built environment such as rapid industrialization or gentrification. This state is directly linked to the experience of your connected environment being transformed in ways that affect your connection to or perception of that space. 

The relationship between loss and grief is well established, so it's no wonder that people feel deep grief and fear when confronted with the destruction of nature, be it by climate-induced disasters or human-made systems. The knowledge of loss, even if not experienced directly, can be triggering, as it presents a trend that one can assume will lead to greater losses. 

Here, we have compiled some different perspectives on the issue of eco-anxiety and loss from a diversity of regions and demographic groups where data is available. It’s worth noting that much of the research to date has been Western-focused. 

Young People and Youth 

It’s often reported that climate and eco-anxiety affect young people most. Many academic studies report this, such as this 2022 study published in The Lancet which states that climate anxiety affects 16 to 25-year-olds and “...occurs mainly in lower-income countries located in areas that are more directly affected by climate change.” Given that youth are most likely to experience the consequences of climate change in their lifetime, yet have little perceived agency to stop the impacts now, this is very understandable.

Furthermore, a commonly cited study by Caroline Hickman and colleagues from the University of Bath in the UK polled 10,000 youths aged 16 to 25 years with 1,000 participants from each of 10 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, Philippines (which showed the greatest number of young people experiencing climate anxiety), Portugal, the UK, and the USA. According to the study, “Countries expressing more worry and a greater impact on functioning tended to be poorer, in the Global South, and more directly impacted by climate change; in the Global North, Portugal (which had dramatic increases in wildfires since 2017) showed the highest level of worry.” 

This study also found that 84% of respondents were at least “moderately worried” and 59% were very or “extremely worried” about the impacts of climate change. Over 45% stated their feelings about climate change negatively impacted their daily life and functioning with many facing negative thoughts, including that the future is frightening and people have failed to take care of the planet. Climate anxiety was reported to impact their life choices and decision-making (e.g. hesitancy to have children), causing a negative perspective of the future and their family security and disillusionment with the government.

 
 

Over half of the respondents in this study reported feeling sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless and guilty; they also said people had ignored or dismissed their feelings of climate anxiety. This demonstrates a trend where expressed eco-anxiety is dismissed or undermined as being an overreaction or something that is irrelevant and only affects young people. 

Interestingly, just under 20% of the respondents explained that they don’t talk to other people about climate change. When we perceive a threat, we exhibit a fight-flight-freeze response as a biological survival mechanism. The freeze response to climate change can manifest in eco-paralysis, resulting in depression, despair or as highlighted in this case, the inability to respond due to shock and overwhelm, causing the avoidance of the issue. But it can also result in a choice to avoid the threat and ignore it as this also can offer a perception of cognitive safety. 

Adults 

While current research indicates that eco-anxiety is most prevalent among young people, it is important not to underestimate the experiences of climate-related worry in adult age groups. 

Research into the relationship between eco-anxiety and age is still developing. One survey by the University of York and Global Future think tank surveyed 2100 people from Great Britain and found that eco-anxiety was widespread with three-quarters (75%) of adults in Great Britain saying they were worried about the impact of climate change, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN).

Another study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reported in 2022 that 64% of Americans are at least “somewhat worried” about climate change with 27% being “very worried” whereby the sample demographic was born between 1928 to 2012. Furthermore, the American Psychiatric Association reported in 2020 that 42% of Baby Boomers and 58% of Gen Xers are “somewhat” or “very concerned” about the impact of climate change on their mental health. Research from Switzerland in 2023 indicated that older people are engaging in pro-environmental behaviours out of concern for future generations. 

This study also highlighted that older people tend to express their concerns through different emotional responses than younger people. The reality is that many people will live through climate trauma, and the outcome of this acute experience can be a very real disturbance with eco-anxiety as a symptom. Adults do tend to process trauma in different ways to children and there is still much work to be done to understand how eco-anxiety and direct trauma experienced in adults affect their life choices, mental health and wellbeing. 

We are conducting a survey to explore this more; please take a few minutes to respond here. 

Gender-Based Impacts 

There is a gendered element to this all as well. Whilst multiple studies like the University of York research mentioned above report that women are more anxious about climate change than men, it’s also identified that many other emotions such as guilt, shame, grief, stress and being overwhelmed can be hidden under anger. This is particularly the case for men, which demonstrates the importance of not just attributing climate anxiety to women or young people, as it so often is.

When considering who climate anxiety affects and how, we have to acknowledge there will be identity politics around the term, which could affect people’s willingness to identify with it at all. 

Non-Western Communities 

Much of the available research on the topic of eco-anxiety and the subset of climate anxiety has been conducted in Western communities. However, there is a call for non-Western research to focus on the array of impacts on people from diverse communities around the world. Studies documenting interventions have been conducted in Nigeria, Hati and Tuvalu, which take into account the effects of climate-related events and explore different interventions based on unique cultural and social conditions to address the negative effects of climate-related anxiety.  

Some see the term and its current definition as being too reductive and vague to detail their complex relationship with the planet and the injustices they face. Additionally, whether people identify with the term depends on the definition provided to them which, as we looked at in Part 1, the definitions do vary. Thus, this will impact who and how someone associates feelings with the term. 

The realities of climate change disproportionately affect people of lower socioeconomic countries and the communities that deal with the brunt of the burden are those that have not benefited from the last 200 years of industrialization the same way Western countries have. So, there is a significant imbalance in the global distribution of impacts and effects of climate change. Furthermore, the concept of anxiety may be perceived differently in non-western cultures based on localized practices which needs to be taken into account. 

Indigenous and First Nations People

A systemic literature review conducted by Vecchio (et al 2022) describes the critical threat exposure that Indigenous people face when it comes to climate change, explaining that “unlike Western models of health, the land and sea are key determinants of general health, psychological, and cultural well-being for Indigenous communities globally.” 

Indigenous communities are particularly vulnerable given that their well-being is directly linked to caring for and connection to country and land. The disturbances that climate change brings exacerbate the physical and mental health impacts that First Nations experience. As such, this can’t be measured in the same way that Western health systems determine. “This intrinsic connection and reliance on natural environments is seen as vital for facilitating health, strength, and cultural wellbeing.” 

 

Image: Linking the physical and psychological impacts of climate change available here.

 

Vecchio (et al 2022)’s study on the existing literature showed that many Indigenous communities experienced a correlation between cumulative changes in their environments and decreased mental well-being, which was expressed through worry, fear, sadness, emotional distress and a decreased sense of self-worth. There was variation based on regional locations, the details of which can be explored more here in section 3.3.1. 

This study on Indigenous Inuit in Canada detailed how climate change, connected with historical injustices, “eroded Inuit wellbeing, expressed through distress, anxiety, depression, social tension, suicide ideation and deep feelings of cultural loss.”

Direct experiences can increase the intensity of the negative emotions, just as a lack of direct experience can decrease the perception of threat. Many Indigenous communities have been custodians over the land for extensive generations with knowledge being passed down, so they are more acutely aware of changes and well-positioned to provide solutions. 

There are places like Tuvalu in the South Pacific where the experience and threats are lived every day by all inhabitants and thus pose an immediate existential threat. The losses are hard to define as “anxiety” when the reality is that the community experiences a daily lived fear of being displaced, but little is being done by the global community to prevent them from losing their country and home. 

Anxiety to Action 

Academic institutions and organizations in the climate action space have started to identify protective coping mechanisms. These include terms such as "active hope" and "meaning-focused coping", which emphasize acting in accordance with one's own values, developing positive framings, and creating hope through action.

One key factor that plays into the degree of climate anxiety is “knowing danger is coming but not having any appropriate scripts, skills, or direct agency in place to mitigate it”, and many interventions are popping up to help address this.  

For example, Climate Cafés offer a decentralized drop-in space that allows individuals to gather and meet in a neutral space to discuss and make sense of their positive or negative climate-related emotions. This model of Climate Cafés has been adopted widely, and The Good Grief Network also developed a 12-step approach (similar to Alcoholics Anonymous) where trained peer facilitators offer a 10-week group program for individuals interested in recognizing and exploring their eco-distress while being supported in finding tangible actions that can help them. For more examples, see this article in Nature. 

Engaging in action in the face of climate change offers one way of regaining a sense of power and building personal agency, which could improve mental health. However, this is where the location and context of the individual directly affect the ability to access such support and ensure that it’s appropriate for the level of real threat. 

Another danger is that when people feel anxiety and powerlessness, they can double down on avoidance, which can further exacerbate the anxiety and climate denialism; this underscores the need for open, constructive dialogue on the reality of the changes underway and how to balance the threats with the realities of action. 

In the final article in this series, we will share a detailed list of actions for addressing eco-anxiety as provided in the literature and also release a toolkit for communities, individuals, workplaces and policy changes that can support transforming anxiety into action. In the meantime, here is a list of resources that can support you. 

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We are running a survey capturing individual experiences with eco-anxiety. The data will be used anonymously in our upcoming toolkit for dealing with eco-anxiety. Please take a few minutes to share your experience here. 

Thank you to Charlotte Adams for her research and writing contributions to this article.

 
 
 

Interested in getting the toolkit when it’s available? Add yourself to the list below 👇

 
 

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    ,

    20 Things You Can Do to Help Beat Plastic Pollution

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    In March 2022, the UN Environmental Assembly gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, and 175 nations agreed to develop an international, legally binding agreement by the end of 2024 to end plastic pollution. Spurred on in part by the growing global awareness of the catastrophic impact that plastic waste is having on the environment, especially the oceans, this historic day also highlighted the importance of us rapidly shifting to a circular economy.

    With the UN’s agreement set to come into effect at the end of this year and this year’s Earth Day theme being  Planet vs Plastics, we are sharing 20 actions that anyone, anywhere can take to help tackle plastic pollution. 

    This is a complex topic, one I have written about in the past. I’ve explored how recycling is broken and asked, Will Global Plastic Bans Work? 

    In 2018 we launched a campaign for a post-disposable future, as one of the main drivers of plastic waste has been the rapid transition from reusable to disposable items in everything from food service ware to sanitary items.

    The big changes we need to see will take all of us contributing in different ways, and one person’s actions can help make a difference, especially if those actions help create a movement.

    If you want to see more everyday actions you can take to make a positive impact, check out the UN collaboration we did called the Anatomy of Action. 

     
     

    20 WAYS to beat plastic pollution

     
     

    SWAPS:  Opt for reusable as often as possible and get creative with trading in your local community

    • Swap from single-use to reusable: This can be done across many areas, from how you get water when you’re out and about to what you choose for your office lunch. Swapping out a single-use to reusable can include bringing your own container or vessel, or finding the time and place to use the reusable options provided. 

    • Rethink food storage: Eliminate plastic baggies and wrap by swapping to reusable containers and beeswax wraps to store food at home. 

    • Ditch single-use period products and opt for new reusable ones: The silicone cups are life-changing! Reusable for years and very effective to use, one cup can save thousands of tampons from being used. The many new period underwear products are also helping save women money and reducing a bunch of plastic, so check out what’s on offer for you and switch out the plastic in your monthly cycle. 

    • Have a clothing swap with friends! Not only will you save your old clothes from the landfill, but you'll also get new outfits for free and have some fun social time. Many clothes are filled with plastic, so in general, try to always opt for second-hand or locally designed and made garments. 

    • Find some freecycle or like-minded communities in your area: Depending on your city, these swap-based communities trade goods and services with the caveat that it’s free. 

     
     

    SERVICES: Utilize services that are designed for and support the circular economy

    • Use a clothing or tool library: If you have these in your city, you can borrow, rent or lease anything from drills and exercise equipment to a fancy outfit you only need for one night. 

    • Food waste delivery services: Many cities have companies that save food from waste (usually due to overstock or minor aesthetic issues), and you can often get a lot of great produce and meals at a discounted price. Check out the Too Good to Go App to see if it’s active in your area. 

    • Subscribe to a low-packaging service: This is common now for things like personal care and cleaning products; they often come in tablet form so you are not paying for all that water, and you can use the tablet in a reusable bottle. 

    • Compost! If you don’t have space at your home, your neighborhood or city collection might have a green waste pickup service. Many places have community gardens that will accept it as well. You can buy small-scale worm farms to have mess-free, odor-free vermicompost right in your home, which takes up a very small footprint.

    • If you have a little one, look for a nappy/diaper washing service: These product-service-system models will lease you the clean reusable diapers and take away and bulk wash the dirty ones (this is key to making them more sustainable, as the bulk washing saves water and energy).

     
     

    STAY CREATIVE: Embrace DIY & activated agency by making your own items and speaking up in support of preventing plastic waste.

    • Make your own! This is a great solution for many household cleaning products and food items like non-dairy milks (almond and oat milk are very quick and easy to make — check out out Hero Veg Cookbook for recipes on how to make these!).  You can even make your own deodorant, toothpaste, lip gloss, eyeliner and many other items with a few basic materials, and the internet has tons of instructions on how to do these. 

    • Take your own: A simple but powerful option is to ask a shop to fill your own vessel when getting takeout or to-go food. You may get rejected, but it's worth asking and raising awareness of this need. Lots of really cool reusable food container services are popping up all over the world, and they might already be in your community! Check out the Dabba Drop in London as an example. 

    • Actively refuse single-use items when offered and make a point as to why: This could be when you are in a sit-down cafe and they bring you a drink in a disposable plastic cup; when ordering, check first what the item will come in and make sure to ask for a reusable option.

    • Don't be afraid to ask: Be it at your local cafe or your kids' school, ask for reusable options and explain why. The more people who request this, the more likely it is to become normalized and adopted.

    • Know your local recycling options and optimize for them: Most places still don't accept soft plastics, but every local waste service is different. Do a quick Google search to learn about your local pick-up and recycling options, and when you’re shopping, select items that can easily be recaptured.

     
     

    SHOP SMARTER: Be extra choosy about where and how you spend your consumer power

    • Seek out zero waste shopping solutions: For example, the ZeroWasteStore app enables you to get pantry items without the plastic. 

    • Buy bigger: Another great option for pantries, especially when it comes to soft plastic for household staples like rice, is to look for bulk options that will reduce the amount of plastic you purchase. This often saves you money as well when you buy in bulk, seek out specialty stores that offer bulk purchasing. 

    • Support shops and stores that are offering zero waste and plastic-free shopping: The key is to reuse packaging, not just swap to a different type of material that is disposable. So find stores that are actively reducing their plastic use and support them — it makes a difference! 

    • Find a local farmer to shop from: Many communities have farmer subscription services where a box of farm fresh food can be delivered to your home plastic-free. This will not only save you money and reduce the amount of plastic you get on your fruit and veg, but it also helps support local farmers (who are heroes in my mind).

    • Invest in start-ups and services that are creating post-disposable products and services: The best way to see more services available is to invest in them, and early adopters can often bear the financial load. But if you can’t afford it, and want to see more of it, then seek out and invest (by becoming a customer) in zero waste and sustainable services.


    HUNGRY FOR MORE?

    If you want to explore more things you can do, explore circular business models in our free Circular Business ReDesign Kit, download our free Superpower Activation Kit, or take on a post-disposable design challenge by downloading our free Post-Disposable Kit. 

    The UnSchool also offers a lot of free content, email micro courses, professional programs and accredited online certification tracks to help you be a more activated participant in solving global social and environmental issues.

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    The Rising Peak of Climate and Eco-Anxiety

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    This is Part 1 of a 3 part series on this topic by Leyla Acaroglu

    Have you ever felt overwhelmed or even depressed by the global climate and nature crises?

    I know I have. Despite having a very optimistic future-focused perspective, I can often feel distressed by the constant compounding disasters; floods, fires, famine — the consequences of our nature-destructive tendencies are all over the news and often present in our daily lives.

    Now moreso than ever, these issues are being directly attributed to climate change, which reinforces the need for action. But when you don’t see the action happening, it can create an even deeper sense of anxiety and despair.

    The resulting stress and pessimism felt by the awareness of environmental issues is called climate or eco-anxiety, and we recently took some time to look into the science behind this. What we found was really concerning. This appears to be widespread with the emotional and psychological toll of inaction affecting people’s mental health, life choices and productivity across all age groups.

    I wanted to share some of the high-level things we learned through our research, which also prompted us to create a survey about eco-anxiety to understand more about how this is affecting people in our community so we can develop some creative change-making tools to support people experiencing this. If you have a few moments to spare, please take it ⬇️

     
     

    Over the next couple of months I will share a series of articles on what we have found out, report on what you share with us via the survey, and develop a toolkit for tackling this issue in a creative way.

     

    Get the Toolkit

    Sign up to be the first notified when the Eco-Anxiety Toolkit is ready.

      We respect your privacy. Your information will only be used to send you the information you are signing up for.

       

      What’s going on?

      Climate-related emotions are becoming more prevalent as the awareness of the severity and the urgency to act on climate change has become more mainstream.

      There has been an increase in the number of people expressing their experience of negative emotions, such as climate anxiety and distress about the future, as a result.

      The concept of anxiety brought about as a result of experiencing environmental issues was first mentioned in the general media in the 90s to address citizen concerns about pollution in the Chesapeake Bay in the US. It started gaining more mainstream discussion in 2007, with the work of individual scholars like the Australian environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht leading the conversation into the early 2010s.

      However, eco-anxiety did not begin to garner as much widespread attention and research as we see today until 2017 when the American Psychological Association partnered with ecoAmerica and Climate for Health to deliver the report Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance.

       
       

      This report delivered a working definition of eco-anxiety as “a chronic fear of environmental doom.” This identified a host of emotional and physiological experiences ranging from anxiety and depression to fear and “doomism” as part of the suite of emotional states felt by people in response to environmental disasters and threats. The report points out “that uncertainty, unpredictability, and uncontrollability seem to be important factors in eco-anxiety. Most forms of eco-anxiety appear to be non-clinical, but cases of ‘pathological’ eco-anxiety are also discussed.”

       
       

      Despite this increase in research and mainstream discourse, climate or eco-anxiety is still widely misunderstood as a concept, with this 2021 systematic literature review concluding:

      “Eco-anxiety is a concept used for understanding the link between climate change and anxiety associated with perceptions about the negative impacts of climate change. The evidence suggests that further clarity and theoretical development of the concept is required to advance conceptual understanding of eco-anxiety. Our review also showed that most of the evidence comes from the Western countries, and more research is needed in other parts of the world. Indigenous peoples, children and young people are identified as vulnerable where their lived experiences of eco-anxiety are unclear and require further research.” — Understanding Eco-anxiety: A Systematic Scoping Review of Current Literature and Identified Knowledge Gaps

      Meanwhile, as academia works to come to a consensus and further develop an understanding of eco-anxiety, those who experience and live with the effects are left to navigate it with limited support while it impacts their daily functioning, life decisions, perspective of the future and productivity at work.

      The Lived Experience

      We live in an information overload age whereby it’s hard to switch off from content that can cause all sorts of distress and anxiety. But when you combine this with the lived experience of changing weather, fires, floods, the increased severity of weather events like cyclones and hurricanes, when you witness firsthand the devastation that environmental disasters, deforestation, and chronic air pollution have, the effects can be visceral and confronting.

      Some of the emotional responses to these experiences are anger, fear, frustration, hopelessness, avoidance, anxiety, depression, lack of energy and guilt or shame. These can lead to sleeplessness, changes to appetite and difficulty concentrating.

       
       

      Have you experienced any of these effects? Some people who struggle with eco-anxiety have reported difficulty with concentrating at work and can’t decide if they want to have a family with the potential for a climate-ravaged future. In an interesting juxtaposition, some share that they avoid absorbing any media that reminds them of the impending climate doom, while others sometimes even seek it out in what’s been called “doom scrolling.”

      I’ve worked in sustainability for over 20 years, and I absolutely choose to switch off to avoid certain portrayals of climate change. I’ve long felt that the negativity framing doesn’t work to engage people, as I myself become riddled with fear, which makes me shut down. It certainly doesn’t inspire creativity or action.

      Understanding eco-anxiety has the potential to shed light on a range of eco-emotions that reflect our interconnectedness with all life and systems on Earth. Eco-emotions can illuminate our relational ties, encourage us to reflect on what we truly value, and remind us of our fundamental dependency on complex ecological systems so we are moved to protect and nurture the Earth.

      So perhaps the fact that so many people are feeling some sort of pain associated with the crises in nature demonstrates the deep interconnection that we humans have with the natural world and innate desire to resolve this. And these feelings can be transformed from a negative ones of loss to proactive action.

      Let’s dive into how the definition of eco-anxiety has come to spread across three distinct contexts and how it’s affecting us.

      The Contexts of Eco-Anxiety

      There are numerous definitions of eco-anxiety that have emerged as the arena has gained more researchers focusing on it. There are inconsistencies in the use of the term and debate in the medical community around its definition. Still, there is a consensus that eco-anxiety is fueled by uncertainty and uncontrollability (similar to other anxiety disorders).

      The two commonly cited definitions include the APA’s 2017 version previously mentioned, “a chronic fear of environmental doom,” and The Climate Psychology Alliance’s version: “heightened emotional, mental or somatic distress in response to dangerous changes in the climate system,” in which somatic refers to the physical embodiment of stress.

      “The grief felt in relation to experienced or anticipated ecological losses, including the loss of species, ecosystems and meaningful landscapes due to acute or chronic environmental change. We contend that ecological grief is a natural response to ecological losses, particularly for people who retain close living, working and cultural relationships to the natural environment, and one that has the potential to be felt more strongly and by a growing number of people as we move deeper into the Anthropocene.” Cunsolo, A. & Ellis, N.

      Professor Albrecht, who has been at the forefront of this research, suggests that chronic stress on ecosystems is likely to result in “psychoterratic” or Earth-related mental health syndromes, including eco-angst, eco-nostalgia, solastalgia, eco-guilt, eco-paralysis, ecological grief and environmental distress.

      But this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. The context in which the person experiencing the emotions lives, the threats they experience directly or indirectly and their socio-economic situation will all affect the way eco-anxiety is experienced (a systems thinking perspective can greatly assist in better understanding these nuances).

      For example, a person living in a climate-affected area will have a very different threat level than a person living in an area that has not yet experienced any significant climate-related impacts. There is also the issue of climate injustice, where young people are likely to experience the greatest mental burden from climate change that older generations have caused and where countries that have not benefited from the rapid industrial growth of the West suffer the worst of the climate and nature crises.

      How is this experienced?

      The human brain is wired to respond to threats. As humans we have negativity and optimism biases that help us hone in on threats that may negatively impact our ability to survive, and conversely, have the ability to imagine a positive future for ourselves so that we can still function in everyday life (check out our course on Cognitive Science and Biases to learn more about this).

      The research indicates there are loosely three climate-related contexts for “ecological grief”, which is a subset of eco-anxiety:

      1. Grief associated with physical ecological losses: Refers to anxiety from the physical disappearance or degradation of species, ecosystems and landscapes, which can emerge due to gradual changes over time. This is also sometimes referred to as “slow violence,” in which harmful impacts play out over the course of many years or decades.

      2. Grief associated with the loss of environmental knowledge and identity: Refers to the grief experienced by those who have strong relational ties to the natural world and whose personal and collective understandings of identity are created in relation to the land (this is often referenced by Indigenous groups and identified as a core grief in the fight to communicate this to non-Indigenous peoples).

      3. Grief associated with the anticipated future losses: Refers to the future and anticipated losses to culture, livelihoods, and ways of life based on the changes already experienced and those projected to occur.

      These three contexts can be felt both simultaneously and on a spectrum. For instance, someone who has experienced a climate-related disaster can be anxious about the physical losses of their local environment while also being worried about the future anticipated losses.

      The symptoms of eco-anxiety

      Many of the symptoms of eco-anxiety are similar to that of general anxiety disorder. Like all emotions, the symptoms and their intensity can range and are influenced by personality traits, cultural notions of value (i.e. a greater value attributed to ecological loss can result in greater climate anxiety), and personal experiences (e.g. experiences of climate-related disasters).

      Research into other eco-emotions is emerging and reveals the complex and often competing feelings that fluctuate and can occur simultaneously.

      It’s not specifically anxiety that people feel; in fact, the research states that people have a constellation of emotions with common symptoms of eco-anxiety including:

      • Worry

      • Fear

      • Anger or frustration (e.g. due to the inaction of governments, large organizations and industries; self-directed anger; anger as a result of concern for younger generations and feeling unable to to cause systemic change)

      • Grief

      • Shame and guilt (i.e. their environmental impact or lack of effort in the past)

      • Irritability

      • Hopelessness/ powerlessness

      • Existential dread/ fatalistic thinking

      • Obsessive thoughts about climate change

      • Depression and sadness

      • Shock

      • Stupor

      • Overwhelm

      • Stress

      • Physical impacts include: headaches, stomach aches, chest pain, sleeplessness/insomnia, panic attacks, loss of appetite

      Experiencing intense feelings of eco-anxiety or being a survivor of climate-related disasters can lead to a state of eco-paralysis that manifests as apathy or fatalistic thinking, PTSD, suicidal ideation, and maladaptive coping strategies like substance misuse.

      Furthermore, research is beginning to uncover complex forms of climate anxiety and trauma and their intergenerational effects, such as when environmental damage causes the loss of personal or cultural identity, ways of life and knowing. For Indigenous and First Nations People, this is a deeply embodied experience whereby the loss of nature, land and culture is deeply connected to the colonial severing and stealing that led to the nature-disconnect we live in today (where we moved from human-nature relations that were based on reciprocity to one of dominance and exploitation that has fueled the eco-crises we face). So, in this case, the term eco-anxiety could be seen as a privileged position connected to the difference between those who can afford to feel anxiety about the situation versus those who are living the losses in real time.

      It’s important not to dismiss that positive emotions can also result from eco-anxiety, particularly when the feelings are acknowledged and navigated effectively. They can be a source of motivation for active engagement, hope, resilience, empowerment, and connection, particularly when participating in co-designing initiatives for collective action. The negative feelings are often the stated motivation for people getting involved in taking action, from tech solutions, young activists through to CEOs deciding to make the needed changes to their businesses.

      This is often where the hope lies, in being able to feel through the complex emotional states that fear and grief generate for us and transitioning these from paralysis to action. Or at the very least, having a collective dialogue about the felt realities so those experiencing them don’t suffer in silence.

      We are eager to understand more about these experiences so that we can develop an action-oriented toolkit to support people experiencing eco-anxiety — which is why we developed a survey to capture people’s thoughts, experiences and emotions about eco-anxiety.

      Our survey is designed to help you reflect on these experiences as much as help us understand more about how people are navigating eco-anxiety. The science on how to address climate anxiety is out there, so please help us in creating a tool for making change by taking the survey.

       
       

      In the next part of this series, I will dive further into how eco-anxiety is currently impacting citizens across the globe, so stay tuned for more.

      If you need support, please contact your local mental health support service, there is a global list provided here, or seek support from a qualified healthcare professional. Additionally, the Climate Council offers these resources.

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      Activating your Systems Thinking Superpower

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      Did you know that ​thinking about the full system of chocolate chip cookies​ gave Dr. Leyla Acaroglu the inspiration to start The UnSchool? It’s true!

       
       

      We believe 110% that thinking in systems is a critical tool for positive change, and in this journal post, we’re excited to dive further into the superpower that is systems thinking!

      What is Systems Thinking?

      Systems thinking is the ability to see the whole before the parts, and it's fundamental to the ​Disruptive Design Method​.

      The world is full of big messy complex social, political, and environmental problems, which are all part of bigger systems at play. In order to help disrupt the underlying issues, we need to first understood what is going on.

      From ​climate change​ to the rise in racism, homelessness, child exploitation, global politics and ocean plastic waste, these problems are all part of complex interconnected systems.

      Taking ​a systems approach ​enables you to develop a more dynamic and intimate understanding of the elements and agents at play within the problem arena, so you can identify ​opportunities for intervention​.

       

      This is our simple 6-step flow to making change from a systems standpoint

      Tools such as ​systems mapping​ are critical to overcoming the reductive mindset we were all taught in school — a mindset that teaches us to break the world down into individual and manageable parts, rather than see the complex, interconnected whole. (Leyla wrote more ​about the education systems failures here​, if you want to dive in!)

      From Linear to Circular

      Reductive thinking is what has led to the exploitative economy. In order to get to a ​circular economy​, we need systems thinking.

       
       
      “Problems are just unaddressed opportunities waiting for creative minds to tackle them. ”
      — Leyla Acaroglu
       

      By taking a systems approach, we can each undo the linear and rigid mindsets that helped create the problems to begin with.

      Thankfully, humans naturally have a curious and intuitive understanding of ​complex, dynamic, and interconnected systems​. So, it’s really not that hard to rewire our thinking systems from linear to expanded, from 1-dimensional to 3-dimensional thinking.

       

      UnSchool Kuching Fellowship participants engage in a​ systems mapping ​exercise during one of their sessions

      Our​ Systems Thinking online course​ is one of our most popular classes for a reason: systems thinking is a superpower that anyone can access to make change.

      We also have a handy 10 Day Email Micro Course, Systems Thinking 101, that is just $19 USD and is the perfect entry point for anyone beginning their systems journey!

       
       
       

      If you've already taken our Systems Thinking course, or have expertise in this area, then take a look at our advanced​ Systems Interventions course​ to learn to see critical relationships, understand feedback loops, and conduct consequence analyses. You will also establish causal relationships and gain radical insights into ​systems dynamics​.

       
       

      Want more change-making superpowers? Download our free ​Superpower Activation Toolkit​ for others like Problem Loving, Future Focus and more!

      Questions or suggestions? Reach out to us via programs@unschools.co

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      A New Way to UnLearn: Introducing 10 day email micro courses

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      This is hard for us to believe, but… we have been building courses for people to advance their skills in systems, sustainability, and design for a decade this year!

      In working with so many incredible creative change-makers around the world through the past 10 years, we know that people learn in different ways and have different accessibility considerations for investing in upskilling.

      With the undeniable need for as many change-makers activated as possible right now, one of our goals is to always find new approaches to delivering content that supports personal and professional transformation.

      As such, The UnSchool is now offering 10-Day Email Micro Courses that are packed with activities and knowledge, sent directly to your inbox, for just $19 USD!

       
       

      We currently have 3 different Micro Courses to choose from:

      • Agency & Activation 💥 Need a fast track to get shit done, take action and move your change-making initiatives forward? Here it is.

      • Co-Design 🤝 Want a road map to equitable engagement, better collabs & improved design outcomes? You found it!

      • Systems Thinking 101 🌐 Ready to get your feet wet with all things systems to make positive change? Think of this like Systems Thinking 101.

       
       

      If you’re a busy professional with limited time but you’re keen to learn how to make change, this is the perfect format for you! You'll also have access to the course material as long as you need so you can refer back to it as you build your change-making skills. Perks include:

      • Convenient delivery: All course material goes straight to your inbox through a daily email for 10 days

      • Accessible, robust material: Written in a format that's easy to digest and apply, you'll get videos, downloadable worksheets & extra resources along the way

      • Efficient daily practice: Expect to budget just 10-20 minutes daily to read and do the mind-boosting activities

      Questions or suggestions? Reach out to us via programs@unschools.co

      Enjoy!

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      Alumni Becky Querido: Curating Systems Change experiences

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      UnSchool Alumni Spotlight on Becky Querido
       

      Can you give us an introduction to yourself and your work?

      I am a collaborative and creative Learning & Leadership Development professional that enables people to discover, experience and explore their potential, and cultivates in them positive lasting change. I utilize my strengths in connecting people, ideas and perspectives, creatively conveying vision and concepts, and finding opportunity in complexity in pursuit of growth and transformation.

      I find powerful dynamic ways for people to interact with content to turn information into insight and knowledge into experience. My passion for cultivating learning in others has evolved in my 20 years of practice in human resources, change management, and project management. This combination of experience has given me a unique gift in curating powerful learning experiences. My work has included designing change and learning programs and systems for higher education, healthcare and utilities organizations.

       
      Becky Querido presenting information
       

      What motivates you to do the work that you do?

      I am motivated by inspiring others to live a more enriching life that minimizes our environmental impact, and by helping people move from survival mode to thriving in their work and personal lives. My mission is to activate agency in others to be a force for regenerative leadership and renovate their workplaces, lifestyles and communities in sustainable ways.

      How did you find out about the UnSchool, and what motivated you to come?

      I discovered and started following Unschool in 2019 and was inspired by how the message of positive system disruption. I was curious to learn more about design thinking and how to apply systems thinking to make a difference to our global environmental challenges. (UnSchool team note: Becky completed our online Practitioner Certification Track!)

      What was your experience at the UnSchool like?

      Being an independent learner was difficult but I really connected with Leyla’s message and some of the concepts, such as gamification and social change theory. While it took me longer to complete than planned, I enjoyed the challenges which pushed me outside of my comfort zone and into taking action.  

      What was the main take away you had from coming to the UnSchool?

      The most important thing I can do is to take action. I have all the knowledge I need to act, and just need to put myself out there, have fun, and continue prototyping.

      Tell us more about your initiative(s), and how is it all going?

      I plan to continue to do workshops and bring people together to make micro changes to their daily home and workplace practices to think and act differently about their consumption and disposal choices.

      How did the UnSchool help you start/evolve it?

      The points challenges were key to getting me out of planning and into acting. The reflections and exercises helped me to generate ideas that got me motivated and ready for action. 

      How have you amplified this change you do in the world?

      My neighbours and friends have been influenced and impacted by my projects. They have integrated small changes into their lives to conserve resources. 

      How can people engage with, support, or follow your work?

      Website → www.querida.ca

      LinkedIn → Becky Querido

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      Alumni Julie Beretta: Creating Space

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      2021 ALUMNI PROFILES.png
       

      Can you give us an introduction to yourself and your work?

      Hello! I’m Julie, a yoga teacher, sustainability consultant, and writer (@thesustainablemag, @dinnerconfidential and I just completed my first book). With French-American origins, I was raised in Italy, but after spending several years working abroad and volunteering around the world on different projects tied to sustainability, I moved back to Rome in 2020, right before the pandemic hit.  

      Craving deeper talks, I became an active member of Dinner Confidential, where I facilitate monthly conversations around taboo topics through vulnerability and active listening. This feeds my passion for human relations, which also led me to get trained in the 7 steps and enroll in Gabor Maté’s Compassionate Inquiry approach. Using these tools, I help people uncover the unconscious dynamics that run their lives and prepare them for difficult conversations with themselves and others.

      All of the pieces of my work come together for me in my personal project, We Bloom (I plan to launch my website at the beginning of November). With this, my purpose is to create spaces for us to reconnect to our essence, communities and environment.

       
      What words, sensations and feelings arise when you think of sustainability? We started our introspective journey with a breathing exercise and then each shared our answers in this space free of judgement. The COVID restrictions only allowed for 6 people to take part and that actually made this moment intimate and memorable - photo taken in October 2020 In Sabina, Italy.

      What words, sensations and feelings arise when you think of sustainability? We started our introspective journey with a breathing exercise and then each shared our answers in this space free of judgement. The COVID restrictions only allowed for 6 people to take part and that actually made this moment intimate and memorable - photo taken in October 2020 In Sabina, Italy.

       

      What motivates you to do the work that you do?

      From a technological standpoint, we’ve never been as wired as we are now. Yet I often have the feeling that we are more disconnected than ever before; from our true selves, from our bodies, from others, from nature, etc. We got so deeply trapped into dynamics of separation, but everything is interconnected. What got us to forget that? 

      The work that I do results from a personal necessity I had to reconnect. I have the need to be in touch with my feelings, to move my body, to slow down, spend time in nature, share deep talks —  and I know I’m not the only one.  

      So, opening a space for people to talk about how they relate to certain topics, like the one of sustainability, and getting them to share how they really feel about it, was an important first step for me. What motivates me now (and what I wish to do with We Bloom) is to create a bridge between people who are passionate about this topic and others who are less naturally drawn to it.

       
      How are products made? I assigned a product to two teams of two. Each team went through the 5 key stages (extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and distribution, use, end of life). Isabel and Flavio analyzed the life story of jeans - photo taken in October 2020 In Sabina, Italy.

      How are products made? I assigned a product to two teams of two. Each team went through the 5 key stages (extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging and distribution, use, end of life). Isabel and Flavio analyzed the life story of jeans - photo taken in October 2020 In Sabina, Italy.

       

      How did you find out about the UnSchool, and what motivated you to come?

      I found out about the UnSchool through a friend of a friend. I was looking for simple tools to add to my experience, so that I could demystify sustainability for those who manifested an interest in it yet didn’t know where to get started.  After I heard Leyla’s TED talk, I checked out the UnSchool webpage: finally I’d found somebody who made sustainability look cool and exciting!

      What was your experience at the UnSchool like?

      I did a one month Masterclass in Circular Systems Design at the UnSchool. My experience was rather short but intense. I acquired a lot of knowledge (keeping up with the amount of content was in fact quite a challenge!) and many practical tools and activities (i.e. life cycle thinking, systems mapping, theory of change etc.) to gain clarity and come up with realistic solutions to integrate sustainability into our lives.  

      What was the main take away you had from coming to the UnSchool?

      I knew that everything was interconnected, but I didn’t realize how interconnected everything actually was.  That was my main takeaway from coming to the UnSchool.

      Tell us more about your initiative(s), and how is it all going?

      Thanks to the Unschool Masterclass, I spent a month getting curious about the following questions:

      • How do people relate to sustainability? 

      • Why do those who’d like to take action don’t do so?

      • What stops them? 

      What I found out was that many of us wish to make changes in our lives. Yet often, the sensations, words and emotions associated with sustainability are so uncomfortable that they make us want to look away instead of digging deeper. 

      So I came up with a simple idea to respond to that problem, and opened non-judgemental spaces - both physical and virtual - for people to share their feelings, sensations and beliefs about sustainability. I used elements of my yoga practice, my facilitation skills, and some of Leyla’s tools to give people an opportunity to explore new ways of relating to this topic.

      I ran this workshop - The Sustainable Practice - in the fall of 2020 and plan to have it again very soon, both in person and online. Stay tuned!

       
      We ended this beautiful day with a round of "Take Home Message". Each participant shared what they got from The Sustainable Practice and how they intend to relate to it from now on. - photo taken in October 2020 In Sabina, Italy.

      We ended this beautiful day with a round of "Take Home Message". Each participant shared what they got from The Sustainable Practice and how they intend to relate to it from now on. - photo taken in October 2020 In Sabina, Italy.

       

      How did the UnSchool help you start/evolve it?

      The UnSchool helped me mine the problem and gave me the tools I needed to offer easy and practical activities for people to understand sustainability differently. 

      How have you amplified this change you do in the world?

      No matter what I do, I try to remind myself and others that WE ARE thanks to nature.   

      I also try to spread what I’m learning in the various languages I speak (English, Italian, French and Spanish) to assist as many people as I can on their journey to sustainability.

      How can people engage with, support, or follow your work?

      I’m launching my website at the end of the month, for now you can follow me on:

      Linkedin → Julie Beretta

      Instagram → Julie Beretta

      Any other thoughts you want to share?

      My interest in human behavior is what inspires me to expand our collective knowledge of our interconnectedness with the Earth. Sustainability isn’t a passion for me, it’s a duty.  And even if what I’m putting forward  is rather simple, I believe it’s an important first step all of us can take to start living  with more intention and respect for our environment.

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      The Trap of Wishcycling

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      By Leyla Acaroglu, originally published on Medium

      Image by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on UnSplash

      Image by Volodymyr Hryshchenko on UnSplash

       

      Wishcycling is when people place non-recyclable items in the recycling and hope those items will end up being recycled. The unfortunate reality, though, is that these actions contaminate the recycling stream and reinforce the very problem of waste.

      Wishcycling comes from a place of good intentions, but as we all know, good intentions do not always lead to good outcomes.

      I think it’s safe to say everyone has done this at some stage.

      We’ve popped the coffee cup into the recycling bin with some coffee still in it and the lid on, or that thin plastic wrapper, a pizza box, lightbulb, broken drinking glass, batteries, chopsticks, maybe even an extension cord (I’ve seen it happen), and hoped that it would go off and be magically made into some new thing.

      Yet the truth is, we don’t have a magical recycling system where everything can be easily transformed into something new. In fact, most things you think are recyclable, are probably not. Recycling has not been able to keep up with the rapid changes to our hyper-disposable and complex material world. Yes, your uncoated paper, tin and aluminum cans, PET bottles, and a few other ridged plastic products can technically be recycled, but the vast majority of the packaging and products that end up in your home, can’t or won’t get a second life.

       
      Image authors own. Source

      Image authors own. Source

       

      Waste collection systems all over the world are struggling with the diversity of material combinations of products and packaging. Coupled with the recent changes to the global recycling supply chain, we have an exponential waste crisis unfolding. The list of what not to include in your recycling (because it will end often up contaminating the entire load of recyclables and be destined for landfill or incineration, all at a cost to the recycling company) is long. It’s actually surprising just how many not-to-include items are on the list in some places. That’s because recycling is different everywhere, and because we have created a material world so complex, it’s hard for the waste processors to keep up with the diversity of ever-changing waste streams.

      When modern recycling first became a regular curbside thing in the 70’s (in part to reduce the amount of waste filling up city landfills), the material world was very different. Originally it was just glass, metal and paper that were separated and collected. These had clear markets they could be sold back into, and so the economics of recycling was feasible. Then came combination products like tetra packs and chip packets (plastic and aluminum together), and a vast number of plastics. The diversity of new packages and household products started to really muddy the waters for the recyclers, and over time, most recycling moved to a single market — China.

      Now we live in a material age where there are tens of thousands of different material and product combinations that enter homes the world over, and after a few decades of being told that recycling is great, we wishfully place many of them in the recycle bin, feeling good and hoping for the best.

      Take, for example, the samples of packaging that I collected from different retailers in the UK. I found instructions, in small print on the back, mainly telling me that the products needed to be returned to the supermarket or were not recyclable at all. I was alarmed by how many packages (organic food products I might add) explicitly stated: “Do not recycle.” Nearly all of them were non-recyclable in my household collection system, yet a quick look in the shared recycling bin in my apartment block and it was overflowing with these very same un-recyclable materials.

      The issue of greenwashing — misleading consumers into thinking something is green, or in this case recyclable, when it’s not — is a topic I have talked about in the past, and this certainly plays into the wishcycling issue. But it’s not as simple as all of us being manipulated or duped into thinking that everything with a recycling symbol is recyclable.

      Many of us really do wish that things we buy can be recycled because it validates us buying them to begin with.

       
      Organic products with different instructions on where and if the packaging can be recycled!

      Organic products with different instructions on where and if the packaging can be recycled!

       

      The people producing these types of packaging and products are very rarely thinking about the end-of-life issues that their material combination choices will have on a waste stream. They deflect responsibility onto us, the customers, and onto the city that will have to manage the plethora of produced waste from their poor designs. I also think it’s unfair that there is an expectation that the customer will be able to decipher the many different options for end-of-life management, for what appears to be the same types of materials, when they are not, as there are hundreds of different types of polymer combinations.

      Equally, retailers don’t set adequate guidelines on what types of packaging they will accept in their products, so it becomes a free-for-all. Without shaming the specific brands or supermarkets, I can say that a quick walk up and down the isles of several UK supermarkets showed me that most of the packaging was un-recyclable. I’m going to guess this is the same in Australia, North American, China and most other major economies.

      How can we, the customers, be responsible for not recycling when so much of what our food and hygiene products are designed into, is packaging that is not even collected in most cities? Here is a selection of packaging from fruit and nut packaging from major UK supermarkets, all non-recyclable. I wasn’t just cherry-picking these ether! Go look in your cupboards and see what is actually recyclable, and what is most likely not.

       
      Orange, lime and nut bags from two different UK supermarkets, all not recyclable.

      Orange, lime and nut bags from two different UK supermarkets, all not recyclable.

       

      Plastics are particularly problematic as they are not easily recycled. Whilst the industry invested 50 million dollars a year to convince us that a number inside a triangle stamped on the base of a piece of plastic will mean that the product will be recycled, the likelihood of it being turned into something new will depend on many different factors, such as: if it’s even technically possible to recycle it (often not); how contaminated with food or product it is; if the local council will collect it; if the local municipal waste processing facility will take it; and if there is a market for that type of plastic to be sold into. Oh, and if there is a market for that plastic to be made into new plastic products. The oil and plastics industry has long known that it’s cheaper and easier to just turn virgin oil into new plastic than it is to collect, clean and resell it. They have profited off us believing that recycling is the solution when they have long known it is not.

      This all leads to much confusion about what can and can’t be recycled, which unfortunately leads to people’s wishcycling, which then goes on to contaminate recycling streams all over the world, and then we get blamed for it! Education alone will not fix an inherently broken system.

      Mainstream curbside recycling has been around for just over thirty years, and it’s in the last fifteen years that half of all the plastic that has ever been produced has been made and sold. To add to this, more than 90% of plastic ever produced hasn’t been recycled. Not because we consumers do the wrong thing, but because most of it is not easily recyclable!

      The Recycling Industry

      The margins on recycling are already very thin, with the collections and sorting often being more expensive than the value of the products being recycled. Some recycling processors still use human line sorters, and others are entirely mechanical. The machines that sort waste are often engineered for the main types of recyclables, such as glass, metal and hard plastics, not the plethora of other stuff that ends up in the sorting lines.

      Then, even after the products are all sorted out and bailed up, the waste processing company has to find a buyer for that specific waste stream. Metals usually have a healthy demand, and thanks to the rise in online shopping, the paper board industry is doing ok. But plastics have always struggled to find a place to go (all the more reason to focus on post disposable design).

      We wishcycle in part because we have been told that recycling is great and it will solve the issue of waste (this the plastics industry did a great job of convincing us of in the 90s, by creating the numbers up to 7 inside triangles that get stuck on certain types of hard plastics to supposedly help everyone identify and recycle them — side note, the history of the design of the original recycling symbol, the triangle made out of arrows, the Mobius Symbol, is fascinating and well worth the read here in this article.).

      I have explained in the past that the global recycling system is broken, and that recycling is part of driving the generation of waste. It legitimizes the production of waste and creates a false solution to a manufactured problem. But here in this article, I want to explore the phenomenon that results from confused, good-intentioned, or perhaps lazy people that don’t know what to do with certain types of waste.

      I will be the first to admit that even I am one of them at times. Intrigued by how others experienced this, I asked the UnSchool team to do a quick snapshot assessment of food items in their houses. As can be seen from the image below, it’s all very confusing about what the symbols mean. The cross through the recycling symbol means it can’t be recycled, but should we be happy that these ones even have any instructions at all? Because many of the other items they found had no information stating whether it was or wasn’t recyclable. This begs the question, whose responsibility is this? Ours, the supermarkets’, the local council, the recycling companies’, the packaging designers’, the product owners’? The federal government’s?

      With such a confusing mess, it’s no wonder people wishcycle!

       
      North American packaging: single-serve applesauce, coffee, frozen berries and crisp tube.

      North American packaging: single-serve applesauce, coffee, frozen berries and crisp tube.

       

      As I explored these issues, I come to feel very sorry for the recycling sector; they are beholden to the decisions made by the producers of products and packaging, and to the lack of regulation or guidance from the government. Then they’re burdened with the responsibility of finding new homes for an ever-growing stream of disposable stuff made with little care for what its end-of-life destination or impact will be.

      How big is the wishcycling issue?

      The less sexy name for the issue of wishcycling is recycling contamination, and in wealthy countries like the UK, Australia and the US, it’s a massive issue.

      According to the UK Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), in 2018, contamination meant councils in the UK sent 500,000 tonnes of recycling to landfill. Research conducted by WRAP revealed that 82% of households in the UK add at least one item to their recycling that is not accepted. The amount of plastic packaging used in supermarkets in the UK is staggering. In 2017, the 10 biggest UK retailers produced 900,000 tonnes of packaging and 2bn plastic bags.

      “More than two-thirds of consumers (69%) believe supermarkets and retailers are responsible for reducing the amount of plastic used, and many want to see more progress.” — Packaging News, 2021

      In the US, the recycling system is increasingly under pressure. The EPA explains the conundrum of recycling: “​​Most Americans want to recycle, as they believe recycling provides an opportunity for them to be responsible caretakers of the Earth. However, it can be difficult for consumers to understand what materials can be recycled, how materials can be recycled, and where to recycle different materials. This confusion often leads to placing recyclables in the trash or throwing trash in the recycling bin.”

      All over the US, recycling with no market to sell to, or place to store it is being burnt or sent to landfill. Increasing costs of processing have meant that some councils have just stopped collecting recycling altogether. This analysis shows how different states are working to address the issues with recycling in the US.

      “Since 1960 the amount of municipal waste being collected in America has nearly tripled, reaching 245m tonnes in 2005. According to European Union statistics, the amount of municipal waste produced in western Europe increased by 23% between 1995 and 2003, to reach 577kg per person.” — The Economist

      In Australia, a country where over 60% of people recycle, it was reported recently that 58% of plastic and 23% of glass packaging were put in the wrong bin. This is contributing to ongoing issues with contaminated exports to neighboring countries, where over 50% of recycling is sent to be processed.

      To add insult to injury, Reuters reported last year that the oil industry plans on investing 400 billion dollars on plants to make new plastics and just 2 billion on reducing plastic waste. Wishcycling is only going to get worse.

      Addicted to Disposability

      The issues of wishcycling go deeper than just misunderstanding what is and isn’t actually recyclable. It speaks to a wider issue of waste and our relationship to it — specifically, how planned obsolescence and enforced disposability feed our addiction. To justify consumption, we need to believe that there is a better destination for our waste than just landfills, incineration or escaping into nature. We want it to be ok to create it, and as our material lives have become more disposable, more complex, there is a higher desire for the idea of recycling to work.

      All over the world, the amount of municipal solid waste being generating is growing at unprecedented rates. In India, in 2001 it was 36.5 million metric tonnes, twenty years later in 2021, it’s now 110 million metric tons. This is estimated to grow to 200 million metric tons by 2041 (source, statistia).

      “China is responsible for the largest share of global municipal solid waste — at more than 15 percent. However, in terms of population the United States is the biggest producer of waste. The U.S. accounts for less than five percent of the global population, but produces roughly 12 percent of global MSW and is the biggest generator of MSW per capita.” — Global waste generation — statistics & facts, Statista, 2021

       
      Trash in a canal near Sahiwal Jhal Road in Pakistan, a Photo by Muhammad Numan on Unsplash.

      Trash in a canal near Sahiwal Jhal Road in Pakistan, a Photo by Muhammad Numan on Unsplash.

       
       
      Trash piling up on a London street (a very common sight), Photo by Paul Schellekens on Unsplash.

      Trash piling up on a London street (a very common sight), Photo by Paul Schellekens on Unsplash.

       

      Recycling is not the solution to waste. The global increases in solid waste generation are happening at rates far, far greater than any recycling system can manage (except maybe Germany, which has policies that shift responsibility back onto the producer and Wales, which is the world's third-best recycler!).

      Recycling doesn’t work because its existence incentivizes and legitimizes the creation of waste. Thus, as a solution to the global waste crisis, it does no more than temporarily mask the issue at hand. We live in a linear economy, a system that requires the production of waste for it to function. We designed an incentive system of growth that relies on continual consumption, which means we must make waste to perpetuate it. To solve the waste crisis, we need to redesign the entire system of materials and how they flow throughout the economy. And certainly, companies need to be held accountable for the things that they create and pump out into the world.

      This is the biggest design challenge of our time. How do we redesign everything so it works better for all of us? How do we meet human needs without destroying the systems that sustain us? This is the topic of a book I’ve been working on for some time and the more I reflect on the changes that need to occur, the more I see that many of the solutions put in place (such as recycling) are actually reinforcing the problems and preventing us from reimagining the systems that created this issues to start with!

      I find this a hard realization to voice, but under the current system, recycling is a key part of legitimizing the disposable economy we live in and thus we need to stop relying on recycling and demand a full redesign.

       
      Recycling contamination. Photo by Vivianne Lemay on Unsplash.

      Recycling contamination. Photo by Vivianne Lemay on Unsplash.

       

      Aspirational Recycling

      Recently there were reports of UK recycling being dumped in Turkey after the recycling market took a huge hit from the China waste ban that started in 2018 (the rise in waste trafficking is a rabbit hole I will explore in another article).

      This is where the wishcycling situation plays into a psychological bias we are all part of. It’s also called aspirational recycling, which feeds into the desires that people have to “do the right thing.” Here, we all want recycling to be the solution to our growing global waste crisis, so much so, that people are likely to recycle items that connect to their self-identity, such as the coffee cups or the take-out food containers, even if they have a suspicion that they are not recyclable (which cups are not, nor are black plastic take out containers). A Harvard Business Review article claims there is a bias whereby waste production is increased through the pre-knowledge that an item could be recycled, which leads to an increased use of disposable items. So we trick ourselves into using things that are non-recyclable by wishing that they were. This is the root cause of wishcycling.

      We collectively rely on recycling as a crutch, allowing the potential of materials being reused to justify our continued consumption and use of disposable items.

      Industry relies on this collective bias to continue to produce more and more non-recyclable stuff and feed into a collective misunderstanding of what is and isn’t recyclable. Confusion is a great tool for distraction. When known side effects (such as the millions of tons of plastics in the oceans) come to light — and even though there is a nonexistent recycling system for the billions of tons produced each year— they go back and blame it on us for not recycling properly!

       

      Is Recycling Worth It? By NPR

       

      Then there’s the issues of different rules in different places, and the persistent claims from industries that things are recyclable (even if they are not), along with the misinformation that recycling is somehow the silver bullet solution to the world’s waste crisis — it’s no wonder we’re so misdirected. We wishcycle because we have been told that recycling is the solution and we all want to do the right thing.

      Our desire for things to be “greener” often makes us do un-green things. This is not really our fault though; we’ve all fallen victim to decades of marketing spin from industries addicted to disposability, saturated with ads that tell us that littering is the issue and recycling is the solution. The false answer to a manufactured problem is to believe that a simple act of separating our waste into that which can be recycled and that which will end up in the ground or being burnt will fix the myriad of environmental and social equity issues that waste creates.

      Recycling may have a place in a well-designed circular economy, but it will not solve the problem created by our addiction to easy, convenient, disposable stuff. The only way we can stop waste is by designing it out of the system to start with and this requires us to redesign everything, the materials used, the way we create products through to the entire economic system that they work within.

      Wishcycling is part of a fairytale that has been told to us over and over again, it says recycling is a good solution to a massive problem. It feeds into our collective delusions that disposability can be remedied by the same system that benefits from waste. This all adds up to confused good-intentioned people who put their broken Christmas lights and soiled diapers in the recycling and hope for the best. And an industry that then blames the customer for not getting it right.

      Where did the wishcycling concept come from?

      The term “wishcycling” first appeared around 2015 when journalist Eric Roper wrote about the waste industry’s rising challenge of dealing with new types of materials and polymers that were making their way into the recycling bins of households.

      In an article, Roper interviewed Bill Keegan, who was the President of a waste and recycling firm DEM-CON, where he mentioned the idea of people wishing things would be recycled. Inspired by the concept, Roper wrote a follow-on piece the following week about the concept of wishcycling where he detailed how plastic bags and bowling balls, food sachets, and loose bottle caps were all contributing to recycling contamination.

      In the article, Roper explains, “A number of materials in particular frequently show up at local processing facilities, causing problems for the complex machines that make curbside single-sort recycling possible. They ultimately end up comprising the ‘residual’ waste that facilities cannot recycle.”

       

      Wishcycling on the news (on Fox news!)

       

      According to the industry magazine Recycling Today, “there are five common curbside recycling contamination themes: tanglers (hoses, cords, clothes), film plastic (plastic wrap or bags), bagged things (garbage or recycling), hazardous material (propane tanks, needles/sharps) and a category that can be summed up as ‘yuck’ things that downgrade other materials and clog the system (food, liquids, diapers, etc.).”

      To help address this, on a practical level, online tools like this can help keen people figure out what can and can’t go in their recycling right now. But let’s be honest, the average person is more likely to make a quick judgment based on assumptions, leading to wishcycling. I know in my case, I feel guilty when I put things in the normal waste bin, so I want to avoid it and hope that the oat milk tetra pack is indeed going to be recycled!

      Commonly wishcycled items:

      Paper coffee cups: They are lined with plastic and have polystyrene lids so are not easily recycled. These have to go in the trash, so get a reusable cup for your daily caffeine fix!

      Paper take-out containers: They are also often lined with plastic and if not then contaminated with the oils and residues of the food, the best you could hope for is the unlined ones going directly in your home compost or organic waste collection.

      Broken glasses and ceramics: Recycling facilities are usually high-tech places that use lasers and magnets to separate out the recyclables. But often there are humans working a line, and broken glass can’t be picked out by the machines — humans with hands have to separate them out.

      Pizza boxes: Any food-contaminated paper product is hard to recycle because the fibers absorb the grease and thus make the recycling process harder. So they have to go in the general waste or if you have organic waste collection/composting then it should go in there.

      Flexible and soft plastics: These are basically ALL your food plastic packages that are soft and flexible, such as crisp and candy wrappers, rice bags, nuts and loose lettuce bags. Anything that is flexible is unlikely to be recyclable in most mainstream waste recollection services. Some stores offer a takeback program if you are diligent enough to separate, collect and take them back to your store.

      Any electronic item: 100% of these have to go in a dedicated electronic waste recycling collection service. They are filled with complex and often toxic materials and can even explode, so be sure to find out from your local council about collections and drop-offs for e-waste.

      Light globes: Most light globes are made of several different materials and thus can’t be recycled through the normal collection and need to be taken to a specialty recycling drop-off location.

      Any household item: Broken toys and old T-shirts are most likely not recyclable in your household collection. These need to be taken to a specific location or better still, repaired and resold.

      What can we do about it?

      Waste is produced as a result of consumption. So the first thing we can do is nip the issue in the bud by not buying the things that can’t be recycled to start with. Of course, it would be even better if the companies who produced unrecyclable crap stopped designing such items, and supermarkets and producers got together and figured out how to create more universal packaging solutions that dramatically reduced waste, to begin with. Ahh, that would be bloody brilliant. But in the meantime, whilst we all wait for some of the biggest companies in the world to catch up to the growing global demand for a circular economy (I’m looking at you Amazon), then we have to each take on the task of figuring out what is actually recyclable in our community and then be a bit more diligent about where it ends up.

      I for one buy mostly from a local food producer who only sells local produce and delivers it in reusable boxes. When I do have to shop at the supermarket I try and take a bit of time to read the packaging (and I still get it wrong sometimes FYI). I compost all organic waste and include all light uncoated paper products and bio-based plastics in the compost drop-off point (this will be industrially processed so all the biodegradable packaging can go in it).

      It can feel insignificant to take these small micro-steps against a tidal wave of waste, but our own actions are calculated up and used to influence the actions that industries take. Once they realize people are actively avoiding certain products, they will be forced to refect and hopefully change. Wherever we can flex our consumer power, we help shape the way new trends emerge through demand (oat milk, and vegan food options, for example, is a relatively new addition to grocery shelves for a reason!).

      Wishcycling is a symptom of a much broader issue at play: we have designed a world addicted to waste and disposability. Until we break that cycle, we, as everyday people, will continue to have to navigate our way through the material complexity that is thrust upon us.

      But as long as we believe the fairytale that recycling will solve our waste crises, then we will continue to enable industries to get away with creating more and more disposable, unsustainable and un-recyclable crap.

      ——————

      If you want to get started on your change-making journey, then check out my list of free tools for circular and sustainable design, or explore the everyday actions you can take via my United Nations collaboration, The Anatomy of Action.

      The big opportunity for systemic change is in the way we do business, so I have courses on circular systems design, sustainable design, the circular economy and how to activate sustainability in business.

      If you are interested in diving deeper into how to activate sustainability in any size business and want to help to bring about the transition to the circular economy, then consider signing up for my 2-day in-person Masterclass this October in London.

      — -

      Additional sources used in this article:

      Rebecca Altma, Discard Studies, On Wishcycling, 2021, available here

      Stephanie B. Borrelle, The Conversation, Recycling isn’t enough — the world’s plastic pollution crisis is only getting worse

      Jackie Flynn Mogensen, 2019, Mother Jones, One Very Bad Habit Is Fueling the Global Recycling Meltdown

      Erin Hassanzadeh, 2021, CBS Minnesota, Pandemic-Driven ‘Wishcycling’ Is Causing Big Problems At Recycling Centers

      Drew Desilver, 2016, Pew Research Center, Perceptions and realities of recycling vary widely from place to place

      Tom Mumford, 2020, ReCollect, Wishcycling 101: When Good Intentions Lead To Contamination

      Activate Positive Change this Earth Day with 50% off at #UnSchoolsOnline!

      It’s almost Earth Day again and whilst we truly believe that every day should be Earth Day, we are always excited to join in the celebration of the big blue beautiful dot we call home. 

      So from April 20-22, we are doing a flash sale with 50% off everything at UnSchools Online*! This includes all our brain-activating courses, engaging digital toolkits, paradigm-shifting handbooks,  our new skills badges that help you show off your smarts, and even the brand new 3 Dimensions of Sustainability in Business 4-Week Sprint course!

      🌏  Use code ‘earthday21’ at checkout to get your smartypants discount from April 20-22! 🌍

      *For all subscriptions, tracks and payment plans, 50% will be taken off your first month’s payment only.

      This year, EarthDay.Org is running not just one, but 3 days of climate action throughout April 20-22. Since we know that bridging the gap between wanting to do something and actually doing something requires knowledge, tools and activation, which when applied breeds confidence and results — we want to provide you with positive feedback loops that help you start or continue in making positive change for the planet! 

      We’ve said many times before, and we will keep screaming whenever we can, we need to be celebrating and protecting our beautiful life-giving planet and shared home every single effing day. 

      Last year, our founder Leyla Acaroglu wrote a perspective on Earth Day 50 (which happened in 2020) where she said: 

      The tragic trade-off of our expansion and domination over the globe is all too obvious. Take a peek at any one of the exponentially-growing environmental concerns: ocean plastic waste, air pollution, deforestation, the Sixth Great Extinction, climate change. As we sit stuck in our homes, lamenting and stressing about the killer virus sweeping through our communities and blaming it on bats, we forget that we made all of this mess. We destroyed the habitats, we created the market for live animals, we facilitated the air pollution and environmental conditions that are starting to be correlated with high death rates of COVID-19. We lit the match that started the fire, and we are responsible for finding the means to extinguish it without destroying the place in the process. 


      Humanity is completely reliant on Earth’s majesty, and it’s time for us, as a species, to get our shit together and respect the systems that sustain our very existence. Let’s commit together to activating our individual agency to help contribute to the needed collective change, and as creative rebels, as individuals, as business leaders, as government representatives--whoever you are and whatever you do, just get activated in making change so that every day, we celebrate the splendid life we get to live on Earth.

      “There is no other known life-support system in the entire universe as magical as this one, the one you are on, right now, orbiting a sun whilst being orbited by a moon, whilst moving through space. This life-giving beauty is our home, and for some magical reason, it gave you and me and all the other things here life. This life we were given requires us to breathe air to survive. Do you see that tree or little bit of green trying to get up through the cracks on the pavement? Its entire system of existence, the fractals that formed its repeating design of leaves and branches and roots — these are the same building blocks that we are made of.” - Leyla Acaroglu, Why Every Day Should be Earth Day

      Making change does not have to cost money either! Here are three free things you can get right now: 

      1. If you want to help activate your organization this Earth Day, download our new (free!) action-oriented toolkit, the 3D Sustainability in Business Framework Free Starter Kit.

      2. Making change is easier when you have like-minded friends! Download our new community app here for desktop or search ‘UnSchools’ on your mobile phone’s app store to start connecting. You get the first 30 days for free! 

      3. Check out all our free resources and find your superpowers with our free Everyday Superpowers toolkit.

      ALL THE UNSCHOOL COURSES
      SUSTAINABILITY
      SUSTAINABILITY

      Learn how to map life cycles, how to calculate your ecological footprint, develop your ability to think critically about sustainability and bust through persistent eco-myths.

      SYSTEMS THINKING
      SYSTEMS THINKING

      This foundation course will help you wrap your head around the systems at play and give you the tools you need to understand the complex social, industrial & environmental systems and how they interact.

      MAKE CHANGE
      MAKE CHANGE

      This course will give you a more profound perspective on change, packed with agency-boosting content that helps you explore what change means to you and define a personal approach to your change practice.

      RESEARCH
      RESEARCH

      Far from any traditional more boring approaches like clipboard-based surveys, this course will help you develop exceptional and rigorous approaches for designing, enacting, and interpreting research.

      GAMIFICATION + GAME THEORY
      GAMIFICATION + GAME THEORY

      Learn how to use gamification in experience design, using the mechanics and motivators that support engaging people in delightful and fun ways and form a powerful toolset of cognitive and social understanding.

      COGNITIVE SCIENCES + BIASES
      COGNITIVE SCIENCES + BIASES

      Understand where to focus your efforts as a change-maker and know where to intervene, you need to understand the intersections of behavior, bias, attitudes, and social structures.

      ETHICS + EMPATHY
      ETHICS + EMPATHY

      Unpack contemporary philosophical and practical applications to ethics and ethical conduct (through the lens of social change and sustainability) and explores the visceral and cognitive experience of empathy.

      LANGUAGE, INFLUENCE + EFFECT
      LANGUAGE, INFLUENCE + EFFECT

      From dream time stories to methodologies, become adept at concepts governing Moral Panics and logistical framing, and discover how to master language and storytelling for positive social change.

      SYSTEMS INTERVENTIONS
      SYSTEMS INTERVENTIONS

      The tools gained will prepare you to identify where and how to intervene in a system, build effective systems interventions, plus design systems in which these interventions can exist.

      IDEATION + PROTOTYPING
      IDEATION + PROTOTYPING

      Whether you’re working on products, systems, or services, this course will refine your ideation skills and help you find a format that works for you in your creative production practices.

      , , ,

      6 Focused Learning Categories to Boost your Change-Making Skills

      , , ,

      Here at The UnSchool, there’s a handful of things that we never stop talking about: making positive creative change, embracing systems thinking, normalizing sustainability, igniting the circular economy, leveraging the Disruptive Design Method, and finally, diving into Cognitive Science by hacking our brains, mindsets and biases so that we can all expand our sphere of influence and active our agency to make massive sustainable changes to the way we live on this beautiful planet we all share!!!

      When we started this experimental knowledge lab in 2014, we did so with the intent to give others the tools they needed to disrupt the status quo and solve complex problems in order to make the future work better for us all. Now that we’ve been fully operational for almost 7 years, having transferred knowledge to thousands of change-makers like you all around the world, run fellowships in 10 countries (!), and created >80 offerings at UnSchool Online, we decided to organize our courses, toolkits and ebooks into the themed-knowledge areas that we focus on the most. 

      Featured
      SYSTEMS THINKING
      SYSTEMS THINKING

      Systems are all around us. Explore how to identify, work within, and understand the systems that make up the world around us, the relationships that connect us, and how to map them effectively for change making initiatives.

      SUSTAINABILITY
      SUSTAINABILITY

      Sustainability is all about social, economic and environmental considerations we make to create a future that works better. Map life cycles, calculate your ecological footprint, think critically about sustainability and bust through eco-myths.

      DISRUPTIVE DESIGN
      DISRUPTIVE DESIGN

      A holistic approach to complex problem solving combining sociological inquiry methods with systems and design thinking approaches to help you to develop interventions that are smart, effective, thoughtful, and sustainable.

      COGNITIVE SCIENCE
      COGNITIVE SCIENCE

      Learn how the brain works and how our minds organize information, understand where to focus your efforts as a change-maker and know where to intervene, the intersections of behavior, bias, attitudes, and social structures.

      CREATIVE CHANGE
      CREATIVE CHANGE

      New career paths continue to unfold, and at the centre is creativity. How we evolve as a species requires new ideas, ways of seeing, doing and making change. Creativity is not a hobby - it is a cognitive skill and job title for the future.

      CIRCULAR ECONOMY
      CIRCULAR ECONOMY

      Understand the difference between our existing, resource-draining linear systems and the circular systems that we need for a regenerative, sustainable future, gain insight into how governments, industries, and individuals are shifting.

      Our six brand new learning categories — Systems Thinking, Sustainability, Circular Economy, Creative Change, Disruptive Design, Cognitive Science — are designed to help you find what you need more efficiently and take a more targeted approach to refining your creative change-making skill set. Whether you are brand new to the world of making change or you’re a leader in creative change, we have offerings that can help you build your knowledge bank, refine your skillset, and amplify your impact. These new learning categories are simply like destinations on your change-making journey map, and we’ll step you through where to go based on where you are right now. 

      Over the next few weeks, we’ll spotlight each of the new learning categories here in our journal to help give you a better understanding of why these focused areas are so important not only to us — but for your work, too. Stay tuned! 

      PS: Speaking of knowledge transfer, have you browsed our recently upgraded Free Resource Library lately? It’s packed with brain-activating content (like Leyla’s Decade of Disruption report, or The Circular Classroom or Sustainability in Business!)  and practical tools (like the Superpower Activation Kit, the Circular Redesign Kit, and our personal Post Disposable Kit!) that you can utilize right away.

      ,

      Launching Now: The UnSchool Community App!

      ,

      The UnSchool Community App is Now Ready For Download!

       
      GE-THE-UNSCHOOL-APP!-Mockups.png
       

      After months of hard work and some serious challenges overcome, we are overjoyed to announce that our beautiful new UnSchool Community App is ready for you to join! 

      Yes, an app — you can go search for it right now in the Google Play or Apple stores to download and start connecting! The first 30 days are on us :)

      If you prefer a desktop experience, go to https://community.unschools.co/ on your computer now. No phone needed; it has all the same features as the mobile version.

      We are very proud of what the UnSchool Community App has to offer, so keep reading to learn all about what you can expect when you sign up — and feel free to DM us any questions once you get into the app itself. Cheers to community, connection, and collaboration!

      What is the UnSchool Community App?

      The UnSchool Community App is a dedicated social connection app designed to inspire and foster collaboration amongst our growing global community of change-makers.

      Whether you're just getting started or you’re more advanced along your change-maker journey, grow among a supportive international community filled with professionals and emerging leaders who share a common mission for a more sustainable and positive planet. 

      As a bonus, we’ve integrated our online learning school into the app, so you can access any course that you’re enrolled in directly on your device! 

      Here’s what you can look forward to (beyond the daily dose of optimism and creative inspiration coming through push notifications):

      • Challenges: Monthly themed content + guided activation challenges for everyone.

      • Connections: A global community community of changemakers to help you continue upskilling, collaborating and staying motivated.

      • Conversations: Pop-in livestream conversations with guests like Leyla Acaroglu, UnSchool team members, alumni, certified Educators and invited guests. 

      • Collaborations: Join a challenge team to hone your creative change-making skills.

      • Courses: Access all of your UnSchool enrolled courses right inside the app.

      • Credentials: Take what you learned and apply for skills validation badges that are blockchain encrypted and easily shareable. 

      • FREE Take Action course: Advanced skill-building content to discover the fundamental principles of the Disruptive Design Method. 

      • FREE content: Download free tools on systems, sustainability and design. 20% of UnSchool content is always open access — but you get special access to new content via the app.

      • FREE month: Sign up now for a monthly subscription and get 30 days free exploration and participation.

      • FREE annual bonus: Pay for a year subscription and get two months free (12 months for the price of 10!).

      What inspired the UnSchool Community App?

      Aside from the world being much more mobile these days, we are always looking for new ways to activate our growing global community of creative change-makers.

      We wanted to make a destination for positive and proactive conversations, collaborations and connections for all the passionate systems-thinking change-makers like you.

      We built in private rooms as well, for alumni and those of you who are on certification tracks. Online learning is GREAT, but one thing we always hear is how people miss the engagement and connection with others. So we wanted to build a space for live humans to talk to live humans as they go through the coursework or just life.

      Get access to all your enrolled UnSchool Online classes, the community engagement feed, and an activation hub for monthly challenges and content!

      Get access to all your enrolled UnSchool Online classes, the community engagement feed, and an activation hub for monthly challenges and content!

      How much does it cost?

      The first 30 days are free to test drive the app, meet all the other people who have joined, participate in the challenges and conversations, and access all your courses that you’ve enrolled in.

      We charge a subscription fee to help us make more change possible, to cover the creation and management costs of our community features and to ensure we can continue to build our offerings and open access programs.

      We give away 20% of our content for free, so having a fee for things we offer helps others who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford the cost to access these resources.

      When you pay for anything at the UnSchool, a portion of that goes to supporting the scholarships we give away. We are entirely self-funded (and proud of it!) so it is our community that helps us to decouple education from economics.

      If you are unable to afford the subscription, we offer a limited number of needs-based scholarships on a discretionary basis. You can apply online here:

       
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      ARE YOU A TRACKER OR ALUMNI?

      All existing Certification trackers and enrolled Masterclass participants get free access throughout their enrollment. If you don’t see the Alumni or Tracker groups when you get the app, send us an email at programs@unschools.co and we’ll get it sorted out for you.

      Here are 3 reasons to start your 30-day SUBSCRIPTION today: 

      1. Exclusive monthly challenges: Articles, activities, prompts, challenges, downloads and links focused on a new critical skill and knowledge area each month. The Activation Hub is your one-stop-shop for bite-sized content to help you make positive change. 

      2. Social Feeds and Community Groups: Connect with like-minded people to collaborate, share, support, connect, vibe and get more positive stuff done! Don’t get bogged down in the negative mainstream social media, find your community of people who care deeply about designing a sustainable future and take action in creative, contemporary ways.

      3. UnSchool course access: Be free of your laptop! Use the same email as your UnSchool Online account to access all your enrolled courses — a great way to listen to course material while out and about. Bonus: all new app signups get enrolled in a free Monthly Activation challenge!

      Activate yourself to be a force for positive change by bringing knowledge, connection and motivation into your daily routine. The community will help keep you moving forward, making positive social and environmental change no matter what the world throws at us. See you there!

      , ,

      8 Creative Change-Maker Skills You Learn at The UnSchool

      , ,

      We know people like you want to help change the world. What a relief it is to know that you're not alone! The UnSchool was created for people just like you, and you can get involved by joining our blossoming community of creative change-makers from around the world who all agree that we can design a better future.  

       
      The Importance of Human Centered Design (1).png
       

      The UnSchool’s community is made up of creative rebels, problem solvers, and activated change-makers from all walks of life. They are deeply passionate about making positive change — a  crew of people wanting to get busy unf*cking the multitude of social and environmental problems around us. Pandemic or not. 

      For the last six years, we have taught thousands of people how to make positive change. We know that it’s not one person’s responsibility to save the world, but that every single one of us can change it for the better.

      The suite of practical tools we share through our online courses and workshops are perfectly tuned to help you take action. 

       
      Systems mapping at an UnSchool workshop

      Systems mapping at an UnSchool workshop

       

      Just wanting to be a part of change is not always enough to evoke action. We have to contend with our brain biases that thwart our efforts (Netflix and chill overload, anyone?), even among the most committed of us. 

      Making impactful, tangible change takes a specific mindset and toolset that helps hack these brain biases. Offering an applied knowledge set that anyone can use, the tools that we share at The UnSchool help you unravel complex interconnected problems and design positively disruptive interventions that leverage change. 

       
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      When you take an UnSchool offering, you can expect transformative learning that enhances your reflective, critical, and systems thinking perspectives as powerful tools required to participate in changing the world.  

      We draw upon an existing knowledge bank to transfer skills to you via our Masterclasses, Online Courses or live online Workshops.

      Here’s an overview of the 8 key skills you’ll gain and why they’re so crucial for any creative change-maker’s toolkit:

       
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      1. Problem Framing

      Here at The UnSchool, we love love love problems and all of the brain-stretching fun that comes along with understanding what makes them tick. We’ll teach you how to love them as well (and encourage you to sleep and eat your veggies to help that brain stretching!).

      You’ll learn how to write problem statements and frame your change initiatives as creative quests so you can quickly get to the heart of what it is you’re seeking to change.

      Great classes that will help you gain this right now are Make Change, Research Strategies and Project Activation and Amplification.  

       
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      2. Systems Thinking

      A core component of the three pillars of our philosophy (systems, sustainability and design), is the power of systems thinking. It is unmatched in creative change-making and a fundamental part of any good practice.

      Everything is interconnected, and in order to leverage creativity while making change — actually, in order to do just about anything — one needs to know how to see, identify, interact with and think in systems. 

      Take our very popular Systems Thinking course or get started with our Introduction to Systems Mapping. More advanced players can take our Systems Intervention course. 

       
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      3. Systems Mapping

      When it comes to making change, knowledge without application isn’t very useful. So while thinking in systems is a great start, applying a systems mindset to designing interventions is where the real magic lies.

      To help you put your systems thinking knowledge to work, we’ll teach you how to map systems via various tools like cluster maps and interconnected circles maps (and later, how to design sustainable interventions based on the insight you glean from those maps!). 

      Get started with Introduction to Systems Mapping, or read our e-books Design Systems Change or Circular Systems Design. 

       
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      4. Life Cycle Thinking 

      Similar to systems thinking, you’ll uncover the secret lives of everyday things when you begin viewing them from a life cycle perspective.

      We’ll show you how to easily map the production flow and material impact of anything created, as well as show you how to access life cycle data to give you the skills to do quick, paper-based life cycle explorations for comparing products and services. 

      We cover this in detail in our Sustainability in Business 101 course and in our Introduction to Life Cycle Thinking course. 

       
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      5. Theory of Change

      A Theory of Change is an approach to setting actions to get outcomes that you can map. You could say it is a description, or illustration, of the approach you would take to enact change, and it can be done both for an actual intervention or for an entire philosophy on how change happens. 

      We will show you how to reverse engineer your change objective by using the theory of change methodology. This is an incredible way to not only lay the pathway for change but also develop a benchmark for measuring change initiatives in the future.

      Jump into the wonderful world of making change with our Make Change course, or level up your change initiatives with our Project Activation and Application course. 

       
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      6. Circular Design

      We are all consumers in the current linear economy, but as we transition to one that massively reduces waste and instead promotes a variety of reuse approaches, we will each become shareholders in the delivery and cycling of goods and services throughout the economy.

      The Circular Economy requires a redesign of nearly everything, so we’ll equip you with all the circular design (and redesign) tools and strategies you need to be apart of this global transformation.

      Get reading with our Circular Systems Design e-book, download our FREE open-source Circular Redesign Toolkit or take our Introduction to Circular Economy Class to advance your capacity in this important skill. 

       
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      7. Gamification Design

      Gamification is the use of game mechanics in non-gaming environments, and it has become the hot tool for user experience design. It is a technique of dissecting and exploring the mechanics that motivate action in non-gaming environments — and it can truly be a ‘game changer’ when it comes to making creative change (say that 3x fast!)

      You will learn all about the mechanics of gamification, the different ways you can apply it to effecting change and the fascinating world of human behavioral motivators.

      We have a course in Gamification and Game Theory that covers everything you need to know! If you are already into gamification, then take our Cognitive Science and Bias course to learn more about the behavioral patterns around this. 

       
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      8. Activation Planning

      Pulling it all together, your activation plan is the last step before you launch your creative change idea into the world. This helps you feel confident and prepared to do what you set out to do: change the world.

      We show you the tactics and practical ways of turning an idea into action and ensuring that it has sustainable, long-lasting impact.

      Our Project Activation and Amplification course is the perfect place for you if you want to get your change-making ideas out into the world. We also have a 30-day activation challenge that is perfect for you if you are keen to effect change and want to learn ALL THE TOOLS!

      Many of these tools can be found outlined in our FREE toolkits. You can access them suit of them here >

      If you’re ready to make it happen, join us for our first live online Masterclass of 2021, The Disruptive Design Masterclass!

      Taught over the course of 1 full month, you will cover one of these toolsets via 2x weekly live sessions with a cohort of like-minded creative change-makers.

       
       

      Want to know what the experience is like? Check out Alumni Milosz’s experience here. 

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      The Sustainability Status: Part 1 of Decade of Disruption: Future of the Sustainable Workplace in the Age of Covid-19 and Climate Change

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      Last week, we shared the exciting launch of our groundbreaking report, Decade of Disruption: Future of the Sustainable Workplace in the Age of Covid-19 and Climate Change, written by Leyla Acaroglu and commissioned by Unily.

      Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing highlights from each of the three parts of the report, starting with Part 1, The Sustainability Status. If you’re keen to dive into the full report right now, go ahead and download it in full here — it’s totally free! And, if you are ignited to start your workplace sustainability journey, then take one of our Sustainability in Business Programs or week-long intensive. 

      This opening section of the report gives you a 360 degree perspective of the trends and forces influencing the transition towards sustainability in the workplace by exploring the opportunities and actions that are currently emerging as the defining forces shaping the transition to carbon positive and sustainable workplaces.

      THE DECADE OF DISRUPTION: 2020-2030

       The last two decades have seen a rise in “green” office strategies that range from assessing the energy, waste and water consumption through to sustainable procurement and behavioral change initiatives, but now we are seeing the elevation of change towards business model transformation for the circular economy. 

      This decade was already set up to be one of great change even before the crises of early 2020.  Transformation of both the entire economy and social practices was accelerated by the global pandemic that swept around the world, wreaking havoc on markets, changing business operations, altering people's lives and challenging healthcare systems. The Covid-19 crisis is emerging  entirely new ways of working, living and doing business. But even before this, the foundations for massive change were already being laid out for businesses. Here we explore some of the great disruptions unfolding this decade.

       
       

      INDUSTRY 4.0 

      We are in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution. Industry 4.0 is fueled by digital transformation, Artificial Intelligence, robotics and networked communication systems.  Exponential changes in technological development alters the way we manufacture, produce and consume goods and operate within the economy. The interconnection of devices and services so that technology communicates to enable the more efficient and seamless creation of goods, along with the rapid growth in connectivity, is creating entirely new ways of doing things. Offices, factories, cities and homes are getting ‘smarter,’ which when designed well, can lead to significant efficiency and productivity gains.  

       
       

      “This manufacturing revolution will increase productivity, shift economics, foster industrial growth, and modify the profile of the workforce”.  - Industry 4.0, BCG

      The Circular Economy 

      In response to the waste and pollution crisis, the Circular Economy calls for a total reconstruction in the way we design, deliver and engage with the goods and services that make up the economy. This involves moving from a linear production process - whereby waste and pollution are built into production systems - to a circular one that allows for new business models, design processes and supply chains that cycles resources through a well-designed closed loop system. Products become services and entire value-chains are redesigned and managed to eliminate losses and increase the value of materials extracted from nature. 

      “Adopting circular-economy principles could not only benefit Europe environmentally and socially but could also generate a net economic benefit of €1.8 trillion by 2030”. - EU Circular Economy Action Plan, Mckinsey and Company 

      Climate Change

      Humans have long had an obsession with tracking the weather. For much of our history, the ability to predict the weather has helped us build, feed and navigate societal development. The current and predicted changes that will occur this decade if we do not curb global greenhouse gas emissions will make reading the weather have an entirely new meaning as we see more freak weather events, longer, hotter summers, increased frequency of catastrophes and rising sea levels impact coastal regions. The degree of impact will depend on the actions taken now, and with nearly all countries in the world ratifying the 2016 Paris Agreement, there is hope that the worst will be avoided and the best brought out in our global community. 

       
       

      “Ambitious climate action could generate US$26 trillion in economic benefits between now and 2030 and create 65 million jobs by 2030, while avoiding 700,000 premature deaths from air pollution” - New Climate Economy: Commission on the Economy and Climate 

      2030 Global Goals

      The United Nations has marked the end of this decade as the goalpost year for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a set of 17 global goals that, if achieved, will bring about a sustainable and equitable economy. Many companies are adopting the SDGs as operating guidelines for corporate activity, Despite there still being disconnects between rhetoric and action, there is a strong drive for this decade to be one where global action on sustainable development is made and successes achieved.

       
       

      “Our analysis shows 72% of companies mentioned the SDGs in their reporting, but only 25% include them in their published business strategy. Furthermore, just 14% include specific SDG targets”. - Welcome to the 2020s: The 'make or break' era of sustainable development, PwC

      Global Health Crises

      The World Health Organization has long been calling for concern over the threat of  global health pandemics, and the Covid-19 crisis has certainly changed the way we live and work. The long term impacts are unknown, as is the potential for an increase in pandemics in the future. The crisis has drawn many parallels to the needed action in combating climate change, as the response to the Covid-19 reminded many that action to abate the negative impacts of climate change also requires collective action. The connection between the destruction of nature and the increased risk of pandemics has been raised by leading biodiversity experts. There’s a likelihood that the coronavirus pandemic will be followed by even more destructive disease outbreaks if the cause behind the continuous destruction of natural capital does not come to a halt. 

      “Many of the root causes of climate change also increase the risk of pandemics. Deforestation, which occurs mostly for agricultural purposes, is the largest cause of habitat loss worldwide. Loss of habitat forces animals to migrate and potentially contact other animals or people and share germs” -Coronavirus and Climate Change, Harvard Medical School

      The Green Recovery 

      The Covid19 fueled economic crises will be built on a green recovery plan, especially in Europe where the European Union is driving the campaign to build back better. The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, proposed six climate-related actions to shape the recovery post Covid-19 in a call to action for governments to build more resilient, sustainable and inclusive societies. Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050 and the protection of biodiversity, the green recovery plan outlines: 

      1. Monetary recovery packages that deliver new jobs and businesses through a clean and green transition.

      2. When taxpayers’ money is being used to rescue businesses, it should be tied to achieving green jobs and sustainable growth.

      3. The use of fiscal firepower to drive a shift from the current grey to a green economy, empowering societies and people to be more resilient.

      4. Public funds should be used to invest in the future and flow to sustainable sectors and projects that help the environment and the climate by ending fossil fuel subsidies and encouraging polluters to pay for the impacts that they create. 

      5. Climate risks and opportunities are to be incorporated into the financial system at large, as well as all aspects of public policy making and infrastructure.

       
       

      What else is in Part 1?

      The rest of Part 1 dives into the megatrends impacting this decade of disruption. Megatrends are massive cultural shifts that unfold in real time, creating identifiable patterns that can be observed and interacted with as they emerge and evolve to affect society at large. 

      We identified 8 societal level megatrends that are affecting the ways we work and the types of business models that will be successful in the future, all of which are covered in detail in the full report. The future is changed by our actions today, so these trends are a manifestation of the behaviors, desires, aspirations and actions of those operating in the workforce and business world right now. 

      We also share the results of a survey of 2000 UK-based office workers, from graduate entry level jobs through to Senior Manager level, who were surveyed by Censuswide in August 2020. A range of questions relating to the impact of Covid, their perceptions of sustainability and work life changes were presented, and Part 1 captures fascinating insights from select data responses.

       
       
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      Launching Now! Decade of Disruption: Future of the Sustainable Workplace In the Age of Covid-19 and Climate Change — a Report for Unily, by Disrupt Design

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      By Leyla Acaroglu

      When I was invited by Unily, an intranet development company, to research and write a report on the future of sustainability in the workplace, it was just before the global pandemic hit. Within weeks of starting the research, the world ground to a halt, and the positive and negative impacts of the Covid-19 crisis started to form, making for a fascinating time to be working on a futures report! 

      Today we launch the resulting report on the forces affecting this disruptive time we are living in: Decade of Disruption: Future of the Sustainable Workplace in the Age of Covid-19 and Climate Change. I explore the macro and micro trends driving change and the impacts of massive disruptions like Covid-19 and climate change on the workplace.

      Decade of Disruption: Future of the Sustainable Workplace in the Age of Covid-19 and Climate Change

      Decade of Disruption: Future of the Sustainable Workplace in the Age of Covid-19 and Climate Change

      I am so proud of this work. My small team and I worked solidly for 8 months during the pandemic, exploring the megatrends and emerging micro forces that will define the divers for change this decade, looking at what is already underway in bringing about a sustainable future and how this affects the workplace. From today, you can download the report for free here. 

      I hope that all the creative changemakers out there who have been working tirelessly in the last 10+ years to sound the alarms on global environmental crises like climate change and plastic waste pollution can adapt the perspectives and insights explored through this report, written at such a unique time during the throws of the emerging Covid crisis — a time that has brought to the forefront of the world’s attention the need for urgent systems change in order to bring about a sustainable and regenerative future, now.  And business is critical to this transformation. This is why alongside this we have the Sustainability in Business Program series designed to support organizations make the shift to operating in sustainable and circular ways.

      The Report 

      Transformation of the entire economy and social practices, accelerated by the global pandemic that swept around the world, wreaked havoc on markets, rapidly changed business operations, altered people’s lives and challenged healthcare systems. As a result, the Covid-19 crisis is emerging entirely new ways of working, living and doing business. But before this, the foundations for massive disruption were already being laid out for businesses, with several forces of change playing out, this report explores these and how they will continue to drive change this decade.

      Through the report, we highlight a number of case studies of leading organizations who are pioneering change, and we explore in detail 12 emerging drivers propelling a pathway towards sustainability within the workplace, starting with the cultural shifts in how and where we do business and expanding out to the operational foundations of the modern workplace. We explore how they emerged and what pioneering organizations are already doing to adapt to these influential forces, showing how Covid-19, sustainability, climate change, and the Circular Economy are affecting the workforce in multi-pronged ways.

      The report is presented in three main sections: a highlight of the six relevant megatrends predicted and already emerging as a major influencer this decade; a detailed exposition of 12 micro forces driving these megatrends and how they relate to the workplace and shifts within business operations; and a diagnostic toolkit for business managers to assess where they are on their sustainability journey, with a detailed set of maps of where to go from here to stay ahead of the pack. Stay tuned for more information about each section, as we will be sharing highlights from each of the three parts over the next three weeks, here in our journal!

      Through identifying trends unfurling in real-time, this trend report is designed to support business leaders in the process of adapting to this decade of disruption.  

      Covid-19 and climate change are just two of the most obvious forces impacting our way of life. What we will see unfold over this decade is a great amount of collective reliance in our ability to rapidly transform the way we do everything. The demand for change is great, from workers, to customers and business leaders - the trend towards sustainability being an integral part of the modern workplace is emerging from multiple directions.

      This trend report is designed to support business leaders in the process of adapting to this decade of disruption. 

      Two highlights for me are the identification of the defining drivers which contribute to the megatrends and the micro transformations that will continue to drive change, and the sustainability in business self-assessment tool that helps any organization reflect and assess where they are at and helps lay a pathway for how they can leverage positive change and transform into a sustainable workplace. 

      As part of the exploration, 2000 UK based office workers, from graduate entry-level jobs through to Senior Manager level, were surveyed by Censuswide in August 2020. A range of questions relating to the impact of Covid, their perceptions of sustainability and work-life changes were presented and selected data responses are shown throughout the report. It was found that there is a rising concern among workers around the impact of the companies that they are working for with 72% of respondents being concerned about environmental ethics, 83% feel that their companies aren’t doing enough and 63% want more green skills to strengthen their workforce value.

      Activate + Design the Future of Your Workplace Now

      Sustainability is about ensuring that decisions made today don't impede the ability for future generations to have the same, if not better quality of life as we do today, and in the context of work, it's about ensuring that workers, workplaces and business structures are ethical, equitable and economically viable.  Every organization will be at a different stage.

      As the case studies throughout the report show, there are many ways to engage with sustainability and multiple opportunities to lead through these complex times. The most important thing is getting started,  and this report will support you in gaining the insights and advantages of establishing a journey towards a sustainable workplace.  

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      Get Our New FREE Facilitation & Creative Development Toolkit

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      Positively disruptive communication can be tricky not just to create, but also to engage in. But, with pressing global issues, concerned changemakers need the know-how to navigate discourse and dialogue around things that matter the most. 

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      This new (totally free!) toolkit, a collaboration by Disrupt Design with support from OxFam Asia’s Lab, is designed to support the creative exploration and development of digital campaigns for activating positive change using the Disruptive Design Method (DDM). 

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      The 60+ page illustrated toolkit includes a step-by-step guide to facilitating engaging workshops and designing creative campaigns to activate change in the digital space.

      Part 1 shares a workshop process through systems thinking and creative ideation using the DDM, and Part 2 provides a set of actions to support designing and developing creative and engaging digital campaigns.

      Activating Change 

      By running through the content of this toolkit, you will be supported in exploring and developing exciting new opportunities for creating effective engagement campaigns that move people into action. One of the key things in designing effective campaigns that activate change is understanding the issues you are seeking to address, knowing the system it exists within and developing unique and engaging ways of communicating the desired change. This toolkit is designed to help you facilitate getting from issues to ideas to action!

       
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      Part 1: Applying the DDM

      Many of you are already familiar with the DDM’s approach to problem-solving, one which helps develop a three-dimensional perspective of the way the world works and provides a unique way of exploring, identifying, and creating tactical interventions that leverage systems change for positive social and environmental outcomes. It incorporates research and problem exploration (MINING), systems thinking and modes of interventions (LANDSCAPING), and then ideation and creative development (BUILDING). 

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      In the context of designing positively disruptive communication, the DDM is effective because it initiates a framework for something that is very innate to us humans: creative problem solving! Many people think that they are not creative, but creativity (the ability to come up with new and unique ideas) is actually a very natural human instinct. People have been creating new and unique things forever, and each day, every one of us creates things to make our lives more effective and enjoyable. We cook, clean, write, draw, tell stories, play — these are all forms of creative expression. This toolkit helps apply the DDM in a way that feels natural and organic, as well as exciting and revelatory. 

      Part 2: Creative Campaign Design

      After running through the creative process of the DDM In Part 1 and getting a tangible idea that you want to develop into a creative campaign, you will need to prototype and design the final concept.  Prototyping is the technique of turning ideas into a tangible physical concept that you can share with others, get feedback on, and refine your idea into a viable solution. In this section of the toolkit, you will find a quick guide covering design approaches for digital campaign communication design. 

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      Design is critical to any campaign success, especially in the hyper-visual digital space. Well communicated ideas are what help change the world. The goal here is to design the right approach to engage your intended community with your ideas and provide the right motivation for taking action. Campaign design is about several key factors: tone and style, visuals, layout and language. 

      It’s not just what you say; it’s also HOW you say it. 

      We communicate in more ways than ever these days: verbally, through body language, social media, text, television, and also through colour, symbology, and the imagery that we choose.

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      It’s therefore critical to understand, respect and ethically leverage what our cultural understanding is of these subtle and not-so-subtle ways of communicating to our both own and the wider global community while minimizing unintended consequences and miscommunication.

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      There are now lots of useful tools to help create beautifully-designed digital communication, from social media posts to posters and videos. By following the simple steps laid out in the toolkit, anyone can come up with more beautiful and impactful campaign designs. After running through this campaign design flow, you will have stepped through the design process of exploring and deciding on the aspects of effective communication to your community — setting yourself up for success in conveying important messages in an effective, tangible way that creates positive change.

      We hope you enjoy the toolkit and it helps you facilitate and activate more positive change in the world!

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      Why is this free?

      We are committed to helping anyone, anywhere make positive change and give away a minimum of 20% of all our content for free. We have a range of free toolkits and courses you can find online here. We are only able to do this, thanks to the support of our customers and clients who pay for our classes and workshops.

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      UnSchool Birthday Celebrations and Our Latest Video!

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      WE ARE 6 YEARS OLD!

      Hard to believe that the UnSchool has been around for six whole years! In this short time, we are so elated to have initiated programs all over the world, have supported and connected with thousands of creative changemakers from all walks of life and been at the forefront of positively disrupting the status quo to help design a sustainable and regenerative future for all!

      In this week’s journal, we take a look at our programs and accomplishments, reflect on what we have collectively achieved and get excited about what positive mischief we will get up to next.

      The first UnSchool Fellowship, in New York City in 2015!

      The first UnSchool Fellowship, in New York City in 2015!

      The UnSchool started in New York with our very first Fellowship of 16 brave first-timers who came with us on an experiential learning adventure in the energetic city. Since then, there have been 10 incredible Fellowships, dozens of Masterclasses and workshops both in-person and online, around the world and at the CO Project Farm. We developed and grew our online learning lab, as well as created tons of resources and tools, many for free, to support creative changemakers around the world.

      Every few weeks, we feature our incredible alumni in the journal, highlighting the inspiring and adventurous projects they are working on, exploring how the UnSchool has helped them move their initiatives and career forward. We don’t measure our success on activating change based on vanity metrics like social shares or likes, but instead focus on the change that our alumni are making out in the world, taking action and participating in their communities at large. We see conversations changing and communities taking action and feel proud to be a part of this global shift toward sustainability and systems change.

      Being a nomadic school means we have been invited to many beautiful and inspiring places around the world, with Fellowships in New York, Mexico City, Melbourne, São Paulo, Berlin, Christchurch, San Francisco, Mumbai, Cape Town and most recently, Kuching! We have videos of all our Fellowships on the website, and we are so happy to release the newest one here!

       
      Explore the UnSchool's Disruptive Design method and approach to experiential education through a mini doco of our 2019 fellowship in Kuching, Malasia with a ...

      Throughout the years, we have had participants join us from all around the world, with a strong equity access policy of a minimum of 20% access and free content from our own projects and the ones we are commissioned to do.

      unschool around the world

      So far, we have given away over 250k USD in scholarships to people in over 35 countries around the world. We have an open scholarship form where you can apply anytime, so if you want to join us but need some support, let us know! We also have an extensive free resources section you can access here.

      With such a diverse alumni group, we are always looking to expand our language access, and are happy to be able to offer the Change Makers Lab Cards in bilingual Thai and English, the Design Play Cards in Spanish and English, and the Circular Classroom in Swedish, Finnish and English. It’s on our list of things to do to keep adding more translations!

      WHAT’S NEXT AT THE UNSCHOOL

      Like everyone, we have been rapidly adapting and changing to the post-Covid world. We are every day more grateful that we launched our online learning platform several years ago, with around 60 classes, certifications, games, toolkits, handbooks and other resources for people like you, looking to make change and gain the tools to do so.

      We’ve been busy building new offerings that include a very exciting suite of Sustainability in Business programs, both live online (join us in October!) and self-paced (coming soon!!), along with a youth program (ages 12+).

      We also somehow found the time to release a cookbook of all your favourite (and more!) UnSchool plant-based meals.

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      And… we are releasing an UnSchool App!

      In other exciting new ventures, we are building an app! We have listened and heard from so many of our alumni about the desire to be able to more easily connect with other UnSchoolers (although you do seem to pop up with collaborations quite often!) and we finally have some time to make it happen.

      Watch out in the near future as we beta test an app designed to connect you to each other in a non-social media way, where we can have our own space to share, take on challenges, find each other, and connect in new and exciting ways. We’ve never designed an app before, so it will be a fun and rapidly changing experiment in which we have a great group of beta volunteers to test out and help us refine to be the best experience we can make.

      We are also brainstorming ways to stay connected in the time of reduced travel, so watch out for new launches, workshops, collaborations and other ways of continuing the UnSchool adventure. Stay tuned for more info!

      OUR BIRTHDAY PRESENT TO YOU!

      In celebration of our birthday, we are having a 48-hour flash sale on all things UnSchool!* Use the code BIRTHDAY50 for the next 48 hours to get all things UnSchool half off and celebrate another year of making change with us!

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      *Subscription products will have the discount applied to the first instalment



       
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      Earth Overshoot Day & Your Ecological Footprint

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      Earth Overshoot Day

      Every year the Global Footprint Network marks on the calendar a date that signifies the day we have collectively used up all the resources allocated for that year. It’s called Earth Overshoot Day, and in 2020, it falls on the 22nd of August. This is actually much better than 2019’s date, which was the 29th of July. This shift in a more sustainable direction is mainly due to the economic slow down as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

       
      Adapted from Earth Overshoot Day, last year we were a month behind this year.

      Adapted from Earth Overshoot Day, last year we were a month behind this year.

       

      The Global Footprint Network combines the most reliable data available and forms a set of reasonable assumptions to assess the current resource use of humanity. They look at changes in carbon emissions, harvesting of forest products, food production and fossil fuel demand, along with other factors that have an impact on global biocapacity. The research team concluded that this year, as a result of the global pandemic, there has been a 9.3% reduction in the global Ecological Footprint compared to the same period last year, as reported on the Earth Overshoot Day website.

      “The novel coronavirus pandemic has caused humanity’s ecological footprint to contract. However, true sustainability that allows all to thrive on Earth can only be achieved by design, not disaster.” - Earth Overshoot Day

      The changes reported by the World Footprint Network as a result of changes to the economy from the Covid-19 pandemic

      The changes reported by the World Footprint Network as a result of changes to the economy from the Covid-19 pandemic

       

      Your Ecological Footprint

      Earth Overshoot Day brings awareness to one of the main issues that sustainability is seeking to address: we collectively consume more than the Earth can provide us with. Everything comes from nature, and the planet provides us with an abundance of resources, from minerals to shelter and food. 

      But since the early 1980s, we started to extract and use more resources at a rate faster than the Earth can replenish them each year. This means we are eating into future generations resources and creating a deficit. Thus we need to find creative ways of meeting our human needs, living prosperous lives, but whilst maintaining and respecting the life support systems that sustain life on Earth.

      The ecological footprint methodology is a tool that helps individuals, cities, countries, and the entire world understand how big an impact they have on the one planet we all share. The eco footprint method looks at many 'impact categories', which are areas of our daily lives that have impacts on the planet and then provides a calculation of how many earths would be required if everyone lived your lifestyle. So the place you live, the types of things you consume - these all impact the size of your personal ecological footprint.

      ecological footprint measurment

      In part inspired by the ecological footprint concept, last year in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme, we came up with the Anatomy of Action - a set of actions everyone, anywhere, can take to live a more sustainable lifestyle. Using the hand as a memorable reference for the actions we each take in our lives, we can opt to reduce our footprint by making more effective lifestyle choices that reduce the impact of our actions.

       

      Move the date

      Each year there is a campaign is to #movethedate for Earth Overshoot Day so we can get back in line with the Earth’s ability to sustain us. The last time this was the case was in the late 1970’s, so we need to collectively move the date back to December 31st, so that we are living within the carrying capacity of the planet.

      In honor of Earth Overshoot Day, we challenge you to measure your own ecological footprint and see what kind of present impacts your lifestyle is having on the planet.

      From the Earth Overshoot Day website, the lifestyle areas that we can change to help #movethedate

      From the Earth Overshoot Day website, the lifestyle areas that we can change to help #movethedate

      Did you know that currently, we need 1.6 planets to sustain the consumption and lifestyle choices of all the humans alive today!? “From 1961 to 2010, Ecological Footprint accounts indicate that human demand for renewable resources and ecological services increased by nearly 140% “ says a report on our growing ecological footprint.

      This is our collective impact, but what is your individual footprint? Click on the image below to do the calculation and see! Then check out the Anatomy of Action to find ways you can reduce your impact and help design a more sustainable future.

      Lets take action!

      At the UnSchool we are all about agentzing people to help design a future that works better than today, we have classes, handbooks, toolkits, advanced learning tracks and masterclasses all on activating systems change for a sustainable and circular future.

      As for the gift, to celebrate Earth Overshoot Day being moved back nearly a month this year, we’re having a 24-hour, 50% off Flash Sale on everything* at UnSchools Online, on this Saturday, 22 August!

      aug flash sale

      Use the code MOVETHEDATE when you checkout, and get 50% off anything in our extensive online learning hub.

      Help #MoveTheDate by activating your agency and contributing to making positive change with tools on sustainability, systems thinking, creative problem solving, and more at UnSchools Online!

      *for certification tracks this applies to the first month only

      CLIENTS & COLLABORATORS FOR ACTIVATING POSITIVE CHANGE

      We have worked with loads of organizations, especially ones with acronyms like TED, IDEO, AIGA, UN, along with a bunch that have normal names, too.  We work with small to massive organizations, academic institutes and individuals around the world, all with the unifying desire to turn what they do into something better, more positive and sustainable. We also work closely with executives and CEOs, as well as Human Resource and Sustainability Managers. If you want to make change, we are here to help. 

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      601 w26th Street, New York, 10001, USAhello@unschools.co

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