P R O L E A R N
SELF-SUSTAINABILITY
Self-Sustainability refers to the practice of living in a way that minimises dependence on external resources and systems, focusing instead on self-reliance and harmony with nature. It encompasses a range of practices from food production to energy generation, aiming to create a more resilient and environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Key Principles
Resource Independence: Generating or sourcing essential needs locally.
Minimalism: Focusing on necessities rather than excess consumption.
Circular Living: Minimising waste and maximising resource efficiency.
Nature Connection: Aligning lifestyle choices with natural systems and cycles.
Benefits
Environmental Impact: Self-sustainable practices can reduce an individual's carbon footprint by up to 50%.
Economic Resilience: Reduced dependence on external systems can provide financial stability during economic fluctuations.
Personal Fulfilment: Many practitioners report increased life satisfaction and sense of purpose.
Challenges and Considerations
Initial Investment: Setting up self-sustainable systems often requires significant upfront costs.
Knowledge and Skills: Requires learning a diverse set of skills from gardening to energy management.
Social Integration: Balancing self-sustainability with community engagement and societal norms.
Innovative Applications
Off-Grid Living: Homes that generate their own power, process waste, and collect water.
Permaculture Design: Integrating food production with natural ecosystems in home landscapes.
Upcycling: Creating useful items from waste materials, reducing consumption of new goods.
Future Outlook
As environmental concerns grow and technology advances, we can expect to see more mainstream adoption of self-sustainable practices. Innovations in renewable energy, water conservation, and urban agriculture may make self-sustainability more accessible in various living situations.
Call to Action:
Evaluate your current lifestyle for opportunities to incorporate self-sustainable practices. Consider starting with small steps like growing some of your own food or reducing energy consumption, and gradually expand your self-reliance over time.
Layer is a thought-leading design studio founded in 2015 by British designer Benjamin Hubert. The studio embraces circular economy principles by prioritizing sustainable materials, renewable energy usage, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes. Layer's core mission is to create revolutionary product experiences through human-centered design thinking. Their work spans strategy, industrial design, branding, digital design, and spatial design for leading brands. Layer nurtures an innovative culture focused on pushing boundaries to drive positive environmental and social impact.
Location
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
Primary studio location: 445 Hackney Road, London.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing for longevity, adaptability, disassembly, and material circularity.
Key innovations: Extensive material research, designing for easy maintenance/repair/reuse, sustainable manufacturing processes.
Prioritizing localized supply chains and responsible material sourcing.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship solutions: Reversible Building Design (RBD) protocol, disassembly-focused product design.
Unique value propositions: Human-centered, future-proof design and holistic sustainability integration.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus: Advancing circular construction methods, biomaterial innovations, digital design tools.
Ambitious goals: Becoming an industry leader in ethical, eco-positive design and business practices.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products through brand partners globally.
Environmental Certifications: Cradle to Cradle, LEED, WELL Building Standard.
Circularity Rating: 5/5.
Key Accreditations: ISO Standards for Design for Disassembly/Adaptability.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Higher premium positioning).
Material Traceability: Extensive data on material sources and lifecycles.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, a core design principle.
Carbon Performance: Aim for net zero/negative through energy efficiency.
The Human Element
Layer places a strong emphasis on the human element in design, ensuring solutions are inclusive, culturally aware, and facilitate cross-collaboration. The studio adopts strategies like participatory design workshops to bridge cultural gaps and develop user-centric solutions.
Environmental Considerations
Stringent environmental regulations and third-party certifications guide Layer's design approach. The studio prioritizes localized material sourcing, renewable energy usage, waste reduction, and material health evaluations to minimize environmental impact.
Intellectual Property Protection
Layer safeguards its innovative designs through comprehensive IP protection strategies, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and legal agreements to prevent unauthorized use or replication of proprietary solutions.
Key Takeaway
Layer is pioneering a holistic approach to sustainable design that seamlessly integrates circular principles across its portfolio, positioning the studio as an industry leader in shaping the built environment for a regenerative future.
Explore Further
Layer website: https://layerdesign.com
Sustainability overview: https://layerdesign.com/about
Pentatonic is a design and technology company founded in 2015 by Jamie Hall and Johann Boedecker. The company was established with the mission to build the world's first end-to-end circular economy product and service business. Pentatonic focuses on designing out waste from the creation of advanced consumer products, aiming to revolutionize the consumer goods industry by creating high-quality, sustainable products. The company's core values include sustainability, innovation, and responsibility, with a purpose to enable a more sustainable and responsible way of life.
Location
Headquarters: Berlin, Germany.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: London, UK.
Note: Pentatonic collaborates with global brands and operates in various strategic locations to optimize local sourcing and distribution.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using recycled materials, and creating products that are fully recyclable.
Key innovations: Development of products from post-consumer waste, advanced recycling technologies, and product-embedded track and trace deposit return schemes.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains: Pentatonic emphasizes local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains to minimize environmental impact and enhance sustainability.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship products: The Pebble (a reusable utensil set) and various collaborations with brands like Starbucks and Burger King to create sustainable products.
Unique value propositions: High-performance products made from recycled materials, innovative design for sustainability, and partnerships with leading global brands to drive circular economy initiatives.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Material lifecycle management, AI-powered tools for circularity, and sustainable product design.
Ambitious goals: To scale circularity for the world's leading brands and significantly reduce global waste and carbon emissions.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products available through direct sales and collaborations with major brands.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Designed for 100% circularity).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Higher-end positioning but competitive with conventional alternatives).
Material Passport: Extensive use of recycled materials and detailed material traceability.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling.
Carbon Performance: Focus on reducing carbon footprint through sustainable materials and processes.
Key Takeaway
Pentatonic is a pioneering company in the circular economy space, driving significant change in the consumer goods industry through innovative design and sustainable practices. Their approach sets a benchmark for circularity and sustainability, benefiting both creators and clients.
Explore Further
Pentatonic website: https://pentatonic.com
Sustainability overview: https://pentatonic.com/about
Example product: The Pebble - https://pentatonic.com/case-studies
Made of Air is a climate-focused materials company founded in 2016 by Allison Dring and Daniel Schwaag. The company's founding mission was to transform waste biomass into high-value, carbon-negative materials for industrial use, providing a sustainable alternative to fossil-based materials. Made of Air's current mission is to drive the transition to a net-zero economy by decarbonizing supply chains across various industries, including mobility, consumer goods, and the built environment. The core values of Made of Air revolve around innovation, sustainability, and responsibility, with a purpose to reverse climate change through carbon removal and circular material solutions.
Location
Headquarters: Berlin, Germany.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: Berlin region, with plans for expansion.
Note: Strategic location in Berlin to foster innovation and collaboration with industry partners.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using waste biomass, and creating fully recyclable materials.
Key innovations: Development of carbon-negative materials from biochar and bioplastics, promoting circular design.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains: Emphasis on local materials and production to reduce environmental impact.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship products: Carbon-negative materials used in various applications, including facade panels for Audi and sunglasses for H&M.
Unique value propositions: High-performance, sustainable materials that remove carbon from the atmosphere and support a circular economy.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Advancing recycling technologies, developing new sustainable materials, and optimizing circular design processes.
Ambitious goals: To lead the industry in sustainable practices, create zero-waste products, and inspire a shift towards more responsible consumption.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Materials available for use by various industries through partnerships and collaborations.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Designed for full circularity).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: Information not available.
Material Passport: Detailed material traceability and use of waste biomass and sustainable materials.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling.
Carbon Performance: Focus on carbon-negative materials, removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
Key Takeaway
Made of Air is a pioneering company that transforms waste biomass into high-performance, carbon-negative materials, driving significant advancements in circularity and sustainability across various industries.
Explore Further
Made of Air website: https://www.madeofair.com
Putting carbon to work: https://www.madeofair.com/our-process
Opendesk is a London-based company founded by Ian Bennink, Tim Carrigan, James Arthur, Joni Steiner, and Nick Ierodiaconou. Established with the mission to revolutionize the furniture industry, Opendesk connects designers with local manufacturers and customers to produce furniture on-demand, reducing the need for storage facilities, lengthy shipping times, and showrooms. Initially, Opendesk operated under Open Making principles, sharing design files publicly, but has since transitioned to a for-profit model. The company's core values include sustainability, local production, and democratizing design access.
Location
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: Distributed network of local makers globally.
Note: Strategic locations in various countries to optimize local sourcing and distribution.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using sustainable materials, and promoting local production.
Key innovations: Digital designs for local manufacturing, reducing CO2 emissions by eliminating long-distance shipping, and creating a distributed manufacturing network.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains: Emphasis on local materials and production to minimize environmental impact and support local economies.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship products: Lean Desk, Johann Bench, and other customizable office furniture.
Unique value propositions: High-quality, customizable designs, reduced environmental impact through local production, and support for independent designers and makers.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Advancing digital manufacturing technologies, developing new sustainable materials, and optimizing circular design processes.
Ambitious goals: To scale circularity in the furniture industry, significantly reduce global waste and carbon emissions, and make high-quality design accessible to a broader audience.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products available through direct purchase on the Opendesk platform.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Strong focus on circular economy principles).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Competitive with conventional alternatives, with significant cost savings in custom designs).
Material Passport: Detailed material traceability and use of sustainable and recycled materials.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling.
Carbon Performance: Focus on reducing carbon footprint through local production and sustainable materials.
Key Takeaway
Opendesk is a pioneering company in the circular economy space, driving significant change in the furniture industry through innovative design and sustainable practices. Their approach sets a benchmark for circularity and sustainability, benefiting both creators and clients.
Explore Further
Opendesk website: https://www.opendesk.cc
Sustainability overview: https://www.opendesk.cc/blog/transitioning-towards-a-circular-economy
Example product: Lean Desk - https://www.opendesk.cc/lean/desk/
Biohm is a pioneering research and development company founded by Dr. Ehab Sayed. The company's mission is to revolutionize the construction industry by allowing nature to lead innovation, creating regenerative, high-performance materials and products for the built environment. Biohm's core values revolve around biomimicry, circular economy principles, and human-centered design. The company aims to drive a paradigm shift in building technologies, materials, and manufacturing methods, leading the entire sector towards a circular future inspired by nature.
Location
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: Watchet, West Somerset (first manufacturing facility in collaboration with Onion Collective CIC).
Note: Strategic locations to optimize local sourcing, distribution, and collaboration with industry partners.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using bio-based and recycled materials, closed-loop manufacturing processes.
Key innovations: Mycelium insulation, Orb (Organic Refuse Biocompound), Triagomy (interlocking construction system), bio-manufacturing techniques.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains is a key focus.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship products: Mycelium insulation, Orb (plant-based alternative to concrete), Triagomy construction system.
Unique value propositions: Carbon-negative buildings, agile infrastructure, drastic reductions in environmental impact, build times, and costs.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Advancing biomimetic biotechnologies, sustainable material lifecycles, circular business models.
Ambitious goals: Revolutionizing the construction industry, creating a healthier and regenerative built environment.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products and services available through partnerships and collaborations.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Designed for full circularity).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: Information not available.
Material Passport: Extensive use of bio-based and recycled materials, detailed material traceability.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, Triagomy system designed for deconstruction and reuse.
Carbon Performance: Focus on carbon-negative buildings and reducing environmental impact.
Key Takeaway
Biohm is a pioneering force in sustainable construction, harnessing biomimetic principles and circular economy strategies to create regenerative building solutions that prioritize human, environmental, and economic needs, setting a new benchmark for the industry.
Explore Further
Biohm website: https://www.biohm.co.uk
Sustainability overview: https://www.biohm.co.uk/about
Polycare was founded in 2010 by Dr. Gerhard Dust and Gunther Plötner in response to the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The company was established with the mission to build affordable, durable, and comfortable houses using locally available secondary raw materials without the need for expensive equipment. Today, Polycare's mission focuses on revolutionizing the construction industry through sustainable and circular building solutions. Core values include innovation, sustainability, and responsibility, with a purpose to create a regenerative future through advanced material science and production technology.
Location
Headquarters: Thuringian Forest, Germany.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: Various locations across Germany.
Note: Strategic location in the Thuringian Forest to optimize local sourcing, distribution, and collaboration with industry partners.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using recycled and bio-based materials, and creating products that are fully recyclable.
Key innovations: Development of Polyblocks made from secondary raw materials, elimination of cement as a binder for geopolymer concrete, and integration of industrial by-products such as fly ash and slags.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains: Emphasis on using local materials and production to minimize environmental impact and support local economies.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship products: Polyblocks for modular construction, SEMBLA® reusable masonry system.
Unique value propositions: High-quality, sustainable building solutions that prioritize circularity, material reuse, and environmental responsibility. Polycare's products are known for their durability, ease of assembly, and innovative use of secondary raw materials.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Advancing sustainable materials, optimizing recycling processes, and developing new circular design principles.
Ambitious goals: To lead the construction industry in sustainable practices, create zero-waste products, and inspire a shift towards a regenerative built environment.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products available globally through direct sales and partnerships with distributors.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Designed for full circularity).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Competitive with conventional alternatives, with significant cost savings in sustainable materials).
Material Passport: Detailed material traceability and use of recycled and bio-based materials.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling.
Carbon Performance: Focus on reducing carbon footprint through sustainable materials and local production.
Key Takeaway
Polycare transforms the construction industry through innovative, sustainable building solutions, setting a benchmark for circularity and environmental responsibility.
Explore Further
Polycare website: https://polycare.de/en
Polycare purpose: https://polycare.de/en/polycare/our-purpose
Example product: SEMBLA®
Pattern Terrazzo X Durabella Floors
Aectual is a pioneering company founded in 2017 by Hans Vermeulen, Hedwig Heinsman, and Martine de Wit. The company specializes in producing architectural and interior products using advanced 3D printing technology. Aectual's mission is to democratize design by making high-quality, customizable, and sustainable architectural products accessible to everyone. Their core values include sustainability, innovation, and circularity, with a purpose to revolutionize the construction industry by reducing waste and carbon emissions through their unique 3D printing processes.
Location
Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Note: Aectual collaborates with global partners to optimize local sourcing and distribution.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using recycled and bio-based materials, and creating products that are fully recyclable.
Key innovations: Development of 3D printed terrazzo floors using bio-based and recycled materials, customizable designs, and a zero-waste production process.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains: Aectual emphasizes local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains to minimize environmental impact and enhance sustainability.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship product: 3D printed terrazzo floors.
Unique value propositions: Customizable designs, high-quality and wear-resistant materials, sustainable production methods, and significant cost and time savings compared to traditional flooring solutions.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Advancing 3D printing technologies, developing new sustainable materials, and optimizing circular design processes.
Ambitious goals: To scale circularity in the construction industry, significantly reduce global waste and carbon emissions, and make high-quality design accessible to a broader audience.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Available for commercial projects and direct purchase through Aectual's platform.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Designed for 100% circularity).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Competitive with conventional alternatives, with significant cost savings in custom designs).
Material Passport: Extensive use of bio-based and recycled materials, detailed material traceability.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling.
Carbon Performance: Focus on reducing carbon footprint through sustainable materials and processes.
Key Takeaway
Aectual's 3D printed terrazzo floors are a pioneering solution in sustainable architecture, offering customizable, high-quality, and eco-friendly flooring options that set a new standard for circularity in the construction industry.
Explore Further
Aectual website: https://www.aectual.com
Sustainability overview: https://www.aectual.com/about
Example product: 3D printed terrazzo floors - https://www.aectual.com/systems/pattern-terrazzo
Signify, formerly known as Philips Lighting, was established as a standalone company in May 2016 after its spin-off from Royal Philips. The company is headquartered in Eindhoven, Netherlands, and is the world leader in connected LED lighting products, systems, and services. Signify's founding mission was to unlock the extraordinary potential of light for brighter lives and a better world. The current mission focuses on sustainability and innovation, aiming to drive the development of eco-friendly products that can be reprinted, refurbished, reused, and recycled.
Location
Headquarters: Eindhoven, Netherlands.
Primary manufacturing/operations locations: Global presence with manufacturing plants in all major regions.
Note: Strategic locations in over 70 countries to optimize local sourcing, distribution, and collaboration.
The Circular Vision
Core circular economy principles: Designing out waste, using sustainable and recycled materials, and creating products that are fully recyclable.
Key innovations: Development of connected LED lighting systems, Light-as-a-Service (LaaS) model, and circular lighting solutions that can be upgraded, serviced, reused, refurbished, or recycled.
Prioritization of local sourcing and closed-loop supply chains: Emphasis on local materials and production to minimize environmental impact and support local economies.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship products: Light-as-a-Service (LaaS) model, connected LED lighting systems, and circular lighting solutions.
Unique value propositions: High-quality, sustainable lighting solutions that reduce waste and environmental impact, innovative service models like LaaS, and a strong focus on circularity.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Advancing connected lighting technologies, developing new sustainable materials, and optimizing circular design processes.
Ambitious goals: To lead the lighting industry in sustainable practices, achieve carbon neutrality, and inspire a global shift towards circular economy principles.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products and services available globally through direct engagement with businesses and consumers.
Environmental Product Declaration (EPD): Over 2,000 EPDs covering more than 70,000 product variations.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Strong focus on circular economy principles).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Competitive with conventional alternatives, with significant cost savings in sustainable materials).
Material Passport: Detailed material traceability and use of recycled and sustainable materials.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, products are designed for easy disassembly and recycling.
Carbon Performance: Focus on reducing carbon footprint through sustainable materials and local production.
Key Takeaway
Signify's circular approach to lighting, including their Light-as-a-Service model, sets a benchmark for sustainability and innovation in the lighting industry, driving significant advancements in circularity and environmental responsibility.
Explore Further
Signify website: https://www.signify.com/global
Sustainability overview: https://www.signify.com/global/sustainability
Example product: Light-as-a-Service - https://www.signify.com/global/our-company/blog/sustainability/circularity-preserves-value
Formafantasma is a research-based design studio founded in 2009 by Italian designers Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin. Originally based in the Netherlands, the studio relocated to Milan in 2021. Formafantasma investigates the ecological, historical, political and social forces shaping design today. Their founding mission was to facilitate a deeper understanding of our natural and built environments through transformative design interventions. Formafantasma's core values center around material research, sustainable production methods, and critical analysis of design's impacts on society and the environment.
Location
Headquarters: Milan, Italy.
Primary studio location: Via Privata Assab 1, Milan.
Previously based in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Circular Vision
Formafantasma embraces circular economy principles by prioritizing renewable, recycled and locally-sourced materials in their designs.
Key innovations enabling circularity include extensive material research, designing for disassembly/reuse, and closed-loop manufacturing processes.
The studio advocates for localized supply chains and production methods attentive to their environmental footprint.
Pioneering Solutions
Flagship projects showcasing circularity: Cambio (timber industry research), Botanica (plant-based polymers), Ore Streams (e-waste recycling).
Unique value propositions: Merging critical research with commercial design, material innovation, transdisciplinary collaborations.
The Regenerative Future
R&D focus areas: Sustainable material lifecycles, design for environment/society, circular business models.
Ambitious goals: Become a leading voice promoting ethical, ecological and socially-responsible design practices.
Fact Sheet
Commercial Availability: Products through brand partners like Flos, Dzek, Artek, Fendi.
Environmental Product Declarations: Information not available.
Circularity Rating: 5/5 (Entire practice centered on circularity).
Key Certifications: Information not available.
Cost Rating: 4/5 (Higher-end positioning but increasing accessibility).
Material Passport: Extensive material research/traceability data.
Designed for Disassembly: Yes, a core tenet of their approach.
Carbon Performance: Aim for low-impact through local sourcing/production.
Key Takeaway
Formafantasma is pioneering a research-driven approach that elevates design as a catalyst for positive environmental and social change, setting new benchmarks for ethical, circular practices in the industry.
Explore Further
Formafantasma website: https://formafantasma.com
Sustainability overview: https://formafantasma.com/about