Eric,

A very lucid, compelling and arguably lucrative assessment of where design, innovation and business planning need to be heading. The dark examples portraying the 'human design bubble' are as enlightening as your concepts for reframing the issues.

I was reminded of Adam Smith's original concept for how the free economy would balance itself. If I recall correctly it hinged on manufacturers or businesses carrying all costs of production, that they haven't created value until they've overcome such costs. Your examples of industrial (and consumer) waste indicate we're not quite realising this perfect input/output. The environment is subsidising some piss-poor (or simply opportunistic) business ideas.

In Australia there's noticeably fewer trash bins on the streets. A signal to consumers that life is easier without disposeable packaging. But also making them integral to the total waste cycle, which inevitably raises the kind of awareness and grass-roots change you've hinted at.

Germany and most of northern Europe is decades ahead of the US in forcing manufacturers to take responsibility for the packaging and product components that 'host' on commercial goods. Regulated by the government, companies like Bosch and Philips are forced to re-collect foams, plastics and heavy-metal componentry as part of their industrial cost.

Without consequences, the cycle will remain open, infinite and a full of false positives.

However, the view that a shift in our very design approach is profound. I hope to read more about this strain of thinking. And, more importantly, doing.

The area of green branding is very, very new but advancing steadily in relation to corporate social responsibility. And as with the waste baskets it is being led by countries and economies with fewer environmental blessings the US. The role of sponsorship, product innovation and strategic partnerships are creating in-roads however.

I'll be discussing your treatise with our Green team shortly. Thank you again for putting such a strong string of arguments together.

James Cockerille
Director of Strategy
Landor Associates (Syndey)
james.cockerille@landor.com