StartupRealities

StartupRealities No 103 WaveGenergy installs wave power generating facilities off sea coasts threatened by wave erosion, which slows down or stops erosion altogether while also generating electricity. These facilities consist of interconnected polymer sheets on the surface of the ocean and are installed along the coast to dampen the power of the waves that reach the shore. The company's primary focus are erosion-threatened populated shorelines and built-up coastal strips with high real estate valuations. In almost all countries the shallow waters off the coast are owned by the state, so contracts for installing these wave power generating facilities are awarded by governments under a formula that takes into account both the land saved from erosion and the electricity generating potential. CEO QUOTE "The ocean is a blessing in so many ways, but its destructive power should not be underestimated. We turn the negative of wave erosion into a positive: coast protection and ele...

StartupRealities No 89 ExperienceMBA is an education company that delivers a full-time 12-month education programme for graduate students composed of one-month service postings at 12 different organisations. The postings are a series of CSR-focused companies or charities such as: a shelter for homeless people,  an orphanage,  an emergency response and ambulance service,  a municipal rubbish collection company,  a drug addiction clinic,  a climate change charity a zoo, etc.  Students are admitted and move through the 12 rotations as a monthly carousel, so that a new group of students replaces the previous group at each organisation at the beginning of each month. CEO QUOTE "We don't teach courses in a classroom. We teach experience in the field. We don't simply talk about corporate-social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability: we make it happen." said ExperienceMBA founder and CEO Exel Mbambo. Traditional MBA lecture theatre (imag...

StartupRealities No 33 DarkShirtCollar is a garment producer which makes shirts with dark collars in order to minimise the need for washing and ironing. This extends the useful life of the shirt and reduces the environmental impact of clothing. The company's shirts come in all colours but the part of the collar facing the neck is always in a dark colour. CEO QUOTES "DarkShirtCollar shirts have a longer life because they need to be washed less frequently and can be worn longer between washes. The collar rubs against the back of the neck and is virtually the only part of the shirt that can appear dirty after one day of wearing, if we exclude accidents like squirting ketchup on the front of the shirt, of course. The collar is also a very visible part of the shirt so it makes sense to be coloured in a darker colour and to be made of a more wear-resistant material," company founder and CEO Dora Shirito said. "Our shirts are all about sustainability. The same shirt ...

StartupRealities No 31 PolychromeHome is a real estate developer that builds minimalist sustainable houses packed with facilities which minimise space requirements. The sustainability principles it abides by require that the maximum living space is 20 square metres  (215 square feet) for a single person or 80 sq m for a family of four. The company paints its houses in bright colours to make them stand out and attract attention to the feasibility of living sustainably without sacrificing comfort or convenience. ECONOMIES OF SPACE PolychromeHome has five main ways of economising space: 1) All attics are fully functional bedrooms and offices. 2) Staircases are foldable and attached to the wall, which creates space in the hallway / living room. 3) Beds can be folded into cupboards against the wall, Japanese-style. 4) Storage cupboards line the ceiling corners of all rooms. 5) Insulation panels are attached to the outside walls, which creates more volume within the house. CE...

StartupRealities No 28 Repair&Spare is a producer of brightly coloured adhesives that can be used to glue together any broken item for household use. The company dyes its glue in bright colours in order to make the repaired object stand out: a demonstration of the owner's environmental responsibility and adherence to the principle of waste minimisation (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Repair is a crucial part of Reuse in waste hierarchy . CEO QUOTE "Repair&Spare was inspired by the Japanese practice of Kintsukuroi (金繕い, or "golden repair"): the art of repairing broken pottery with a gold-dusted lacquer adhesive that makes the repaired part stand out," company founder and CEO Remiko Sapori said. The Japanese art of golden repair Kintsukuroi (Source: Wikipedia )

StartupRealities No 23 The Land Stewardship and Sustainability Council (LSSC) is an international organisation that certifies sustainable farms and farming practices. Farms can apply for LSSC certification if they meet certain thresholds and ratios: 1) Permaculture  is used on the majority of the land (trees, shrubs and perennial herbs); 2) Polyculture and crop rotation is practiced on tilled land; 3) Old trees and hedges provide ample habitat for wild birds and animals; 4) Rainwater from roofs and paved surfaces is harvested; 5) Farming practices are organic or close to organic (e.g. no use of pesticide or synthetic fertiliser); 6) Animal farming is free-range and all farmed animals are guaranteed animal rights . The LSSC seal of approval gives the produce of certified farms a marketing advantage in front of sustainability-conscious customers. The LSSC certification process is also a valuable consultancy service for farms of all sizes. Sustainable farming (Sourc...

StartupRealities No 20 RegenerateSeafood Limited is an aquaculture company that farms seafood in an ethical and sustainable way: by harvesting octopus arms and stone crab claws without killing the animals. The octopus and the crab can regenerate missing limbs in the wild in an evolutionary adaptation of self-defence known as autotomy  (which is commonly seen on land with lizards detaching their tail). SCIENCE The company has selectively bred octopus and crab specimens that survive the limb separation without suffering any other negative effects and that can regrow missing limbs multiple times. The harvesting process is done only under anaesthesia. CEO QUOTE "The octopus and the crab are like the apple tree and the orange tree. We pick the apples and oranges and the trees grow them again the following year," company founder and CEO Regis Seaman said in an interview. "If all meat and fish could be produced in such a sustainable way, people would never again need to...

StartupRealities No 12 SquidOrJelly Limited is a restaurant chain serving sustainable seafood with only two dishes on the menu: squid (calamari) and jellyfish. Customers have the choice of a squid or jellyfish dish at a price of GBP 10, which is twice cheaper than similar binary-choice restaurants such as Burger & Lobster (where the dish costs GBP 20 in London). SUSTAINABILITY While the populations of many commercially-important sea fish species are declining, squid and jellyfish populations are reported to be increasing in many parts of the ocean. SquidOrJelly promotes the consumption of sustainable seafood by focusing on these two abundant types of animals. Squid (also known as cuttlefish) is traditionally eaten in both the East and the West (under the culinary name calamari). Jellyfish  is primarily eaten in East Asia and is served marinated, usually as part of a salad. Squid (Source: Wikipedia )