Every business and citizen has a responsibility to do their part to help mitigate the consequences of pollution and its impact on the environment. Establishing an innovation center focused on sustainable solutions is a thoughtful approach to tackling this complex issue. And while only the largest enterprises have the resources to establish centers like Starbucks, every retailer can find ways to reduce their carbon footprint and provide their customers with more sustainable options – from the type and amount of packaging they use, to the way they design and build their stores.

Sustainable solutions are important enough at this point that they absolutely deserve a separate innovation center. The whole subject deserves a focused, dedicated effort. The tricky part is extracting solutions from that new silo and implementing them at scale. “Skunkworks” have long been an effective model for innovation, but implementation at scale is the ultimate goal. STORY before Macy’s was a terrific innovation center. It sounded great as a Skunkworks project at Macy’s. Implementation at scale didn’t happen.

Global warming is taking place at a speed of 100X compared to only a few decades back. In order to counter that and to ensure we leave the planet for future generations in a better shape than we inherited it, everyone, including consumers, retailers, manufacturers, research institutes, government, etc. needs to move at 1000X speed. I think the biggest hurdles the world is facing around sustainability are 1.) cost-effective technologies to develop sustainable products, packaging in a sustainable manner 2.) sub-optimal solutions that are just transferring the problem from one area to another (e.g. clothes rental that drive additional transportation) 3.) Lack of consumer awareness on how to promote sustainable living (they know the “why” part).

It does make some sense, but the devil is in the details. For example, Starbucks’ cups are not recyclable. That seems like a basic “miss” for a company with such lofty goals. Instead of wondering whether or not to offer cashew milk on the menu to make the Earth a better place, Starbucks would be better advised to stop the bleeding before starting the plastic surgery. And this ought to be a cautionary tale for all retailers. Innovation centers and incubators are a great way to tackle complex problems like the environment and retailers should get engaged with them. That said, that involvement should begin with filling in the potholes on the road to Utopia. Hard to be taken seriously when your primary product (in this case a cup) is the poster child for unsustainable practices.

Sadly, Starbucks is only one of a handful of companies that think this way. Looking at the others, you will see some commonality in the way they think. Look at the companies who are leaders in compensation, education alternatives, healthcare, and other benefits for their lowest level workers and you will see those same companies thinking about the environment.

A year or more ago foam cups and containers were banned in NYC. Who pushed back? The manufactures, yes. But the big push back came from the McDs and DDs of the world.

“What do you see as the primary hurdles retailers face developing green initiatives and meeting their sustainability goals?” A pennywise and pound foolish mindset and small thinking.

Absolutely.

It demonstrates to consumers that the corporation is genuine about its commitment to sustainable solutions by partnering with the university and will also allow them to experience the innovations at their local store.

The challenge to corporations — which Starbucks has addressed — is that most corporate environmental programs are not tangible, or the consumer rarely experiences the benefits of the programs. Corporate sustainable programs run the risk of becoming noise, just clutter the consumer will ignore.