If you’re looking for a fresh business idea that does more than satiate the average consumer, it’s time to change the world for the better.

As the world slowly wakes up to the effects of environmental degradation, climate change and global poverty, there’s plenty of opportunity to not only create a viable and successful business, but to also change the world in the process.

Take some inspiration from the following businesses and products which are set to make the world a better place.

LifeStraw

One company looked around the globe and saw the devastating effects of unclean and unsafe drinking water on vulnerable populations. They decided to act and create a revolutionary product to make drinking any water source, anywhere, almost 100% safe.

What do they do?

The LifeStraw is a tubular object used exactly as a regular drinking straw. You simply place one end in the water and the mouthpiece in your mouth to draw water through it.

By drinking through the LifeStraw, you can remove 99.999% of all waterborne pathogens and bacteria. It also removes chemicals such as chlorine and radically reduces turbity (muddiness).

The LifeStraw,

“removes 99.999999% of bacteria (including E.coli, Salmonella), 99.999% of parasites (including Giardia and Cryptosporidium), 99.999% of microplastics, dirt, sand and cloudiness.”

Each straw has a membrane filter which lasts up to 4000 litres of filtration – enough clean drinkable water for one person for five years!

Better yet, LifeStraw are a carbon neutral company which aims to better the word around them while providing a life changing product.

Why it’s so important

The advantages are incredible. Not only is it a life saver for those who like to roam and hike off-grid, it also provides developing communities with safe, cost effective and long-lasting access to clean drinking water. This will reduce disease and mortality in vulnerable communities the world over.

Patagonia

Patagonia are a world leading producer of hiking equipment and adventure clothing. While not perfect, they are on a mission to become an eco-conscious company which is ‘100% for the planet’.

According to the company themselves,

“We’re in business to save our home planet. We aim to use the resources we have—our voice, our business and our community—to do something about our climate crisis.”

What do they do?

Patagonia have dedicated themselves to conscious sourcing of material and have built repair centres all over the world. Instead of selling you a puffer jacket that will be destined for landfill, they offer free repairs for their products to drastically extend their useable life. You can also shop for their used and repaired products without ever buying new.

On top of this, they also show how and where their products are made, so you can track their environmental footprint.

Better still, they self-impose an ‘earth tax’ to fund grassroots environmental NGO’s to help those who are helping the planet.

Why it’s so important

Patagonia are proving that no matter what your business is, there are better ways to go about it. By embracing a green and transparent mode of doing business and putting emphasis on reducing waste, they are an exemplary model of how you can keep doing what you’re doing in a much more sustainable way.

IKEA

You may be surprised to see this company here. As a world-renowned purveyor of Allen key enabled furniture and the go-to for shelving and meatballs, IKEA have somewhat quietly embraced renewable energy and sustainable practices more than most companies around the world.

As IKEA have stated,

“Using 100% renewable electricity across the IKEA value chain is an important part of our commitment to becoming climate positive by 2030.”

What do they do?

IKEA have embraced not only renewables, but also sustainable sourcing of materials and supply chain adjustments.

  • IKEA source 100% of their cotton from ‘Better Cotton’ standard suppliers and 50% of their wood from sustainable foresters.
  • They aim to be 100% reliable on solar and renewables before 2030, including rooftop solar for their stores.
  • They are active in reducing the environmental impact of their whole supply chain and offer support to make suppliers more carbon neutral and recycle reliant.

Why it’s so important

Not only do these commitments (backed by action) act to reduce the impact of one of the world’s largest furniture and textile suppliers, it also has a knock on effect.

By partnering with sustainable suppliers, and actively supporting them to become even more sustainable, they set the global standard for other large corporations.

By making it unpalatable and unviable to be a non-sustainable supplier, they influence a chain of other companies and encourage others to follow suit in reducing net carbon emissions and upping the reliance on recyclables.