Formidable barriers to sustainability exist in the form of socially constructed and false dualities such as sustainability vs. cost, sustainability vs. competitiveness, sustainability vs. convenience or sustainability vs. performance. The idea that sustainable production is antithetical to cost and competition, or the notion that sustainability in products necessarily compromises affordability, convenience or performance for the consumer, holds companies and consumers back and must be abrogated.
The business case for moving toward sustainability is clear. Done properly and strategically it yields short and long-term cost benefits in such terms as energy savings, reductions of waste, conversions of waste streams to revenue streams, reduced risk and insurance costs, and more stable and cheaper supplies of material resources. It also provides several other sources of competitive advantage such as increased innovation, enhanced employee wellbeing and performance, and the ability to stay ahead of regulations.
Source: Scott, K., Martin, D.M., and Schouten, J.W. (2014),
Marketing and New Materialism, Journal of
Macromarketing, 34 (3), pp.282-290
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