Waste not, want not

Brands can turn frugality into a differentiated purpose, build an identity in keeping with the times

An important milestone that environmental advocacy groups observe is the Earth Overshoot Day. The day marks when we humans have used up more natural resources than the earth can produce in a year. This year it fell on August 2, earlier than it did in 2016. Some estimates indicate that the equivalent of 1.7 planets will be needed to produce enough natural resources to match mankind’s consumption rates and the rapidly growing population.   

Clearly, something needs to give in our relentless desire to acquire things. But what of businesses and brands? How do they reconcile the imperatives of generating a