Innovation

The founders of Newly value being honest about their effect on the natural world and choose to value its health over other aspects like margins and the bottom line. They believed they needed to take a more complete view of their actions to create a company that was sustainable and resource efficient, this led them to make the innovative business decision of making all their products from 100% recycled goods.

Their business model fits perfectly with the 12th UN SDG: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. Their company has already proven to work beneficially, not only on the profit side but for the environment as well. Their sustainable consumption and production patterns have already had meaningful and positive results. As of January 2021, they have already diverted over 10 tons of landfill through Newly's 100% recycled manufacturing process, they have reused upwards of 37,000 water bottles to make their blankets along with saving 6.9 million gallons of water through that same blanket process. In addition, they have not used a single chemical solvent in their ucite production, saved 1.74 metric tons of greenhouse gases from their recycled glass, and saved 1.75 tons of C02 from their 100% recycled packaging.

Leaders in sustainable and efficient business

Inspiration

Joel said a big part of the cofounders deciding to go full 100% recycled and repurposed materials was when they looked at the competitors in the home goods industry. He told me a lot of them advertise as making all their goods from 100% repurposed and recycled, however when the cofounders dug in and researched their products, they found that it was more like 20%. They all agreed to create a company in which the main purpose was not solely optimizing profit, they chose to value our environment and community above the bottom line.

Overall impact

Their innovation has had impacts on the environment, community, and within the company itself. Newly, has had a measurable positive impact on the environment. Their decision to use only recycled and repurposed materials has saved metric tons of plastic from water bottles, saved metric tons of CO2 from the way they manufacture, and saved metric tons of greenhouse gases from their innovation in the recycled-glass manufacturing process.

He told me there are other companies in the Home goods Industry who look at them as an example and reach out to them with questions on how to do better and what worked for them. He also told me there has been an increase in customers who are more aware now of B corps and what the movement stands for.

Business benefit

He told me there are definitely some customers who shop with them because they have heard about B corps and the good they do. He also told me there has been an increase in the number of people who come to him looking for a job because of the way they do business and the model they run by.

Their employee retention is consistently higher when compared to their bigger home good counterparts such as Pottery Barn and William Sonoma. They are starting to see more loyal customers who also see the benefit in the way they run their business as well.

Social and environmental benefit

Newly's innovation has done a lot to benefit the environment. As of January 2021, they have already diverted over 10 tons of landfill through Newly's 100% recycled manufacturing process, they have reused upwards of 37,000 water bottles to make their blankets along with saving 6.9 million gallons of water through that same blanket process. In addition, they have not used a single chemical solvent in their Lucite production, saved 1.74 metric tons of greenhouse gases from their recycled glass, and saved 1.75 tons of C02 from their 100% recycled packaging.

I would say they have also benefited society and other potential entrepreneurs by showing that a home good company can not only survive but thrive while still valuing more than just profits.

Interview

Joel Griffith, CoFounder