Article by: Deepthi Sendilkumar
With growing concerns about the impact of corporations and their production facilities on the environment, several corporations have initiated various sustainability efforts.
BMW prides itself on being at the forefront of this movement after signing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) “International Declaration on Cleaner Production” in 2001 - emphasizing the importance of sustainability throughout its supply chain. Some of their initiatives include a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions generated in the supply chain of the BMW group per vehicle by the year 2030, recycling and recovering 99% of waste generated by global internal production of 2.5 million vehicles, using secondary materials to reduce carbon emissions and supplying their worldwide sites with electricity from renewable energy sources.
Another focus is the use of sustainable materials in BMW products. BMW MATERIA: Garden of Possibilities was created to showcase the various living organisms and sustainable materials which can potentially be implemented in BMW products. Last fall an immersive exhibit was created by BMW MATERIA at [SPACE] in Los Angeles to promote sustainability, ingenuity, and circularity. Several biomaterials were presented in an interactive setting including chitosan, cork, hemp fibre, HempWood, moss, mycelium, cork, and of course spirulina.
Spirulina is a microalgae and is making waves in the superfood industry as the most nutrient-dense plant available, but it doesn’t end in food. Electric Sky is a bright blue pigment derived from spirulina algae. It has endless possibilities in several industries. Its vivid blue-green color makes it so attractive in the automotive industry. Typically synthetic dyes are made of petroleum-based products. The production of these dyes emits carbon dioxide and contaminates the surrounding environment; meanwhile, algae production benefits our environment, “Algae collects CO2 and can sequester up to 20 times more carbon per acre than land forests.”
Apart from the number of environmental benefits algae brings, growing algae also provides employment in several countries globally. Incorporating algae in one’s products can help corporations achieve their sustainability goals throughout the supply chain. At Spira, we are excited to see the endless ways algae can be used to support this planet by working with businesses across corporations to startups in being more thoughtful with their supply chain and ingredients. To learn more about how algae can be incorporated into your products, book a free initial consultation with Spira!
References:
1. https://www.bmw.com/en-au/discover/electromobility/sustainability.html
2. https://space.bmwusa.com/bmwmateria
Learn More:
- https://www.cardesignnews.com/materials/bmw-opens-materia-exhibit-on-biomaterials/42435.article
- https://www.bmwusanews.com/image-gallery.do?imageGalleryId=1452&mid=&method=view
- https://www.bmwblog.com/2021/12/07/bmw-materia-video/
- https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/detail/T0353932EN_US/designworks-launches-materia:-the-garden-of-possibilities-exploring-the-future-of-biomaterials?language=en_US
- https://space.bmwusa.com/bmwmateria
