If you are living somewhere where the main form of income for the town is woodchipping and pulp, it can be devastating to the community if the company closes. Here is an idea for a back up plan for those effected by the changes in supply and demand, fashion and business viability.
Hand crafted furniture, household goods, art and craft are always popular. Good quality items make the same primary product - wood - vastly more valuable at the point of purchase. Handcrafted work by respected craftspeople increase with value as it antiquifies (gets old). Learning skills in wood turning, carpentry, cabinet making, wood carving, etc. to make artifacts that are both practical (useful) and aesthetic (looks good) are a way to stay in the wood game (I'm presuming you live where wood is), raise the value of your product, and use less of your resources more effectively. You could diversify from small, relatively cheap objects like cheese boards or picture frames, to big stuff like wardrobes or bars. It also uses less energy and is far more satisfying as a worker then feeding the wilderness (and your lives) into a machine.
If paper pulping was the industry, recycling paper is very fashionable and moves with the current methodology and attitudes. Recycling office paper and newspapers to make new office paper is both economical for the producer and savvy for the environment. Creating other recycled paper products like toilet paper has a very loyal customer base. Also, hand-made paper recycling for cottage industries is a loved product by people who love all things crafty and rustic. Cards, art supplies, and unique writing paper and envelopes are products that people will pay far more for then mass produced "Hallmark" styled items. And they are more enjoyable to produce for the worker, as it is more creative and has very little guilt involved, feeling more like being part of something to be proud of telling your youth about.
Showing posts with label Socio-ecology and business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Socio-ecology and business. Show all posts
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Half Loaf
There are a lot of people who live alone, or eat alone. Not everyone is living in a family. 1 in 5 never marry, almost half divorce, some are widow(er)s, plenty are single(ish) and living out of home, some are devoted to their careers or other causes. Even if they do live with others, they may eat separately for various reasons. This is not the case for a lot of the global village's demographics, but in some areas it is very much the case. This idea is formed from a niche market that is created by these realities.
Bread is a perishable food product. It gets mouldy. Old bread is a problem for those who eat it, but not in large enough amounts to finish a loaf before it goes mouldy. It is a dreadful waste, costly to the producer, the consumer and the planet in general, as it rarely makes it to a compost bin (accommodation for single people rarely has the facilities for composting, especially in cities), and is bad for bird's intestines if fed to them.
Bakers have an opportunities here for a new product. If they baked half loaves, there would be a lot of people who would buy the product for said reasons. Also, a lot of people who hesitate in front of the bread thinking "Yes, that's easy and quick, oh, hang on, the last three times I bought bread half of it just went off, no, I won't buy it, I'll by a couple of buns, cans of stuff and biscuits instead, at least that won't be wasted." will change their minds. Freezing half the loaf is not always an option as it takes up valuable freezer space (they often freeze meals for convenience), if there is a freezer. If they do freeze the bread, it is a nuisance in thawing, losing quality, taking time. If it just gets too hard, people don't bother. Also, as a baker, you could add a higher price for two halves, thereby further increasing profits as well as reducing waste. Also, the bread will be remembered as relatively fresh by the consumer, inducing nearly subconscious re-purchasing. Also, bakeries and supermarkets would benefit by more frequent visits by the customer, increasing impulse buys.
Well, that is just an idea, but I think it could work, increasing the sales of the bakery, pleasing the customers, and help the planet reduce landfill and greenhouse gases. Also, it is a good idea for novelty breads and market experimentation.
Bread is a perishable food product. It gets mouldy. Old bread is a problem for those who eat it, but not in large enough amounts to finish a loaf before it goes mouldy. It is a dreadful waste, costly to the producer, the consumer and the planet in general, as it rarely makes it to a compost bin (accommodation for single people rarely has the facilities for composting, especially in cities), and is bad for bird's intestines if fed to them.
Bakers have an opportunities here for a new product. If they baked half loaves, there would be a lot of people who would buy the product for said reasons. Also, a lot of people who hesitate in front of the bread thinking "Yes, that's easy and quick, oh, hang on, the last three times I bought bread half of it just went off, no, I won't buy it, I'll by a couple of buns, cans of stuff and biscuits instead, at least that won't be wasted." will change their minds. Freezing half the loaf is not always an option as it takes up valuable freezer space (they often freeze meals for convenience), if there is a freezer. If they do freeze the bread, it is a nuisance in thawing, losing quality, taking time. If it just gets too hard, people don't bother. Also, as a baker, you could add a higher price for two halves, thereby further increasing profits as well as reducing waste. Also, the bread will be remembered as relatively fresh by the consumer, inducing nearly subconscious re-purchasing. Also, bakeries and supermarkets would benefit by more frequent visits by the customer, increasing impulse buys.
Well, that is just an idea, but I think it could work, increasing the sales of the bakery, pleasing the customers, and help the planet reduce landfill and greenhouse gases. Also, it is a good idea for novelty breads and market experimentation.
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