Celebrating 50 years,
World Environment Day 2023 is a
reminder that people's actions
matter and contribute to building
a brighter future for us all.
Joining me now is Corporate Scientist and
Chief Science Advocate Jay Tree State.
So how do consumer choices
impact climate change?
And what more can they do to
build sustainability into
their everyday lives? Yeah,
well, creating a more sustainable
environment takes collective participation,
and everyone's contribution matters.
So. From consumers to organizations,
businesses, government and we all should
be involved to drive positive change.
Consumers do care about the choices
they make and the impact their
choices have on the environment.
So what more can we do?
Well, I think we can be more
thoughtful about what we buy,
mindful about how we use and
careful about what we waste.
And I think this purposeful strategy can.
Help build more sustainable
practices in our lives.
We can think about everyday products
and consider that there may be more
sustainable choices out there.
We think a lot about that at 3M.
I can give you examples of products
that we have created for everyday life.
So cleaning and washing dishes.
Let's say we have sponges and scrubs that
are plant based or made with recycle content.
That's our Scotch.
Bright, greener, clean.
Or let's say you're mailing
a gift to a loved one.
We have an alternative
for plastic bubble wrap.
It's called Scotch Cushion Block.
It's 100% recycled and it's recyclable,
so it's a great alternative.
Or if you want to simply write a reminder
to yourself or someone you will use,
post it Notes.
Who doesn't love Post it notes.
We have posted recycled super sticky notes.
They're made from 100% recycled paper,
so there are many great product
choices for work and home.
And consumers can support these products.
They can support companies and brands whose
purpose alliance with sustainability.
You know,
sometimes it can feel complicated,
but taking small actions is
the best first step,
because collectively these all add up.
As a corporate scientist and engineer,
how have you incorporated sustainable
practices into your everyday life?
Well, you know,
as a scientist and innovator at 3M,
it is my job to reimagine what is possible.
And in doing that, I believe it's
important to constantly challenge ourselves.
You know, our thinking.
So I often say to my teams,
the most sustainable product ever
made is the product never made.
It's a message that takes a while to sink in,
but it forces us to think how we
can solve a problem by creating
an innovation that can truly
have a transformational impact.
And As for home, well,
I have the good fortune of growing
up in India at the time and age I
did and just the way everyone lived.
Sustainability was deeply ingrained
and totally integrated and and
very clearly evident in our lives.
You know,
whether it was the clothes that
were repurposed or papers that were
recycled or food that was composted.
And we had a largely plant based
diet which also had less of
an impact on the environment.
So I've tried to inculcate some
of those values in my children.
I basically told them sustainability
is about learning from what happened
yesterday and making the right choices.
Understanding what is going on today,
making good choices and thinking about
tomorrow and making wise choices.
Of course now they challenge
me on some of my choices,
which is frankly a win.
Win because I feel like I've done my
job and that's an important thing.
Actually,
we can all do teach the kids
and then listen to the younger
folks and learn from this next
generation as they question us.
With World Environment Day
focused on plastic pollution,
how can science innovations at
scale address problems like plastic
pollution and climate change? Yeah,
plastic pollution is certainly
a pressing global challenge,
and as a material science company,
we are committed to innovating new
products and solutions that that
use less plastic or no plastic,
and in the case of packaging,
use renewable, reusable, recyclable,
or made with more recycled material
because we want to create solutions to
some of the world's toughest problems.
And challenges like you mentioned,
plastic pollution, climate change.
And it's important because the impact
of climate change has made its way
into the consciousness of more people.
We do a survey to understand the
public perception of science.
It's called 3M State of Science
Index and in twenty,
2393% of the people said they're concerned
about the consequences of climate change.
So this kind of consensus can
drive positive action and also a
growing demand for more innovative.
Products that are sustainable
and they are scalable.
So at 3M, that's what we're trying to create,
you know,
for the buildings we live and work in,
for the cars we drive, for what we wear,
for how we clean our homes,
for how we package and ship products.
And I'm,
I'm excited about what we can
all do as we move forward.
And finally, where can we go
For more information? Yeah.
So to learn more about how 3M solutions
are improving lives around the world.
And where 3M is focusing on innovating next,
your listeners can go to 3m.com,
forwardagainits3m.com forward.