• About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Digital Magazine
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
  • About Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Newsletter
  • Podcasts
  • Digital Magazine
NZBusiness Magazine

Type and hit Enter to search

Linkedin Facebook Instagram Youtube
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
NZBusiness Magazine
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability
News

Businesses inspiring us all to live lighter

Gen Less is a program that brings together individuals, businesses and government to live and work in more climate-positive ways.

Glenn Baker
Glenn Baker
September 22, 2019 3 Mins Read
632

Over the weekend of September 21st and 22nd, five Kiwi enterprises dedicated to transforming the nature of business joined Gen Less – a program that brings together individuals, businesses and government to live and work in more climate-positive ways.

Wishbone Design, Ethique, ecostore, Lewis Road Creamery and Miraka came together to inspire other businesses to consider how they evolve their business models to put the environment at the forefront of decision-making. They are five very different businesses, but all share a belief in the power of business to make positive change.

Founded in 1993, ecostore strives to be the world’s most trusted and sustainable home and beauty brand. Pablo Kraus, Managing Director of ecostore says, “Businesses need to step up and recognise that they can and must be a force for good. We have an incredible opportunity to pave the way for future generations. We must lead by example, empower others, act and commit to constantly make changes for the better.”

All these businesses know that individuals can only do so much to reduce their climate impact, without business providing products and services that enable them to do that. If businesses improve how they operate and what they produce, New Zealanders can live great lives, with fewer emissions. 

Wishbone Design creates children’s bikes from sustainable materials that grow with your child. Co-founder Jennifer McIver says, “Gen Less was the first initiative that we felt came as close to what Wishbone stands for. Our philosophy is to change the way we think, move and play, creating a deeper connection between humans, the environment and the stuff we own.”

With that mindset, Wishbone Design will launch a ‘Gen Less’ product this week, a children’s bicycle that is the world’s first mass-manufactured bike, made from one hundred percent recycled plastic.

While Wishbone Design is a forerunner amongst businesses in New Zealand embracing the principles of a circular economy, the Gen Less movement is about inspiring meaningful and ongoing progress. No business is perfect, but all businesses can aspire to ongoing improvement.

Miraka, an iwi-owned dairy processing company in Taupo, embraces their role as kaitaki. Murray Hemi, Kaitiaki o te Ara Miraka, says, “All Miraka farms measure their greenhouse gas emissions. At the factory, Miraka uses renewable geothermal energy, organic material is used in worm-farms and wastewater is used to irrigate. Our milk has one of the lowest carbon-footprints in the world, but we are constantly looking for opportunities to keep doing better – reduce waste, build efficiency, and conserve energy.”

New Zealand is a small country, made up of small businesses, and each one will need to play its part if we’re to reduce our emissions as a country.

Peter Cullinane, Founder of Lewis Road Creamery says, “Our environment is a national treasure. It’s home, we love it and want to be part of making it prosperous. We all have individual journeys in sustainability and Gen Less provides momentum behind the movement for change.”

Ethique – “the world’s most sustainable beauty brand” – was established to show that we can change how we live, and that business can inspire us to do that. Brianne West, Founder and CEO of Ethique says, “As a zero-waste company we take every opportunity we can to educate consumers on environmental issues and know that the bigger the success of the business, the bigger reach these messages will have across the world.”

To find out more about Gen Less go to: www.genless.govt.nz

Share Article

Glenn Baker
Follow Me Written By

Glenn Baker

Glenn is a professional writer/editor with 50-plus years’ experience across radio, television and magazine publishing.

Other Articles

David Awards logo (3)
Previous

The David Awards: Here are the finalists

NZB1019_350
Next

NZBusiness October 2019

Next
NZB1019_350
September 22, 2019

NZBusiness October 2019

Previous
September 19, 2019

The David Awards: Here are the finalists

David Awards logo (3)

Subscribe to our newsletter

NZBusiness Digital Issue – March 2025

READ MORE

The Latest

Budget 2025: SMEs seek tax cuts, less red tape as confidence wavers

May 21, 2025

The big AI learning curve: Here’s where business owners can start

May 20, 2025

From redundancy to resilience

May 16, 2025

Episode 16: Bryce Marsden on sustainable impact through education, youth and environment

May 15, 2025

The high cost of leadership neglect

May 14, 2025

Why making Auckland a Tech Hub makes sense

May 14, 2025

Most Popular

NZBusiness Digital Issue – June 2024
Understanding AI
Navigating economic headwinds: Insights for SME owners
How much AI data is generated every 60 seconds? New report reveals global AI use
Nourishing success: Sam Bridgewater on his entrepreneurship journey with The Pure Food Co

Related Posts

Budget 2025: SMEs seek tax cuts, less red tape as confidence wavers

May 21, 2025

Final speaker lineup announced for Ignite ‘25 Growth Summit

April 30, 2025

New data reveals why Kiwi SMEs are borrowing

April 28, 2025
Lilah McDonald WaterUs

Teenage social entrepreneur on a mission to install 100 drinking fountains

April 24, 2025
NZBusiness Magazine

New Zealand’s leading source for business news, training guides and opinion from small businesses to multi-national corporations.

© Pure 360 Limited.
All Rights Reserved.

Quick Links

  • Advertise with us
  • Magazine issues
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Privacy policy
  • Sitemap

Categories

  • News
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Education & Development
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability

Follow Us

LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
  • Home
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Self Development
  • Growth
  • Finance
  • Marketing
  • Technology
  • Sustainability