Kickstarter Wants To Help Creators Make Their Projects More Sustainable

Crowd-funding platform Kickstarter, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund, has developed a resource center for creators committed to designing and producing new products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Creators will now have an opportunity to communicate their commitment to sustainable practices: from long-lasting design, reusability and recyclability, sustainable materials and distribution, and environmentally friendly factories. These commitments will be displayed on project pages.

Now, creators on Kickstarter will have resources at their disposal from the infancy of a project, where they can incorporate sustainability from the beginning stages of design, or discover ways to manufacture, package and distribute in the most environmentally friendly way possible. Projects can also differentiate themselves through sustainability, and backers can choose projects that align with their green values.

Kickstarter re-incorporated as a benefits corporation in 2015. Part of their charter includes limiting their environmental impact and providing resources and suggestions that help creators make environmentally conscious decisions.

According to Kickstarter, they believe creators have a lot of influence “in helping shift our culture away from practices that damage the environment. They can demonstrate that making and shipping products in a more conscientious way is not only possible but can also bring them greater public support.”