Tag: Sustainability

The Hidden Cost of Returns: Can Blockchain Protect Your Business?

On By In blockchain, Product Returns, Research Spotlight, Sustainable Development, Technology

Reverse logistics – the process of moving goods from consumers back to manufacturers for reuse, recycling, or disposal – is a critical component of the circular economy. Traditionally, this process has been plagued by inefficiencies, high costs, and lack of transparency. Blockchain is simply a distributed digital ledger technology – that is, a record of transactions. They are designed in such a way that it is secure, transparent, and tamper-proof. Blockchains can contain smart contracts- these are automatically executed processes that do not require an intermediary. For example, when a return is scanned in, a smart contract might automatically refund a consumer – if the associated barcode is the same as what was initially sent – without the need for a person to do this. Blockchains are immutable because data recorded on a blockchain cannot be altered or deleted without obvious detection.

By creating secure, tamper-proof records, blockchain enables logistics firms to track products throughout their lifecycle, ensuring accountability and reducing fraud.

Continue reading
Image of Dr Jingxi Huang

Dr Jingxi Huang on Sustainability, Psychology, and the Power of Small Changes

On By In Meet the member

At the heart of NUSC’s interdisciplinary mission is a commitment to tackling urban challenges through diverse perspectives. Dr Jingxi Huang, a researcher in consumer behaviour and sustainability, embodies this spirit with her unique blend of marketing insight and psychological depth. Jingxi’s passion for sustainability goes beyond academic theory. “It’s a long-term challenge that affects both our generation and the next,” she explains.

Continue reading
Image of seaweed coffee cup lid

Leading the Change: How Corporate Leadership Drives Eco-Innovation

On By In Eco-Innovation, Environmental, Green, Innovation, Machine Learning, Research Spotlight, Sustainable Development, Systems Dynamics, Systems Thinking

Imagine a startup that creates edible packaging made from seaweed. You buy a takeaway coffee, and instead of a plastic lid, it’s sealed with a biodegradable, tasteless seaweed film (Product innovation). You can toss it in the compost—or eat it.

Now scale that up: this packaging replaces millions of plastic wrappers in supermarkets. It dissolves in water, leaves no microplastics, and is made from a fast-growing, carbon-sequestering marine plant (Process innovation). The company partners with coastal communities to harvest seaweed sustainably, creating jobs and restoring marine ecosystems (Social impact).

This is eco-innovation in action.

It’s not just clever—it’s transformative.

Continue reading