indieDwell and Sustainable Development and Consumption
indieDwell practices responsible consumption and production practices in support of the following UN goals:
12.2 By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
12.5 By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.
12.6 Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.
In describing the challenges of SDG 12, the United Nations notes, “In 2017, worldwide material consumption reached 92.1 billion tons, up from 87 billion in 2015 and a 254 per cent increase from 27 billion in 1970, with the rate of extraction accelerating every year since 2000. This reflects the increased demand for natural resources that has defined the past decades, resulting in undue burden on environmental resources.”
indieDwell takes several specific actions on achieving the goals of sustainable development and consumption.
Our business began as a way to upcycle shipping containers into homes. The shipping industry surpluses millions of units per year, many of which sit unclaimed in ports around the world. Melting a shipping container creates a net loss of energy, so the best use is repurposing the container into another usable product.
We also utilize steel framing inside the containers. Steel itself is a highly recycled and recyclable product, containing 65% or more recycled material.
indieDwell’s offsite manufacturing process inherently reduces job site waste, as modular units can be built to more exacting specifications, delivered to the job site complete, which also means fewer change orders that can create waste. We also optimize our factory to zero waste manufacturing standards, and will certify as a zero waste factory by the end of 2020. Because our process is a manufacturing process, and not a construction process also means that each project begins with a Bill of Materials, or BOM, insuring that we don’t over consume or purchase potentially unneeded materiel.
2020 marks the first year that indieDwell will report on its efforts toward sustainable development and consumption and hope that serves as an example to others in our industry, delivering on our commitment to SDG 12.6.