#10 How do you ensure product designers think sustainably?

With Frouke Bruinsma - Sustainability, Procurement and Legal department at Fatboy.

Though all industries need to address environmental impact, the path to sustainability is not homogenous. Different business models and diverse socio-economic contexts require businesses to find unique solutions to sustainability challenges.

Merging creativity with problem-solving, effective design is key to successful sustainability transformations. Did you know that 80% of a product's environmental impact is decided in the design phase?

In this episode of the FutureReady Podcast, host Arne Kötting talks with Frouke Bruinsma about designing more sustainable value chains from A to Z. At the time when this conversation was recorded, Frouke worked in the Sustainability, Procurement and Legal department at **Fatboy the original – a global home and garden goods manufacturer**.

In this captivating chat, Frouke shares valuable knowledge on the importance of product design, the role of consumers in sustainability transformations, the concept of circular economy, and much more.

If you’d like to reach out to Frouke, here’s her LinkedIn. If you're curious to learn more about Fatboy, check out their website here. If you like what you’re hearing, please leave us a review. Or forward this show to someone who you think will love it.

This episode is presented by Arne Kötting, and was produced by Dhriti Kamath, Charlotte Irigoyen, Ashwerya Narula and Ana Luiza Loio. FutureReady music theme "Botanics" by Elizabells, and sound editing by Carsten Steffens.

02:45 Arne and Frouke talk about her sustainability journey and how she came to work at Fatboy.

04:45 Frouke talks about her legal background and experiences in the fashion industry.

About Fatboy and the sustainability challenges in the furniture industry.

7:20 Frouke talks about the importance of product design in sustainability.

9:19 On the approaches to and strategies for sustainability, and what role it plays within theFatboy organization.

15:00 Frouke elaborates on the importance of taking in consumer feedback to move forward and improve as an organization and talks about the iconic Fatboy repair kits and how this idea came to be.

19:54 Arne and Frouke talk about how internal buy-in sustainability is needed to launch sustainability plans

25:24 Frouke talks about how the awareness and knowledge surrounding sustainability differ between industries

29:10 Frouke talks about the circular economy model, how to measure progress and how the model is applied within Fatboy.

41:40 Frouke talksabout the challenges to sustainability transformations that she has experienced.

44:00 Arne and Frouke talk about engaging different actors in the value chain and partnerships with NGOs.