“Many food waste treatment companies come to us, hoping to apply for the sale permit of fertilizers reprocessed from food waste. However, because there is no existing standard on such fertilizers now, we cannot issue any permits and [food waste treatment] companies cannot sell them to anyone. I think the absence of an official market will be a big challenge for those treatment companies.” — Shangh…
On Tuesday, Collective Responsibility hosted its monthly Executive Luncheon focused on Industry 4.0: AI and Impacts on Supply Chain. This invitation-only event brought together a range of business leaders who are interested in understanding how the opportunities and challenges of transitioning to an industry 4.0 economy requires them to re-calibrate their business models. Richard Brubaker, Fou…
This week, Collective Responsibility’s evening forum on AI, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability brought together young professionals and entrepreneurs who are interested in knowing more about the opportunities and challenges they face as China enters industry 4.0. Richard Brubaker, Founder and Managing Director of Collective Responsibility (CR), opened the evening by sharing the results of a su…
This week, we were excited to host our first Shanghai Sustainable Ambassador Appreciation Reception. An event meant to celebrate the work of sustainability professionals and business leaders who are looking to drive sustainability trough their business, participants had a chance to network and share ideas over relaxed drinks and delicious hors-d'œuvres. A group of individuals, that we began…
Yesterday, in collaboration with the Shanghai European Chamber of Commerce, Collective Responsibility hosted a Lunch and Learn event to help increase awareness about waste and waste management in China. An interactive session, that ended with practical tips for individuals and companies to take to reduce their waste footprint, Rich Brubaker started the session provide insights from our research…
Every so often, breaking news brings China’s left-behind children to the forefront of public attention. Recent reports of left-behind child orphans being adopted and trained by martial arts clubs led to public debate over the fate of rural children growing up alone, as well as the shocking finding from a survey late last year in which 11.9% of left-behind children said that their parents working a…
Most people can make money from waste … They start work at five in the morning and get off at 10 at night; they never rest and don’t spend much money. In one year, about 72,000 RMB. After a little over a year, you can really make that much money. 10 years down the road, you can save quite a lot.” – Owner, Large Collection Centre The latest addition to our publications series “Informal Waste…
2016 has been Collective’s busiest and most productive year to date. As we head into 2017 with a continued passion for action and change, we want to look back at the past year and share some of our favorite events, reports, and stories: JANUARY 5 Ways to Become a Sustainability Ambassador By Charlie Matthews We kicked off 2016 with a Beyond Business as Usual Forum. Over 50 young professio…
"As China’s 'graying population' grows exponentially, the elderly population will be a major economic target for growing markets and services. While both the public and private sectors have made efforts in addressing this issue, current policies and services have been insufficient in addressing elderly demands, and many economic, social, and political challenges facing these systems still persist.…
“A critical time is soon approaching, as the number of elderly is predicted to overtake the number of youths by around 2020... The urgency towards action is illustrated by the recent repeal of the OneChild Policy in China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which states that “the change of policy is intended to balance population development and address the challenge of an aging population”. With this challe…
Technology is central to daily life across China and, in recent years, the smartphone has become the king amongst the tech savvy across the country and smartphone connections in China are predicted to reach one billion by 2020. Mobile technology and smartphones are not only becoming vital to personal communication, but are becoming integral in producer and consumer engagement. Individuals perform…
In this new report we provide insight into China's manufacturing labor force. For so long the work horse of the Chinese economy, the area of manufacturing has recently undergone considerable structural change. China is transitioning into its third economic cycle there is a far greater focus on the service sector and as a result the importance of manufacturing to total GDP has diminished. Furthermo…
"Improvements in China’s air quality will not only come through national government action. It is a challenge that will require the engagement and enforcement of regulations at both provincial and local levels of government. Recent pledges coming from the national level to reduce pollution, through the 13th five year plan, and measurable improvements in AQI during 2015, show progressive steps ar…
Last week, the ILO released an ASEAN-wide report into the future of labor. At Collective Responsibility, we are proud to have been a significant contributor to the report series, specifically the focused research on the textile and electronics sectors in China and ASEAN. The future of labor is assessed throughout the report series, with major focus placed on the impact of automation on the…
"Migrants who encounter these struggles and do not feel integrated into the city will most likely not be emotionally invested in the community. Therefore, cities should not overlook the importance of developing community-building and integration strategies to drive long-term migrant investment into the city. What is good for the citizens is good for the city. While younger generations are attracte…
