A Nimble Manifesto
If you’ve ever sat on an ocean beach watching the waves roll, crash and repeat, you understand the feels. The salty smells. Warm sun rays. Sandiness. Seagull sounds. Slow breezes. The vastness of water spread sublimely before you.
If you have yet to experience this, it’s majestic.
And, fragile.
Like fish in the ocean, we’re all tiny, moving parts of a much greater ecosystem. A community of living organisms, linked together with the non-living elements of our shared environment. And we’re each inspired by different things. But, a single idea every one of us should agree on is that our oceans, our beaches, our seagulls, our earth...is all we have.
However, modernity is a heck of a thing. Technology gives us potential for longer lives. Quicker, easier communication with loved ones. The power to learn about anything, anytime, anywhere.
Yet, it’s technology, specifically in the form of personal electronics, which challenges the very notion of coexistence with our planet.
Humans generated 50 million tons of electronic waste (or “E-Waste”) in 2018. It’s the fastest growing stream of waste on the planet. This trend, unfortunately, isn’t slowing down.
Planned obsolescence is real. None of your tech is supposed to last. So, you buy more. Then More materials are sourced. And more energy is used. And more packaging ends up in landfills. And more plastic finds its way into our oceans.
Roll, crash and repeat.
Nimble is more than a consumer tech startup. More than an online brand. It’s people working together to help bridge the gap between our everyday modern needs, and those of our planet.
We love technology. But, we think it should be made as ethically as possible. Which is why we believe you have the right to know how your tech products are made, where they come from, and its impact on our world.
Our three co-founders are consumer electronics industry veterans, fed up with how little the industry (or “the Consumer Electronics Bubble”) pays attention to it’s environmental imprint.
Hindered by the status quo and a forced commitment to bottom lines, they sought change. In early 2018, they quit their comfortable jobs at a leading tech accessory company to create something different. A company where all stakeholders are considered; employees, suppliers, community and Mother Nature.
Good Technology
It all started as an idea to design tech products using more sustainable materials. With no blueprint or precedent to follow, they developed Nimble’s first two product lines from ground up (wireless chargers and portable chargers) using materials such as plant-based bioplastics, recycled plastic bottles, organic hemp and other naturally occurring minerals.
Good Packaging
Rather than using the commonly accepted, wide range of toxic packaging that companies charge a 20% premium for, our founders knew the model needed to change. For Nimble, the vision was clear: Develop a safe, durable alternative that’s 100% plastic-free, made from recycled scrap paper with zero harmful inks or dyes. Done.
Good Suppliers
Materials and packaging aside, a finished product is only as ethical as the process used to make it. We work only with suppliers who share our values on workers’ rights, sustainability, and overall efforts to reduce impact.
Good Endeavors
The fact is, we produce and release new tech into the world. Despite our more mindful methods, our products won’t last forever, and we ensure this unavoidable truth isn’t neglected.
Our goal is to become e-waste neutral by 2022 through recycling as much, if not more, e-waste than we produce. In doing so, we feel this burden shouldn’t be passed onto the consumer in the form of added cost. So, we launched the One-for-One tech Recovery Project to provide a convenient and responsible way to recycle your old electronics for free. For every product purchased, we pay for our customers to recycle up to one pound of e-waste.
With all that, we still have a long way to go. But, it’s a start. A better way forward. We only hope our fellow consumer tech brands will join us.
Two overarching thoughts to leave you with.
First, as a society, we’re causing our planet uncompromising harm each day for the sake of modern convenience. Yet, the collective willingness to take action remains limited. Sure, we’ve all been brainwashed for decades by profit-driven companies to ignore long-term social and environmental effects, and we’ve been happy to oblige as long as prices stay palpable and products perform.
Yet, the tide is beginning to take an optimistic turn. More and more brands across many industries now exist with planet in mind. They exist without compromising on performance and offer honest pricing. This trend is strengthening and expanding, as a new generation of conscious consumers emerge.
With your help, business can truly be a force for good.✌🏽
1 comment
Are the chargers pass-thru, can they take and give a charge simultaneously?