Eccentric Youngster Jaden Smith Gives Sustainability Street Cred

Smith is part of the current crop of youngsters who are turning their frustration with the degradation of 'their' earth into a full-fledged business.

Sustainability is a cause that has been gaining momentum for a while now. With well known pioneers like Sylvia Heisel, Liz Spencer, Stella McCartney leading the way, we are glad that digital natives like Jaden Smith are also putting in their 2 cents in.

justwater1220

JUST Water, is Smith’s pet project. Seven years in the making, it has brought together a group of individuals wanting to make a social and environmental impact through business. Rethinking how we can source, deliver and consume the items we hold in our hands every day, it is a business that combines for-profit energy and non-profit motives with the goal being the production of affordable products that will make an impact. Created to be ‘Better for Everyone’, the company is successfully making sustainable water bottles that put the environment first.

will-jaden-smith04-w710-h473-2x

For Smith it all began when the 18 year old was disturbed by the plastic waste he was seeing the in the Pacific Ocean when he used surf as a young teen. This was also the time when he became aware of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The island made of trash, gave the young Smith food for thought and it was from then on that he started to adorn eco-friendly clothes made of recycled materials. On his son’s calling, Smith senior admitted that junior has always held a strong interest in taking care of the environment. He recently told Vanity Fair,  “He’s always been shoes-off, outside, ‘see how beautiful this tree is. It’s like, ‘Dude, we’re late. Put your shoes on.’”

Smith is part of the current crop of youngsters who are turning their frustration with the degradation of ‘their’ earth into a full-fledged business.

Raised in Los Angelos, Smith is part of the current crop of youngsters who are turning their frustration with the degradation of ‘their’ earth into a full-fledged business. Smith, who is never seen far away from his JUST blue square box of water, shared, “I’m trying to promote a different message, which is how sustainable and environmentally friendly I am.” A confident statement, but how is JUST sustainable?

justwateramt

Well, first and foremost, the company has managed to design a new model that puts a greater value on water through ethical sourcing. The JUST model for water valuation was designed to support the community while protecting the water in the process. They created their new business around responsible water sourcing. Located in Glens Falls NY, the watershed is in a relatively small area of 6.2 square miles.  Despite its size, approximately 3 billion gallons of water is collected annually from snow and rain. Through a comprehensive and open assessment with the Hydrogeology community and the city, we determined that we would only source the excess and less than 3% of it annually. On their model, Kirby Van Vleet, a Hydrogeologist providing joint oversight of the water extraction process and health of the Glens Falls watershed said, “Protecting water tables and their surrounding support systems is essential to maintaining a healthy, resilient watershed for the future”

landscape-1461615294-spl1269827-005

With the state of water in the world today, it is great to see that they’re people out there showing real innovation when it comes to water use. It is also inspiring to see youngsters like Jaden Smith being part of the solution and taking the kind of approach that promises to create high value with efficiency and conservation as fundamental tenets. On that we say, “carry on!”

Share Your Tips & Corrections

SOURCEImage Credit: JUST Water