The
Green Gap & Sphericality
The Green Gap is the gap between what feels sustainable and what actually is. Enter Sphericality, a new standard that we use to measure our materials and products holistically.
The Green Gap is the gap between what feels sustainable and what actually is. It’s the hidden reality behind good intentions – where “recyclable” often means landfilled, “compostable” doesn’t actually get composted, and “recycled” doesn’t mean ethical.
Greenwashing and the Green Gap are distinct. Greenwashing is deliberate positioning – using misleading claims to overstate impact. It demands independent review and accountability. The Green Gap is a systemic blind spot – a reliance on proxy labels that miss end-of-life outcomes, worker protections, and infrastructure limits. Closing this gap requires outcome-based metrics and traceable data. While they can coexist, the key difference is that one is a deceptive claim, while the other is a genuine measurement and execution problem.
Consumption and materials shouldn’t just be circular, they should be spherical.
Sphericality is our call to go beyond circularity. Because sustainability isn’t just about closing loops – it’s about making them fair, full, and future-ready. The Sphericality Index measures exactly that – a product or material’s real impact across six core dimensions:
1
Environmental Impact (Full-Spectrum): Goes beyond carbon, includes land use, ocean leakage, and pollution footprint.
2
Social Fairness: Fair wages, safe work, human dignity.
3
Economic Viability: Affordable, scalable, self-sustaining.
4
Transparency: Honest about both impact and limitations.
5
Circularity: Is it recyclable, reusable, or landfill-bound?
6
Additionality: Creates net new impact, not just green reshuffling.
Environmental Impact (Full-Spectrum): Goes beyond carbon, includes land use, ocean leakage, and pollution footprint.
Social Fairness: Fair wages, safe work, human dignity.
Economic Viability: Affordable, scalable, self-sustaining.
Transparency: Honest about both impact and limitations.
Circularity: Is it recyclable, reusable, or landfill-bound?
Additionality: Creates net new impact, not just green reshuffling.
The Sphericality Index isn’t just a concept – it’s how we measure our own impact transparently and honestly. Every year, we grade our products and materials across these six core dimensions, sharing successes openly and identifying areas to improve.
We use this Report Card to push ourselves – and invite you to hold us accountable too. Because change only counts if it’s real, measurable, and lasting.
Select a product to view its Sphericality Score
Recycled sunglasses made ethically from “unrecyclable” plastic waste like MLP (chips packets), coated.
Virgin sunglasses grade: D
Our product has achieved a strong performance, placing in the B range, reflecting significant progress in areas like social fairness, particularly fair wages and community engagement. However, key areas for improvement include environmental impact and circularity. Challenges such as the reliance on coal-heavy energy sources, solvent-based coatings, and the limited recyclability of materials are obstacles we still need to address. While economic viability is stable, scaling and supply-chain resilience remain focal points for growth. To achieve an A+ grade, we will focus on improving energy efficiency, increasing recycling efforts, and tightening circularity across all stages.
Recycled pellets made ethically from “unrecyclable” plastic waste like MLP (chips packets), uncoated.
Virgin PP pellets grade: C
The VerdiFLX scores well in environmental impact, thanks to its use of recycled feedstock and waste reduction practices, though energy efficiency remains a challenge. It performs strongly in circularity, excelling in waste generation and recyclability, though downcycling still limits its full potential. The product excels in social fairness, demonstrating excellent worker rights and community engagement. However, economic viability shows room for growth, particularly around scalability and market acceptance. This B rating reflects solid progress, but to reach A+, we need to focus on reducing carbon emissions, strengthening economic resilience, and enhancing transparency.
Purified TPA made ethically from “unrecyclable” plastic waste like MLP (chips packets), uncoated.
Virgin PTA grade: D
VerdiPTA stands out as a strong leader in sustainable materials, earning an A grade on the Sphericality Index. It excels in circularity, using 100% recycled feedstock and a near-zero waste process. The product also demonstrates strong performance in social fairness, with formalised waste-pickers and fair compensation. However, its environmental impact is still influenced by the reliance on coal-heavy energy sources and chemical processes. While the economic viability is progressing, scalability and market acceptance are still in development. To achieve an A+ grade, VerdiPTA must focus on scaling production, enhancing transparency, and securing closed-loop end-markets. Continued refinement is needed to reach perfection.
Here’s a custom GPT bot that you can use. Take a photo and send it to the bot to get an estimation of your product’s sphericality.
Enter the scores in the tool below to see how it aligns with the Sphericality Index – higher scores reflect more spherical products.
Disclaimer: This is a directional estimate and not a definitive measure.
The journey toward true sustainability is about more than ticking boxes or chasing isolated metrics—it’s about depth, balance, and honesty. The Sphericality Index is our first draft in this ongoing journey: a working framework designed to evaluate the real impact of products across environmental, social, and economic dimensions.
This is still a work in progress. We use it internally to guide our decisions, but we know it’s not final. It will evolve through your feedback, collaboration, and real-world application. We invite you to try it out, explore its methods, and share your insights with us. Together, we can build a future where sustainability is not just a symbol, but something measured, multidimensional, and real.
Your feedback matters. Write to us at [email protected] and help us improve this tool for everyone.
