Experimenting

The Challenge

Current patterns of consumption are not sustainable.   

  • There is limited take-up of many products and services that offer more sustainable solutions.   

  • We have a linear economy where things are made, bought, used and then dumped rather than a more circular model.   

  • We have a society where some people are struggling to afford basic items whilst others have things they no longer need or will never use.  

Businesses are increasingly recognising that the way we buy products and services needs to change.  Some have started experimenting, but few have landed at scale reaching a sufficiently large audience to make them commercially viable. 

Sizzle will seek to change this dynamic by taking a highly innovative, thoughtful, and collaborative approach demonstrating that radically changing the way products and services are provided is possible. 


The Questions

The way people purchase products and services is changing.  The shift to buying online provides convenience but has had a knock-on effect on our high streets with many shops vacant, chains closing and the chances for face-to-face meeting diminishing.  Is it possible to revitalise high streets with a new model that creates a more sustainable, community-based retail model? 

We are facing a cost-of-living crisis with many households struggling to make ends meet.  The gap between rich and poor is growing with wealthier households driving a consumption model that is not sustainable.  Is there a way to balance excessive consumption on the one hand with great need on the other without creating a ‘charity dependency’? 

Consumption is driving climate change, the destruction of nature, extreme weather patterns and causing pollution.  We face a growing resource crunch where scarcity of products will drive up costs and potentially conflict.  Can we shift how people spend their money to reduce environmental impact?  

Environmental messaging is reaching a narrow demographic limiting scope for change.  Can a more inclusive approach deliver innovative solutions that offer wider societal benefit?

The Approach

Through extensive conversations across society, Sizzle will identify areas where there is a need and desire for innovation and collaboration.  Insight will be gathered from relevant stakeholders and experts to explore whether an alternative approach is feasible and what experimentation or demonstration is required to test the model. 

Sizzle will co-create experiments with interested parties, secure investment, oversee implementation and fully evaluate impact. Learnings will be shared helping to take the best elements to scale through which route is appropriate.