Morph’s Values
Morph exists to help rethink how society uses resources. These are the values that determine how we pursue that aim. They are beliefs that guide every decision and action we take as we work to help build a circular economy. This holds true for the materials we choose to work with and the products we develop, as well as the partners we collaborate with and the prices we pay, and everything else we do. They aren’t an aspirational North Star that we’re aiming to some day reach. They’re operational ground rules that determine what we can and can’t do. Some might view them as constraints that limit our options. We view them as the platform from which we can pursue necessary change, while doing it the right way.
1. Waste is a choice, not an inevitability.
Waste doesn’t exist in nature. Morph treats waste as a design failure and a systems problem, rather than a natural outcome. Reducing waste is beneficial. Eliminating it is the goal. These are foundational beliefs for us that everything else flows from.
2. Resources are greatly underutilized.
We tend to use resources for things that are far less than what they’re capable of and for a fraction of the time they could be used. Even if we completely ignored the ecosystem impacts related to waste, our current approach to resource use should be viewed as an epic destruction of economic utility. When a firm determines that resources are no longer useful to it, their value gets marked down to zero. Doing so ignores their potential worth to others. Matching resources to uses that better meet their capacities, and extending their usage, are ways to increase the sustainability of resource use, while also shifting human society back towards functioning like ecosystems.
3. Fairness is a requirement.
Every person in the supply chain, from informal seamstresses in Thailand to refugee artisans in St. Louis, as well as our suppliers, manufacturing, and retail partners, are treated with respect and compensated fairly. This isn’t a marketing position. We truly mean it as a condition of doing business. If we can’t be fair with our partners, we will not move forward until we’re able to find a way to do so that fits this requirement.
What exactly is “fair” is a matter that people with different perspectives and experiences may disagree on. Our aim is to always treat our counterparts in ways we’d never be afraid to share openly. We truly hope that in doing so, we’re leaving our partners feeling valued, appreciated, and wanting to continue partnering with us over the long term.
4. Transparency over performance.
We strive to be as open as possible. This may leave us at a competitive disadvantage relative to firms that make similar products, but we believe it’s necessary to fulfill our commitment to fairness. Morph explains where materials come from, who makes things, and why decisions are made the way they are. We don’t greenwash our efforts or obscure what we’re not yet able to do well.
5. Systems thinking over addressing symptoms.
Morph isn’t trying to make a slight or even a moderate impact on waste generation. Instead, we’re trying to demonstrate a different model entirely, one rooted in understanding how systems produce outcomes, what the leverage points are, and how acting on them can have an outsized effect on outcomes.
6. Progress through iteration.
Morph is openly evolving. We’re constantly seeking new materials and new partners, while continually conducting new experiments. This is part of our commitment to continually learning and being public about doing so, rather than maintaining the appearance of having it all figured out. We’re not interested in projecting that image. We have a lot to learn, we know it, and we’d rather be honest about that than pretend otherwise. We’re trying to do our part to help foster the necessary transition, and learning along the way is a requirement.
7. Change requires community.
No company or individual changes a system alone. Morph’s support for CircularSTL, its teaching work, and learning tools like the Zero Waste Game all reflect our belief that advocacy and coalition-building are as important as the products themselves. We have to go together because we have so far to go.
These values create obligations to our partners, our customers, and the broader effort to build a more circular economy. We share them publicly because accountability requires visibility. If you ever see a gap between what we say here and what we do, we want to hear about it.