Burgerville Adds Compostable Cups and Lids to Menu
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway March 19th, 2010 
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F
ast food chain, Burgerville, recently announced it is switching to commercially compostable cups and lids as part of its goal to divert 85 percent of the company’s waste stream from landfills. Burgerville is the first fast food chain to use compostable paper cups company-wide.
The compostable “ecotainer” soda cups and lids, developed by International Paper in cooperation with Coca-Cola, are made from fiber from sustainably-managed forests that meet the Sustainable Forestry Institute (SFI) guidelines. A corn-based coating, NatureWorks Ingeo, is used in the cups and lids to create a water-resistant barrier. And ecotainer products require less energy to produce than traditional paper cups.
Burgerville has also teamed with the Portland Roasting Company in an effort to bring Farm Friendly Direct coffee to all its customers. Proceeds from coffee sales help improve the lives of coffee farmers and their communities though the building of community centers, schools and water treatment centers.
AT&T’s New ZERO Charger a Stake Through the Heart of Vampire Power
Posted by BC Upham March 19th, 2010 View Comments
No, it’s not an euphemism for a two-year-old cellphone battery. The new ZERO Charger from AT&T, in stores in May, automatically cuts off the electrical circuit when not charging, eliminating wasted electricity, also known as “vampire power.”
The US Department of Energy estimates internal and external adapters burn through about 120 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) per year of electricity wasted as heat, costing consumers more than $12 billion in electric bills.
Why don’t we have these already?
Champagne Bottles to Slim Down for the Environment
Posted by BC Upham March 18th, 2010 View Comments
Why are Champagne bottles so darn heavy? To fool us into thinking we’re getting more than we are? To be handy in un petit bar brawl?
No! Because of their excitable contents, Champagne bottles must withstand 6 Gs of force (most humans black out at 5 or 6 Gs), and thus are thicker-walled than normal wine bottles.
What does this have to do with green business? Heavy bottles mean more glass used in manufacture and more fuel burned in transportation, which adds up to more carbon released into the atmosphere. To address this problem, the Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), announced yesterday the launch of a new standard Champagne bottle that is 2 ounces lighter.
AussieBum’s New Undies Made From Bananas
Posted by Audrey Khuner March 17th, 2010 View Comments
Is that a banana in your underwear, or are you just excited by eco-fashion?
The answer is both.
AussieBum has recently announced its release of a new eco-friendly line of men’s underwear made with 27% banana fiber. This is a world-first, according to the company.
So much for Fruit of the Loom’s dancing men dressed like giant apples and grapes, this company actually uses real fruit, while reducing its impact on the planet.
Why only 27% banana fiber? “Naturally, you can’t really add anymore banana fiber than that because it might be a bit squishy,” says company spokesman Lloyd Jones. Ew.
The rest of the light-weight, absorbent material is made of 64% organic cotton and 7% lycra.
Dumpster Diving Day Saves Burt’s Bees $25K Annually
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway March 15th, 2010 View Comments
The old adage “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” sure rings true for a North Carolina-based earth friendly natural personal care products company. In 2008, employees from Burt’s Bees took part in Dumpster Day, an event held to educate employees about waste reduction.
Trash destined for the landfill was collected for two weeks and divided into three categories – items that should have been recycled but were not, things that should be recycled and garbage. With about five tons of stockpiled trash dumped onto the parking lot, employees donned Hazmat suits and dove in to find out what they could dig up.
Who Will Clean Up: Method or Clorox?
Posted by Leon Kaye March 12th, 2010 View Comments
The competition between Method and Clorox for the title as the top “green” household cleaning products company is heating up. Packaging its household cleaners in eye-catching and often clear bottles, Method saw its sales top US $200 million in 2009. But Clorox has surged ahead: after starting its line of environmentally-friendly cleaners, Green Works, in only 2008, the company toppled Method with 42% of market share.
Clorox’s entrance into the LOHAS market dates back to fall 2007, when it acquired Burt’s Bees for US$925 million in cash. Meanwhile, the company entered into talks with the Sierra Club, which agreed to endorse the Green Works brand and allowed Clorox to place the environmental organization’s logos on the products’ bottles. Clorox gained even more favorable coverage when it chose to list each product’s ingredients on the packaging for the entire Green Works product line; though the list of chemicals in Clorox’s conventional product line are still not disclosed. Green products only accounted for 3% of the cleaning products market in 2008, but this could spike to 30% by 2013: so Clorox, with its strong brand recognition, experienced marketing professionals, and ubiquitous distribution channels, enjoys a distinct competitive advantage over Method.
The Chasing Arrows Recycling Logo – The Biggest Greenwash Label of Them All?
Posted by Tom Szaky March 11th, 2010 View Comments
In recent years, after the initial honeymoon of broader consumer interest in all things green, it’s now settled squarely in the space of “prove it to me.” Yet proving something’s greenness, sustainability, fair trade status, organic certification, carbon footprint has resulted in a dust storm of competing certifications, labels, very few of which are gaining traction with the public as credible or recognizable. For all they know, the company could be making it up, doing it themselves, or something similarly “greenwashy”.
And yet, right under our nose is perhaps the most deceptive label of all: the chasing arrows “recycling” symbol.
You know, the triangular shaped graphic with the number 1 to 7 inside. Much like labeling a fruit cholesterol free, it has become at best largely meaningless and at worst deceptive. What am I talking about? The fact that for the majority of categories, 3 and beyond generally, most recyclers don’t process them.
Study Shows Bright Green Future for Smart Appliances
Posted by RP Siegel March 10th, 2010 View Comments
A new report from research and consulting firm Zpryme describes the growing field of smart appliances as a tremendous market opportunity. It estimates that the global household smart appliance market will grow from $3.06 billion to $15.12 billion over the next five years. In 2015, the global market size for smart washers and smart refrigerators will reach $3.54 billion and $2.69 billion, respectively.
Surfing on the tsunami-sized wave of government investment that is subsidizing the development of the Smart Grid, both here and abroad–and particularly in China–a few forward-looking appliance makers are positioning themselves ahead of what some say will be a flood of smart appliances.
What exactly are smart appliances? After all, ever since the first microprocessors came out, home appliances have been getting smarter, providing more and more convenience and efficiency. But these new smart appliances are different: their enhanced value lies in the way that they are inextricably bound to the Smart Grid. According to the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), the designation smart appliance refers to a modernization of the electricity usage control system of a home appliance so that it monitors, protects and automatically adjusts its operation to the needs of its owner.
Hello Rewind Project Gives New Life to Old T-Shirts and Sex Trafficking Survivors
Posted by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway March 5th, 2010 View Comments
Let’s face it. Chances are pretty good you have an old t-shirt in your dresser that has seen better days, but for whatever reason, you just can’t seem to let it go. Whether it has sentimental value or is a one-of-a-kind vintage tee, if you can’t part with that shirt, a new company, that is combining recycling with a mission, can put it to use.
While staring at a pile of old t-shirts in her Manhattan apartment and with no room to spare, Jess Lin wanted to make “something usable” out of all those shirts. After developing a concept, Lin founded the Hello Rewind Project. Hello Rewind upcycles old t-shirts into a one-of-a-kind usable product while providing help and assistance to sex trafficking survivors in New York City.
Many people may be surprised to learn that sex trafficking occurs in the United States. In fact, this form of modern-day slavery has been reported in all 50 states. In 2004, the United States Department of Justice estimated that up to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States annually. While most of the victims are women, men and children are also victims.
LL Bean Meets PACT: Tom’s of Maine Founds New Company for Wool Skivvies
Posted by Daniel Winokur March 5th, 2010 View Comments
Like LL Bean? Everyone knows how great its clothes are. Sure, they’re not known for being terribly stylish — but there’s something comforting about that Northeastern, down-homey functionality and durability. Just the right thing for a weekend working on the farm, taking a hike, or clearing brush.
Or what about PACT? Recently profiled by MC O’Connor in another Startup Friday post, PACT’s gained many fans with its offbeat, half sexy, half cheeky approach to sustainably sourced underwear. It’s the kind of thing for sustainability geeks to wear when trying to be cool and sustainable at the same time.
But PACT doesn’t exactly communicate burly robustness, and you’ll be hard pressed to find many sustainable items at the LL Bean online store. Enter Ramblers Way Farm, a new apparel venture from the founders of Tom’s of Maine, Tom and Kate Chappell. Specializing in all types of base-layer clothing, Ramblers makes their products out of sustainably-produced wool, which is farmed and processed domestically, rather than relying on overseas facilities.
An End To Greenwash? Interview With Marcello Manca Of Underwriters Laboratories, “UL Environment”
Posted by John Laumer March 1st, 2010 View Comments
Marcello Manca, VP & General Manager, UL Environment
Marcello Manca is Vice President & General Manager of UL Environment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a global leader in product testing and safety certification for more than a century. UL Environment (ULE) was launched in January 2009, and the organization has more than doubled in size over the past year. Read on for Marcello’s insights into the future of environmental standards setting and claims making.
John Laumer: What is UL Environment and what does it do?
Marcello Manca: UL Environment is an environmental evaluation company which provides independent confirmation of claims, certification to standards, and develops standards to provide transformation to the marketplace.
We are:
• A part of the UL family of companies.
• A local business with global capabilities.
• Interested in helping companies bring products to market.
• A trusted source for environmental information.
Ben & Jerry’s Plans to go 100% Fair Trade
Posted by Audrey Khuner February 24th, 2010 View Comments
Fair labor conditions never tasted so good.
Ben & Jerry’s announced last week that they will be 100% fair trade by 2013. That means that all of their “global flavor portfolio” will be composed of Fair Trade Certified™ ingredients, such as cocoa, vanilla, fruits, nuts, etc.
The successful ice cream company was the first to introduce fair trade ingredients to the market back in 2005, but co-founder Jerry Greenfield decided that only some wasn’t enough.
“Fair Trade is about making sure people get their fair share of the pie,” said company co-founder Jerry Greenfield. Always with the dessert metaphors, Jerry?
Are Big Box Stores Advancing or Detracting Sustainability Efforts? Yes.
Posted by Mary Catherine O'Connor February 24th, 2010 View Comments
Since TriplePundit.com launched in 2005, Walmart and other big box stores have gone through quite a metamorphosis in the eyes of many pundits of triple-bottom-line business. In fact, 2005 was the same year that Walmart launched the first of a growing list of initiatives aimed at simultaneously reducing its environmental impact and its operating expenses.
But the decision to do things such as boost the fuel efficiency of its trucking fleet and to aggressively reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and solid waste from its stores, wasn’t all driven by efforts to lower operating expenses and portray itself as a jolly green giant. Walmart was, and still is, working off the high environmental—not to mention societal—cost of its low prices. And while it’s taking many meaningful steps forward, in terms of sustainability, how can it erase the impact of millions of metric tons that the 100 million weekly Walmart shoppers emit as they drive to and fro the massive stores?
Quiznos Introduces Better, “Greener” Packaging
Posted by Nick Aster February 23rd, 2010 View Comments
Remember when McDonald’s switched from styrofoam containers to the paper(ish) wraps they have today? That was a big deal back in 1990. Since then there has been limited but steady improvement in fast food packaging, driven mostly by local legislation and consumer pressure. To make matters more complicated, the question of “paper vs plastic” or even whether to bring your own container isn’t entirely cut and dry in terms of environmental impact. That’s one of many reasons I put the word “green” in quotes or avoid it altogether.
Nonetheless, effort is effort, and Quiznos sandwich chain has made what looks like decent progress on many of their different types of packaging. Being a critical optimist, I’m happy to see the new effort, but want to raise a few questions as well.
Eat Toasty, Be Green: Here are the bulletpoints from their press release, including some extra parenthetical notes by me. The new types of packaging will include:
What’s New
Where We’re Going
NY: Mar. 24
FT Investing in a Sustainable Future - Learn how investors are using new techniques to generate returns on responsible investments and hear about the latest trends in CSR activities.
SF: Apr. 14-16
Navigating the American Carbon World - Looking at the status of climate policy in 2010 and how climate initiatives will move forward with or without new policy.
Chicago Apr. 28-29
LCA Sustainable Supply Chain USA How To Measure, Prioritize And Reduce Social And Environmental Impacts In The Most Effective Manner
April 28-30
SF: Social Enterprise Summit/World Forum
SF: May 20-21
Microfinance USA 2010 - The place where microfinance practitioners, investors, and enthusiasts meet.
Monterey: Jun. 7-10
Sustainable Brands 2010 - Explore The Power of "And" at this year's highly anticipated SB10 conference - a 3p favorite since it's inception. Join more than 700 business and brand strategists, designers and sustainability executives for three days of extraordinary conversation.
July 29-30
GRI Certified Sustainability Reporting Course - Get the tools needed to fully assess the sustainability of business activities and to reduce the negative impacts of day-to-day operations.
LA: Sept. 1-2
Women in Green Forum - Recognizing the achievements of women across the vast range of environmental industry sectors.
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University of Kansas Green Jobs Tweets
- RT @BluePractice: Just back from inspiring, fun day with @simransethi and her KU students. Check out and follow #greenjobsku, they're the future of green.
- RT @simransethi: Incredible graphical representation of all the water we're sucking up. Share widely: http://bit.ly/cGpPXx #greenjobsku
- Incredible graphical representation of all the water we're sucking up. Share widely: http://bit.ly/cGpPXx #greenjobsku
- http://twitpic.com/19nolg - This superplant grew 8 ft tall because of nutrients in greywater #greenjobsku
- No longer are the issues of environmental justice intangible, they were palpable in east Oakland. Clean air and water 4 all! #greenjobsku
- Nominations Now Open for 2010 Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence
- The Abbott Fund, Boston University School of Medicine and Leading Health Institutions in Vietnam Inaugurate the Abbott Fund Institute of Nutrition Science at Bach Mai Hospital
- PepsiCo Marks World Water Day 2010 with Global Water Goals
- CBRE Teams with The Green Standard
- Mannington's 25% Postconsumer Recycled VCT Honored with Environmental Stewardship Award
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