Recyclebank’s Quest to Help Zumbox Lead the Digital Mail Market
On Monday, Recyclebank and Zumbox, the world’s first digital postal system, announced that Zumbox is joining Recyclebank Ecosystem, a network of companies working with Recyclebank to motivate and reward people for taking green actions. Will it help Zumbox to lead the digital mail market? Will it help Recyclebank to become the Amazon of the new Gconomy?
Outdated Solar Panels Considered E-Waste By EU Parliament
The EU Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, France, voted on January 18 to update its Waste Electrical and Electronics Equipment (WEEE) legislation to include solar photovoltaic (PV) modules.
Green Procurement and Business: What It’s All About
Flyerzone is an online printing company that offers design agency quality services without charging design agency prices. Drawing on the talent of our international network of artists, we add new designs and templates to the site every day, offering our customers a huge range of choices all in one place, at a price they can afford.
We do this by integrating our environmental philosophy with our commercial model: by reducing waste, recycling and using vegetable-based inks, Flyerzone uses as few resources as possible without compromising on the quality of its work. By sourcing 99 per cent of our paper from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forests, we ensure our business is sustainable in both the commercial and the environmental sense.
Landfills: From Beast to Beauty
Turning dumps to destinations says a lot about a municipality’s commitment to the local environment and approach to handling trash.
Does Sustainability Increase Profits or Not?
A UN-backed survey conducted by Globescan and SustainAbility, of 642 senior executives, campaigners and academics found that the vast majority feel that pressure to deliver short-term financial results is impeding their sustainability efforts. Of course the sluggish economy has been a challenge, but do companies today really have to choose between profitability and sustainability or is this a false choice?
How Landfills Can Provide Electricity
Landfills can be used to provide electricity or heat, which will prevent 60 to 90 percent of the methane released by waste from entering the atmosphere.
PrintEco Wants to Save Companies 17 Percent of Their Printing Costs
PrintEco creates plugins to substantially reduce printing costs for by optimizing print jobs. Their goal is to help companies save billions of dollars on wasteful printing, from web printouts littered with ad images and blank space to spreadsheets with poor formatting, and reduce their carbon footprint.
Dupont Building Innovations Achieves Zero Landfill Status
Dupont Building Innovations, Dupont’s building unit, achieved zero landfill status, the company announced on January 11, 2012. The company managed to send nothing to landfills by reducing, reusing and recycling manufacturing byproducts and waste at its manufacturing sites globally. Through its Drive to Zero landfill program, which began three years ago, the company reduced its [...]
Rising to the Challenge of Keeping Food and Energy from Being Trashed
This article highlights the amount of embedded energy in food waste while exploring ways to tackle America’s dual problem of hunger and clean energy.
High Heat: Re:char Recharges African Soil
A start-up called re:char has a new take on an ancient idea that’s designed to enhance crop yields in the developing world by making biochar accessible and affordable. Biochar is made by a process known as pyrolysis, which heats organic matter such as waste farm produce, without oxygen. Instead of releasing carbon dioxide into the [...]
New Levis Store in Amsterdam a Model of Reuse and Recycled Construction
Levi’s last month opened a new two-story store on Kalverstraat. The 2700 square feet store’s interior is full of reused, restored and repurposed materials.
Motel 6: Sustainability Means We’ll No Longer Leave the Light on For You
Accor, a leading hotel chain that owns a bevy of chains including Motel 6, is ramping up their corporate social responsibility efforts. Employee engagement and water stewardship are among the initiatives.
Mexico City’s Largest Landfill Closes, Creating Jobs & Energy
Mexico City shut down its Bordo Poniente landfill, the capital’s largest garbage collection site that over time became a 927 acre heap of trash. Jobs and energy will emerge from the trash.
Why Textile Waste Should be Banned From Landfills
More than 11 million tons of textiles are trashed in this country every year. Most of this material is reusable, rewearable, or recyclable. It’s time to create policies to address this issue and end the needless clogging of landfills.
Inbox Overload and Sustainable Collaboration
Examining the changing role of corporate email use and making a case for the Social Enterprise.
An Oregon Model for Sustainable Cities (and It Ain’t Portland)
Gresham, Oregon has made great strides in its drive to craft a model for sustainable cities. One key aspect of its success has been a strategic, public-private partnership with Veolia Water NA, the centerpiece of which to date has been managing the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
How One Company Makes No-Brand Sexy to Consumers
Innovative companies, such as Apple, make their brand sexy by creating genius products that attract cult-like consumers. If this is the western approach to innovation, how does the Japanese approach it differently? Specifically, how does MUJI (www.muji.us) make No-brand sexy to consumers?
Russia Spills 5 Million Tons of Oil Every Year in the Arctic
Petroleum is probably one of the most precious commodities we have. It powers every aspect of human life, not just in terms of energy for transportation and heating but petrochemicals have spawned industries without which modern human life may well be impossible. One of the biggest risks with the extraction of crude is the risk [...]
100,000 Signatures Overcome Coca-Cola in National Park Bottle-Ban Debate
If you’re looking for good news for the holiday season, we’ve got something for you. The proposed ban on sales of disposable plastic water bottles in the Grand Canyon National Park, which had been abruptly shelved last year following alleged pressure from Coca-Cola is now moving forward and would take effect next year. One of [...]
The Not-So-Cleansing Rainfall in San Diego
While New Englanders are marveling at the rapturous beauty of the changing foliage and its subsequent leaf-raking chores, we on the West Coast are clearing out the dry, brittle brush of our desert environment ensuring that there is as much open space surrounding our buildings as we can provide.
How to Make Big Money Recycling Old Appliances
There is money to be made by recycling household appliances and electrical equipment, according to a recent report by the British organization, Waste and Resource Action Programme (WRAP). The report found that almost a quarter of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) disposed of at Household Waste Recycling Centers (HWRCs) each year by British [...]
Responsible Pet Owners Recycle: Make a New Years Resolution!
Once again the year is coming to a close. Various holiday traditions and media messaging urge us to reflect and consider what we will resolve to do better next time around. Having learned from years past, and borrowing from the mass experience of the U.S. (and possibly the world) population, I say with confidence that the list must be short and the actions simple. Long lists of lofty resolutions seem to be seldom resolved. Instead, I call to arms all dedicated pet owners to pledge to a simple change that could yield enormous impact. I speak of recycling pet food cans.
Postmaster General Talks Sustainability in Durban While Junk Mail Continues
US Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe is a busy man, working incessantly on securing the future of the Postal Service. Yet, last week he found the time to attend the COP17 climate conference in Durban, South Africa, where according to a USPS press release he “heralded the U.S. Postal Service’s sustainability successes, making the business [...]
The Walmart “Green” Effect
Why is Walmart such a polarizing force? Perhaps it is because of its sheer scale, its immense presence or the absolute need it represents to so many people in the world as an access point of food, clothing and basic living items for an affordable price.
Yellow Pages: Will the Madness Ever Stop?
This post gets easier to write every year. As I’ve reported many times in the past, a truckload of yellow pages has been dropped off at my apartment building. This year, there seems to be a new technique – actually putting the individual bags at each apartment’s door instead of just dumping them in the foyer. [...]
Patagonia’s Black Friday Message: Don’t Buy This Jacket
Last Friday, retailers tried to convince you to shop as much as you can, opening their stores as early as Thursday at midnight and offering large discounts. Only one retailer seemed to be in a non-party mood. On that same day, Patagonia, the outdoor apparel clothing company, advertised a full-page ad on the New York [...]
The Windy City Challenge – A Case for Managed Competition
Chicago examines options for its recycling program By: Brent Tarnow The City of Chicago, despite its long history of dreadful recycling services, has recently instituted a “managed competition” between two private operators and its own Department of Streets and Sanitation to determine who should win the city’s recycling contract. Mayor Rahm Emanuel designed a six-month [...]
Charlotte to Install First Airport Worm Composting System
While it seems logical that many restaurants have already begun to reap the benefits of installing onsite worm composting operations, airports may not be the first place people would think of to have such systems in place. The Charlotte Douglas International Airport will change that fact when they open a $1.1 million recycling center in [...]
RFID Technology Offers Sustainability Opportunities in Korea and Beyond
A visit by Leon Kaye to a RFID trade show in Korea gave a lesson on how RFID can play a role in reducing waste and encouraging more sustainable business practices.
Current Engagements
Where We’re Going
Have your event listed here.
Webinar: Feb 17Greening Stonyfield Farm: As a consultant with Stonyfield Farm for the past 12 years, Switzer Fellow Tim Greiner will discuss efforts to broaden and deepen sustainability within the company. He will discuss the company's efforts to track its environmental impacts, barriers the company had to overcome.
Webinar: Feb 29Product Scorecards for Sustainability: Product scorecards that detail and evaluate environmental and sustainability aspects of products are increasingly adopted by leading companies. This webinar covers the best practices in this area and a case study by Seventh Generation.
NY: Mar 19-20Wall Street Green: The longest running and most comprehensive environmental market event in the industry. The Wall Street Green Summit covers cutting edge content, industry developments and features the practitioners and the leaders of tomorrow.
Bay Area: Mar 22-23GRI Certified Training: Demand for sustainability experts is growing rapidly as companies look for proven professionals. For companies, GRI trained employees mean faster implementations and better use of the GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework. Join our partner ISOS group for this two day session. Early bird discounts apply!
SF: Mar 26-28Cleantech Forum San Francisco: The 2012 Cleantech Forum San Francisco will mark the 10th anniversary of Cleantech Forums, the annual gathering of the global clean technology innovation community. Our theme this year is “The Power of Global Partnerships,” an exploration of how strategic relationships are playing an ever more important role in the future of clean technology. For a $300 Discount use code "VIPofTriplePundit " More Info.
SF: April 10-12 Navigating the American Carbon World: The must-attend event for professionals in the carbon landscape. Over the past decade, NACW has consistently provided informative content, thoughtful discussions and outstanding opportunities for collaboration.
Have your event listed here.
Webinar: Feb 17Greening Stonyfield Farm: As a consultant with Stonyfield Farm for the past 12 years, Switzer Fellow Tim Greiner will discuss efforts to broaden and deepen sustainability within the company. He will discuss the company's efforts to track its environmental impacts, barriers the company had to overcome.Webinar: Feb 29Product Scorecards for Sustainability: Product scorecards that detail and evaluate environmental and sustainability aspects of products are increasingly adopted by leading companies. This webinar covers the best practices in this area and a case study by Seventh Generation.NY: Mar 19-20Wall Street Green: The longest running and most comprehensive environmental market event in the industry. The Wall Street Green Summit covers cutting edge content, industry developments and features the practitioners and the leaders of tomorrow.Bay Area: Mar 22-23GRI Certified Training: Demand for sustainability experts is growing rapidly as companies look for proven professionals. For companies, GRI trained employees mean faster implementations and better use of the GRI Sustainability Reporting Framework. Join our partner ISOS group for this two day session. Early bird discounts apply!SF: Mar 26-28Cleantech Forum San Francisco: The 2012 Cleantech Forum San Francisco will mark the 10th anniversary of Cleantech Forums, the annual gathering of the global clean technology innovation community. Our theme this year is “The Power of Global Partnerships,” an exploration of how strategic relationships are playing an ever more important role in the future of clean technology. For a $300 Discount use code "VIPofTriplePundit " More Info.SF: April 10-12 Navigating the American Carbon World: The must-attend event for professionals in the carbon landscape. Over the past decade, NACW has consistently provided informative content, thoughtful discussions and outstanding opportunities for collaboration.Have your event listed here.
Partners
Recent Comments