Month: May 2016

Categories
GreenBlue

Welcome Introduction: Caroline Cox

Caroline Cox circle copyThis spring, Caroline Cox joins the GreenBlue team as a project associate focused on the How2Recycle program. Caroline comes to GreenBlue from the Hampton Roads, VA area. Learn more about Caroline in the interview below.

Tell us about your background.

As a born and raised Charlottesvillian, I grew up admiring the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge that surrounded me.  Being surrounded by that natural beauty peaked my curiosity and respect for our local ecological resources.. Some of my favorite memories include hiking the Appalachian Trails with college friends, spending lazy summer days at the Blue Hole waterfalls, and tubing on the James River.
In college, I felt the need to satiate several curiosities at once, so I studied psychology and environmental studies at Christopher Newport University, in Virginia. Here, I tried my best to take advantage of many of the opportunities provided to me by being involved with the campus’ sustainability club, studying abroad, and interning on a sustainable farm. I’m currently working on my graduate degree in Natural Resources through which I will be traveling to China in October to study industrialization as it relates to both environmental threats and sustainability. I’m curious and excited to see what lays ahead and couldn’t be more thrilled to start this chapter at Greenblue!

What inspired you to work in the sustainability field?

When I was a senior in high school I signed up for an an environmental science class because I heard it was an “easy A”.  Unfortunately, it was much more difficult than I was lead to believe.  Fortunately, through this class I was able to explore new interests and foster my passion.  That class opened my eyes to the course I wanted my life to follow.  From that moment on, I decided I was going to do whatever I could to be a respectful steward of the environment.   I’ve committed myself to a career that aims to promote sustainability and resilience within our communities and environment. We live in one insanely beautiful and complex planet and I try to tread as lightly as possible.

What is the one thing you would like people to know that you do in your personal life to further sustainability?

I choose to not eat meat because of its frightening carbon footprint.  By being a vegetarian I am not contributing to the industry that produces more greenhouse gasses than all of the cars, planes, trains, and boats combined (!). I also take a plastic bag to pick up trash while I walk my dogs. One thing an education in the environmental field has taught me is that little behavior patterns can have a significant impact!

Favorite outdoor activity

Retreating back to childhood by climbing trees.  Also, running through a grassy field with a trail of pigs stampeding behind you is an incredibly therapeutic experience.

Happiness is….

Within you.  One of my favorite quotes is “live less out of habit and more out of intent.”  It’s easy to aimlessly search for external stimuli that we expect to fulfill us, but that will never truly bring us happiness. By being patient, honest, humble, forgiving, and appreciative happiness is sure to follow. It’s something I’m challenged with constantly, but I believe it’s possible.
 

Categories
How2Recycle

Why labels are changing the way America does business, and how How2Recycle can help

Reach into the pantry and grab a cereal box. Now flip it over and look on the back, notice anything different?  You will soon. Hold on tight, because the you will soon see a change in the product and package labeling that will be hard to ignore.

In March 2014, the FDA proposed a systematic change in the way nutrient measurements are broken down on the nutrition facts label on consumable food items, and thus how the consumer interprets the healthful value of the product. Proposed changes include disclosing the amount of added sugars, percentage of daily value (%DV) of total sugars, adjustments in serving size, and enlarging the font size of the caloric content.

The FDA’s push to adjust the nutrition fact label on packaged food items has been a two year process, and it finally looks like it is going to happen. The proposal is in its final stage of being approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget. If it passes, this will the first change to the label since its inauguration in 1994.

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Label adjustments aren’t stopping there. On July 1, 2016 Vermont’s mandate on the identification of GMO ingredients in food products goes into effect. This little state is creating large waves as national corporations are beginning to identify which products contain GMOs. Manufacturers and distributors cannot logically or feasibly change their labels for just one state, so large and influential companies like General Mills publicly announced they would be making the transition so the warning label reaches all states.
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These changes in the labeling system will lead to increased transparency between the manufacturer and the consumer, which will ultimately lead to increased awareness of what he or she is consuming. This means the consumer will be able to make a much more educated decision in their purchasing and eating habits. This is exciting because it puts more power back in the choices of the people.
Importantly, these changes have significant and exciting implications for every part of the supply chain. These label changes will require packaging to be refreshed, in order to redesign or reorganize the layout to accommodate this new information.
For this reason, now is a wonderful opportunity for companies in the food and beverage industry to join the How2Recycle program! The How2Recycle label can be easily added to packaging while these nutrition panel and GMO label changes are taking place. The How2Recycle label is another opportunity to reach consumers in a new, transparent, and beneficial way. With the help of the How2Recycle label, consumers will know exactly how to properly dispose of the packaging once it is used.
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These changes are a positive development because consumers appreciate transparency and dislike feeling as though they are left in the dark. A 2014 study found that consumers were consistently more willing to purchase a product if they were told the full story. According to Bhavya Mohan, a Harvard PhD candidate in marketing, “When firms communicate the effort that went into making a good, consumers tend to value the product more.” Communicating accurate recycling instructions to your consumers is another way to build value for your brand, in addition to communicating nutrition information.
The way America does business is changing. Consumers seemingly are developing a greater concern for what they are putting into their bodies and more regard for their lasting mark on the environment. New communication avenues between the manufacturer, distributor, and the consumer, such as How2Recycle, can allow the different stages of the supply chain to generate a market based on trust and increase the likelihood of healthy behaviors that benefit our bodies, our economy, and our environment.
 

Categories
Eliminate Toxicity GreenBlue

Welcome Introduction: Elizabeth Ritch

Elizabeth Ritch circleThis spring, Elizabeth Ritch  joins the GreenBlue team as a project associate focused on the CleanGredients program. Elizabeth comes to GreenBlue from Ramboll Environ. Learn more about Elizabeth in the interview below.

Tell us about your background.

Growing up in southern California, I was surrounded by the contrast between beautiful natural areas and suburbia, which inspired my interest in environmental issues.  I first moved to Charlottesville for college, where I studied the intersections between sustainability, science, and society, and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010 with a BA in Environmental Thought and Practice and Physics.

After graduating, I worked for five years as an environmental consultant with a primary focus on evaluating environmental issues in the context of mergers and acquisitions.  This gave me a great opportunity to learn about how industrial stakeholders think about environmental risks, compliance, and sustainability.  I am excited to be back in Charlottesville to put that experience to use in the CleanGredients program!

What inspired you to work in the sustainability field?

As modern Americans, we are some of the most privileged people in the history of the planet.  I believe we have an obligation to use our position to ensure that future generations can live as well as or better than we do today, without irreparably damaging the world that sustains us.

What is the one thing you would like people to know that you do in your personal life to further sustainability?

I chose to live near the GreenBlue office in downtown Charlottesville, so I am able to walk to work and leave my car in the garage.

Favorite outdoor activity

Hiking, canoeing, or kayaking!

Happiness is….

Being outside on a beautiful summer day!

Categories
Uncategorized

Compostable packaging label system coming soon

While consumer interest in composting is on the rise, composting is still relatively new to Americans.
Contamination is currently one of the most vexing problems with collection, causing what looks like a trend in compostable foodservice-ware refusal by composters. Composting was a hot topic at SustPack 2016. During the conference, composting was identified as one of the biggest up-and-coming areas of sustainability that brands and manufacturers were interested in exploring.
GreenBlue’s Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC) is excited to begin work in this area and to make composting packaging easier for consumers. Our new How2Compost Label is an extension of the highly successful How2Recycle program and the BPI composting certification program. It is an on-package label that lets the public know that their packaging is certified compostable. The label will include the BPI logo, specific qualification language and instructions regarding industrial composting, and will include helpful a helpful website address for further information. Where appropriate, it also includes a statement that the packaging is “not yet recyclable.”
One of the main goals of How2Compost is to help educate those needing to source-separate food scraps and compostable packaging, to help combat this trend. The second goal of How2Compost is to elevate the use and understanding of the BPI logo that denotes certified compostable packaging.
Supporters of the How2Compost Label include Natureworks, Innovia Films, Eco-Products, Tipa, among others.  Companies can become members of How2Compost only, or be members of both How2Recycle and How2Compost. In addition to growing awareness and clarifying which packages are compostable, one additional benefit on How2Compost is its integration with How2Recycle.
For example:

  • In many cases, a compostable package is Not Yet Recyclable, and the label will include that qualifier.
  • In other cases particularly with fiber-based packaging, a package isn’t recyclable if it’s too food-soiled, in which case composting is a better option. A version of the label will address this using the helpful message tab.
  • Some compostable packages come in a recyclable bag or box, and using How2Compost with How2Recycle will make it clear what to do with each component.

How2Compost coming soon
In the March Packaging Digest article “Compostable’ packaging claim doesn’t wow most brand owners the writer  said: “Perhaps the backyard versus commercial compost environment plus the lack of infrastructure for compostable collections on top of the education lag for consumers is relegating compostable packaging to niche markets such as foodservice where food contamination becomes a moot point.”
All of the assertions above are true, which makes it even more imperative that harmonization of labeling, coupled with thoughtful education and outreach, happen before infrastructure becomes widespread. Indeed, we have an opportunity to prevent many of the problems within the current recycling structure from a more collaborative approach.
Composting itself is a unique end-of-use option for packaging because of its multitude of benefits and connection to sustainable agriculture:

  • Compost is a valuable product that enriches soil health, including drainage and aeration.
  • Food scraps breaking down in a landfill cause methane release, contributing to climate change; composting offsets this outcome.
  • Waste diversion extends the life of landfills and avoids long-term disposal costs.

GreenBlue has also formed a working group, the Composting Collaborative, to synergize current efforts as they relate composting as part of food waste reduction, landfill diversion, and soil health.
You will find more information about the How2Recycle Label and related efforts on the how2compost.info website in the coming months. Please contact Anne Bedarf at anne.bedarf@greenblue.org for more information or to get involved.