The materials we use in our society are valuable. Yet in the U.S., we only recover about one third of municipal solid waste annually. Packaging materials represent a large and visible part of this waste stream. How can we capture the value of those materials instead of throwing them away after a single use? Packaging Digest
I love well-designed space, which for me marries form and function and is simple, elegant, and pleasing to the eye. I have been following the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company for several years and specifically like owner Jay Shafer’s series of small homes built on utility trailers. They are beautifully crafted and every inch well used. My favorite—the Fencl—is the largest at 130 square feet of living space plus a sleeping loft with a bit of storage and room for a queen size mattress.
Tumbleweed is based in California; they hold open houses from time to time but until recently none close to Charlottesville, VA. So, when I read about an open house featuring the Fencl within semi-reasonable driving distance (20 hours round-trip in two days), I literally jumped into my car and went. My destination: a small town in the foothills of the Adirondacks, Woodgate, New York, where Bill Rockhill of Bear Creek Carpentry was exhibiting the Fencl he built with the intent to sell to a Tumbleweed Tiny home lover.
I attempted to rope others into this trip but was successful in convincing only one: my dog (and really all I had to do was open the car door and say, “let’s go”). We arrived in Woodgate around 1:30 pm, just a half hour after the after the start of the open house, and there were already 20 or so people milling about. I have been imagining what it would be like to live in an 8×19 space—going as far as taping off the dimensions on my living room floor—but nothing compares to the actual experience.
The inside of the Fencl was open and airy and very cozy. The heat was provided by a small Dickinson propane heater (it looks like a small gas fireplace and typically used on boats and RVs). After touring the home, I had only one concern: could my cat and dog exist in the space peacefully?
The cost to build the Fencl yourself is just $23,000, or less if you take advantage of used or recycled materials. I really like the idea of purchasing materials as I can afford them and then building my home along this timeline. Another great feature: you can configure your home to tie into local utilities or adapt it to living off the grid. A home on wheels also appeals to the nomad in me. In my nomadic dream, I envision little plots of land across the US with drive up porches.
More information:
Tumbleweed website
Blog post about the Fencl Open House with photo tour
I recently returned from a week-long trip aboard the MSC Poescia, as staff for the music festival Jam Cruise, managed by Cloud 9 Adventures. This was my fourth year on the boat, where my duties include administration of the “Conscious Cruiser” program and Volunteer Management under the nonprofit arm of Cloud 9, called Positive Legacy.
While clearly cruise ships are far from being ecologically beneficial, I continue to be impressed by what Positive Legacy has been able to accomplish in both the social responsibility and environmental awareness arenas. Despite restrictive regulations, the team was able to bring back PLA cups for composting, as well as recycling glass, plastic, aluminum, and for the first time, corrugated cardboard in the Ft. Lauderdale area. The rest of the waste goes to Broward County’s Waste-to-Energy plant (with the exception of food waste, which is discarded at sea).
Social impacts at ports is another issue altogether, and the Positive Legacy team focuses many of its resources on the needs of local populations. All of Cloud 9’s events include some type of social outreach, meaningful carbon offsetting for both the ship and its patrons, and needed donations. In Haiti, the team worked with a local organization and cruise patrons in an interesting intersection between packaging and local issues: 10,000 orange seeds were planted in plastic bottles that were fished out of local waterways. There was great enthusiasm for this endeavor, as one can see in the pictures.
That reminded me of a friend’s picture from Guatemala, where building walls are constructed using plastic bottles filled with other discarded packaging (see picture). There has also been an interesting set of videos circulating, where plastic bottles were used in areas with limited electricity to bring light into homes. The author refers to the interesting term “instinctive design,” which, she notes, is not always the best solution but often the most realistic.
I am torn with these uses and the implications. On the one hand, cruise ships will continue to exist and not all bottles get recycled, so why not continue to seek out ingenious ways to give back and help local resources? On the other hand, clearly cruise ships need to make improvements in many areas, including wastewater treatment, and recycling infrastructures are sorely needed in the types of communities cruise ships visit. The work of Positive Legacy and many organizations like it should not be seen as the perfect solution, but a step in the right direction towards a more sustainable global future.
It is imperative that we draw upon the ingenuity of these local, instinctive designers to help eliminate wasteful practices and litter towards developing sustainable materials management solutions.
We are pleased to announce that we have opened up membership for our Forest Products Working Group and we are seeking leadership companies to join this important effort.
The Forest Products Working Group brings together leading companies that rely on paper, wood, and other forest products to share their knowledge and develop new solutions for making their businesses more sustainable.
The group, following the successful blueprint of GreenBlue’s industry-leading Sustainable Packaging Coalition, launched in October 2011 with eight founding members of notable and diverse companies from across different industry sectors. The founding members are: Avery Dennison Corporation, Avon Products, Inc., Bank of America, Catalyst Paper, Domtar, HAVI Global Solutions, Sappi Fine Paper North America, and Staples.
We believe the Forest Products Working Group takes a unique approach to corporate sustainability by bringing together stakeholders to tackle unmet challenges in the forest products sector. Our members pool their resources and bring innovative thinking to identify solutions that work for business, people, and the forest.
After a founders meeting in December, the group announced its inaugural project will be to design a set of clear, science-based guidelines to inform decision-making for paper design, procurement, use, and recovery. Additional areas of potential future work include increasing the quantity and quality of recovered fiber, alternative fibers, and increasing the availability of fiber sourced from sustainably managed forests.
Any company that relies on forest products to meet business objectives—including paper suppliers, consumer product goods companies, retailers, publishing companies, and building product manufacturers—is invited to join the group.
For information on membership eligibility and benefits, and to apply for membership online, please visit the Forest Products Working Group page of our website.
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Sustainable Sounds: A Music Mix Part 2
Back in September I posted the first installment of a mix called “Sustainable Sounds”. I really enjoyed putting together the last one and promised a follow-up as there were just too many songs to fit in one post.
Volume 1 was more literal (and rock / pop) while this second part is more of a mood mix made for relaxing. Whatever your favorite way to, this might add some extra chill vibe.
I secretly love it when Yoga teachers at the gym put on music during class, even though most of the time it’s super cheesy! So this is my kind of Yoga mix. I went through a big Bollywood phase years ago which ignited an interest in what I would broadly call Hindi and Indian Pop, so you’ll hear some of those sounds on here. This mix also leans heavily towards 90s downtempo perhaps because of the zeitgeist. I hope you enjoy the soothing sounds.
Download the mix or click below to play
[audio:http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/01 Raga Bairagi Todi_ Jod Jhala.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/02 Adrift In Kerala.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/03 Fuse Box.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/04 Raanijhan.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/05 Devadasi (Mantra Mix).mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/06 Feel.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/07 Slow Devotion.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/08 Satyam Shivam Sundaram.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/09 Raga Bairagi.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/10 Agar Tum Mil Jao (Taken from the film Zeher).mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/11 The Way You Dream.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/12 Hold Me Im Falling.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/13 The Mummers Dance.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/14 God Moving Over the Face of the Waters.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/15 The Sun Rising.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/16 Little Fluffy Clouds.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/17 Loft in Paradise.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/18 Moments in Love.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/19 Oxygene Pt. 4.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/20 Polynomial C.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/21 Papua New Guinea.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/22 Coastal Brake.mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/23 Je taime moi non plus (Dzihan & Kamien Remix).mp3,http://gb.assets.s3.amazonaws.com/music/sus-sounds-2/24 Night Sight.mp3|titles=Raga Bairagi Todi_ Jod Jhala, Adrift In Kerala, Fuse Box, Raanijhan, Devadasi (Mantra Mix), Feel, Slow Devotion, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Raga Bairagi, Agar Tum Mil Jao (Taken from the film Zeher), The Way You Dream, Hold Me I’m Falling, The Mummers’ Dance, God Moving Over the Face of the Waters, The Sun Rising, Little Fluffy Clouds, Loft in Paradise, Moments in Love, Oxygene Pt. 4, Polynomial C, Papua New Guinea, Coastal Brake, Je t’aime moi non plus (Dzihan & Kamien Remix), Night Sight|artists=Ravi Shankar, Bob Holroyd, Kid Alex, Midival Punditz, Makyo, Bombay Dub Orchestra (Thievery Corporation Remix), Govinda, Thievery Corporation, Charanjit Singh, Shreya Ghoshal, 1 Giant Leap featuring Michael Stipe & Asha Bhosle, The Unknown, Loreena McKennitt, Moby, The Beloved, The Orb, Danny Tenaglia, Art Of Noise, Jean Michel Jarre, Aphex Twin, The Future Sound of London, Tycho, Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin, Air]
Tracks
Raga Bairagi Todi: Jod, Jhala – Ravi Shankar
Adrift in Kerala – Bob Holroyd
Fuse Box – Kid Alex
Raanijhan – Midival Punditz
Devadasi (Mantra Mix) – Makyo
Feel – Bombay Dub Orchestra
Slow Devotion – Govinda
Satyam Shivam Sundaram – Thievery Corporation
Raga Bairagi – Charanjit Singh
Agar Tum Mil Jao (Taken from the film Zeher) – Shreya Ghoshal and others
The Way You Dream – 1 Giant Leap Featuring Michael Stipe & Asha Bhosle
Hold Me, I’m Falling – The Unknown
The Mummer’s Dance – Loreena McKennitt
God Moving Over the Face of the Waters – Moby
The Sun Rising – The Beloved
Little Fluffy Clouds – The Orb
Loft in Paradise – Danny Tenaglia
Moments in Love – Art of Noise
Oxygene, Pt. 4 – Jean Michel Jarre
Polynomial C – Aphex Twin
Papua New Guinea – The Future Sound of London
Coastal Break – Tycho
Je t’aime moi non plus (Dzihan & Kamien Remix) – Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin
Night Sight – Air
Categories
Full Disclosure
In his State of the Union on Tuesday, President Obama called for new incentives to encourage innovation: “After all, innovation is what America has always been about.” Investing in new forms of energy production is the key, he declared, because “nowhere is the promise of innovation greater than in American-made energy.” Natural gas, for example, represents a hundred-year supply of fuel and the potential to create 600,000 new jobs by the end of the decade. Yet, processing and production can be risky, so the Obama Administration will require that all companies drilling for gas on public lands disclose the chemicals used in the process. “America will develop this resource without putting the health and safety of our citizens at risk.”
The new policy is an inspired move, both environmentally and economically, and encouraging more transparency is an appropriate role for government to protect public health and safety. But why limit the policy to natural gas? There is an urgent need to ensure that industrial manufacturing and production don’t harm workers or the communities where they occur, but there’s an equally urgent need to protect health and safety closer to home.
As Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie point out in the irresistibly titled, Slow Death by Rubber Duck: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things, factories and processing plants don’t necessarily represent the biggest threats: “Pollution is no longer just about belching smokestacks and ugly sewer pipes—now, it’s personal. The most dangerous pollution, it turns out, comes from commonplace items in our homes and workplaces.” The everyday products that fill our lives—from toys to TVs to T-shirts—often contain or create harmful substances, and in many cases consumers aren’t aware of this, because the products don’t disclose what they contain.
Greater innovation and transparency are imperative to every form of production. Why shouldn’t all products made or sold in America fully disclose the chemicals they contain?
Check out last night’s clip from our local station NBC29 on the pilot of our How2Recycle label. Senior Project Manager Anne Bedarf was able to show off the label on packages in stores now. We’ve recently had more companies sign on for the effort so stay tuned for more developments!
An excellent documentary film from last summer, Page One: Inside the New York Times, covers topics ranging from the Tribune Company bankruptcy, WikiLeaks, online news business models, and many current subjects impacting the Times and the news industry in general. There are many interesting elements of the film, (including any part with David Carr, the Times media columnist), but what I thought was particularly interesting was when the filmmakers asked the Times journalists and editors where they thought the newspaper industry and credible journalism was headed. In a nutshell, “Where will we get our news and will it be credible?” And though these are extremely well informed people at the Times, there really wasn’t one consistent answer amongst them and most admitted that they simply did not know.
Another interesting question that comes out of the film is related to an unknown future for print media. Industries that rely on print, such as the newspaper industry, are facing decreased demand as readers move online. Therefore, so is the demand for paper in these industry sectors. This does not mean, however, that pressure on the forest will decrease. In fact, there are important questions we are confronted with as a result, such as, “How will transforming industries affect the world’s forests?” and “How do we incorporate intelligent, science-based, sustainability solutions to protect and ensure healthy forests worldwide?”
For example, will a tree farm in South Carolina that supplied wood fiber for newspapers be untouched and standing in a future without demand for its fiber for newspapers? Or, will this forested area be used for another wood product? Cleared for a shopping mall? Maybe used for bio-based energy? Forests face new pressures as the world population increases and their demands for forest-based resources evolve as well. Finding solutions led by principles of sustainability that are relevant to a changing marketplace and a world with more demands on the earth’s forests must play a role.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwTMFXgf95c
For those that are interested, here’s a description of Page One: Inside the New York Times:
Page One: Inside the New York Times deftly gains unprecedented access to The New York Times newsroom and the inner workings of the Media Desk. With the Internet surpassing print as the main news source and newspapers all over the country going bankrupt, PAGE ONE chronicles the transformation of the media industry at its time of greatest turmoil. It gives us an up-close look at the vibrant cross-cubicle debates and collaborations, tenacious jockeying for on-the-record quotes, and skillful page-one pitching that produce the “daily miracle” of a great news organization. What emerges is a nuanced portrait of journalists continuing to produce extraordinary work under increasingly difficult circumstances.
At the heart of the film is the burning question on the minds of everyone who cares about a rigorous American press, Times lover or not: what will happen if the fast-moving future of media leaves behind the fact-based, original reporting that helps to define our society?
Categories
GreenBlue's Better Business Challenge
In October I was asked to participate with a team of GreenBlue staff in the Charlottesville Area Better Business Challenge, a friendly competition among local businesses to incorporate sustainable practices into their day-to-day operations. This would become one of my first tasks after officially joining GreenBlue as the Office Manager. I did not have a background in sustainable issues and it has been a very educational undertaking.
The Better Business Challenge has all participating businesses start with a scorecard to take stock in six key areas: Energy, Transportation, Waste Reduction, Water, Purchasing, and Leadership. The initial responses serve as the baseline for your business: each improvement gives you 1-2 points, you gain certification with 40 points on the scorecard, and businesses work toward a goal of up to 150 points.
With the initial scorecard completed I found that we are already a pretty sustainable business but we continue to look for areas that we can improve upon. We research and order products that use recycled materials and make efforts to recycle as much of our office materials as possible. We’ve recently installed cans in our kitchen and bathrooms to collect paper towels (non-bleached, recycled materials, of course) and other materials for composting. I was surprised at the amount of stuff that can be composted and I’m sure my garden will appreciate it next summer. Prior to starting with GreenBlue I was unaware that some of the carryout food containers are now made of sugarcane and can be totally composted. We even collect food waste that is fed to a staffer’s chickens.
My learning experience continues daily as I research programmable thermostats, plumbing issues, energy-efficient light bulbs, and compostable materials. I’m sure our efforts will make GreenBlue even more sustainable and in turn we will continue to help others in their efforts. I’ll have more to report on as we complete our goals in June.
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Top Five Fun Facts: January
Eric DesRoberts continues his monthly series of facts and tidbits he’s uncovered during his research to better understand products and packaging. You can also check out his past Fun Facts here.
1. In 2011, Call2Recycle collected more than 7.6 million pounds of rechargeable batteries from small electronics, tools, and mobile devices. This figure includes nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, and small sealed lead acid batteries under 11 lbs. This equates to nearly 122 million AA batteries… that’s a lot of channel surfing.
2. Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds are pollutants that have been shown to negatively impact wildlife and humans. According to the FDA, over 95% of dioxin exposure comes from the consumption of animal fats.
3. Over 1,500 US power plants reported 2,324 MMT CO2E emissions in 2010. This information is mapped and compared to emissions from refineries, metals, minerals, and pulp and paper sectors in an interactive info graphic produced by the EPA.
4. Fryer oil is currently selling at $0.40/pound and is often purchased from restaurants to be processed into biofuels or animal feed. As it turns out, $0.40 is the price that makes used grease appealing to thieves and causing problems for local authorities. Without political support for corn-based ethanol, what should we expect for the future of biofuels?
5. According to a recent report from the National Research Council, roughly 12 billion gallons of municipal wastewater effluent is released into an ocean or estuary daily. The report emphasizes municipal wastewater reuse, and recognizes the potential to increase water availability.
