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Interesting read: 5 ways to green your packaging

Web Freeman — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:36:32 +0000

Five Ways Companies Can Green their Packaging

When it comes to promoting themselves as sustainable, many companies find green packaging an excellent way to cut costs and boost their image.

Asen Strategic Advertising & Marketing understands the importance of maintaining a company’s image through packaging and has provided five tactics that can transform packaging from the same old bag or box into something a little … greener:

1. Purchase packaging material from local manufacturers. Buying packaging products from local vendors can be beneficial for the environment, the consumer and the business. Materials purchased from local sources don’t travel as far, helping to reduce fuel consumption and the emissions produced by shipping. Also, products using local components appeal to those consumers who seek out goods that come from their own region.

2. Try bioplastics. Plastic is one of the most popular packaging substances. The problem with plastic is that the majority of it is derived from nonrenewable sources, such as petroleum and natural gas. However, there are some plastics, bioplastics, that are made from renewable resources, like plants. Bioplastics are often biodegradable and typically release fewer toxins when decomposing, as compared to their synthetic counterparts.

3. Use recycled materials. Glass, aluminum, paper, steel and some plastics are easily recyclable and often without a loss of quality in the product. Using recycled materials in packaging is a good way of making a package green. In fact, some materials, such as glass, steel and aluminum, are capable of indefinite recycling. Encouraging consumers to re-recycle the package is a good way to keep a reusable material out of the landfill. It’s also great for your brand’s image.

4. Implement a packaging reduction program. Smaller packages or packaging with compact elements means the manufacturer can fit a greater number on a pallet during shipping. If fewer pallets are needed to complete an order, that means fewer trips for polluting trucks and barges, which in turn, means fewer harmful emissions are sent into the air. The same principal applies to reducing weight. A truck will use less fuel, and produce less pollution, if its load is lighter.

5. Give green. If you can’t improve the sustainability of your current packaging, donating a portion of your sales to a green non-profit agency is an excellent way to improve your company’s image. Most companies choose to not disclose the amount of per-sale profit they donate, so this option can be inexpensive.

http://eponline.com/articles/2010/05/17/five-ways-companies-can-green-their-packaging.aspx

Earth Day Celebration and Free Day @ Discovery Center

Web Freeman — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 13:28:01 +0000

4/17 – 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Activities, educational displays

Contact: Laurie Duncan – 862-9910

Springfield’s freshest focus on recycling

Web Freeman — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:00:33 +0000

The City of Springfield is releasing an updating Guide to Recycling on its recycling portal. If you’re looking for a recycling center, wondering what Springfield includes in its recycling program, or how to recycle household chemicals, the recycling guide has the information for you. Look for frequent updates on this fast and easy way to go green and give the environment a break.

For more information:
Barbara Lucks
E-Mail: blucks@springfieldmo.gov
Web: www.springfieldmo.gov/recycling

LEED Certification Study Sessions begin this week!

Web Freeman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:44:10 +0000

USGBC-Missouri Heartland kicks off its LEED v3 Study Sessions with Wednesday’s (November 11) Intro to LEED from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Drury University’s Trustee Science Center.

Following study sessions include sustainable sites, water efficiency, innovation in design, and more. The price per study session is $10 (includes presentation slides and food) and the LEED study guide is $40. USGBC-Missouri Heartland is offering a pre-paid package of 5 sessions and the study guide for $70. For more information or to RSVP please contact: MCox@emsi-green.com.

Fresh & Green Fridays: Heat Wave edition

Web Freeman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:08:13 +0000

Planet Green asks, how eco-gullible are you? Test your knowledge of “hit or myth” reports with their “12 Eco Myths just begging to be debunked.”

There’s a giant rift growing in Africa that scientists say may form a new ocean…eventually. Pertinent? Not necessarily. Fascinating? Yes.

By far, some of the most shocking evidence of the effects of pollution on the environment: the muck of the North Pacific Gyre is leaving a brightly-colored trail of dead albatross on islands in the North Pacific. Photographer Chris Jordan documents these startling skeletons as a recycling call-to-arms.

Why purchase carbon offsets if you can grow your own? That’s just what Toyota is doing at its Prius plant in Japan. The company has created two new species of flower that help offset the carbon footprint of the popular hybrid vehicles. Toyota reports lowering the plant’s CO2 emissions by more than 50% since 1990.

This one is fresh and green for sure. Grocery chain Kroger is adding “traceability technology” to its fresh greens as part of its “Quality You Can Trace” program. Kroger says it’s adding food origin information to help consumers know more about the food they purchase for their families.

Because we’re always hungry on Fridays (have you noticed?) here’s this week’s seasonal dish: oven-roasted garlic. It may sound strange, but it’s a delicious side to pumpkin soup or a juicy steak.

Home Energy Tax Credits: It’s Not Too Late!

Web Freeman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:02:58 +0000

Thinking of remodeling your home or upgrading your heating and cooling equipment? You may be eligible for a federal tax credit to help reduce the cost! Homeowners can receive a tax credit for making energy-efficient home improvements or for installing high efficiency heating and cooling systems. The incentives are equal to 30% of the materials and installation on your projects, up to $1,500.

A variety of energy efficient products and projects are eligible for this tax credits, but time is running out to take this offer. Projects completed in 2009 can be put on your 2009 taxes, and 2010 projects can be completed between January 1 and December 31, 2010. For more information, visit City Utilities’ guide to the tax credits.

Resources:

Internal Revenue Bulletin 2009-25 Nonbusiness Energy Property

ENERGY STAR® Web site

Google’s Powermaster: How can it change your day?

Web Freeman — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:00:17 +0000

Do you Google? Of course you do. No matter what Google service you use, Google is introducing its most efficient program: Google PowerMeter.

Google’s new PowerMeter is a free electricity usage monitoring tool that provides users with a constantly updating look at your home energy consumption. Information from utility smart readers and home energy management devices is transformed by Google into an easy-to-read visualization on your Google homepage. The best part? Google PowerMeter is free.

Many consumers report that being able to see electricity usage in real time, throughout the day, makes it easier to reduce energy and save money. Energy feedback requires a “smart meter” or a consumer’s own electricity management device. The challenge with devices currently available is that today’s smart meters don’t display information to the consumer. Google believes that consumers will more effectively manage the energy consumption and their homes when they have access to their personal electricity data and can choose how to manage it.

“We’re working with federal and state governments to ensure our energy policies encourage consumer information,” Google.org’s report says. “We hope that consumers will soon be empowered with an entire ecosystem of energy information products and services.”

Google PowerMeter is being produced by Google.org, the California-based company’s philanthropic arm.

Continuing Path to Sustainability: Conference & Exhibition

Web Freeman — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:27:19 +0000

Join Missouri State University as they strive for “green” excellence at the 2009 conference “Continuing Path to Sustainability”. This conference and exhibition of local initiatives aims to get the MSU campus and the Springfield community thinking of ways to integrate sustainable actions in everyday life.

The conference includes a day-long exhibition featuring sustainability initiatives, faculty research, student projects and community groups. Events include presentations by faculty, student theater groups, architects and designers, and more.

Sustainability is more than a buzzword or a trend. Join MSU throughout the day to find a way you can get involved in sustaining the earth–it’s a long term goal that benefits everyone.

Contact:

Dr. Tammy Jahnke (417) 836-5249

www.missouristate.edu

Fresh & Green Fridays (Fall Foliage Edition)

Web Freeman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:55:52 +0000

Want to be the next “No Impact Man”? Check out the Huffington Post’s “No Impact Experiment” week starting October 18. Ditch the carbon without cutting out the creature comforts.

This week’s Green Gadget? The 6-in-1 Solar Robot kit. A great, green DIY toy for the science-minded kid…or the science-minded parent.

You knew it was bad, but did you know it was this bad? Take a look at the environmental impact of junk mail, by the numbers.

Sustainability-minded students and parents should check out the final leaderboard for America’s Greenest Campus. (Warning: Fro-Yo isn’t exactly locavore.)

Maybe it’s the weather, but this butternut squash soup looks delicious. We welcome any chefs who need testers.

…And now we’re hungry. Are you? Here’s Planet Green’s list of 7 Ways to Experience Seasonal Food in your area.

Green? No. Strangely fascinating? Of course. The Today Show’s Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford drive Neiman-Marcus’ new $25,000 cupcake cars.

Your green gadget how-to

Web Freeman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 04:23:18 +0000

From The Planet Green blog this week, three top tips for going green with your electronic choices:

Buy Used: Don’t stop at used. Think: recycled, refurbished, and free. The idea here is to lessen your impact by opting out of the vicious consume-dispose-consume cycle.

Avoid the Vampires: Also known as phantom load, idle current, and wall wart, vampire power describes the extra energy that is sucked from the grid by electronics not in use (or even turned out). Simply by being plugged in, a lot of your gadgets are sinking their teeth into your carbon footprint.

Use it Before You Lose it: When was it decided that it was our birthright to upgrade gadgets long before they’ve outlived their usefulness? Replacing your gear just because of a clever TV commercial is not only a scam, it’s also a blight on the planet. Go ahead: wear that laptop into the ground. That’s the green way.