plastic shopping bags

Plastic Shopping Bags:  Is there an Obvious Solution to Reducing their Use?

WHY DO SO MANY CASHIERS GET MAD WHEN YOU ASK FOR NO BAG?

BY RIDER THOMPSON

This has been an interesting week for the plastic shopping bag. As we reported the other day San Francisco has passed one hurdle in banning all petroleum based plastic shopping bags.  Earlier this month IKEA started charging extra for plastic bags in all its US stores. On Tuesday I was reading a posting over on NYCO on the Wegmans supermarket chain making an effort to get consumers to buy their reusable bag for $.99.   

Grand Rapids Art Museum

Michigan Museum to Become First LEED Certified Art Museum in the World

image © Grand Rapids Art Museum

Yesterday's New York Times ran an interesting piece on the Grand Rapids Art Museum which is going to become the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) art museum in the world.  Kudos to GRAM and Peter Wege who donated $20 million to the project.  The architects on the project are Workshop Hakomori Yantrasast (wHY).  The museum is scheduled to open in October.

alchemy goods

An Interview with Alchemy Goods founder Eli Reich

JUST SETTLED INTO ITS NEW HOME IN SEATTLE'S SoDo DISTRICT THE COMPANY IS POISED TO CONTINUE ITS GROWTH 

image © www.sustainableisgood.com
PHOTO:  ALCHEMY GOODS Ad Bag ($30)

BY RIDER THOMPSON

For Alchemy Goods founder Eli Reich, having to move his two and half year old business out of the bottom floor of his house to a new location is a good thing.  The 29 year old Reich recently settled into his new digs in warehouse space in Seattle’s SoDo district.  His company needs the space to continue its growth.  In a recent phone interview, he talked about his new location and how his company has grown so rapidly.  Reich described Sodo (South of Downtown) as a “charming old industrial part of town.”   The new space allows Reich & his staff of four employees much needed room to store materials and work in less cramped surroundings.   “We were on top of each other in the old space,” said Reich.

San Francisco Votes to ban plastic bag

JUST IN

San Francisco Votes to ban plastic bag

From the SF Chronicle

"San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 this afternoon to make the city the first in the nation to prohibit petroleum-based plastic checkout bags in large markets and pharmacies.

On the first of two votes needed for final passage, supervisors approved legislation sponsored by Supervisor Ross Mikarimi that would mandate the use of biodegradable plastic bags or recyclable paper bags. The legislation would take effect in about six months for some 50 large markets in San Francisco and would apply in about 12 months to large drugstore chains such as Walgreen's and Rite-Aid."

menu foods pet food recall

Pet Food recall story continues to develop exposes industry's "little secret"

image courtesy LAist

BY RIDER THOMPSON

The story on tainted pet food produced by Menu Foods Income Fund keeps developing.  Like Lloyd I am fascinated by this story, not only because I am a pet owner but because it has provided such an interesting look into the pet food industry here in North America - a look industry insiders aren't happy about.  Its amazing one company controls so much of the wet pet food production in the United States and Canada.  Make no mistake this is a serious issue with Petconnection reporting as of yesterday 1,700 decreased pets reported to its online database.  The Globe & Mail reports class action suits are forming and bills already are in the millions.  Menu Foods website indicates they will take responsibility for vet costs associated to this recall.

What most of us didn't know

A couple of key points most of us didn’t realize prior to this story developing about pet food production warrant further exploration.  The first is Menu Foods before this story broke and possibly still essentially controls the market in North America relating to canned pet food for both dogs and cats.  Menu is basically the only show in town for companies who want to contract wet pet food production if they don’t have the ability to produce it themselves. 

How many of us realized Menu was under contract to produce some of the so-called super premium brands of pet food?  I didn’t.  You can be sure they aren’t happy to have had to publish the list of the 95 brands they make on their website as a result of this recall.  Sure they had to publish the names to help deal with the recall but I can assure you the brands they contract for aren’t happy this information is out there.  Why would they be?  Now we all know the same company that makes Iams wet food also makes Ol’Roy & Special Kitty for Walmart.  Makes you wonder why you’ve been paying 2 or 3 times the price all these years for Iams or Science Diet wet foods.  Oh right the recipes are different... seriously apparently they are with the cheaper food containing more filler and the more expensive having more meat.  Hmm sounds familiar.  Anyway.   Its no wonder why some consumers are feeling duped by what Advertising Age calls the "Pet food industry's little secret."

Menu has contracts with Proctor & Gamble to produce Iams & Eukanuba brand wet food (Menu's 2004 annual report states it has a 10 year agreement with P&G to produce all its wet and pouched food) and Colgate-Palmolive Co. to produce Science Diet wet food as well as with other premium brands like Nutro.  The company that produces all these premium brands also produces canned pet food for Walmart and numerous other supermarkets & stores across the country.  Since this recall was announced I have seen numerous reports on television or in the newspaper where pet owners were amazed their “premium” brand food was part of the recall or produced by Menu – they had no idea, they thought it was "premium."

Even Purina was affected by the recall because according to their own website they don’t have the ability to independently produce wet dog food served in pouches (a packaging method preferred by some consumers).  Nestle Purina PetCare contracted with Menu to produce its Mighty Dog pouched packaged dog food.

What happens now?  How will consumers react to their "premium" brands in the future and some sound alternatives

In total the recall covered 42 brands of cat food and 53 brands of dog food.  It remains to be seen the impact of the recall on Menu’s retention of customers.  I’d be curious to see retention figures relating to the “premium” brands. 

Finally, it will be especially interesting to see the impact of the recall on independent premium pet food brands like Wysong and Castor & Pollux to see if their sales increase as a result of the recall.  Wysong prides itself in producing high quality pet food and claims to adhere to highest standards both in production and environmental impact of its products.   I’d recommend checking Wysong out their products are all made in Wisconsin.  If readers are looking for information on alternative brands look into the Only Natural Pet store in Colorado.  Check the archives here for more information.

eco basics pillow

eco basics pillow by Bean Products

image © www.sustainableisgood.com

BY RIDER THOMPSON

The Eco Basics pillow made by Bean Products in Chicago Illinois is the subject of quite a lot buzz on various websites and blogs – interestingly though, there is very little information available on the product even from the company.

The Green Guide and many others have all run little blurbs or recommended the pillow as an inexpensive alternative to higher priced eco bedding options.  The pillow is filled with 100% recycled polyester fiber made from recycled soda bottles the casing is 100% unbleached cotton.  It comes packed full with fill and has a zippered opening to allow the customer to remove fill to adjust to their desired fill level all of this for between $18 – 24 plus shipping depending on where you buy it from.  Very reasonable especially considering other similar pillows which can easily sell for $100 or more.

So Bean Products has this seemingly great pillow – why aren’t they don’t anything to promote it?  We contacted them for information on the product for this story but did not hear back from them.  If you do a Google search on the pillow you’ll find references to the pillow and various places that carry it but everyone has the same standard paragraph. 

“An inexpensive pillow that makes a difference for the environment. Our pillows are generously stuffed with material made from 100% recycled soda bottles. Completely hypoallergenic, Eco-basics pillows are extremely comfortable and are covered in 100% unbleached cotton ticking.  Comes overstuffed, but fill is removable to obtain desired firmness.  Make an environmental and economical choice for closing the loop. Comfort size 20" x 25"

Judging by the information from the company and examining the actual pillow itself, it appears to be a good well made product.  So why isn’t there any info on it?  No info on how it’s made or where it’s made or if they have any interesting community partnerships to get the recycled polyfill material.  All the things that add elements of interest to consumers especially eco-conscious consumers who like to know how and where their products are made.

How to get one

You can order a pillow directly from Bean Products for $20 plus shipping and handling.  Looking around through, I found the pillow at online retailer Greenfeet.com for $18 plus shipping.  I ordered the product from them and later learned the pillow is actually drop shipped by Bean Products and does not come from Greenfeet.  I contacted Greenfeet and they confirmed the Eco Basics pillow comes direct from the manufacturer.  So Greenfeet sells the pillow for $2 less than the company itself, yet the company drop ships the product… odd.  I guess the lesson is order from Greenfeet.com if you want to save $2 because it comes direct from the manufacturer anyway???

Anyhow – the product is exactly as described I just find the lack of info and the marketing techniques a little odd.  It’s the type of product that people are interested in and want, perhaps the company will realize this and provide more info in the future. 

The photo we shot is the only unique photo of the pillow available on the Internet and the only one we've seen that gives consumers an idea of what the pillow is actually like.

toshiba recycling

image © toshiba

Toshiba is the latest computer manufacturer to offer a free recycling/trade in program to its customers.  The company will recycle their own laptops free of charge and offer a trade in program for other manufacturers products.  If the trade in item has no real value it can be recycled for the cost of shipping. 

Toshiba joins Dell in offering a free recycling program for its branded products.  A press release from the company earlier this month announced the new corporate policy.

The company also announced it has joined the Green Electronics Council's Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) by registering select notebook models with EPEAT, extending Toshiba's commitment to the environment.

Here is information from the press release.  "To keep computers out of dumpsters and landfills, Toshiba offers to recycle its notebook computers for free with no obligation by the consumer to purchase a new Toshiba computer. Non-Toshiba notebook computers will be recycled for a small shipping fee."

In addition, Toshiba offers users the option of trading in their used, functioning computers for cash. Toshiba is providing users with a product value estimator at http://toshiba.eztradein.com/toshiba/.

 

recycline

Recycline:  Sitting on Mainstream's Doorstep

image © recycline

BY RIDER THOMPSON

Recycline’s backbone product, the Preserve Toothbrush is being tested at 100 Target Stores and the company doesn’t know how long the super retailer will give them to prove mainstream consumers want their eco-friendly product.  Talk about pressure for the Waltham, MA company founded by Eric Hudson.  Hudson and his company have been making major strides in the last few years and the next step is to break into the mainstream consumer market.  Which puts us back at the product test they are in the middle of at 100 Target stores across the country.  At a time when eco-friendly products are starting to pop up at major retailers like Target and Walmart, the test marketing of the Preserve toothbrush is another indicator that more eco-friendly products are inching closer and closer to the mainstream market.

Recycline products including the Preserve Toothbrush & Razor and now a line of reusable tableware have been popular among eco-conscious consumers for several years.  The full line of Recycline products is available at Whole Foods stores across the country and their products are also carried by Trader Joes, Super Stop & Shop supermarket stores in the northeast, and a host of smaller natural food type stores.  These are big names in the retail business but with the exception of Stop & Shop, are geared towards eco-conscious consumers.  This is why Target is such a big deal.  Recycline is selling its Preserve toothbrush for $2.04 at Target – a deal by any standards – the question is will mainstream consumers bite?  This remains to be seen and Hudson knows it’s a challenge.  He was quoted in a Nov 2006 Inc. magazine piece as saying “We basically believe that maybe 15% of people won’t buy our products.”   So if we take away the 15% of consumers who probably will never buy a recycled toothbrush that leaves Hudson and other similar eco-entrepreneurs 85% of consumers as at least possible buyers.   Not too bad.

Partnership with Stonyfield Farm a model for eco-friendly businesses working together to reduce and reuse waste

The Preserve toothbrush is Recycline’s signature product.  The toothbrush is made from 100% recycled plastic up to 65% of which comes from recycled plastic donated by yogurt maker Stonyfield Farm.  The two companies have a unique partnership that Recycline’s Kathryn Lively described well in a recent interview with Sustainable is Good.  Through a cooperative partnership that began in 2000 with Stonyfield Farm (majority ownership by French company Groupe Danone), Recycline takes their waste (yogurt containers) and makes toothbrushes and the handles of their razors from them. “Our relationship with Stonyfield Farm is a great example of how businesses of the future can work.  Here we have one company (Recycline) that uses another company's waste (Stonyfield yogurt cups) to make their products (Preserve brand products).   Our partnership with Stonyfield Farm®, is regarded as a significant step towards corporate sustainability with our two companies collaborating to reduce and reuse waste,” says Lively. 

The Stonyfield partnership accounts for a significant amount of Recycline’s recycled plastic supply, which Stonyfield is quick to point out, is #5 plastic polypropylene (they state this is more efficient than HDPE #2 or other types of plastic).  A January 2005 article in Waste News reports Stonyfield sends Recycline two to three thousand pounds of #5 plastic each month in fact in early 2005 they passed the 1 million containers recycled mark (it takes about 2 containers to make 1 toothbrush). There is no question the Stonyfield partnership has been a tremendous boon for Recycline and also an effective way for the yogurt maker to dispose of excess plastic and containers.

photo © www.sustainableisgood.com

Where does Recycline get the rest of his recycled plastic from?  According to an Oct 2005 Forbes article, the rest of Recycline’s recycled plastic comes from old grocery store carts, toys and wherever else Hudson can find a good deal on the right type of plastic.  Waste News reports this plastic along with all the Stonyfield containers are then sent to a plastics processor who grinds it up and combines it with other pre-consumer recycled polypropylene.  The end result are pellets which are then used by Recycline to make their products. Hudson told Waste News the compounding process to make the pellets involves heating the plastic up to about 400°F, enough to kill any potential bacteria. The plastic is again heated during the injection molding process used to convert the pellets into consumer products, he said.

More than just recycled plastic - key to company's success

There is more to Recycline’s success than just the fact it recycles plastic.  The company also innovates with plastic both in design and production practices.  A March 12, 2007 release for an upcoming conference on plastics & sustainability at Umass Lowell, sheds some light into the production innovations the company made.  Recycline, “tapped UMass Lowell's Plastics Engineering faculty (regarded as the best in the country in this area) for technical guidance and engineering innovation when the company wanted to manufacture plastic products in an eco-friendly way,” says the Business Wire release. 

Producing their products wasn’t something that happened overnight for Recycline, eco-friendly production methods require time and innovation.  Another area the company spends a great deal of time on is product design and understanding what its consumer base wants.  For example Recyline’s Preserve razor was designed over a period of two years with graduates of MIT, Stanford and RISD schools of design & engineering working on the project. They are also regular participants in design forums with area colleges an universities like Babson College.  The design elements of their products are clearly evident when you try using one of them.  We actively use both the Preserve toothbrush and the Triple Razor.  At first glance both products appear very simple yet on closer inspection and in use they are well thought out and highly functional.  Even the Preserve toothbrush’s packaging is functional made from recycled wood-based plastic it doubles as case for travel.

Consumers should think about “how was it made, it is reusable, how will you dispose of it when the product is no longer usable?”

Buying green products and not breaking the bank is all about using your head and not consuming more than you need says Lively.  She stressed the importance of consumers envisioning the entire life-cycle of products they buy.  This vision is something Recycline takes seriously and their products show it.  You may take a look at the Preserve toothbrush and wonder why it doesn’t have all the fancy fake rubber trim many of the conventional models have on them – the answer is because adding things like that makes the toothbrush un-recyclable. Part of thinking about the life-cycle of a product includes these considerations.   Lively says consumers should ask themselves before buying a product, “how was it made, it is reusable, how will you dispose of it when the product is no longer usable?” 

photo © www.sustainableisgood.com

Disposal is something Recycline also cares about.  The company encourages customers to send back their used Preserve Toothbrushes and now Razor handles for recycling.  In order to facilitate this, the company offers pre-paid postage mailers and gives consumers the ability to print out a mailing label form their website.  Recycline will take the items and turn them into plastic based lumber.   Of course consumers can also recycle these items within their communities. 

So as Recycline continues to thrive among a growing group of eco-conscious consumers, they eagerly await the results of their sales at the 100 Target stores.  Meanwhile, they continue innovate and come up with new products to offer their consumers.  Lively said the company receives feedback from their customers all over the world.  They are coming out with a cutting board this spring and according to Lively the fall should be quite exciting. “I can't give away any secrets but I assure you we have a few tricks up our sleeve set for release in the Fall.  Folks can sign up for our e-newsletter on our website so they can stay caught up with new Preserve products.” - We will stay tuned 

buying things is fun

Enjoying shopping doesn't have to be a bad thing - It can even be Sustainable

BY NICK HEYWOOD

Yesterday afternoon I bought two shirts (a t-shirt printed with sailor's knots and a solid blue button-down), a picture frame (which I will probably not put a picture in for a few years), four tubes of toothpaste (massively on sale) and envelopes (to send out belated Christmas thank you notes). All of these items were made from recycled materials, used or organic, but that's not really what I'm getting at. Buying these boring tidbits was my favorite part of yesterday, between waking up earlier than I would have liked, working, studying for an art history test and sleeping. I like most of what I spend my life doing, but I think I like buying things best. In this I am not alone, as all of us go out every day to buy things we need, things we think we need and things we don't need at all.

This used to make me feel guilty, all this junk of life and how much I enjoy spending money, but my guilt was overcome with sadness when there was no money around to get the junk. There must be some alternative, I reasoned, some way to have fun and not spend money.

This is when I discovered the joys of The Considered Life. In the Considered Life you spend more time thinking about the things you will not buy than you do actually buying things, and about those things in life that you already have but could do away with. It's remarkable how much getting rid of things feels like shopping, and how seamlessly the act of collecting can be replaced by the act of abstaining. Did I really need the deep freeze in the basement? Not really, and donating it provided a nice tax break. Did I really need air conditioning? Not with a few fans and open windows, cool drinks and fortitude. What about hot water in the washing machine, or a dryer? Those were really the easiest to chuck, as the hot water makes no difference with the soap I use to wash, and my clothes smell better after drying in the breeze. Needless to say, all of these things are good for the environment, take little or no more time than the alternative and save money.

Clearly I'm preaching to the converted, but whenever I hear people suggesting these simple, sustainable changes in daily routine they leave out how much fun all of it is. I've come to realize that it's the act of choice that I enjoy with shopping more than the shopping itself, and that's something you can just as easily get at home without money. But buying things is still fun … I'm just careful what those things are, where they are made and what they are made of. And all of the changes at home leave me more money to buy these carefully chosen items.

dell recycling

Dell Recycling

image © rider thompson

Over ten years ago in 1996 I bought my first laptop, it was a Dell Inspiron 366mhz Pentium - by today’s standards it was a tank.  That laptop held up well let me tell you and I was able to upgrade it to Windows XP a few years back (which the chair paid for) it still worked up until the day I recycled it a couple of weeks ago.

Fortunately Dell computers has a takeback program for all of its products that does not require the purchase of a new product - they are currently the only ones in the US with such a program (Apple requires purchase of a qualifying computer or monitor).  Their program is one of the most comprehensive in the industry and the leader here in the US, they will also recycle non-Dell branded computer equipment with the purchase of a Dell product. 

In order to recycle a Dell product, consumers need to visit the Dell Recycling website enter the product information and then are prompted to print a prepaid shipping label from DHL to send the computer back to Dell for recycling, a quick visit to the DHL website and you can schedule a pickup. Dell either donates the product, giving it a second life or disposes of it properly.  Dell’s program, partially the result of an expansion of a mandated program in the EU is an important development for consumers here in the US.

The only similar programs in the US are at HP (you pay to recycle ahead of time then you get HP credit toward a purchase) and now after some resistance Apple (requires purchase).  Apple is the subject of a current Greenpeace campaign, Green my Apple, aimed at getting the computer manufacturer to produce a greener product and expand its recycling program to mirror Dell's. 

I found the Dell recycling program to be efficient, easy to use and a tremendous positive for the company.  They have recognized the need to deal with the growing problem of e-waste hopefully other manufacturers will follow in Dell’s footsteps.