Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

HP Excessive Packaging: Power Cord Shipped with Pallet

Here is an amazing example of excessive packaging that if accurate would take the cake for the most egregious example we've seen.  

An Australia-based user, on the popular site Notebookreview.com claims that HP delivered a power cord, complete with a wooden pallet. The user provided photos they took of the excessive packaging.

via cnet asia

Apple Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 Packaging Pictures Surface

The popular site for everything Apple - Macrumors has received pictures of what appear to be the final retail packaging for Apple's new operating system OS X 10.6 dubbed Snow Leopard.   The photos show what appear to be the Portuguese version of the software.  It is not known what if any sustainable features the new operating system packaging will have.  

e.a.t Frozen Chowders from Key West Gourmet

I recently learned about a delicious line of frozen chowders that really embodies sustainability in every aspect from ingredients to packaging.  The e.a.t line of soups and chowders from Key West Gourmet Foods consists of five "environmental and tasty" meal solutions. 

The products are microwavable and packaged in entirely sustainable packaging - which the company says is a first in North America for a frozen entree.  The packaging is 100% compostable and recyclable including the outer plastic like film which is made by NatureFlex.

The packaging is great but the sustainably sourced all natural ingredients used to make up the delicious meals are what really shine. 

The folks at Key West sent me their five products to try and I was just amazed at the quality and taste from a frozen meal.  All seafood used in the products are wild caught not farm raised and they are sustainably sourced.  The veggies used are all non GMO.  The first thing that struck me when I opened one of the chowders to taste was how beautiful it looked - the Wild Salmon chowder looked like something you'd find in an upscale restaurant with plentiful amounts of salmon and red potatoes bobbing about in the broth.

The e.a.t line consists of: 

Wild Salmon Gourmet Chowder
Savoury chunks of MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) certified Wild Alaskan Salmon, red-skinned potatoes and green onions with a hint of dill delicately blended in light cream.

 
Curried Shrimp Gourmet Chowder
Plump juicy Wild Shrimp and crisp vegetables in fresh cream infused with our signature curry blend.

Atlantic Crab Gourmet Chowder - A flavorful combination of premium Atlantic Crab Meat slowly simmered in light cream with sweet corn, potatoes and onions.

Seafood Tortilla Gourmet Chowder - A Mexican fiesta of MSC certified Wild Alaskan Pollock, organic tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, and tortilla strips with an accent of fresh lime and jalapeno.

Asian Vegetarian Gourmet Chowder- Grilled organic tofu, mushrooms, sweet potatoes and spinach in an energizing Green Tea and Miso broth. A vegetarian masterpiece.

The combination of superior ingredients and sustainable packaging make the e.a.t frozen meals very appealing to those interested in living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. 

The company should be applauded (its no surprise their packaging won an award) for reconceptualizing frozen meals.  Traditionally the whole market segment of frozen microwave meals are very much unsustainable - their packaging is difficult to recycle even the boxes are treated to resist moisture making them not recyclable.  So these products are a tremendous innovation.

e.a.t frozen chowders are launching this Fall in Canada and will be available in early 2010 in the U.S. 

Martha Stewart Body + Soul Magazine September Issue Features Green Living Guide

The September Issue of Body + Soul magazine is out today and it features a special Going Greener Guidebook packed full of eco living tips and information.

Body + Soul is the whole living magazine from Martha Stewart that each month features great recipes, heath info, exercise and yoga tips and product reviews all aimed at helping readers live a better life.

The September issue features an innovative Going Greener Guidebook which is printed on the back side of the actual magazine pages. 

The guidebook is sponsored by Stonyfield Farms and serves as a resource guide for achieving a greener lifestyle.  Some of the information inside includes a listing of the 20 best eco web sites, essential tips to live and shop greener, more than 40 practical tips to reduce your carbon footprint and an excellent piece on organics and the importance of the USDA organic seal.

Inside the regular magazine readers will find a feature on the smart woman's guide to health, recommendations for the best natural skin moisturizers, more than 25 recipes, a piece on why coffee is good for you, a cool DIY article on making your own hair color boosters from common ingredients like lemon, carrots and chocolate and much more.

Having brown hair myself I whipped up the concoction on page 40 - it was a wonderfully indulgent hair mask made from cocoa, yogurt, vinegar and honey.  After applying my hair looked great - the blend seemed to rejuvenate my natural hair color plus left the scent of chocolate. 

Body + Soul has always been a great magazine from Martha Stewart.  The September 2009 issue is a real winner for readers because it combines the excellent content the magazine is known for plus a green resource guide which can help you make lifestyle choices to benefit yourself and the environment.

New Balance Eco 70 Shoes

Boston-based New Balance just recently launched the first shoe in its new eco-preferred collection.  This new collection will feature shoes that utilize environmentally preferred materials, constructions and manufacturing processes. The collection is part of a larger, corporate-wide sustainability initiative by New Balance to operate their business in an environmentally sensitive manner.

The first shoe in New Balance’s eco-preferred collection, the New Balance 70, a trail running shoe with cool styling and more sustainable design.  The 70 is aimed at fashionable consumers who consider the environment without relaxing their standards of style and comfort the company said. 

Seventy-five percent of the upper components are “environmentally preferred materials.”  The laces, webbing, rand, quarter, tongue and saddle incorporate recycled polyester; the foxing and the tip of the shoe are synthetics made with fewer solvents than traditional materials. Rice husks filler in the out sole reduces the amount of rubber needed, thus reducing the amount of petroleum used. Water-based adhesives (rather than solvent-based) are used to join the upper and the sole unit and no paper stuffing or paper wrapping are used in the packaging of 70.

I've been testing a pair of the New Balance 70 over the past week and I like the shoe a lot so far.  My pair is in an attractive burnt orange color.  The shoes are lightweight and offer the perfect amount of support for a wide range of activities.  

Cosmetically the 70's are sharp - borrowing design elements from other outdoor shoes in their lineup.  The rice husk filler is visible in the out soles which adds a cool look.

My first time wearing them was off to one of my favorite outdoor flea markets last Sunday.  The 70's were very comfortable and offered excellent ventilation during what was a hot and humid day.  Since I've tried the 70 for a wide range of activities and have been impressed.  The 70 is perfect for walking around town or using on the trails. 

The 70 was also designed to reduce waste. The upper is constructed with minimal layers to reduce unnecessary material usage. It features a uniquely efficient design--the parts fit together much like a puzzle--in an effort to utilize as much of the original cutting material as possible.

“We used our best available resources and technologies to decrease the environmental footprint of the 70,” says Katherine Petrecca, senior outdoor product manager at New Balance. “The new eco-preferred collection is another step of many as we make progress to operate our entire business in an environmentally sensitive manner.”

The New Balance 70 launched late last month and should be available to consumers - although I haven't seen them yet online or in stores. If you're looking for a more sustainably produced shoe with all the features and comfort New Balance is known for I'd recommend checking them out.

Coca Cola's Bioplastic PlantBottle Coming Later this Year

The Coca-Cola Company recently took the first steps towards what CEO Muhlar Kent said was their, "vision to eventually introduce bottles made with materials that are 100 percent recyclable and renewable."

Kent was referring to the company's new PlantBottle due out sometime later this year in select markets holding their Dasani brand bottled water and sparking brands.  Coke's Vitaminwater is expected to follow - being packaged in the PlantBottle sometime next year.

The PlantBottle is currently made through an innovative process that turns sugar cane and molasses, a by-product of sugar production, into a key component for PET plastic.

Manufacturing the new plastic bottle is more environmentally efficient as well.  A life-cycle analysis conducted by Imperial College London indicates the PlantBottle with 30 percent plant-based material reduces carbon emissions by up to 25 percent, compared with petroleum-based PET.

According to the company, another advantage to the PlantBottle is that, unlike other plant-based plastics, it can be processed through existing manufacturing and recycling facilities without contaminating traditional PET. 

Consumers can identify the innovative bottles through on-package messages and in-store point of sale displays.  Web-based communications will also highlight the bottles' environmental benefits.

Coca Cola faces a challenge with its new bottle concept from the recycling industry who have long been concerned about contamination from bio and other types of plastics.  Industry groups are concerned the current recycling system in the US is not equipped to adequately handle bio plastics.

Kimberly-Clark and Greenpeace Reach Agreement on Boreal Forest in Canada

Kimberly-Clark makers of Kleenex, Scott towels, Viva, Cottonelle and other iconic brands made from paper have reached an agreement with Greenpeace to better protect Canada's Boreal Forest. 

The agreement sets in place a number of standards to significantly reduce the use of virgin wood pulp from the Boreal Forest.  Prior to the agreement Greenpeace waged a five year campaign, Kleercut to draw attention to the fact Kimberly-Clark was cutting down Canada's Boreal Forest at an alarming rate to make its products.

Environmental advocates have been trying to get Kimberly-Clark to use recycled pulp and sustainably harvested wood pulp for years.

Under the agreement Kimberly-Clark has set a goal of ensuring that 100 percent of the fiber used in its products will be from environmentally responsible sources.

It will greatly increase its use of recycled fiber and fiber from forest certified to Forest Stewardship Council standards. By 2011, it will also increase the use of recycled and FSC fiber [from North America sources] to 40 per cent from 29.7 percent in 2007.

By 2012, the company will no longer use pulp from the Boreal Forest unless is it certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council.

Amazon Excessive Packaging Challenges Continue

I know Amazon.com has been working hard on reducing their packaging (frustration free packaging etc) and dealing with issues of excessive packaging their customers have complained about.

I've covered excessive packaging from Amazon and other companies readers have reported but until last week had never experienced an excessive packaging episode myself.

About a week ago I ordered an exercise poster.  I was surprised to return home one day to find a gigantic Amazon "D4" box outside my door.  Initially I had no idea what it could be - as I hadn't ordered anything that large.  When I picked up the box and felt how light it was I thought - could this be that poster?

Sure enough it was.  The laminated poster (rolled in plastic) was packed inside very large Amazon branded box filled to the brim with inflated air pak packing material. 

I could not believe the size of the box and material used to ship a small poster which could have easily shipped in a standard size tube?

I know Amazon has been working on this issue - I've talked to senior staff on the issue before but this is nuts how could anyone think this made sense?