Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

A Good Book for the Morning After Earth Day

BY DENNIS SALAZAR

Earth Day has always reminded me of New Years because each marks a passage of time and both generously provide us with a fresh start and clean slate.  The resolutions abound as we commit to shedding old bad habits and develop a long list of good, positive actions we plan to initiate or do even better in the year ahead.

As someone who has broken more than his share of New Years’ resolutions, I can tell you my failures have never been due to a lack of good intentions, but rather the tremendous amount of work and in some cases, sacrifice most meaningful resolutions require. I have discovered the tough way, New Years Eve is all about intentions but New Years Day is about follow through.

The importance of Green Influencers

Since the last Earth Day I have been fortunate to meet a number of people involved in sustainability, in one way or another. They range from scientists working on the next breakthrough in renewable fuels to people who earn a living by sorting through the waste of others in an effort to save and reuse our precious resources.

I have also come to realize that some people are hands on; “doers” and others are blessed in a far different but equally important way in that they are drivers or influencers of the green movement. People who, through their work and effort, have the opportunity and responsibility to impact many more lives than those they may personally touch on a face to face basis. One of the potentially most influential people I have met this last year is Graciela Tiscareno- Sato, the author of a soon to be published book titled Latinnovating: Green American Jobs and the Latinos Creating Them.

Difference Makers in Sustainability

Grace’s book is probably the first of its type to recognize the importance of Latino’s in the green movement both as willing participants but also as leaders and innovators. Certainly any large urban area demographics study or population projection will quickly confirm why Latino “buy in” to sustainability is so important. However, Grace profiles ten Latino owned companies and organizations that are leaders in their respective fields and are creating jobs at a time when we most need them.

In the interest of full disclosure I must gratefully acknowledge that one chapter of this book is focused on our company and the work we do, but others include:

• Rosamaria Caballero-Stafford, cofounder of Green Irene in NYC, NY
• Robert  Zardenata, Executive Director of La Causa in East LA, CA
• Sandra Artalejo, designer and owner of Sola Studios in Dallas, TX
• Luis Rojas, president and founder of Evergreen Energy Solutions
• Carmen Rad, President and co-founder – CR&A Custom Printing in LA, CA

Many Hands Make Light Work

Grace’s book proudly embraces our heritage and our past but more importantly looks into the future, focusing on the role all of our children must play in the necessary worldwide environmental solution.

I have gotten to know Grace over the course of the last year and I deeply respect her commitment to the green cause as she tirelessly races around the country, meeting and promoting her labor of love. The positive impact she potentially has goes far beyond Latinos, business, or even Latinos in business, because it reminds us that we all have something to contribute and how we have an obligation to do so.

It is great reading for Earth Day but especially for the day after when many of us have a difficult time resisting the inclination to revert back to old habits. Regardless of what our purpose is within the green community, we can all use some inspiration and examples of people for who sustainability is not a one day, yearly event.       

Dennis Salazar is the president of Salazar Packaging, Inc., a certified MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) company specializing in packaging products, equipment and solutions. With over thirty years in the packaging industry, he is known for his tongue in cheek sense of humor as well as his sustainable packaging passion and expertise.   

To contact Dennis, please visit his web site: www.salazarpackaging.com

Also be sure to check out his blog Inside Sustainable Packaging

Sustainable is Good Drops GoDaddy

I want to apologize to readers for the brief downtime of SISG this weekend.  The downtime was a result of dropping Godaddy as my domain host and reestablishing service with another company.

I decided to drop the company on Friday several days after CEO Bob Parsons posted a video of himself shooting an elephant in Zimbabwe.   After the video was posted, Parsons proceeded to engage in a completely irresponsible campaign to justify his actions.

Parsons video and commentary show a person completely out of touch with reality and willing to use and manipulate issues like the extreme poverty and corruption in Zimbabwe to satisfy his own desires to hunt.

What Bob Parson's does not understand is that his shooting of a "problem" elephant as he describes is just part of much larger systemic problems of corruption and conservation challenges in an struggling country.  Parsons used this state of affairs to his benefit in order to have the opportunity to kill an elephant.

If anyone is interested there is an excellent interview with a leading conservationist in Zimbabwe further explaining why this whole thing is so wrong. 

This is also speculation among experts that the elephant Parsons killed was a female, not a male bull as he claimed.

In terms of hosting/domain companies there are many alternatives out there and switching isn't terribly complicated - expect a minor disruption of service. 

I also want to clarify a point Mr. Parsons has been making since late last week regarding the economic impact of his actions on his company.  He claims there is no negative impact.  Well I personally moved all of my domains from his company.  Much larger organizations like the humane society are moving hundreds of domains - so I don't think there is no economic impact.

Maine's Own Organic Milk MOO Milk Gains Support

After a group of nine Maine Organic Dairy farm families were dropped by their previous milk processor H.P. Hood they banded together to form Maine's Own Organic Milk (MOO Milk for short) and sell their product direct to grocery stores.

The new company has been having a tough time getting their product into stores since forming last year.  But recently has had some key successes and gotten national exposure thanks to a piece in the New York Times last week.   The young company still needs the support of locals and food lovers who want to buy organic milk and support local farmers.

MOO Milk is available in many Hannaford grocery stores in Maine and fifteen Whole Foods stores in Maine and Massachusetts.  Their milk is also available at Harvest Co-Op in Boston.

MOO Milk reminded me of a similar cooperative here in Rhode Island called RhodyFresh which is a group of Rhode Island dairy farmers who banded together several years ago to save what was becoming a dying industry in the Ocean State.  Rhody Fresh milk has become a great success and enjoyed tremendous community support.

The farmers in Maine who formed MOO Milk face one primary challenge that Rhode Island farmers didn't have to contend with and that is distance their milk must travel in order to reach a processing center for distribution.

The group is working to overcome these challenges and with the recent addition of their products in Whole Foods stores in Massachusetts they are tapping into a large market.

Farmer Aaron Bell and Carly DelSignore's dairy farm in Washington County Maine.  The couple is determined to keep the dairy industry alive in the county. 

Photo from the Chase's Organic Dairy Farm in Mapleton, Maine.  Chase's is part of the MOO Milk group.

Photo of the line of retail milk products from MOO Milk.  Packaged in standard carton packaging.

 

K-Cups Single Use Coffee Packaging Generate Significant Waste

 

Interesting story in the NYT last week regarding the increasingly popular single use coffee pods known as K-Cups for Keurig coffee machines.

K-Cups are designed to be single use servings of coffee and are small plastic containers filled with ground coffee which fit into single serving brewing sytems like the Keurig coffee machines.

As the machines have become more and more popular in the US - thanks to help from major retailers like QVC who often features the machines on television, questions have been raised over what to do about the packaging waste.

Single use packaging like the K-Cups results in tons and tons of used plastic K-Cups ending up in the trash system.  A major player in the K-Cup market is Green Mountain Coffee Roasters - a company I've covered extensively on SISG.  They have been leaders in more sustainable packaging in the coffee industry - with one big exception - the K-Cup.

The Times reported 80% of Green Mountain Coffee's $803 million in sales last year came from single use coffee pods and their brewing systems.  So obivously the K-Cup is big money for Green Mountain Coffee.

But Green Mountain has led the charge in re-configuring consumer store packed coffee - incorporating PLA into their packaging and working towards further sustainable improvements.  So why can't they devise a more sustainable method for their K-Cups?

According to the NYT the company is currently working on methods to make the whole K-Cup process more sustainable.  Options include the use of biodegradable packaging, recycling programs and making the cups reusable in some fashion.

We'll continue to follow this story.  I've always thought the whole single serving coffee concept was interesting except for the waste it generates.

eBay Green Team

Earlier this year eBay announced Green Team, a new initiative focused on helping both buyers and sellers use eBay more effectively in terms of sustainability.  The initiative included a strong PR component pointing out what a great resource eBay is for the selling of used and re-purposed goods.  It also provided sellers with useful information on how to save resources and improve the sustainability of the shipment of goods.

eBay is currently heavily promoting Green Team offering sellers 5 free listings a month and the access to support and discussion groups focused on sustainability.

As a longtime eBay member myself I have to say I think the concept is a good one. 

The eBay Green Team initiative grew out of a grassroots effort begun in 2007 by a small group of eBay employees who wanted to put their environmental values to work.

Today the Green Team site offers sellers useful information on what packaging materials to use to improve the greenness of shipments.  eBay has also worked with UPS and the USPS on improving efficiency and offering their customers discounts and more sustainable shipping supplies at no cost.

Hopefully the efforts of the eBay Green Team will only continue to expand.  The venue eBay provides is such an excellent resource for the trade of used and re-purposed items.   I think the Green Team will help more and more people realize this fact and improve the environmental consciousness of those already using eBay.

Amazon Packaging Feedback

 

Amazon has made tremendous progress in the last year regarding improving their packaging and making it more sustainable.

The online retailer introduced Frustration Free packaging which eliminates PVC clamshell style packaging in favor of plain customer friendly boxes with minimal excess. 

Over the last year they have expanded Frustration Free packaging to more than 300 products and have shipped more than 1 million products in Frustration Free packaging according to a memo posted on Amazon's website from its founder Jeff Bezos.

Amazon has also done something revolutionary.  They have created an extensive packaging feedback section where customers can rate the packaging of products they've ordered, post comments and even upload photos. 

The Packaging Feedback section is available to customers and includes items they've recently ordered for ratings.   I was impressed with the level of detail of the Packaging Feedback section.  It is the first dedicated forum that I know of where customers can interact directly with a retailer regarding packaging. 

Amazon says more than 115,000 customers have already more than 200,000 packages they've received.

Pizazzcrew uses EcoHangers for its Shirts at Wal Mart Stores

A small socially responsible apparel company, Pizazzcrew is using EcoHangers with its shirts on sale at Wal Mart stores in the Northwest. 

We've covered EcoHangers before and are pleased to see them being used in a consumer retail application at Wal Mart. 

Its a great pairing.  Pizazzcrew makes certified fair trade apparel made from bamboo and organic cotton.   "Eco-hangers are a good fit for me because most of my apparel is organic, sustainable, or has a socio-economic benefit," said Pizazzcrew's Terri DeVenuto.

She said the Eco-hangers have received a great response from store managers at Wal Mart.  "I think they also reinforce our message and commitment, and there's room to print a little something about all of that, on the hangers, with vegetable ink, naturally."

Pizazzcrew shirts were sold at Wal Mart stores in Washington and Idaho and were popular.  The company hopes to continue to produce lines for the retailer.

"As a new vendor at Wal Mart, Terri (the owner of Pizazz Crew) really hated the idea of shipping her shirts on plastic hangers," said Adam Stave of EcoHangers. 

"The shirts arrived at Wal Mart 'pre EcoHangered' and customers were provided the EcoHangers to take home with purchase.  The feedback from both the store managers and customers were tremendously positive.   We look forward to working with additional mass market retail apparel vendors," said Stave.

Marcal Introduces Small Steps Line

BY JACKIE DeLISE

For over 50 years, the Marcal brand has been synonymous with 100 percent-recycled paper products. Paper made from paper, not from trees. Today Marcal’s vision remains the same ~ help to conserve resources, protect our environment and keep the air we breathe cleaner and healthier.

Marcal’s Small Steps line, debuting in 2009, focuses squarely on the brand’s green heritage and helps consumers “make a small, easy step to a greener Earth.” The Small Steps line of 100% recycled bath tissue, paper towels, napkins and facial tissue are manufactured without chlorine bleaching, are hypoallergenic and lint free. They are made entirely from recycled paper, mostly newspaper, magazines and office paper collected curbside from residential neighborhoods across the Northeast.

It’s these values that let consumers feel good knowing that they are taking a small, easy step that can help make a big difference, without having to pay more.

Each year, Marcal recycles over 200,000 tons of recovered paper. This recycling effort saves enormous quantities of resources every day: 6,000 trees, 2 million gallons of water, 140,000 gallons of oil, 30,000 cubic feet of landfill space, and 22,000 pounds of pollution. Indeed, if each American household were to buy just one roll of Small Steps paper towels and bath tissue, we would save one million trees.

Being green does not mean sacrificing performance. With strength and softness, consumers will not feel they are making a sacrifice to change their behavior for a “green” product, whether they are cleaning spills or wiping faces.

Marcal was established in 1932 and is committed to sustainable manufacturing. Its products are distributed to grocers and other retailers for home consumption and to distributors for away-from-home use in hotels, restaurants, hospitals, offices and factories. Marcal Paper Mills, LLC employs nearly 1,000 people in its Elmwood Park, New Jersey and Chicago, Illinois manufacturing operations.

Strategic Branding and Design Considerations

Marcal worked with the Zunda Group to restage the brand and create a newly designed logo, brand identity and packaging graphics.

The program objective was to “celebrate” this unique sustainable positioning, and redesign the packaging for the full Marcal product line, to reflect an enhanced “green” brand positioning platform and differentiate the brand vs. main stream competitors.

The packaging strategy was to create designs that communicate the brand’s environmentally centric heritage of saving trees by using premium recycled paper.

The brand positioning centers around those consumers who want to do something good for the environment. Marcal is the only leading brand of paper goods that delivers to consumers an easy, affordable way to be green because Marcal is made from 100% recycled paper, consumers can feel good that they are helping to save trees.

The brand personality embodies caring, passionate about values, not afraid to act and stimulate change, beautiful and self confident, popular and well liked by the broad population

The brand values integrate saving mother earth, simplicity, people that are real (i.e. good product at a fair price) and value for the children and family

The brand essence captures Marcal’s ability to make it easy for consumers to do something green (i.e., save trees)

The new Marcal logo is reduced in size to a white typeface, with the descriptor “saving trees since 1950”. The leaf shape background anchors the logo with a visual device that is suggestive of the environment, adding a more natural dimension.

The Small Steps sub-brand creates a platform for the product positioning to more fully resonate with consumers. Again, just by purchasing Marcal products, consumers will be assured that they are doing their part to help the planet.

The logo is designed in two colors ~ green to denote nature and brown for earth/environment.

The arrow in the “p” was designed to associate with the familiar visual equity element of the “reduce, reuse, recycle” logo. This is a subliminal (environmental) nod to “coming full circle/closing the loop, as in product life stage recycling.

Additional graphic elements such as a green shade tree, designed in lieu of a more typical flag or burst, with a consumer call to action “help us save 1 million trees”, is perched atop a graphic lock-up of “100% premium recycled paper”.

Visual re-staging the brand at retail, which is traditionally a price brand in the category, resulted in a brand block of color to add a more distinct image than the leading national competitive set.

Simplicity is communicated in primarily a soft yellow and green color palette, depicting a sunrise and field of buttercups, which serves to frame the lower portion of the package.

Promotions

Marcal worked with the Topspin Group to secure immediate impact, by relying on tools of promotion, developing a promotional launch plan to support the brand within grocery channels, that builds momentum, driving customers to the store to purchase.

A new website was also designed to create a hub that communicates brand equity and provides a destination for consumers, media and retailers.

Take A Small, Easy Step to a Greener Earth

When customers choose the Marcal brand of paper towels or bath tissue, they are taking a small, easy step toward a greener world.

And, if every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of paper towels or bath tissue with 100% recycled paper, the cumulative savings would be nearly 500,000 trees!

For over 50 years, this leading brand of paper products has been made from 100% premium recycled paper, not by cutting down trees, helping to conserve resources and protect our environment.

Further, this brand of high quality paper products are strong and absorbent, manufactured without chlorine bleaching, hypoallergenic, virtually lint free, unscented and has no dyes.

Plus, it’s less expensive than the other leading brands, so doing something good for the environment finally doesn’t have to cost more. When choosing the Marcal brand, consumers can feel good knowing that they are taking a small, easy step that can help make a big difference to their daily lives and in the bigger picture of saving the planet for future generations!

As retailers seek to provide affordable and meaningful eco-friendly choices that consumers are increasingly seeking, the new Small Steps line of 100 percent recycled paper products gives retailers just that: a convenient way to go green without compromise. The new and improved Small Steps line of bath tissue, paper towels, napkins and facial tissue arrive on shelf at grocers across the Northeast in early 2009.

Past, Present, Future

As generations of consumers have chosen the Marcal brand, they feel good knowing they are doing their part through purchase and taking a small, easy step that can help make a big difference for generations to come.

Jackie DeLise is Vice President New Business & Brand Development of Zunda Group LLC.  Zunda Design Group creates brands that inspire, by designing visual identity and packaging that evoke emotions and connect consumers to their brand, ultimately captivating attention and purchase intent at retail.  Jackie can be reached at j.delise@zundagroup.com.

Globe Guard Products Provides Green Packaging at Affordable Prices

Sustainable is Good longtime contributor and friend Dennis Salazar, president of Chicago's Salazar Packaging just last week launched a new arm of his successful packaging business. 

His latest venture, Globe Guard Products, provides sustainable packaging supplies direct to customers via the Internet.  Globe Guard Products is a new concept and provides businesses access to greener packaging supplies at affordable prices.  His latest venture should be a tremendous boon for small businesses across the country looking for sustainable packaging without the traditional high costs. 

Interview & Discount

This week I was able to speak with Dennis about Globe Guard Products and learn about his new business.  Dennis has graciously extended a 10% discount at Globe Guard Products for all Sustainable is Good Readers.  Use the code "SISG" at checkout.

SISG: Tell me about Globe Guard Products and how it fits in with your other successful ventures, Salazar Packaging and the Globe Guard brand?

DS:  After thirty years in the packaging industry, my wife and I launched our own company two years ago, Salazar Packaging so we could focus on the areas of packaging we cared for. One of those was sustainable, eco friendly packaging. The market was telling us they wanted genuine, green packaging products they could trust and not clouded by all the hype and greenwashing that has been so prevalent. That is when we decided that the best way to be able to manage the marketing, quality and relative  “greenness” of any product was to create our own Globe Guard brand. Globe Guard Products.com was a natural evolution since it provided us an efficient way to satisfy the same needs of small and mid size volume customers who prefer the convenience of e-commerce shopping.

SISG:  What makes the line so special and is it unique in the marketplace?

DS:  Rider, as you know, our cornerstone product, Globe Guard shipping boxes are 100% recycled (PCW) content and are easily recycled. That product reflects our approach to market which is not only a concern with what a packaging product is today, but also what it will eventually become. Certainly a high recycled content is good and a high PCW content is even better but both have little value if ultimately the product is not easily recycled. We give that same thought and consideration to every product we add to our product line. We have all heard of products that are touted as compostable and well intentioned consumers buy them, only later to discover that the product will only break down in an  industrial composting facility and there are none in the area where that product can be processed. Products guilty of that type of intentional or unintentional deception are not going to appear on our store.

SISG:  Are you saying that all of your products fall into the same category in terms of composition and eventual disposition as your boxes?

DS:  We really wish that was possible but in many cases the product we need and want is still in development. The packaging industry has not quite caught up to demand but new and much greener products are coming out almost daily. What we do promise is that we will be truthful about what we have to offer today and that we are committed to a continual product line improvement.  

SISG:  Globe Guard Products seems to be ideal for small to medium business owners is that the main segment of the market you're targeting?

DS:  Our green store is definitely designed to serve the small to medium volume user but what we have found is that even very large green companies have packaging products they buy in relatively small quantities. Often times these purchases are made in a mail room or fulfillment center and unfortunately usually fly under their own corporate sustainable radar. This relates back to our concept of  “eco-consistency” we developed and promote which essentially means that everything a company ships out should reflect the same care and concern for the environment that their green products do. We believe we have provided an economical and convenient place to buy genuinely green product if that is what that customer wants and needs.

SISG:   I know sustainability is important to you - so how did you choose the products for the line and the materials they are made from?

DS:  Our customers usually lead us to the products they need, our job is to make them as green as possible. We go beyond the typical packaging supplier and get involved in the design and help to determine the material composition as well as the post use recyclability. We ask our vendors the tough questions the market rarely does so we can be confident in the description and claims we make on Globe Guard products.com. Please keep in mind a big part of what we do is educate the market through our articles, presentations, our blog Inside Sustainable Packaging and even through our Eco Ed cartoon which is a regular monthly feature in Packaging World magazine. It is through these various mediums we are able to correct miss conceptions and much like you Rider and SISG, expose products so our customer are well informed and know what to expect.

SISG:  In the sustainable products marketplace price is always a key issue - how are you able to keep the prices low?

DS:  Two years ago when we were just getting started down this green path, the economy was already beginning to sour so we quickly realized that any product we took to market had to be competitively priced. The thought or idea of getting a “green premium” for any green packaging product was growing increasingly unrealistic so we put our experience and manufacturer relationships to work to be able to buy right so we could sell right. It often meant buying product in much larger quantities than we really needed but we also understood that was the investment that had to be made to make the end user price market competitive. Especially in tough economic times there is always a lower price available but we are convinced that our customers appreciate  the authenticity of our products and the expertise that comes with them, so the value becomes as important as the price.

SISG:  For those concerned about carbon footprint - where are the products in your new line made?

DS:  Most of our products are made in the Midwest but our sources are truly coast to coast as we expand our manufacturing and even our distribution capabilities. Even though fuel prices are lower than they have been recently, we are very aware that transportation costs and carbon foot print concerns are major issue for all of us. That is why we are currently looking at opportunities that will enable us to do what we do more economically so our customer can feel as good about the way our products shipped to them as they do about the quality and greenness of their purchase. 

To find out more check out eco friend packaging from www.globeguardproducts.com 

The Meaning of Green

Brands Speak Out ~ the new world of Sustainable "Green" Brand Icons as Cultural Nomenclature

BY JACKIE DeLISE

Green logos, icons and brand symbols ~ where is the consumer to go to learn what they mean, what their intrinsic value is and relevance to their everyday lives ~ in their quest toward becoming good environmental stewards?!

This new lexicon of jargon is actually meaningful, but only to a select few who understand it!

Manufacturers and marketers frequently use terms such as sustainable, renewable, recyclable, biodegradable, compostable or refillable, to claim that their packaging is green.

There has also been an increase in the use of environmental logos, seals and third-party certification programs purporting to verify the positive environmental impact of product packaging.

Some examples are the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) for pulp sourcing, Climate Leaders for EPA programs, Green-e Certified for energy and Carbon Neutral for emissions.

This trend toward verification is attributed to the rise in mandatory national reporting.

Companies that join these programs agree to voluntarily reduce their environmental impact beyond what is required by law.

In addition, these programs act as a powerful communication tool with consumers and corporate stakeholders, as the perception of the seal on a package denotes authenticity.

But often times, when claims are used to sell products, consumer perception and substantiation issues may arise.

Consumers may have varying interpretations of such seals and programs, and there is a great deal of confusion, false perceptions, and inflated reality.

Many of these claims have no real substantiated definition, and no sanctioned regulations and if and how to use them.

Today, the challenge is how to translate this learning, to clarify sustainability in packaging

Let’s say for example, a package claims that the company is 100% wind-powered…what does this really mean and how does the message get carried through to the consumer? In other words, what is the real value or tangible benefit of this claim, and why should consumers care because there is a real (not perceived) knowledge gap. 

Marketers and designers must communicate with authenticity, transparency and sustainability ~ in a language that consumers understand and find meaningful to their small steps on a daily basis toward becoming environmental stewards.

Thus, the subject squarely centers around education through communication and lifestyle change/shift.
In the business of brand design, visual imagery has become an emotional “short hand” to trigger consumer buying motivations and purchase responses, so it is key to learn how to translate the new green vocabulary into valid nomenclature.

Sustainable is defined as indefinitely viable, capable of maintaining productivity or usefulness in the long term.

Sustainable design, graphic or otherwise, seeks to reduce impacts on the environment by relying on the use of renewable resources, among other measures.

So, how do we impact this reality?   Moreover, can we?

Again, consumer education and clearer labeling may help pressure the corporations into action. Perhaps if the consumer really understood who's claims were sincere, this would become a beneficial point of difference to drive the corporations to making the investments. The corporations who had the foresight to invest in removing trans fats before there was pressure to, found themselves in a profitable position once the consumers were educated better.

Another route would be some sort of government incentive to go green.

The real world shopping environment

The consumer has contact with packaging every day and contributes to the growing problem of waste through packaging.  Our research has found that not only do consumers want to simplify their daily lives, they do not want or need all the unnecessary packaging that their brands come in; they perceive it as extraneous to the product.

Packaging is also an easy target for legislature, as I mentioned earlier, that the FTC is now involved in creating mandates around the validity of claims.

And, there are some glaringly obvious disconnects: e.g., food with a 6 month shelf life in packages that last 6,000 years!!

So now you not only have solid waste but also greenhouse gases!!

Reducing the environmental footprint of packaging requires the cooperation of the entire value chain.

According to Andrew Savitz, author of The Triple Bottom Line, breakthrough Innovation is needed in at least four areas:

 - Packaging Materials
 - Packaging Design
 - Recycling
 - New Businesses

Lastly, in terms of brand icons as cultural nomenclature, a new consumer language has been created and it speaks of clarity in protecting the environment, shifting conspicuous consumption to mindful consumption, thus reducing our footprint, creating a healthy balance between consumerism and capitalism, and caring for our living earth.

Jackie DeLise is Vice President New Business & Brand Development of Zunda Group LLC.  Zunda Design Group creates brands that inspire, by designing visual identity and packaging that evoke emotions and connect consumers to their brand, ultimately captivating attention and purchase intent at retail.  Jackie can be reached at j.delise@zundagroup.com.