Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

Arc'teryx Beta SL Jacket Field Test Review

I am excited to offer a field test review of the Arc'teryx Beta SL jacket.  Those of you who've been readers of SISG for a while know I haven't been thrilled with Arc'teryx products of late.  

In late 1990s early 2000 their jackets were the pinnacle of quality all made in BC Canada with innovative functional styling.  Then I and others began to notice the quality start to change as production branched outside of Canada and the company changed hands several times.

I am pleased to say I've noticed a marked change in quality of Arc'teryx products especially with this season's jackets.  In fact their Beta SL jacket is one of my favorite pieces of outerwear, I carry it with me just about everywhere.

I've had the chance to try the Beta SL extensively over the last two months taking it out the field shooting photos, bird watching, hiking in Colombia, and for normal day to day use around town here in Rhode Island. 

The Beta SL is a simple no frills shell that weighs only 11oz.  Its styling is straightforward and the cut of the jacket is slightly generous allowing just enough room for layering if necessary.  In the Andes Mountains in northern Colombia last month I wore the Beta SL over a Patagonia nano puff pullover and the combination was ideal for the conditions.

This is a photo of me in the Andes near Tunja Colombia with the Beta SL 

The Beta SL has all the basic features you need for a waterproof breathable shell with adjustments at the waist, head, and cuffs.  The jacket uses seam tape in concert with its small sized zippers to cut down on weight while accommodating a full front zip and dual front zip pockets.  

The jacket is 100% nylon which has become recognized as an increasingly sustainable material choice and uses Gore-Tex Paclite membrane material.

I've been carrying the Beta SL in my work bag with me everyday since I got it.  It adds minimal weight and allows me to have a waterproof shell for any spring/summer rain that might pop up unexpectedly. 

The price of the Beta SL is $250 which is on the high end of its class.  Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia and REI all have jackets in the 11-13 oz range for less money.  I tried all of those jackets and hands down preferred the Arc'teryx.  The difference in materials, and fit where the single biggest deciding factors for me.  I'd rather have a quality jacket that will last for years than a jacket where the fit or materials aren't ideal and may only last a season or two.  

One way to pick up the Beta SL for less is to look for sales or coupons like if your an REI member watch for sales where you can pick up the BETA SL for around $200.

For use in the spring, summer and fall the Beta SL is going to travel pretty much everywhere with me and is the perfect compliment to my heavier weight Sasta shell.  

I've seen versions of the BETA SL made in China and Canada.  I currently have a Canadian made version in the color deep dusk. 

If you are looking for a shell where weight is a key factor in your buying decision I'd suggest taking a look at the Beta SL. 

Stonyfield Partners with Preserve on Single Serve Container Promotion; Ships in Globe Guard Recycled Boxes

Stonyfield Farms recently held a promotion for its customers encouraging the purchase of its larger one quart containers of yogurt. 

The popular maker of natural and organic yogurts teamed with its primary recycling partner MA-based Preserve to create a reusable single serve 8 oz container so its customers could buy the larger sized yogurt but still take smaller containers with them where ever they need to go.

Customers who sent in four foil lids from one quart Stonyfield yogurts through December will receive the new stylish blue 8 oz Preserve reusable container. 

"When consumers buy our quarts instead of single-serving cups, they pay less for their yogurt, but we know that a quart is not as convenient as single-serving cups for on the go consumption,” says Stonyfield President Gary HIrshberg.

“The reusable yogurt cup gives our quart buyers the convenience of the Stonyfield 6 oz cups by providing a way to create easily transportable single servings for anywhere, anytime."

Stonyfield has been working with Preserve (formerly Recycline) since 2000.  Preserve uses innovative methods to turn used materials made from #5 plastic (including used Stonyfield yogurt cups) into stylish, useful household products like toothbrushes, colanders, cutting boards and tableware. Preserve products are 100% recycled and recyclable too.

Stonyfield is currently in the process of shipping out the Preserve containers to their customers. 

In order to help reduce the impact of shipping the containers, Stonyfield used custom Globe Guard 100% Post-consumer recycled boxes. 

Globe Guard boxes are produced by Chicago area Salazar Packaging, a leader in the development of more sustainable packaging solutions for both large and small companies. 

Salazar Packaging produced a custom 4" cube box for Stonyfield Farms allowing the reusable container to be shipped directly to their customers.

The whole process from the development of the idea to offer Stonyfield customers a single serve reusable Preserve container to the distribution of the cups in the special Globe Guard boxes is a perfect example of a partnership among three companies who have been committed to making better more sustainable products with minimal environmental impact.  

Recycline Wins Forbes Boost Your Business Contest

Massachusetts-based Recycline makers of the popular Preserve brand of personal care and household products won the Forbes.com Boost Your Business competition.  The win earned Recycline the $100,000 prize from Forbes.com and Hewlett-Packard.

Recycline Founder and President Eric Hudson accepted the award during a reception at The Forbes Galleries in New York City last week.

“This was a fantastic experience, and we greatly enjoyed getting to know the four other finalists.  We’re grateful for the award and the support that our stakeholders and the Forbes.com community showed," said Hudson.

"We plan to use this award to forward our mission to satisfy people’s everyday needs with high-quality, stylish, and environmentally responsible products with our Preserve brand line of personal care products, tableware, and kitchenware.  Recycline’s win is a testament to the growing tide of interest in products and services that respect and preserve the earth’s precious resources," he said.

Recycline Inc. persevered over nearly 1,000 other small businesses to win the contest, which was judged by Forbes editors, readers and business experts. Recycline was among the nearly 1,000 entrepreneurs from across the country that entered the contest when it launched in March 2007. In the first phase of the contest, co-sponsored by HP, small business owners submitted 500-word business plans; 20 semi-finalists survived. In round two, Forbes.com users had the opportunity to review these plans and vote for their top five.

Preserve Kitchen

Recycline has added a new series of products to its popular Preserve line.  The new products are called Preserve Kitchen and include two types of cutting boards, food storage containers and a colander.  Most of the products will be sold exclusively at Whole Food Market, several are available directly from Recycline. 

"The idea behind the line was sparked over a year ago when Whole Foods Market approached us about our ideas for green housewares," said Recycline's Marketing Director C.A. Webb.  "Many of their stores have housewares sections and they saw an opportunity to better align that part of the store with the rest of their organic and natural offerings."

The products themselves are the result of a partnership between Recycline and Connecticut-based industrial design firm Evo Design.

"We wanted our designs to take their cues from natural shapes found in the kitchen and to be eye popping and exciting both in shape and color," said Webb.  Evo Design did exactly that taking their design cues from nature.  For instance, the food storage container gets its inspiration from an apple, the colander resembles a strawberry.

But beyond the simple organic designs, making sure that the design and the design process met environmental standards every step of the way was challenging. “We are working hard to ensure that the design supports sustainability,” says Aaron Szymanski, President of Evo Design

The Preserve Kitchen products are the first Preserve products designed by Evo.  "They've shown an amazing knack for understanding our brand and have a total commitment to helping us deliver on Preserve brand's promise:  high performance, high design, eco-friendly products," said Recycline's Director of Product Development Ben Anderson. 

"Whole Foods Market (WFM) has been one of our strongest retail partners and was a natural place for us to launch the Preserve Kitchen line," said Webb.  "WFM sells the entire line of Preserve products -toothbrushes, razors, toothpicks, and tableware, all popular with their customers.  We also, of course, saw the synergies in launching our first foray into the kitchen with one of the most innovative food retailers in the world," she said. 

Most of the Preserve Kitchen line will be initially sold exclusively at WFM and hits store shelves this week in all regions except three (Midwest, Florida, and Pacific Northwest) but will roll out to all regions by spring.  WFM will carry a cutting board, food storage containers (large & small) and a colander all made from 100% recycled #5 polypropylene (PP) plastic - like Preserve's other products.

We've had a chance to test out the new products and have nothing but praise for their design and material usage.  Recycline has become the master at making useful products from pure recycled #5 PP plastic, and Preserve Kitchen products are no exception. 

Like other Preserve products the packaging is minimal to non-existent.  The food storage containers come in minimal paperboard packaging (100% recycled/ 35% PCW) while the cutting board and colander simply have a Preserve label affixed to them with no packaging at all.

 Preserve adds Paperstone Cutting Boards to Product Line Up

In addition to the Preserve Kitchen products made from #5 PP, the company  has added two new cutting boards made from Paperstone to its Preserve Kitchen product line.

Paperstone is a material that has been used in green countertops for several years now.  "We were also curious to explore a new material and developed a cutting board from Paperstone," said Webb. 

The Paperstone cutting boards are available directly from Recycline or at Whole Foods Market in two sizes and are both Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and RainForest Alliance certified made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper.

The addition of the new Paperstone cutting boards is exciting - its always good to experiment with new materials.  We see this new line as an area Recycline can continue to explore, hopefully developing more products from this material.  It is durable and easy to clean and the fact its made from post-consumer recycled paper is a tremendous positive in terms of its greenness.

Recycline Selling Products in Bulk on Amazon.com

Recycline, markers of the popular Preserve brand of household and personal care items made from recycled plastic, is offering many of its products in bulk quantities through internet superstore Amazon.com.

Consumers can access the full line of Preserve products through Amazon expanding the range of the product line for Recycline to literally every household in America.

"We're definitely pleased to have our products sold on Amazon," said Recycline's C.A. Webb. 

It is becoming a growing trend, eco-conscious consumers shopping in bulk through Amazon locking in low prices and free shipping on nearly every order from Amazon over $25.  The combination is a winner for shoppers looking for bulk quantities and pricing on their favorite products

For instance, Recycline's popular Preserve toothbrushes can be purchased in a bulk 6-pack for around $17 or the new Razor Triple is available in a case of 6 packs each containing four blades a piece for around $28.

Amazon is carrying a growing number greener products and offers many of them in bulk for consumers.

Recycline Makers of Preserve Products Advance in Forbes "Boost Your Business" Contest

Massachusetts-based Recycline makers of the popular Preserve line of recycled toothbrushes, razors and tableware is one of twenty small businesses left in the Forbes.com "Boost Your Business" contest.

The company made it through the initial stages of the contest and is now hoping to become one of five semi-finalists vying for the $100,000 prize.

For this round of the competition, Forbes.com is asking readers to vote for the best small business plan of the companies remaining.  Readers can vote online at Forbes.com

Recycline makes Preserve products which are made out of 100% recycled materials and are, in turn, recyclable. The company's partnership with Stonyfield Farm transforms their yogurt cups into Preserve toothbrushes and razors.  Recycline then offers its consumers the option of sending back its products so they can be recycled into plastic lumber. 

See our interview on Recycline
and our story on Recycline and Wal-Mart 

Preserve Toothbrush Now Sold at Wal-Mart

Here is an interesting story that slipped in under the radar screen.  Recycline is selling its Preserve® toothbrush at Wal-Mart stores. 

In their summer newsletter distributed yesterday the company had a blurb mentioning the Preserve was now available at Wal-Mart.  The decision was apparently made in April and was not well publicized... perhaps intentionally?

Recycline said their decision to sell at Wal-Mart was, "not a obvious choice."  "We weighed the pros and cons of working with a retailer that has the broadest reach of any in the world but has been critiqued as having some of the least impressive environmental and social practices," said the company's Founder & President Eric Hudson.

Recycline presented their decision as one that helps engage "increasing numbers of people in taking responsibility for the health of our environment."  They went on to say, "the purchase of a Preserve toothbrush will be the beginning of a journey toward more and more actions that reduce the impact on the Earth."

Founder expresses concern for small-scale retailers; plans special promotions so their sales aren't impacted by Wal-Mart's pricing structure

In a letter posted to the company's web site, Hudson says as a result of his decision to sell at Wal-Mart steps will be taken to ensure their loyal smaller-scale retailers will not be impacted in a negative way.  "We have begun special promotions with our natural and independent retailers that offer more aggressive price discounts on our Preserve toothbrush... to minimize the impact that Wal-Mart's low price may have on their sales," said Hudson.

This story is a puzzler.  Earlier we reported on Recycline test marketing the Preserve at Target stores, which seemed to be a more natural fit for the brand.  The results of the test marketing at Target are unknown. 

Selling at Wal-Mart doesn't seem to be a natural fit for a small brand built on a strong environmental image.  The decision also hasn't been very well publicized to this point which begs the question why. 

If Recycline is comfortable with selling their Preserve at Wal-Mart and believes in the logic behind their decision to do so then they should embrace it.

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