Blogs...

Selling green during a time of economic uncertainty

October 16, 2008

When news headlines are getting more and more grim every day providing coverage of yet another indication of economic downturn, companies and consumers tighten their budgets and plan strategies for surviving the tough times. Will this mean the end of “green buzz”? If consumers are counting pennies and saving money for gas and winter heating, will they pay extra for products that claim to be more environmentally friendly? Or, will they opt for more traditional options that place less strain on the pocket book?

Personally, I think the “green wave” is here to stay. Here is a sample of recent news items to prove my point:

• Arm & Hammer announced a release of new environmentally-friendly cleaning products that are designed to reduce packaging waste
• Coca Cola is aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by reducing the weight of their aluminum cans
• Sainsbury’s, the European retailer, has recently launched compostable packaging for wet products
• Aveda launches the first ever Cap Recycling Program

I think the current economic situation will challenge companies to think creatively and oust the competition by providing sustainable solutions at a competitive price.

Ecology versus economy would definitely be a subject discussed at the next year’s Sustainability in Packaging 2009. I would be very interested in hearing your opinion about this topic and getting ideas on what companies or individuals could be give interesting presentations on this subject.

Running the numbers – mass consumption photography

February 11, 2008

It’s amazing how piling things together and looking at them through the lens of statistics can make a difference in one’s perception of issues. Looking at the photographs by Chris Jordan, I couldn’t help thinking about the reality behind all the recent conversations related to sustainability and environmental impact. Chris uses photography to help visualize how many certain items we use over a particular period of time. Some of the images he has on his website show:

• 410,000 paper cups used every 15 minutes
• 2,000,000 plastic beverage bottles used every 15 minutes
• 426,000 cell phones retired every day
• 1,140,000 brown paper supermarket bags used every hour
• 106,000 aluminum cans used every 30 seconds
• 60,000 plastic bags used every five seconds
• 15,000,000 sheets of office paper every five minutes
• 38,000 shipping containers, the number processed through American ports every 12 hours

Plastic Bottles (2007) – 60x120"
Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles, the number used in the US every five minutes (image by kind permission of Chris Jordan).

Click on image to enlarge

In our ivory tower of comfortable modern living, it’s easy to forget that we are a part of the problem as much as we are a part of the solution. I am really looking forward to all the conversations at Sustainability in Packaging 2008. Last year, the conference focused on how different companies defined sustainability and its importance for the packaging industry and their partners. This year, we’re focusing on the actions that are underway in companies throughout the supply chain to replace the image of packaging as an ‘environmental monster’ with the understanding that it’s a part of the solution.

Click here to visit Chris Jordan's website

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Sustainability as a way to commercial success

January 22, 2008

A group of international academic experts sponsored by Cisco and BT has recently published a white paper on A New Mindset for Corporate Sustainability. The paper demonstrates that embedding sustainability into business strategy delivers real business and societal benefits.

The authors did 21 case studies on major organizations and proposed a new approach that emphasizes that sustainability increases innovation and argues that sustainability should be an ongoing process, not an objective. One of the researchers, Professor David Grayson from Cranfield School of Management, says in the audio podcast posted on the website. 'It is a complete fallacy to imagine that sustainability will cost you. In practice it is going to be a strategy for survival and prosperity of businesses in the future'.

Based on their extensive research, the authors outline 10 steps to sustainability:

1. Make innovating for sustainability part of an overall corporate vision
2. Formulate a strategy with sustainability at its heart
3. Embed sustainability in every part of your business
4. Walk the talk – emphasize actions not words
5. Set up a body (e.g. a board committee) with the power to make sustainability matter
6. Set firm rules
7. Bring stakeholders on board
8. Use people power
9. Join networks dedicated to encouraging sustainable businesses
10. Think beyond reporting: align all business systems with the company's vision of sustainability

All these steps do require conviction and vision. 'The time for a debate about the importance of sustainability to everyone is surely passed; the challenge now for governments, business communities and societies as a whole is to choose how to respond', said Ellen Ferrara, head of thought leadership at BG Global Services, said in the audio podcast. This is a complex goal and there is no one solution that fits all. That is why for Sustainability in Packaging 2008 we designed a program that can be tailored to your needs. With six break out sessions covering green design, recycling and waste management, materials and technologies, sustainability metrics and more you will be able to get answers to many of the questions that you have. Use this website to find out more about the event and to book your delegate place.

Click here to download the white paper 'A New Mindset for Corporate Sustainability' and access additional resources related to the study online (this link will navigate you to a dedicated page on the BT site with downloadable files).

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Spread the word!

January 15, 2008

Some may say that 2006 was the year when businesses of all shapes and sizes finally realized that ‘enviro-mentality’ can translate to an increased bottom line and a better reputation. 2007 saw lots of discussions about defining the sustainability strategy and communicating it to suppliers and partners. According to Nicholas Parker from Cleantech Group ‘2008 is promising to be the year when resource-conserving technologies are going to take center stage and shape every industry’.

I think it’s already happening. ‘Climate change’, ‘sustainability’, ‘resource conservation’ and ‘waste management’ are no longer the industry buzz words. They are a part of daily operations agenda for many companies. If you’re still not convinced that sustainability is the way of the future for your company, maybe you can be persuaded by this compelling argument for taking action today that I recently discovered (stumbled upon) on YouTube: How it all ends

In my opinion, taking action today translates not only into contributing to the global efforts of saving the planet in peril, but also to the future sustainability of your business. This is a complex goal and there is no one solution that fits all. That is why at this year’s Sustainability in Packaging we designed a program that can be tailored to your needs. With six break out sessions covering green design, recycling and waste management, materials and technologies, sustainability metrics and more you will be able to get answers to many of the questions that you have.

Click here to download the conference brochure

Click here to view the Nicholas Parker article

Click here to view the YouTube movie