The eco-conscious consumer knows a thousand ways to be green: take the bus to work, turn lights off when you leave the house, and of course, compost and recycle. Recycling initiatives are on the rise in communities around the world, but individual programs are only part of the solution. Waste, and the potential gains from recycling, are far higher in the commercial and industrial sectors than in the residential one. For example, the production of one car creates 8000kg of raw material residue, according to the United Nations Environmental Program.

Consumer companies differ in how well they’ve embraced sustainability initiatives. A new website, GoodGuide.com, rates products and companies on environmental, health, and social criteria. Using over 200 data points, they produce a 0-10 rating on the sustainability of over 62,000 products. Focusing on just a few of those data points gives a view into the most proactive companies:

Best Companies on Recycled Materials – This list orders companies based on their commitment to use or manufacture recycled materials. Many of the companies on this list are food companies: Chiquita Brands, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, and the Heinz Frozen Food Company.

Best Companies for Carbon Footprint – Food companies also top this list of companies with the lowest contribution to global warming. Bob Evans Food, Nestle, and Dreyer’s Ice Cream are all in the best list.

In addition to environmental responsibility, companies are also accountable to their customers and employees. GoodGuide provides ratings on these qualities as well:

Best Family Friendly Companies – Companies are rated on whether it provides day care services or extra maternity leave beyond the legal minimum, and whether the company has won a family-friendly prize like a Working Mother Award. Perhaps surprisingly, big drug companies top this list: Merck, Bristol Myers Squibb and GlaxoSmithKline score very well.

Best Companies for Retirement Benefits – When companies are rated according to their retirement benefits programs, there are some well-known standouts: the 3M company, makers of Scotch Tape, and California Pizza Kitchen.

Consumers are often looking for the best way to make a positive impact on the environment. Starting recycling programs in homes and communities is a great start. Another good step: Buying from companies who have programs that you believe in.

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When we think of pumpkins, we think of Halloween, Jack-O-Lanterns, pumpkin pie, and maybe Thanksgiving.

But, truth be told, there are plenty of ways to use a pumpkin!

During October, pumpkins are abundant.  Sometimes, too abundant.  And it’s not uncommon to see excess pumpkins cast aside or left to rot after Halloween, but there’s really no need to let the extras go to waste.

The following are just a few of the great uses for pumpkins:

1. Pumpkins in Recipes

As food, pumpkins are low in calories, yet high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, protein, and potassium.  Dig out your favorite cookbook and search for recipes containing pumpkin.

Pumpkin bread, pies, and muffins are favorites, but you can probably find plenty of others.  As an impromptu house guest in Paris, I was once served an incredible pumpkin soup (though I never completed my search for that recipe).  There are more exotic recipes to try as well – pumpkin juice, pumpkin ice cream, and even fried pumpkin.

2. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds (also called “pepitas”) are also known to be highly nutritious, and are used in weight-loss diets.  They provide fiber, healthy fats, and protein, as well as minerals such as magnesium, manganese, zinc, iron, and copper.  They are also known to strengthen the immune system, and to be good for people with high cholesterol.

Roasted pumpkin seeds make excellent between-meals snacks, can be sprinkled over a holiday squash soup, and are a favorite in Mexican cooking.  Candied pumpkin seeds are great for parties as well – and even the children might accept them among their Halloween candy.

3. Pumpkin for Pets

Mashed pumpkin is a great remedy for digestive trouble in dogs.  It can be used to combat weight gain or diarrhea, and for resistance to infections.  It is also said to be good for a dog’s night vision and general health.

Simply add a few spoons of cooked, mashed pumpkin to the dog’s food.  (Important: it must be pure mashed pumpkin, not a mix!)  For instructions on how to create your own mashed pumpkin, see #4 below.

Cats may like pumpkin as well, and it can be given to help cats with similar digestive troubles, as well as hairballs.

Remember, if your pet is sick, take him to the vet!  And ask your vet about using pumpkin as a home remedy.

4. Saving Pumpkins for Later

If you have more pumpkin than you know what to do with, you can save it for later use in recipes and for winter holidays.

There are several ways to create pumpkin puree which can be frozen for later use.  The following are three preparation methods:

1.  Baking – Cut the pumpkin in half, place it on a baking sheet with the flat side down, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, for about an hour, or until it is tender when tested with a fork.

2.  Microwave – Follow the same procedure as above, but instead of placing the pumpkin in an oven, microwave it on high for about 15 minutes, or until it is tender.

3.  Boiling – Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and rinse.  Then, place the chunks in a large pot, cover with water (fully immersing the pumpkins, plus one inch of water on top), and boil until tender.

Once you have utilized one of the above methods to soften the pumpkin, cool it off, peel it, and mash it in a food processor.  You can also use a potato masher or similar device.

Then, simply seal the puree into zip lock bags, or whatever is convenient, and freeze it for for the winter.  The puree can be used as a substitute for canned pumpkin, in any recipe.

5. Pumpkins as Dishes

You can clean a pumpkin well, cut it in half, and dry it for use as a serving bowl or flower vase. You can also use a halved pumpkin to cook or bake other foods in.  For more information, see How to Carve a Pumpkin Bowl.

6. Pumpkins for the Skin

Pumpkins contain anti-oxidants and alpha-hydroxy, which are said to be good for the skin.  You can use pumpkin peels as a facial, to combat aging or other skin problems.

7. Pumpkins for Children and Games

You can use pumpkins for children’s drawing or carving contests.  If your kids are too little to start carving yet, they can also decorate pumpkins with markers or paint – or even a pumpkin collage.  Another use of pumpkins is as targets for archery practice.

But we definitely don’t recommend any games that involve throwing pumpkins, nor using them as substitutes for soccer balls.

And, possibly even better, how about a cross between a Jack-O-Lantern, a Snow Man, and a Scare Crow?  Your kids might have a great time making a pumpkin man – and it’s much better for them than watching TV.

8. Pumpkins as Ornaments

Pumpkins, gourds, and squash can be used to create candle holders, Thanksgiving centerpieces, and other ornaments.

9. Musical Pumpkins

Yes, that’s right, pumpkins make great musical instruments as well.  Or, at least they can if you know how to make (and play) them.  You can see and hear a variety of ideas for instruments that can be made from gourds, squashes, and pumpkins. Although many instruments are made from gourds, one can easily imagine how a large or small pumpkin would do just as well in several cases.

10. Pumpkins for Crafts

If you are an experienced craftsman or devout hobbyist, you might try some more advanced and creative uses of pumpkins.  You can make pumpkin leather like the American Indians did, or settle witih a simple pumpkin bird house.

As you can see, there’s really no need for pumpkins to go to waste, either before Halloween or afterwards.

During economic recessions, it’s not uncommon that people have more time on their hands than they have money.  Instead of letting extra pumpkins go to waste, these are a few ways you can stretch your grocery budget a bit further, invest some time in your health, get your kids away from the screen, and have some fun at the same time.

It doesn’t seem too long ago that the business practices of Wal-Mart were widely criticized by groups ranging from workers’ rights activists to environmentalists, from trade unions to anti-globalization demonstrators and to those increasingly concerned with the state of American urban sprawl.  Yes, many of us took well advantage of Wal-Mart’s very low prices, but, still, it is obvious their image had to change.  Enter former CEO H. Lee Scott’s increasing personal and professional “revelations” about the positive impact Wal-Mart could have on the planet, and the growing efforts Mr. Scott pushed toward reducing the company’s operational footprint.

For CEO Scott, it started with a 2005 post-Hurricane Katrina speech highlighted by Wal-Mart’s new commitments to: doubling the fuel efficiency of its massive shipping fleet; to Wal-Mart, eventually, “creating zero waste;” for the company “to be supplied 100% by renewable energy” (currently, the company will source about 1% of its energy in the U.S. from renewables in 2009); and to invest $500 million annually in various energy saving programs.  Then, the world’s largest retailer cemented – at least in their eyes – their commitment to green business practices and environmental concerns with their recent dramatic release of Wal-Mart’s “Sustainability Product Index” on July 16 of this year.

As Greg previously remarked here on Source and Resource, the company’s new audacious and ambitious Sustainability Index involves 15 questions to approximately 60,000 to 100,000 suppliers around the world.  The Index “will serve as a tool for Wal-Mart’s suppliers to evaluate their own sustainability efforts… (focusing) on four areas: energy and climate; material efficiency; natural resources, and; people and community.”

Naturally, environmentalists and green business experts were healthily cautious before jumping to applaud the release of this index.  However, after further assessment of the sustainability criteria, experts have generally agreed that, although it has its faults – such as a lack of clear metrics, data, and interim milestones in some areas – the Sustainability Questionnaire is a bold move forward that could lead to an increased demand for transparency across all global businesses.  And, I say, that if this intense scrutiny successfully increases the environmental sustainability of the Wal-Mart supply chain, which reportedly touches 1/3 of the world’s productive capacity, then the efforts will truly yield a new, positive “Wal-Mart Effect.”  The ripples caused by the Sustainability Index may reverberate a newfound, widespread urgency for Life-Cycle Assessments and supply-chain environmental impact assessments for numerous products across retail sectors.

Therefore, your company may need assistance in readying itself for answering such questions and applying these new metrics to its products or services offered.  This is true whether you currently sell to Wal-Mart, are planning to sell Wal-Mart, or are rightfully intrigued by the fact that such “sustainability questions” might, soon, apply to other buyers of your products or services.  It is especially imperative to be familiar with the new rubrics and manners of reporting if your company is either a supplier to, or a partner with, consumer-goods companies Procter & Gamble, Tyson foods, Unilever, General Mills, and the other enterprises that have partnered with Wal-Mart to create their new Sustainability Consortium led by academics from the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University.

There is an upcoming workshop and conference in the Boston area that aims to provide answers, support, and guidance in these areas.  The workshop is entitled “Wal-Mart Supplier Readiness Workshop” and the accompanying conference the following day is called “Greening the Supply Chain.”  The two events are being created by the highly reputable “all things green” media outlet, Greentech Media, and their partner sponsor, Groom Energy, on September 16 and 17.  The two-day affair will be located at the Embassy Suites by the Boston-Logan Airport and will discuss opportunities such as The Carbon Disclosure Project, green certification systems, and managing “social compliance.”  The sponsors describe the workshop as a “time- and cost-effective way to gain confidence with your submittal (to Wal-Mart) and to gauge investment levels in sustainability programs.”  They recommend the two-day event to not only Wal-Mart suppliers, but also to suppliers who want to network with experts and other suppliers.  In addition, Sean Stephan, the Senior Director of Packaging and Sustainability at Wal-Mart International will be on hand to speak and answer a direct Q & A session.

Thus, it may be worthwhile for yourself or a representative from your business to go to the conference if not to network then to learn something about sustainability and supply chain issues, especially if your company can handle the $495 registration fee.

Either Costco was having a sale on Styrofoam or you are still using leftover cups from last year’s company picnic, thinking its better to use what you already have instead of buying new supplies.  The truth is that Styrofoam is one of the least biodegradable products you can put into the waste stream and has no environmentally-positive associations.  In fact, if a potential client or partner walks into your office and sees that stack of white cups on top of the cooler, you will probably send them running.

Even though polystyrene products (we all know it by its brand name “Styrofoam”) are almost entirely comprised of air, the remaining white stuff is very harmful for human health and the environment.  Here’s what you need to know:

-Polystyrene is made from petroleum.  Do we even need to tell you why this is bad?

-Workers who manufacture Styrofoam products are exposed to styrene, a chemical classified as a carcinogen by the EPA.  Similarly, if you heat up the material in the microwave, styrene will be released into your food and digestive system.

-The manufacturing process also releases countless other hazardous compounds into the air, which contribute heavily to air pollution.

-Manufacturing polystyrene releases ozone-depleting substances into the air.  The ozone is shrinking due to this type of human activity, meaning we’re exposed to more of the sun’s harmful rays.  While the situation has improved due to regulations on CFCs since the 80s, there are still suspicions that ozone-depletors continue to be released from the manufacturing process.

-Polystyrene/Styrofoam does not biodegrade.  Styrofoam litter will only break up into smaller pieces, creating a choking hazard for household animals and wildlife.  It is a huge space-filler in landfills.

What you can do

1.    Do not buy Styrofoam.
2.    Encourage employees to bring their own containers to work.  This cuts back on waste in general and teaches people to be more conscious about their actions.
3.    If you insist on providing cups for water, make the switch to sustainable products. Compostable paper products are a good bet, especially if you have a compost bin available.  Check out sustainableparty.com before your next company picnic!

Leaders of the wine industry are beginning to prove that even creature comforts are still within the grasp of the environmentally conscience, despite the machinery-driven and agriculture heavy processes associated with wine production.  A winery in Umbria, Italy called Monte Vibiano, known for producing high-end wines, is one of these leaders, and they have set out on a quest to become the first carbon-neutral winery in the world.

Many other wineries employ innovative practices to reduce their footprint; however, Monte Vibiano is taking this to a whole new level by using all the basic sustainability methods as well as IT integration, applying new technologies to revolutionize age-old techniques of wine production.

Some of the implemented strategies have been to use new Microsoft software to reduce their servers to half of what was used before as well as cutting the energy needed to run those servers by almost 40%.  They made similar progress by adjusting their travel needs.  Instead of traveling long distances to meet with clients and arrange tastings, they are holding more of their meetings online, thus cutting travel expenditures by $30,000 and showing how simple changes in strategy lead to huge economic and environmental improvement.

These adjustments are only the beginning.   Solar electricity systems will eventually provide all the energy for the winery as well as their wheat and olive oil production facilities, and they even employ simple methods like painting storage facilities white to reflect sun away from the Earth, planting 10,000 trees to soak up CO2, and using golf carts and electric bikes to zip around the premises.  Tractors, meanwhile, run on biofuels, which they say they never use from food-source crops.  It seems there is nothing this innovative winery has not thought of or decided to leave to chance

Plans for the near future are even more impressive.  Monte Vibiano is planning to use up-to-date analytics and data collection with an intricate network of  crop sensors  to ensure the most quality end products with least amount of effort.  They presume by tracking everything they can figure out exactly where they need to adjust.   Radio frequency ID tags provide data on their olive trees, monitoring everything from natural variables to the effect humans have on production.  They will  monitor every variable to find the absolute greatest efficiency in production by eliminating any kind of waste possible.

Monte Vibiano predict their efforts will cut 10 tons of CO2 emissions and lead to vast savings in company expenditures starting in 5 years when the investment pays off.  As a serious business, environmental improvements don’t make sense if the figures don’t work.  The best part about news like this is when organizations like Monte Vibiano blaze the path others in the industry soon follow suit, especially when it makes economic sense.

And consumers can rest assured responsible business practices and new revolutionary techniques will ensure they do not have to give up this cherished luxury any time soon.

Several weeks ago at a company summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, the world’s largest retailer announced plans and some details for the most comprehensive and ambitious retail sustainability index in history.

During the last couple years Wal-Mart has been taking steps, some more significant than others, to become more sustainable. The company is experimenting with hybrid and biodiesel shipping trucks, stocks a line of clothing made with organic cotton, installed solar panels at many stores in California, and sells concentrated detergent only, which saves an enormous amount of resources: 400 million gallons of water, more than 95 million pounds of plastic resin and more than 125 million pounds of cardboard.

Wal-Mart’s announcement to develop a worldwide sustainability product index, however, is a step above its previous efforts to become more sustainable. The index will establish a single source of data for evaluating the sustainability of all of Wal-Mart’s products. It is the first initiative of its kind in the world. Lifecycle analysis of products is not uncommon, but for a company of Walmart’s size and scope, it is unheard of.

According to the press release:

The company will introduce the initiative in three phases, beginning with a survey of its more than 100,000 suppliers around the world. The survey includes 15 questions that will serve as a tool for Walmart’s suppliers to evaluate their own sustainability efforts. The questions will focus on four areas: energy and climate; material efficiency; natural resources, and; people and community.

The survey will be sent to more than 100,000 suppliers around the world. Questions vary from relatively simple to complex:
- Have you measured your corporate greenhouse gas emissions?
- If measured, please report the total amount of solid waste generated from the facilities that produce your product(s) for Walmart for the most recent year measured.
- Do you know the location of 100 percent of the facilities that produce your product(s)?

“The survey will include simple but powerful questions covering familiar territory, such as the location of our suppliers’ factories, along with new areas like water use and solid waste,” said John Fleming, chief merchandising officer, Walmart U.S. “The questions aren’t complicated but we’ve never before systematically asked for this kind of information. The survey is a key first step toward establishing real transparency in our supply chain.”

The second stage involves creating a “consortium of universities that will collaborate with suppliers, retailers, NGOs and government to develop a global database of information on the lifecycle of products.”

The third and final stage will be the task of translating the product information Wal-Mart receives from its suppliers into simple and meaningful information that consumers can use. This is quite possibly the most important stage of project. If the information provided is too complex, consumers will not pay attention, but if it is too rudimentary, attentive consumers will wonder if their choices are making a difference at all. Consumers are not likely to see the “green” ratings on store shelves for at least 2-3 years. The labels will likely look similar to food labels with fat and calorie contents, but their design has not been finalized.

Walmart’s president and CEO Mike Duke said that the company is not seeking to create or own the sustainability index. He is hoping it can be applied universally to products from all companies, regardless of location, and be used as a kind of open source technology.

“We want to spur the development of a common database,” said Duke, “that will allow the consortium to collect and analyze the knowledge of the global supply chain. We think this shared database will generate opportunities to be more innovative and to improve the sustainability of products and processes.”

Although United States locations plan to complete phase 1 by October 1, a timeline was not given during the webcast.

Adrian Gonzalez of Logistics Viewpoints was pleased with Wal-Mart’s announcement, but questioned some aspects of the initiative:

“I applaud Walmart’s effort to work with various stakeholders to develop global sustainability standards and metrics. Without standards, broader adoption of sustainability practices is not possible. But as anyone who’s been involved with standards bodies knows, getting companies across different industries and geographic regions (as well as governments) to agree on anything is a very long and painful process. And when you consider that sustainability is such a politicized topic, the challenge is even greater. In my opinion, this step will take years (maybe a decade) to complete, if ever.”

Because the bulk of the development has yet to be completed, Wal-Mart could only offer general details about the sustainability index, but it is clear that if the initiative is only partly successful, it will send ripples throughout the retail industry. At the moment, those in the “green” business sector should applaud Wal-Mart for undertaking such a pioneering task, one that, if successful, will provide a framework for other businesses, large and small, to truly understand the environmental and social impacts of their products.

Questions still remain, however. The goal of the index is “to provide customers with product information in a simple, convenient, easy to understand rating, so they can make choices and consume in a more sustainable way.” In other words, consumers are the force of change in the system; Wal-Mart makes no promises of making the changes themselves. While the system will make it easier for outside groups to lobby Wal-Mart to buy more responsible products, their supply chains are not likely to change unless consumers pay attention to the information. Will the consumers be up to the task? One hopes so.