- A guest post by Sandra Garcia

Every year, parents are obligated to buy their kids (whether they like it or not) school supplies, and you can bet that pencils are on the list.

Moms and dads might be surprised to find out that those little orange sticks are made out of the 4 billion trees cut down worldwide for paper industries, and assembled with toxic chemicals in factories that pollute the air (most erasers are made from latex). After much sharpening, they are then thrown away to rest in landfills. It’s estimated that 14 billion wood pencils are made each year, and scientists have stated – to little effect – that the manufacturing process of office and school products is damaging to the environment. In fact, after construction and consumer use, these items are one of the world’s top dump-fillers.

New companies have emerged to combat the misuse of the planet’s resources for the paper and office supply industries. One such company that has emerged and specialized in recycled pencils is Earthzone, based in Vancouver, B.C. Canada. In 2005, architect and filmmaker Matty Scolozzi was unsatisfied with the slow pace of his career and created Earthzone out of a desire to start a creative business, and his passion to encourage people to save the Earth.

To make recycled pencils, Earthzone takes used, whole newspaper sheets (sourced from both Canada and USA), flattens and cuts them, then wraps the pencil graphite with a water-based glue. Other recycled pencil companies have a similar manufacturing process. Even consumers who are already buying and using these types of pencils may not know is that the shavings from sharpening can also be recycled. Re-using a four-foot stack of newspapers to make these pencils can save a 40-foot pine tree.

Because the pencils are virtually air-free, they are almost impossible to break and will last up to three times more than wood pencils, which answers many parents’ qualms about eco-friendly supplies costing more than their counterparts. Over time, buying green can save you from buying more!

And, gone are the days of the boring orange pencil. Now, recycled pencils have expanded to include colored, artist, scented, and unpainted pencils that expose the newsprint the pencil was made of. An example of this is Earthzone’s Special Edition Recycled Pencil. There are so many options out there that you can be certain you’ll find a brand or type that is to your and your children’s liking.

Skeptics will say that these small items will make little impact to improve the environment, but entrepreneurs like Scolozzi are confident that every bit helps, especially when the process of making a green product doesn’t harm the Earth. Numbering in the millions of dollars, the eco-friendly product industry is a profitable one, and Earthzone alone will make six-figures by the end of the year. As long as the demand continues to grow for all products like recycled pencils to be green-made, it will just be a matter of time before other corporations follow.

About Earthzone:

Founded in 2005, Earthzone created a line of recycled pencils, which are distributed by six national distributors, including Chapters Indigo and Basics Office Products. Earthzone plans to make other sustainable products by January 2010, and to sell 30 more products by next fall. Earthzone is committed to conducting ethical and responsible business, based on principles of environmental preservation and professionalism. www.Earthzone.com

A DIY Recycling Project

This simple DIY recycling project can be used for educational purposes, as a school or class activity for kids, or when you really do want to recycle your own paper.

It serves as a good demonstration of how recycling works, and anyone who has gone through with this process is likely to think twice in the future, before discarding waste paper into the wrong basket.

While I doubt that any resources were really saved in this video (the energy and materials consumed by the process probably far outweigh the value of a couple of sheets of paper), it serves an educational purpose.

It also demonstrates another important fact – recycling itself, as a process, consumes energy and resources.  The fact that one is going to recycle certain waste doesn’t mean that no waste management is necessary at all.

Recycling may be better than filling a landfill, but when all is said and done, the less excessive garbage produced, the better.

The standard news from the business world is not always encouraging. Scandals seem to be more common than not and the current climate of Madoff’s and Exxon Mobil’s isn’t helping. But as we all know, honest businesses do exist, especially in the green sector and many of them are great examples of how to grow your business while staying true to social responsibility and environmental values.

One of these companies is Seventh Generation. The company describes themselves as “the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.” When you learn more about the company, it’s hard to argue with this claim. The company’s name and philosophy is derived from the Great Law of the Iroquois that states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.”

Transparency is the first sign that a company is genuinely invested in and concerned about their social responsibility and environmental impacts. If a company produces an annual social responsibility report (SRR) and sustainable report (SR) then you know they have at least taken the time to think about the issues. It does not guarantee they genuinely care about environmental issues, but it is generally a sign they are headed in the right direction.

Seventh Generation writes a yearly “Corporate Consciousness Report,” an in-depth and honest look into all of the activities of the company. The report outlines sales, giving, employees, carbon footprint, transportation-related GHG emissions, packaging, manufacturing partners, sourcing, product design, and green workplace. The report also provides a section at the beginning outlining the achievements (environmental or not) of the previous year. One of 2008’s biggest successes was Seventh Generation’s purchase of sustainable palm oil credits and participation in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Palm oil is a major component in many of their most popular cleaning products.

So you are probably wondering, what is so great about Seventh Generation’s products?

According to their website, Seventh Generation name-brand products include non-chlorine bleached, 100% recycled paper towels, bathroom and facial tissues, and napkins; non-toxic, phosphate-free cleaning, dish and laundry products; plastic trash bags made from recycled plastic; chlorine-free baby diapers, training pants, and baby wipes; and chlorine-free feminine care products, including organic cotton tampons.

Unlike nearly all other companies in the cleaning products business, Seventh Generation discloses all of their ingredients and explains what each does on all the products they sell. There are no laws requiring them to do so, but they are working hard to turn those laws into reality by lobbying.

In the last couple of years, Seventh Generation has not only made their own business more sustainable, but assisted manufacturers in their supply chain. In 2008 they held Manufacturing Partner Sustainability Summit, one of the first of its kind, which helps businesses in their supply chain become more socially responsible and environmentally-friendly.

They also donate 10% of their pre-tax profits to non-profit community, environmental, health, and responsible business organizations working for positive change. This is a huge percentage compared to most other companies, even those in the green sector.

On top of all that, Seventh Generation also has a climate action plan, which the company says will reduce their GHG emissions by 80% by 2050 (normalized to sales). They adopted this before many countries had even considered it.

I have really only scratched the service of Seventh Generation’s commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, but it is clear that they are a model for businesses of all sizes. They are not perfect, but they are making progress and are genuinely concerned about their environmental and social impact. In 30 years, if I had to bet, Seventh Generation will be one of largest household products companies, beating out Clorox by a long shot.

The first time I heard of the phrase Cradle to Cradle (C2C) was when a friend told me take a bath with a book called Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. The reason for the bath and the book at the same time? The book is printed on synthetic ‘paper,’ made from plastic resins and inorganic filters, and is designed to “look and feel like top quality paper while also being waterproof and rugged.” The book can be recycled in all areas where polypropylene (think yogurt containers) recycling is available and can be reused for a lifetime, barring any contact with fire or radioactive materials.

I quickly became intrigued with the book and plowed my way through it. The ideal behind Cradle to Cradle design is that of the design of the book: use, recycle, reuse. C2C is the anti-thesis of single-use throw away design that dominated American capitalism in the last half of the 20th century. It is a relatively new idea—simple in conception, difficult in reality—that is creating quite the buzz throughout the “green” industry.

The current buzz from C2C is the result of Michael Braungart and William McDonough, the authors of the previously mentioned book. Although others conceived of the idea before them, they are largely responsible for the recent popularization of the term. Their book is the first manifesto of the C2C movement and an excellent introduction to this revolutionary school of design.

Cradle-to-cradle products, as opposed to cradle-to-grave products, are designed and produced to be “perpetually circulated in a closed loop,” thus maximizing their value while simultaneously reducing damage to ecosystems. C2C seeks to eliminate “waste” altogether.

The language of C2C design can be complex, but understanding only a few terms will give you a basic understanding of the philosophy. Braungart and McDonough split up all materials into two categories: technical and biological nutrients. A biological nutrient is “a biodegradable material posing no immediate or eventual hazard to living systems that can be used for human purposes and can safely return to the environment to feed environmental processes,” while a technical nutrient is “a material that remains in a closed-loop system of manufacture, reuse, and recovery (the technical metabolism), maintaining its value through many product life cycles.”

In an ideal world, Braungart and McDonough would like to see products solely designed by C2C protocols and entirely composed of either biological or technical nutrients. This would ensure a truly sustainable economy, one that not only reduces resource use in the present, but also guarantees those resources’ health in the future.

Unfortunately this ideal world does not exist and probably never will, but Braungart and McDonough have conceived a ‘C2C Certification’ that rates nearly any type of human product: consumer items, buildings, cities, social systems, and more. Although the certification system was initially slow in gaining traction, entire cities in China could become certified in the near future.

According to Braungart and McDonough’s company website, C2C certification “provides a company with a means to tangibly, credibly measure achievement in environmentally-intelligent design and helps customers purchase and specify products that are pursuing a broader definition of quality… This means using environmentally safe and healthy materials; design for material reutilization, such as recycling or composting; the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency; efficient use of water, and maximum water quality associated with production; and instituting strategies for social responsibility.”

Hundreds of products have become C2C-certified and more are in the process. To learn more about certification, check out the site, which gives an overview of the certification process and the requirements to become certified.

C2C design is incredibly important as the United States and the world transitions into a clean energy and green economy. Simply reducing consumption and building renewable energy projects is not enough because it is not genuinely sustainable for the future. Concentrating on creating processes and products that do away with consumption altogether is what C2C is about and that is the model the new economy needs.

When I was a young child, I used to put a certain small 45 rpm Sesame Street record on my Fisher Price record player.  The record had Kermit the Frog repeatedly singing, “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.”  Today, as a mature, suit-and-tie-wearing frog, working in a marketing department of a large corporation, Kermit would easily refine his identity-conflict tune to “It’s Not Easy Marketing Green.”

According to the American Marketing Association, “Green Marketing” is defined as the development and marketing of products designed to minimize negative effects on the physical environment or to enhance its quality.  However, applying a concrete definition to such a slippery concept, which has taken many forms and shapes over the years, has proven to be anything but simple or manageable.  And, as you have seen on our Source and Resource site thus far, green marketing can include a variety of activities in diverse areas.

In general, a company’s green strategies has involved any of the following: 1) improving efficiencies in the production process, 2) changes in advertising style, and/or 3) taking greater account of a firm’s wastefulness of the earth’s resources, pollution and its release of toxins into the atmosphere.

Ever since Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reports first emerged in the late 1980s alongside a company’s annual financial reports, firms’ environmental considerations have manifested in various (some may say ‘nebulous’) commitments, promises, and proclamations.  Some half-hearted, some gracefully fulfilled.  Such actions have ranged from recycling waste in industrial processes to a company exclusively using recycled paper; from a firm’s increased efficiency in the utilization of energy and materials, to improved logistics management for cutting down transportation emissions; and, even from transforming plastic waste into pencils, to donating employees’ used eyeglasses to a program called Vision Aid Overseas.

As we have all witnessed, consumer and corporate environmental consciousness has dramatically elevated in recent years.  Related news, events, and proposed legislation seem to emerge and change at warp speed.  More apparent causes and effects of global climate change, depleting fisheries, deforestation, and the current energy and impending water crises have all caused people to reassess what they put in their cupboards, dishwashers, and gas tanks, along with what they do with such things once they’ve been used.

Because of this intensified environmental awareness, it has become increasingly important how a firm deals with such global challenges.  Or, one might argue, it may be even more crucial how a firm is viewed in approaching such issues.  In this manner, CSR environmental behavior and “cleantech” investments have become essential to a company’s core operations, regardless of the sector in which the company operates.  That is, companies are not only sensing the rising accountability demands of shareholders, the public, and governmental bodies, but also the opportunities involved in a “green products” market estimated at US$209 billion.

Along the years, many corporate executives acquired newfound headaches attempting to navigate through the ever-shifting Green landscape.  Sometimes, it would seem as if all good deeds went punished, or, at best, unrecognized, and all “regular” activities were hyper-scrutinized.  Yet, nearly all will tell you that such experiences were tremendous learning opportunities and that it is quite important for companies to stay active, involved and persist in the green marketplace.  Unlike the first environmental movements of the 1970s and 1980s, this Green Marketing movement is a core business paradigm that is here to stay.  And, as executives are quickly learning, businesses not only need patience, but also much guidance along the way.

In addition to what Greg has been doing with critical updates on resources and news on sustainable, green business practices, this column provides the latest innovative approaches to green business strategies and corporate environmental marketing.  This will include a greater background understanding of the issues, theories, and policies involved, as well as insight from leading experts of where the green marketing movement has been, what it has learned, why, and where it is today.  We will explore how firms are overcoming the green marketing challenges and where they are seeking and finding new opportunities; how they are positioning themselves and where they are investing. We will search for answers to the key question, “How do firms embrace the holistic approach to green marketing that, although initially seems quite daunting and elusive, could provide a wealth of innovative and environmentally sustainable opportunities?”

Environmentally responsible purchasing is often an overwhelming venture for businesses of all sizes. Where do you begin? How do you choose? How do you know your purchases are actually making a difference?

If these questions have dogged you before, you will be happy to know about a new guide recently released by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development titled “Sustainable Procurement of Wood and Paper-based Products.”
The guide is an excellent resource for businesses and organizations that want to buy large amounts of environmentally-responsible wood and paper-based products, but do not have enough time to wade through all of the eco-certifications and lingo surrounding the industry. The guide assists purchasers by:

- Identifying the central issues around sustainable procurement of wood and paper-based products.

- Providing an overview of some of the tools, initiatives, programs and labels, and other resources that have emerged to assist sustainable procurement.

“Many tools, projects, initiatives and labels have emerged over the past few years to aid sustainable procurement;” the guide states, “those new to the subject may find this proliferation of advice confusing. This guide highlights and characterizes, for the first time, a selected number of resources, and it provides a comprehensive overview of the issues central to sustainable procurement.”

The guide identifies ten key issues that must be taken into account: origin, information accuracy, legality, sustainability, special places, climate change, environmental protection, recycled fiber, other resources, and local communities and indigenous peoples. There is a small section for each of the issues explaining why they are important and how they fit into the bigger picture. Following that section is six pages of graphs—‘The Guide to the Guides’—which conveniently compares the varying certifications currently available for solid wood products, pulp and paper-based products, and wood-based products in general. The tables are user-friendly and are hands-down one of the best resources available to compare various eco-certifications in the wood and paper industries.

A glossary is included at the end, as well as descriptions of the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.

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!

Imagine that you are a sustainably-minded corporate business weathering the current economic crisis. You have some tough decisions to make. You can either cut costs by decreasing spending on renewable energy credits, recycled paper, and other sustainable aspects of your business, or you can layoff or limit the hours of many of your employees. If you are committed to sustainability, this is not an easy decision.

New analysis conducted by A.T. Kearney shows that many corporate companies committed to sustainability have not had to make those difficult decisions. Companies “staying the course” with sustainability are achieving above-average performance in the financial markets during the economic slowdown. Sustainability-focused companies are defined by either inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index or the Goldman Sachs SUSTAIN focus list.

In 16 out of 18 industries, the analysis says, “companies recognized as sustainability-focused outperformed their industry peers over both a three-month and six-month period.” The performance differential between sustainable companies and others was 10 percent in the three-month period and 15-percent in the six-month period. In terms of cash, the performance differential translates to $650 million in market capitalization per company.

The study outlines several key sustainability principles that are particularly helpful during an economic slowdown: focus on long-term health rather than short-term gains, strong corporate governance, sound risk management practices, and a history of investing in green innovations.

Long-term planning requires a five-year or longer outlook, according to the study, but accurate predictions can lead to sound and selective investments in “technologies, processes, and even people that may not bring an immediate return, but will position the business for sustained future success.

Strong governance is also an integral aspect of sustainable companies. An independent Board of Directors and high levels of transparency in all aspects of the corporation are key for success. Transparency is often manifested in an annual detailed corporate responsibility/sustainability report.

Risk management is part of daily life for all businesses and is closely linked with long-term predictions and planning. “Risk management,” the study says, “requires identifying areas of potential liability or weakness and crafting strategies to avoid disruptive events from occurring due to weak links in the supply chain, such as environmental changes due to geopolitical happenings.” Effective risk management policies often require a five to ten year outlook.

The study notes that many corporations, whether sustainable or not, have “invested” in green innovations, meaning they implemented initiatives that reduce resource use. Those companies who consistently invest in green innovations, however, are the biggest winners. They generally reap the biggest profits because they are pioneering innovative products that often dramatically alter their market for years to come.

Due to its impressively reproductive abilities, Bamboo is hailed as one of the most sustainable raw materials available. Not to mention, nearly everyone, from consumers to researchers, has a positive perception of bamboo, and it is often quoted as the ‘perfect’ green substitute. The reason lies in its inherent durability, affordability and overall adaptability. Overwhelming demand for bamboo products like furniture, paper, keyboards and apparel wear has led to the inception of a bevy of profitable green industries. Bamboo goods are even being retailed at major stores like Wal-Mart and eco-centric brands like Banana Republic. It is expected that the size of the bamboo goods industry will amount to nearly $25 billion in 2012. Therefore, it is no surprise that newer ways of using bamboo for other green business practices are also being researched.

Bamboo-based products have vast business potentional. Bamboo is a great green solution for organizations striving to adopt greener technologies but struggling from restricted funds. The growth pattern of a bamboo ensures bamboo will remain cheap to produce, needing little or no pesticides and minimal water supply. This isn’t to mention its environmental benefits, using up more carbon dioxide than any other contemporary vegetation of comparable size. These features make it one of the most environmentally-beneficial materials introduced in the last decade. Further, it is a demand-compliant raw material that can be manipulated for nearly every conceivable use. For example, Method, a cleaning-products company in San Francisco uses bamboo for its packaging and industrial cleaning needs. The bamboo company, Totally Bamboo, alone produces 300 different types of bamboo-based products to meet the rising demand.

Bamboo Laptop

However, despite praises for its sustainable aspects, the conventional bamboo harvesting and procurement methods aren’t the most sustainable. There is a growing fear that the surging demand pattern may eventually damage bamboo production beyond redemption. Analysts believe that there is a highly misplaced notion among bamboo growers that just because it grows quickly and is more resilient than conventional crops, its harvesting doesn’t need to be regulated.

Just consider this — The United Nations has stated that nearly half among the 1,200 known varieties of bamboo are already extinct or are on the verge of being eradicated.

Major suppliers like Totally Bamboo depend upon sourcing bamboo from China but are taking care not to indulge in over-harvesting. This should be regarded as a smart business decision, since there are already predictions of a bamboo shortage by 2011-12. The anticipated demand is already pushing-up the price of bamboo products beyond anticipation and if this disturbing trend continues, its appeal as a green substitute for businesses may quickly lose its shine.

Among the many solutions discussed for ensuring the availability of bamboo over a sustained period of time, cultivating it within the US has received a lot of support. Bamboo providers like Totally Bamboo have already begun exploring this opportunity. Various parts of the country like Florida, Texas, Maryland and Missouri have been recommended for being gradually converted into the bamboo belt of America. Certain indigenous American varieties like Florida Bamboo have already found a lot of domestic demand. These areas have traditionally been used for growing cotton and are regarded as most suitable for growing the varieties of bamboo that are being imported from China.

A more enterprising initiative has been taken by BooShoot Gardens based in Mount Vernon, Washington. This innovative laboratory presents a radically-different solution for replenishing the production of bamboo. As a part of its agroforestry initiative, it is growing various varieties of bamboo through the tissue culture technology for being planted across the US.