Ecopreneurist

Part 2 in a series where Krates Ng (co-founder of Mokugift environmental rewards) interviews fellow ecopreneurs.  Today, Krates interviews Linda Lannon of PeopleTowels.

1) Why did you start PeopleTowels?

My business partner, Mary Wallace and I started PeopleTowels, because we believe that every person can have a positive impact on the environment by making small lifestyle changes.  PeopleTowels is one of those small sustainable acts with a big environmental impact.

2) Is there a story about the name?

Actually my son came up with the name.  We liked PeopleTowels because it’s a wake-up call that paper towels are a mindless convenience that are not eco-friendly.  The name also empowers every person to have a sustainable choice rather than be forced to use paper towels or air dryers when they’re out and about.

3) What was the toughest challenge in getting your company started and how you got over that?

Our business is only 3 months old. Our biggest challenge is awareness.  We are a new category in sustainability and we need to get the word out about our product and it’s environmental benefits.  When people realize that by switching from paper towels to PeopleTowels in public restrooms, in one year they will save ¼ of a tree, decrease landfill by 23 lbs and conserve 250 gallons of water, they “get it.”  Almost everyone we meet wants to do the right for the environment – something within their control that doesn’t cost a lot, yet has a positive environmental impact.  Cloth grocery bags, coffee mugs at work, reusable water bottles and now PeopleTowels are part of that eco-friendly lifestyle.  These small changes multiplied by millions really have an impact.

4) Can you describe the moment when you knew that PeopleTowels hit full stride as a business?

After 3 months, we have a ways to go before we hit full stride. However, I believe full stride for PeopleTowels will be similar to reusable water bottles—when PeopleTowels are widely adopted by individuals and businesses and the corresponding environmental benefits of saved trees, reduced landfill and water conservation are realized.

5) If you had to pick one product in your lineup, which one would you showcase and why?

While we’ve had nothing but a positive reaction to all of the eco-chic designs in our inaugural product line, the best-selling PeopleTowel is ‘This Is Not A Tree’.  It says it all- with a funky all-over tree design and the words – This is not a tree.  It’s really fun and our customers love it.

6) How is PeopleTowels going to grow in 2010? And how can other ecopreneurs help?

PeopleTowels will grow in 2010 in several ways.  For the B2C aspect of our business we are using all the social media channels to spread the word about our new product.  We are currently sponsoring our first annual Earth Day design contest.  After the online voting for the best design we’ll manufacture the winner’s design on a PeopleTowel and sell it online. 2010 will be a strong year for the B2B side of the business as we develop and grow relationships with retail partners and businesses.

My fellow ecopreneurs can help in the same way I can help them— by creating awareness through their social media networks; be it blogs, Facebook or Twitter for PeopleTowels.  At PeopleTowels we are constantly looking for eco-solutions, innovations and companies with whom we can partner or write about.  I hope other ecopreneurs  reading this blog will get in touch with me.   I’ve meet some phenomenal ecopreneurs and  though we have different approaches, different ideas;  I believe we all have the same motivation for starting our new businesses—reducing our environmental impact and leaving the planet a better place for future generations.

This is a guest post by John Simonetta, owner of Proforma Simonetta Freelance, an eco-friendly promotional items consultancy (see proformagreen.com). John’s blogs are designed to keep us up to date on the “greening” of his industry.

I like the beach. A lot of folks like the beach. And this time of year dozens of cruise ships are taking people from cold northern climes to warm southern waters. Indeed an item as basic as brandable sunscreen is a big seller for our industry at this time of year. Believe me, cruise ships hold a lot of sunscreen.

However, over the past few years the world has come to learn that traditional sunscreen kills coral, indeed many places like Cancún in Mexico ban traditional sunscreen all together. So what is an Ecopreneurist targeting the snowbirds supposed to do?

Enter Aloe Up Sun & Skin Care Products. Aloe Up offers a natural, biodegradable (reef friendly), hypoallergenic, and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores) sun and skin care line produced from aloe organically grown in Harlingen, Texas and sold in over 60 countries worldwide.

Aloe Up biodegradable SPF 25 sun lotion holds a minimum of 25% pure Aloe Vera Gel, is alcohol, mineral oil, and PABA free, is independently tested, and complies with FDA standards. Aloe Up products are fragrance free as well.

What does that all mean to the Ecopreneurist? Simple. This is the good stuff, and placing your logo on this item is the safe bet when it comes to brandable, upscale sun protection.

“Our products are biodegradable,” says Dan Ohlson, Vice President of Sales for Aloe Up Sun & Skin Care Products. “In the case of the screen this means it may be used in and around all coastal regions, including resorts in Mexico which have strict regulations banning screen due to the fact that it kills coral by killing plankton (its food source).” Ohlson went on to say that an item like Aloe Up SPF 15 Pro Sport will stay on in the water for up to 8 hours, will not sweat into your eyes on the golf coarse, it will not soak into your skin. {see video clip}

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Someone recently asked me if there was a public health angle to greening small businesses.  After thinking it over, it became clear there is.  First, when we talk about green we are also talking about issues of safety and health: Materials should foster healthy environments, current and future. This means avoiding toxic and dangerous chemicals. It means using an appropriate ventilation system. It means projects should be well-built to minimize safety risks to the occupants (fire, collapse, etc.). It also means making larger ties between the products we buy and energy security, homeland and foreign security, and other “issues of the day.”

Please keep in mind that there are 27 million small businesses in the US and consider these facts from the SBA: Small businesses…

• Employ just over half of U.S. workers. Of 119.9 million non-farm private sector workers in 2006, small firms with fewer than 500 workers employed 60.2 million and large firms employed 59.7 million.
• Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.

I see three distinct public health implications:

Public Health Implication #1: I have a case study in my new book that talks about greening that is recognized by the EPA and OSHA as exemplary and that points out that quality, environmental, health, and safety standards are all intertwined; a company that set and meets the highest health and safety standards is the surest route to profitability and competitiveness. The Ideal Jacobs Corporation, a commercial printing company in NJ, has been recognized by both the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for environmental and social responsibility. One of a few, small independent manufacturers in the EPA’s Performance Track program—a program for companies with the best environmental management systems in the country.

Says Andrew Jacobs, President: “You can’t get the best profits, you can’t even compete worldwide unless you are the ultimate in making as little garbage as possible, having the least amount of it around so your people won’t get sick, and being one of the safest you can be. So by being the best employer, you’re also being the most profitable.”

Jacobs chose to focus on two high-impact areas of his business: solid waste and hazardous waste.

“After working through the EPA application [twice], I realized the correlation between reducing solid waste and higher profit margins. It suddenly dawned on me: Of course, create less pollution and [you’ll] have more end-product…We invited in OSHA, which was unheard of at the time. Then, I realized that the healthier and safer our place was, the more money I was making. Every click we made in terms of quality, environmentalism, and safety, every time we notched up, we made more money.”

Since 2002, the company has reduced its solid waste per dollar of sales by more than 50%. By substituting less toxic materials in its sheet-fed printing operations, the company achieved an 18% reduction in pounds of solid waste per $1 in sales and a 23% reduction in pounds of hazardous materials used per $1 in sales. Ideal Jacobs is proof that good sustainability practices are good for business.

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When WalMart finally unveiled their new Sustainability Index, I found the 15 questions a bit underwhelming. Especially, after all the press and fuss (you can download the questions from the WalMart web site).

For example, the first question, “Have you measured your corporate greenhouse gas emissions?” is so simplistic, that a yes answer could mean many things. Scope 1? Scope 2? Have they taken on the challenge of addressing the full supply chain?

GreenBiz.com offers some advice for getting the most out of the questions, if you are a Walmart supplier that is just beginning to think about environmental issues.

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I had the opportunity to be a sustainability coach to some of the Clean Tech Open semifinalists last week.

The Annual Business Competition provides green mentoring and sustainability workshops to help clean tech entrepreneurs integrate sustainability into their business plans. And I found myself stressing the business case for why integrating green made business sense.

While some of the companies we met with were very committed to sustainability, others seemed to be going through the motions because it is required by the competition.

I understand CEOs of start-ups have many competing issues to focus on.

I thought it might be helpful to review here the three key reasons why it is makes good business sense to invest in sustainable business practices:

• It will save you money
• It will provide better access to capital
• It will drive top-line revenues

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