Ecopreneurist

As the economic messages get scarier and scarier, it’s time to re-evaluate the message you are sending to consumers. This video gives some tips.

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

When Proforma Green goes to events we often get asked questions on what the different recycling symbols on plastic items stand for. I thought this might be a question some of our readers would like answered as well and so decided to re-post here information on the symbols first put together by thedailygreen.com.

PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate)

Found in: Soft drink, water and beer bottles; mouthwash bottles; peanut butter containers; salad dressing and vegetable oil containers; ovenable food trays.

Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs.

Recycled into: Polar fleece, fiber, tote bags, furniture, carpet, paneling, straps, (occasionally) new containers

PET plastic is the most common for single-use bottled beverages, because it is inexpensive, lightweight and easy to recycle. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. Recycling rates remain relatively low (around 20%), though the material is in high demand by remanufacturers.

HDPE (high density polyethylene)

Found in: Milk jugs, juice bottles; bleach, detergent and household cleaner bottles; shampoo bottles; some trash and shopping bags; motor oil bottles; butter and yogurt tubs; cereal box liners.

Recycling: Picked up through most curbside recycling programs, although some allow only those containers with necks.

Recycled into: Laundry detergent bottles, oil bottles, pens, recycling containers, floor tile, drainage pipe, lumber, benches, doghouses, picnic tables, fencing.

HDPE is a versatile plastic with many uses, especially for packaging. It carries low risk of leaching and is readily recyclable into many goods.

V (Vinyl) or PVC

Found in: Window cleaner and detergent bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles, clear food packaging, wire jacketing, medical equipment, siding, windows, piping.

Recycling: Rarely recycled; accepted by some plastic lumber makers.

Recycled into: Decks, paneling, mudflaps, roadway gutters, flooring, cables, speed bumps, mats.

PVC is tough and weathers well, so it is commonly used for piping, siding and similar applications. PVC contains chlorine, so its manufacture can release highly dangerous dioxins. If you must cook with PVC, don’t let the plastic touch food. Also never burn PVC, because it releases toxins.

LDPE (low density polyethylene)

Found in: Squeezable bottles; bread, frozen food, dry cleaning and shopping bags; tote bags; clothing; furniture; carpet.

Recycling: LDPE is not often recycled through curbside programs, but some communities will accept it. Plastic shopping bags can be returned to many stores for recycling.

Recycled into: Trash can liners and cans, compost bins, shipping envelopes, paneling, lumber, landscaping ties, floor tile.

LDPE is a flexible plastic with many applications. Historically it has not been accepted through most American curbside recycling programs, but more and more communities are starting to accept it. Read the rest of this entry »

The recent $700 billion bailout package has extended tax credits to wind and solar energy companies. However since mostly all renewable energy projects depend upon project financing, it is suspected that only large utilities will actually benefit from the tax credits. However, companies such as Carbon Sciences, Inc. (CABN) are proving otherwise.

Transforming CO2 to Fuel

Carbon Sciences, the developer of a breakthrough technology to transform harmful carbon dioxide (CO2) into high value, earth-friendly products such as precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC) is now developing a breakthrough technology to transform CO2 into the basic fuel building blocks required to produce gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel and other portable fuels. Read the rest of this entry »

Given the release of updated financial news from around the world every hour, readers are increasingly scouring the web to find the most current stories out there. Tip’d is here to answer your needs by delivering the best business stories recommended by other readers. Tip’d (tipd.com) is a community for financial news, ideas, and tips. Given the important political decisions ahead and the evolving state of the economy, this social news site is perhaps more of a necessity rather than a convenient online news asset. Read the rest of this entry »

Energy independence seems to be each country’s topmost agenda in today’s challenging economic climate. While many companies are looking to take advantage of the new tax credits extended to renewable energy industries, others are looking to solve the problem by finding ways to convert emissions into high value, sustainable technology. Carbon Sciences is developing a breakthrough technology to transform carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into useful carbonate products that can be used by the paper, pharmaceuticals and FMCG industries.

Carbon Sciences has recently developed CO2-to-Carbonate technology , an industrial platform for transforming CO2 emissions into high value carbonate products such as precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), a carbon captured product that replaces wood and clay in the paper industry. Carbon Sciences’ clean technology process combines CO2 with industrial waste minerals and transforms them into PCC.

The multi-billion dollar global market for PCC is projected to grow to 10 million tons by 2010. Carbon Sciences attributes this growth to increased worldwide paper consumption and construction. The company has been in discussion with various paper manufacturers to test the use of PCC. An in-house plant will test and optimize the development of this highly valued carbonate product Read the rest of this entry »

Not necessarily. Though consumer confidence is down, recessions are historically the time when emerging trends gain momentum – green is a fast growing trend.

But, if your business depends on retail distribution, now is the time to familiarize yourself with how the grocery channel operates in down markets…which you may not have been a part of until this time.

The effect at retail has more nuance than an upturn in staples sales, as people eat out less and turn to food stores more for their next meal components. Rattled consumers expressed their lowest confidence levels since the start of the Iraq war in 2003, and the lowest expectation levels since the oil embargo and Watergate of 1973, according to the Conference Board.

This means a focus on the consumer benefit for organic foods…not the term “organic” but the health benefit provided. Consumers may be more willing to spend the extra dollars to buy organic if they have the health benefit spelled out in front them at point of purchase.

Or perhaps, no certainly, this is the time to teach consumers how to stretch their menus. During tight times, providing recipes with which consumers may not be familiar is a great strategy. Coupons and selling a value message is paramount. Read the rest of this entry »

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

Not all the changes in the promotional products industry relate to actual products. New technologies are starting to make their way into our industry as well.

The neatest thing I have seen lately is the new concept of order portals from companies like Creative Merchandise, LLC, based in California.

Client Order Portals are custom web ordering platforms to make ordering promotional items even easier as they allow companies like ours to display our client’s logos on actual in stock merchandise in real time.

Why is that green? The number one question we get is how is a logo going to look on X item.

In the far past the only way to address this question was to develop a spec sample, i.e to run one item to serve as a sample for the hundreds of, say, coffee mugs to follow. Today we often run .pdf proofs instead of spec samples, but there are still thousands of spec samples being done in our industry.

The problem is that to run something even as simple as one mug spec sample is the same process as running 10,000 mugs. We use the same big machines, same screens, same setup but all that work and energy produce only one item.

It is like using a bulldozer to plant a single flower bulb in your front yard. Read the rest of this entry »

The following is guest post submitted to me by the ecopreneurs over at Grow and Make - The Sustainable Living Store.

Last Friday congress passed the renewable-energy Incentive Tax Credit, as an attachment to the $700b financial bail-out. This legislation provides an extension of the existing renewable tax credits, but also includes provisions for new tax incentives as well as bonds and the relaxation of regulations for industry and changes for major utilities.

As an entrepreneur and consumer, I was very curious to learn more about the implications and constraints of this legislation.

Aside from the research I did on my own, I discussed the meaning of this legislation with a few good sources of information, one being Bill Gross at IdeaLab, who has investments in renewable energy. Another excellent source of information was Solar Oregon, a non-profit based in Portland providing consumer information and resources on solar energy. I ultimately ended up talking to the Department of Energy and the IRS to nail down specifics.

What became clear from my inquiries and research is the following:

First, the new legislation applies in 2009, although it extends existing 2005 legislation for renewable energy.

Secondly, there has been a removal of the $2000 tax-credit cap which previously limited the amount that was eligible for a tax-payer refund on their investment. Additionally, you can offset AMT taxes with the credit if you have outstanding AMT taxes due. Residential homeowners can recover 30% of their investment costs and a business can recover 50%.

Additionally, the existing wind power credit has been extended for one year and the geothermal and biomass energy credits have been extended for two years. The 2005 solar energy credit has been extended for eight years. Read the rest of this entry »

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

All you North American eco hotels, yoga studios, cafes, craft shops and spas, rejoice. There is finally a US company making soy candles in the US from US materials that can do large scale runs.

Decarte Products pronounced “Da Kart” specializes in creating a premium fragrance 100% soy candle, and they were at the Promotional Products Association International event in Fort Worth showing off their new line.

The best thing about this company - aside from the US manufacturing - is that they specialize in candles only, unlike most other manufactures that carry candles, if at all, as an after thought.

Why soy? Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re a company that’s looking for additional ways to green beyond the obvious, I suggest you look at how you ship internationally. Have you ever looked at where it  goes? If not, do it soon. If it’s with one of the big three, It is far from a straight line. It first goes to a central hub. Even if that’s flying backwards further into the US. Then It goes overseas, but most likely to another hub. Then if it’s lucky, it gets to go to the intended destination.

UPS can talk all it wants about eliminating left turns on their driving routes, but if you’re adding 2-3 legs to the flight getting it there, that makes for a long, carbon intensive trip. And it doesn’t have to be that way.

Read the rest of this entry »