Manufacturing
Welcome to Plastictopia
I’m buying an Electrolux
Wired is reporting that Electrolux is going to clean up the oceans to harvest the plastic it needs for manufacturing. They want to increase the recycled plastic content of their ‘green’ vacuums from 70% to 100%. They can’t do that now because there’s a lack of available plastic on land to recycle.
Electrolux’s Vac From The Sea project will reclaim plastic in the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans, as well as the Baltic and North seas. Read More
Now everybody, I’m sure that it would NOT be a good idea to stop recycling plastics so that companies like Electrolux feel more urgency for this project. But if you’re someone who uses recycled plastics in product design, I would get on board now.
Are you a “sustainable” marketer?
How do you define “sustainability” and how do you showcase your efforts within your marketing initiatives … without being perceived as “greenwashing”? 
In the last couple of years, “sustainability” has risen in the ranks as a purchase criteria for food and supplements. People are becoming more conscious of how products are manufactured, how the ingredients in them are sourced, and how they get to the shelves. At the 2010 Focus on the Future, we were treated to a keynote by Dr. Jay Golden, Director of the Sustainability Consortium. This is a group of academics and global businesses who have come together to develop a scientific foundation that will improve consumer product sustainability throughout its lifecycle. The reason? Walmart’s 15-point supplier sustainability assessment, replete with specific dates to comply.
Leafy Green Viral Marketing
Nissan has been pushing its latest technological breakthroughs in lithium ion powered cars with a video posted on YouTube. The name of the car is Leaf. It’s an interesting move that will hit car lovers, environmentalists and the general populace with equal emphasis. I like the simple, creative way the message is portrayed and the heightened sustainability prowess it gives Nissan. Viral works, to prove it, watch the video.
Dark clouds of crisis have a shiny silver lining called alternative energy
There are strong signs of a rebound for the alternative energy sector, but how soon will green jobs start impacting the U.S. job market? Though the U.S is surrounded by economic, security, and climate crisis – can green technologies really save us from ourselves?
Some say alternative energy could spark the next “industrial revolution”. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get dirty. Click here for a must-read article from Manufacturing.net that just may provide some fuel for thought!
Charting a Green ENERGY Path for Your Business
Making smart energy choices now is more critical than ever, both from a budget perspective and an environmental one. As awareness of green solutions spreads, more consumers are looking for environmentally sound practices for personal use, and expect the same level of awareness in the businesses they support.
Increasingly, businesses are recognizing that using green energy is not only an effective long-term strategy that’s good for the environment, but it also resonates well with consumers who are increasingly looking for companies with environmentally-sound business practices. Here are top tips on smart energy consumption for your business:
- Participate in demand response programs available through your energy provider.
- Use localized power. Construction of on-site renewable generation for businesses can be a viable and potentially profitable means of limiting dependence on fossil fuels and ensuring reliability of power supplies.
- Maintain HVAC systems. Proper maintenance of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment can maximize efficiency for the long term.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). One CFL saves about 330kWh over its lifetime—a reduction of about 400 pounds of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. CFLs also generate 70% less heat than standard bulbs, reducing the need for air conditioning. (Source: Previously published in New England Hotel Magazine, March/April 2008)
- Use Energy Star equipment. Energy Star offers several office equipment solutions that may be eligible for tax breaks in addition to saving on electricity costs. An Energy Star labeled computer, for example, uses 70% less electricity than a standard model, and in sleep mode, the same computer will use only 4 watts or less. (Source: U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewal Energy website: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/home_office.html)
