Greening Our Government

The first-ever GreenGov Supply Chain Summit, hosting 150 different companies from all over the county was held in Chicago on November 16, 2010. The summit was held to announce a voluntary collaboration between the Federal Government and vendors and suppliers to create a greener and cleaner supply chain. Michelle Sheldon, President of Eco Promotional Products, Inc. was invited and gladly attended the the sumit. Certainly, the opportunity to contribute towards a greener and cleaner supply chain has been a long standing goal of Sheldon’s company. And there is a clear opportunity to participate in sales to the Federal Government, a purchaser of some 500 billion in goods and services annually.


White House Council on Environmental Quality Chair Nancy Sutley participates in the GreenGov Supply Chain Summit


Section 13 of Executive Order 13514 Made by President Obama on October 8, 2007 requires the General Services Administration, the Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, and others to provide the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Federal Procurement Policy with recommendations on the possibilities of tracking and ultimately lessening greenhouse gas emissions from the Federal supply chain and improving sustainability of suppliers. Essentially the government is trying to control and ultimately lessen the greenhouse gases emitted from its supplier community. This is the government’s attempt at managing supplier and supply chain sustainability.

Some recommendations taken right out of the order are:1. Requiring vendors and contractors to register with a voluntary registry or organization for reporting greenhouse gas emissions
2. Requiring contractors, as part of a new revised registration under the Central Contractor Registration or other tracking system, to develop and make available its greenhouse gas inventory and description of efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions
3. Using Federal Government purchasing preferences or other incentives for products manufactured using processes that minimize greenhouse gas emissions
4. Other options for encouraging sustainable practices and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The government along with the GSA and other agencies are trying to stop greenhouse gases by tracking how much their suppliers are emitting. If businesses all did this and became aware of how much they were endangering the environment, improved eco friendly practices such as paperless companies would grow and become the norm.


http://image.exct.net/lib/fefd167774640c/m/1/Executive+Order+7.13.2010.pdf

http://www.wileyrein.com/resources/documents/GSA%20Recommendations.pdf

http://www.wileyrein.com/publications.cfm?sp=articles&id=6242
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/11/18/greening-supply-chain

Michelle Sheldon from Eco Promotional Products

The Younger Generation of "Green"

The 2nd annual Cantigny Green Festival in Wheaton, IL was held Saturday, September 25, 2010. The fair, co-produced by Cantigny and School and Community Assistance for Recycling & Composting (SCARCE), celebrated, “what’s working in our local community—for people, business and the environment.” Promoting a green and safe environment the fair had activities for families, a fashion show, and booths set up to buy and sample green products.

The fair showcased the “Going Green” phenomenon that has been taken up by celebrities and large corporations. The question that arises is who is really being affected? Is this recent “fad”, celebrities and CEO’s have jumped on, really changing the view of future generations?

Richa Bhargava of Naperville, IL is one example of a member of the younger generation not getting lost in the “fad” and is actually learning what it means to be environmentally smart. “I think my generation is really the one affected by “going green,” Bhargava said. Bhargava, who attends Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville, heard about the Green Fair from her school’s environmental club but was prompted to go by her AP Environmental teacher for extra credit.

The Green Festival showed Bhargava a number of organizations and companies going green. Bhargava said that corporations advertised a great deal about “going green” but with little results. She was comforted with the fact that other companies, along with Eco Promotional Products, Inc. were doing more. “Seeing recycled t- shirts, purses, jewelry and an electric car really emphasizes how we can actually change and truly go green,” Bhargava said.

The younger generations are catching on quicker than people think and really want to do what is right by the environment. The Cantigny Green Festival in Wheaton promotes awareness and fun for all generations. Bhargava feels the same, “It’s good to know that someone is taking the first step to change.”
Written by: Rachel Thomas from Eco Promotional Products, Inc.

The Impact of Choosing Made in USA Products

In tough economic times, Americans consumers are presented with a paradox – to seek out made in USA products to support our national economy or to purchase items manufactured overseas at a discounted price. There are few made in USA products currently on the market that are less expensive than imported goods. However, price is not always the most important factor to consider when making a purchase.

Consumers must support the national economy, or made in USA products will continue to decline and possibly disappear. Conversely, if consumers use their buying power to indicate that they are willing to pay a slight premium for American made items, domestic manufacturing will thrive and expand. The more USA made products American consumers purchase, from made in USA water bottles to organic apparel, the more products will become available.

Supporting the national economy goes beyond patriotism – buying made in USA products is the “green” choice as well. When consumers purchase items imported from other countries, they rarely take into consideration the carbon footprint of that item, i.e. how it was manufactured. For example, if you purchase made in USA clothes you are guaranteed they came from somewhere in the 50 states. Depending on where you live, there is a good chance your clothing item was manufactured and shipped to the end consumer less than 3,000 miles away. If you purchase an article of clothing made overseas, it’s possible that the fabric came from one country in the south Pacific and the item was assembled in an entirely different country then shipped to the United States. When all is said and done, one article of imported clothing has most likely travelled tens of thousands of miles before it ends up at your door. And even if the clothing is organic apparel, the environmental footprint may be quite large.

Additionally, there’s a reason that it is cheaper to manufacture items overseas. Many other countries have less stringent policies regarding labor laws and manufacturing best practices. So the less expensive items that are exported into the United States come at a price – generally at the expense of foreign laborers and increased pollution in developing nations.

In the current economic climate, it may be a challenge to find made in USA products, particularly organic apparel, grocery totes, stainless steel water bottles and electronics. However, if consumers begin to question where items are manufactured and choose to buy made in USA products when available, the impact could be staggering. The end result will be increased availability of made in USA products which support both the national economy and the environment.

Environmentally Friendly Conferences and Meetings on the Rise

The accepted practices exchange (APEX) is in the process of finalizing standards for green meetings and events. The immediate goal of outlining these standards and practices is to come up with environmental best practices to be applied to meetings, conferences and tradeshows nationally. The long term goal is for all of these events to evolve into environmentally friendly conferences and events. So how do you begin the transformation?

Think Globally, Act Locally. It's an old "green" cliché, but it rings true. The more items you can source for your event locally, the better. From eco promotional products to local labor, you should explore the availability of resources in the immediate area before looking beyond. The amount of time, effort and energy you will save per event can make a difference. And if every event going forward is an environmentally friendly conference or event, the effect can be staggering.

Conserve Resources. Think outside the box when planning your environmentally friendly conference to help conserve. Do you need to provide a paper copy of the presentation, or would it be possible to have it available electronically on a USB drive or for download post-event? Do the house lights need to be on during the entire event, or can they be dimmed or shut off during featured speakers? These little changes can help make your event a lot "greener."

Consider Sustainability. This goes beyond just what you put into making your event an environmentally friendly one and extends out to your vendors and suppliers. Are the products and services that are being provided being delivered in an eco friendly way? Do these event partners have plans in place for sustainability in their designated industries? If you don't know, it makes sense to find out. And if they don't, it's probably worth finding an alternative event partner who does.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. The "reduce" part of this mantra falls mostly under conserving resources, above. But the other two "r's" are equally, if not more, important because very little thought goes into what happens to event materials after the event. Almost all the components of an environmentally friendly conference or event can be reused or recycled. Otherwise, the amount of waste that one event produces is just that - wasteful and unnecessary.

While APEX is finalizing specific criteria for green meetings and events that use percentages and levels of environmentally friendliness, the above tips can get you on track for hosting an environmentally friendly conference or event in the interim.

How the promotional products industry will be impacted by the new green meeting APEX/ASTM Standards

McDonald's Shrek Glasses Recalled for Cadmium

CPSC Recalls 12 Million Promotional Glasses
In conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), fast-food giant McDonald's announced this morning that it is recalling 12 million promotional glasses that have been sold in stores since May 21. The glasses were promoting the new movie “Shrek Forever After,” but were found to have cadmium in the designs painted onto the items.
The CPSC stated in the recall notice that "long-term exposure to cadmium can cause adverse health effects." Both McDonald's and the CPSC said that the potential danger in the glasses now being recalled would be long-term exposure to low levels of cadmium, which could leach from the paint onto a child's hand, then enter the body if the child puts that unwashed hand to his or her mouth. "A very small amount of cadmium can come to the surface of the glass, and in order to be as protective as possible of children, CPSC and McDonald's worked together on this recall," said CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson.

Cadmium can be used to create reds and yellows in paint, and McDonald's USA spokesman Bill Whitman said a pigment in paint on the glasses contained low levels of cadmium. McDonald's reported that about 7 million of the glasses had already been sold, and it would be posting a notice on its website next week about refunds for those glasses. The glasses were manufactured and sold to McDonald's by ARC International, an unlisted manufacturer based in Millville , NJ .

Colleges Going Green

With the 40th anniversary of Earth Day in our rear view mirror, we need to make sure the emphasis on being “green” does not lose momentum. This trend is especially prevalent on college campuses, and not surprisingly the shift toward sustainability is largely student-directed. While much of the focus is on large-scale efforts to green campuses by decreasing consumption and conserving energy, there are smaller efforts that can also make a big impact.

One of the cornerstones of any college campus is the bookstore – at the very least, they sell books and college gear. However, many are also places for students to congregate, eat and drink.

Here are a few ways some colleges are going green with their college gear, and some tips for those who haven’t yet:

Green promotional items:
All colleges have branded promotional items all over campus, both–free and for sale. Imagine the positive impact if every pen and pad of paper emblazoned with the college’s logo was eco-friendly. Between faculty, staff, and current and prospective students, this little change would go a long way toward greening the college.

College gear:
The larger the college or university, the higher the demand for branded college gear. Almost any item you can think of can be branded. And all of these items can be made in one or more of the following eco-friendly ways: recycled, reusable, recyclable, energy efficient, organic or biodegradable.

Organic apparel:
One of the most popular branded college gear items, both on campus and off, is apparel. Thanks in large part to the recent push toward going green, there are more eco friendly and organic apparel choices than ever before. Organic apparel such as organic t-shirts and organic hooded sweat shirts bearing a college logo is a great way for students to support their college or university and their commitment to going green at the same time.

Important changes on college campuses are having a big impact on schools toward becoming more eco friendly and sustainable. While the focus is on greening buildings and conserving energy, it is important not to lose sight of the smaller ticket items that can also net big green savings and rewards. By keeping an eco friendly eye on promotional items, college gear and organic apparel in the college bookstores and beyond, colleges can go green in small ways as well as large.

Energy & Money Saving Tips for Individuals

On average, 43% of your utility bill goes toward heating and cooling a home. Typically, 11% of the energy budget goes towards lighting. Put practical strategies into action to save energy and money while reducing your emissions contributing to global climate change.

Energy & Money Saving Tips for Individuals

• CFL’s last longer and emit far less heat than incandescent bulbs.
• LED’s are even better! They use less energy than CFL’s and last even longer.
• In the winter close all curtains, blinds and shutters during the night. During the summer, do the reverse.
• Plant deciduous trees on south and west sides of a house/building to provide shade during the summer without blocking sunlight in the winter.
• Reduce phantom energy suckers. Unplug the appliance or use a power strip for less frequently used products. The switch on the power switch will cut all power to the appliance.
• Energy Tax Credits – learn more and save: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index
Please visit www.ecopromotionsonline.com or email info@ecopromotionsonline.com for more tips and information on sustainable practical practices.


Lighting Knowledge

The average household spends 11% of its energy bill on lighting. Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFL’s) have received plenty of publicity in recent years. Prices have steadily dropped and although still more expensive than incandescent bulbs, the energy savings alone make them the smart option for any lighting used frequently. Think of areas where lighting is left on for a long time; kitchen, family room, hallways, outdoor lights, etc. CFL’s last considerably longer than regular bulbs and the fact that they also emit far less heat means that they can also reduce energy used for cooling in the summer. Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) use even less energy than CFL’s and last even longer. Look for Energy Star certified bulbs to be sure you will realize the biggest benefits.

There are rarely perfect solutions to any environmental problem. Most CFL’s for example travel many miles from the manufacturing facility in Asia to get to your home and as they contain small amounts of Mercury, their disposal is also an important consideration. Safe disposal options are increasing, however it is not wise to simply discard a CFL into a garbage can. Reference: http://lighterfootstep.com/2007/09/five-ways-to-dispose-of-old-cfls/

Utilizing the Free Sun

Another easy step to help you control your home energy usage; in cold climates, close curtains, blinds or shutters during the night, open them during the day. In hot climates, the opposite approach will shield you from the sun’s intensity during the daytime.

You can enhance your surroundings and help your home or office be more energy efficient at the same time. Plant deciduous trees on south and west sides of a building to provide shade during the summer, without blocking sunlight during the winter. Temperatures in the shade can be 3 to 6 degrees cooler, well
positioned trees can therefore giving your air conditioning system a little help. The same principal applies for your air conditioning condenser outside the home; shade will make your system more efficient.

“Stop the Leak”

Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These “phantom” loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. These phantom loads can be avoided by unplugging the appliance or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.

2009/2010 Energy Tax Credit

Certain purchases aimed at improving energy efficiency are eligible for a 30% tax credit up to a total of $1,500. Unlike a deduction, which reduces the amount of taxable income, a tax credit directly reduces the tax itself. A tax credit can amount to a considerable savings on your tax return. Visit www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=tax_credits.tx_index for more information.

Beware of the Rebound Effect
Unfortunately human nature often works against us! If you install a CFL bulb in a light fitting, are you sub-consciously more likely to leave the light on? Lower priced or more efficient energy can actually increase consumption. For example, if your car gets more miles per gallon, the cost of your commute to work becomes cheaper, leading some of us to be more accepting of a longer commute, thereby offsetting some of the potential energy savings. This is known as the rebound-effect.
Please visit www.ecopromotionsonline.com or email info@ecopromotionsonline.com for more tips and information on sustainable practical practices.

References:

Campaign for an Energy-Efficient America is a coalition of more than 75 leading businesses, industry associations, faith organizations and environmental groups advocating for a national energy efficiency resource standard (EERS) to help the nation maximize energy efficiency - the fastest, cheapest, cleanest way to meet our growing energy needs. Visit www.energyefficiencyworks.org

Not all energy is created equally. US Dept of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy - Green Power Network http://apps3.eere.energy.gov/greenpower/buying/buying_power.shtml

U.S. Department of Energy: www.energysavers.gov/seasonal/

Sustainable Green Meetings – A Plan of Action

The Meeting Industry’s impact on our environment is so substantial that just a few course corrections would make a great difference. From energy consumption and its related harmful emissions to the unfathomable waste, sustainable changes must be made.

Take responsibility and become a leader in sustainable green meeting planning and implementation. Green meetings will not only reduce the environmental impact, they will leave a positive and lasting impression on the participants, organizers, service providers and community as a whole. And they may even cost less.

Here are tips to help make your next meeting environmentally and socially responsible.

1. Establish environmental goals. Examples: Decrease the amount of solid waste produced. Reduce the energy and water consumed. Minimize or off-set harmful emissions from transportation and energy consumed associated with the event. Establish a recycling plan and calculate waste diverted from a landfill.

2. Create a “Green” check list for exhibitors. Identify issues that will allow exhibitors the opportunity to improve upon display, travel, shipping, handouts, promotional products, etc. Acknowledge those exhibitors who go above and beyond. Share success stories and explain how their actions made a difference. Create an eco award for exhibitors.

3. Reduce travel for attendees and speakers. Choose venues and hotels that are close to major airports. Be sure to have hotels located within walking distance to the venues. Offer rideshare programs and information on easy access to public transportation.

4. Reduce, Reuse & Recycle. Insist your meeting venues and hotels provide visible and easily accessible reduction, reuse and recycling services. “If disposable, make responsible”. Encourage zero waste products such as biodegradable and compostable sugarcane plates & PLA (corn based) cold cups and biodegradable cutlery. Replace landfill destined water cups and individual bottled water with water stations and compostable cups or reusable drinkware. Encourage the use of reusable BPA free drinkware such as stainless steel water bottles or USA made recycled eco water bottles.

5. Reduce or eliminate small individual consumption products. Food and beverage service providers often have access to bulk dispensers for cream/milk for coffee, sugar, salt, pepper and other condiments. Explore composting as an option.

6. Be responsible with your promotional products. Make sure to choose items that are useful, reusable and reduce the use of non-rapidly renewable resources. Stay away from gimmicky items that will end up in a landfill. Consider “tools” to encourage energy and water conservation. Examples include the USB eco energy button, recycled 5-minute shower timer and USA made recycled magnets featuring your company’s logo and information along with environmental tips.

7. Choose a hotel in tune with sustainability. It’s now common for hotels to allow guest to choose not to change towels and sheets daily. Some hotels have low flow toilets, use ENERGY STAR compliant electronics, and clean with green certified products. There are now selections of Green Seal Certified Hotels. When booking your hotel find out their sustainability policy and procedures. See how they may help you to behave in a more sustainable way.

8. Choose local, healthy and even organic food choices. Check with the local catering to see if they can utilize locally grown seasonal produce. Make sure food is fresh and provide vegetarian meal choices along with non-vegetarian.

9. Be responsible regarding printed materials. Instead of printed materials, follow up with electronic transfer of documents or put materials onto flash drives. There are now great bamboo USB flash drives, recycled paper USB jump drives or USB’s made with recycled plastic casings. Make sure they are RoHS compliant (Restriction of Hazardous Substances for electronic and electrical goods.) meaning lead free. If printing, print on both sides of at least 30% post consumer waste recycled paper.

10. Save energy. Coordinate with management to make sure lights are turned off when a room is not in use. Make sure the rooms are comfortable; however, go easy on the air conditioning. (How about recommending to the venue that they use low energy bulbs such as compact florescent or even better, LED?)

11. Brand yourself responsibly. A very useful, reusable way to promote your brand is by wearing stylish, eco friendly clothing with your organization’s logo clearly embellished on the garment. There is now, more than ever, fashionable clothing made from recycled water bottles, or rapidly renewable resources. Great choices also include certified organic cotton shirts or soybean Polo shirts. Work under the premise that you are the face of your organization. Why not represent your brand responsibly and in style?

12. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Highlight your green motivation before, during and after your events. Share your knowledge. Get testimonials from attendees. Publish your successes. Your efforts will become contagious.

If this seems overwhelming, narrow your scope and select two or three new practices and build on their success. Develop a “greening your events” strategy. Be sure to establish a level of commitment in your organization from the top down. Successful implementation often starts from a strong commitment level and a focused plan of attack.

Click here, for a well thought out checklist from IACC (International Association of Conference Centers) http://www.iacconline.org/content/files/CodeSustainability.pdf
Don’t be caught playing catch-up. Green Meeting Standards are coming. Efforts led by the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX), the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA), GMIC (Green Meetings Industry Council) and ASTM International are in the final stages of passing the standards. Projected date of approval is scheduled by June of 2010.
For more smart and sustainable ways to green your next meeting, please contact Eco Promotional Products, Inc. at 877.326.9467 or visit www.ecopromotionsonline.com .

Reducing Packaging

A major retailer recently announced an initiative to reduce the amount of packaging used around the products it sells. In many aspects, including reduction, the type of packaging used is just as important. Sustainable choices are usually well intentioned, however, the methods and processes around them should also be considered. For example, why do so many USB drives come delivered in a vinyl pouch? This is true even for eco friendly USB flash drives made from sustainable bamboo casings. Does this sound logical? It all comes down to cost without consideration of environmental impact. It’s cheaper to manufacture and ship from China in a landfill destined vinyl pouch than in a recycled/recyclable box. Find out how your promotional items are being packaged. Demand either no packaging or recycled/recyclable packaging. Suppliers and manufacturers, make sure not to send a mixed message. Consider the packaging as part of the environmentally friendly item. It may make or break your reputation as a viable source of “green” products. Eco Promotional Products, Inc. – www.ecopromotionsonline.com helps educate suppliers and manufactures to be smarter about packaging. Make a difference and demand eco-friendly packaging. Even if it costs you a little extra, it will save you loads in credibility.
Regarding Vinyl, specifically V (Vinyl) or PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), vinyl is not recycled as much as other plastics by traditional recycling centers. V/PVC may contain chlorine and emit dangerous dioxins.