LewisPerkins

Reprinted from Lewis Perkins - “Semantic of Sustainability” - FastCompany.com

So I think we can all admit by now that “green washing” is a thing of the past and most consumers are savvy enough to determine which companies are really walking the talk and which companies continue to attempt to shade their organization green with stories of zero net impact and carbon neutrality. I believe that 2010 marks a new intelligent view on how we promote our green story. In marketing, the term authenticity has been thrown around a lot over the past several years - but as I look around, I believe we have reached a point where the majority of stories being promoted are real. We are tired of the blowing smoke. Recent events in our government, the healthcare plan, the stock market and even the uneventful and very disappointing results of Copenhagen have led to the American public reaching fatigue with the promise of something that is never realized. We want results. We are not only ready to be presented with action for change, we demand it.

A few weeks ago, the Sunday New York Times ran an article about plastic coatings which are under development to rinse clean without the use of soap. The author of the article presented a vision of how great it would be if, after dinner, the greasy stack of dishes could be placed in the sink and let “plain old water rinse away the grime.” A polymer shield that would do the job of dishwashing detergent. I immediately thought of the hundreds of P&G executives shaking in their boots, but then I thought of one very innovative and visionary leader with whom I recently had a great conversation - Adam Lowry, the co-founder and Chief Greenskeeper of Method Products, Inc. Adam said to me, “rather than being in the soap business, I think we should be in the clean business.” Not only would the development of such a polymer NOT frighten Lowry, in my opinion, he would most likely get right in the middle of its development.

I had met Adam on several other occasions and just the month before we were on a panel together on Trends in Green at the Opportunity Green in Los Angeles. So I knew him to be a bright, open, visionary thinker. His company today is poised to deliver another product which will shift the way we and the entire cleaning industry think. about soap. Lowry was quick to state that he did not claim to be the leader behind the concentrate trending in household soap products over the past few years, but a little market research reveals that in fact Method was the leader in bringing the world concentrate laundry detergent.

Lowry and his colleagues at Method are indeed walking the talk as they understand that you cannot make a “zero impact” claim when you are a company who produces any product or provides any service. Merely by being in operation, you have a footprint. So, in his opinion, it is the role of a CEO to find ways in which to lessen that footprint as much as possible. Lowry says “we are not in the soap business, we are in the clean business.” Perhaps the future of clothes laundering involves more partnerships with the machine manufacturers and considered technology, such as the “clean” polymer described above, in development of fabrics.

In order to truly create a model of a sustainable product innovation, you have to be willing to break down barriers that exist between industries. I look forward to learning about the types of partnerships Lowry and his Method team may be forming in order to break down industry walls.
So it will come as no surprise that Method has launched a new product in 2010: an 8x concentrate laundry detergent, which is dispensed in a pump style container to lessen the mistake of over soaping your clothes. In fact, I was shopping in my local Target Store this weekend and the product was well placed on the shelf. When you see the product lined up with its easy pumping visual and messaging, it is clear that this product is a departure from traditional laundry detergent.

What are the implications? Less product, less weight, less expense and carbon footprint to ship, less shelf space required and a smaller overall impact on water systems. Not to mention the overall innovation of the product which will hopefully encourage competitors and similar product categories to respond with more ways to reduce our material use.

What impressed me the most about my visit to Method was Adam’s visionary perspective on how to lead and innovate. Adam understands that whatever his company creates that is a game changer will be copied. The pump detergent is a new product category. Ultimately he expects the other “soap companies” to follow.

As we discussed above, Lowry also knows that truthfully there is no business which is sustainable. So, in response Method has fostered a business model that is literally focused around change itself. Without this, Lowry believes his company would not be able to reach product and overall company sustainability.

According to Lowry, and borrowing from nature, Method is run as more of an organism than an organization - meaning they are set up to adapt and evolve to their environment. This means being willing “to shoot what makes you money and replace it with something bigger, better, perhaps greener and in our case definitely greener.” And that is just what they have done by creating the new pump detergent and potentially cannibalizing their traditional detergents. I give great props to Lowry and his colleagues at Method for pushing the sustainability envelope and moving us all toward a more sustainable experience when getting clean. I am now waiting for Method to announce a partnership with Patagonia on clean fiber technology. After meeting with a visionary like Lowry, such a concept does not seem so ”future-state.”

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Over the past several weeks, I hit the last round of conferences and expos focused on sustainability. My experience was one of joy as I witnessed my colleagues working to improve process, efficiency, costs and environmental impact. Human drive and ingenuity are hard at work, and this was clearly evidenced by the men and women I encountered this month. A year ago, these conferences felt like a collection of people who were interested in play and owning the “green” game. Today, if feels like a smaller and more focused set of business leaders who plan to be around in 5, 10 or 20 years. It’s less about competitive advantage and more about survival. Not only the survival of our individual businesses, but a great understanding of the survival of capitalism and the ability for mankind to integrate growth and abundance into the laws of nature.

My first stop was Opportunity Green on the UCLA campus in early November. I had been asked to lead a panel on “Trends in Green” with some very impressive friends: Adam Lowry, founder of Method Cleaning Products, Fashion Macon, senior manager of partnerships and promotions for T-Mobile USA and Jason Kibbey, founder of Wear PACT. Each of these panel members had much to contribute to the topic of green trends, but the overall takeaway was that we have moved into a more solid position of sustainable operations and away from one-off marketing gimmicks. Trends in green product design are following closely with the LOHAS descriptor of “in me, on me, or around me” which speaks to the overall health and sustainability of a product, as opposed to simply the environmental practices in creating it. Each of these leaders discussed their plans to move toward more intelligent and sustainable design. I look forward to sharing more from these individuals in future blog entries.

My next trip took me to one of the most exciting gatherings of the year, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. I was there with Mohawk Industries, a company who is in the middle of its own renaissance for improved operations and long-term sustainability. (You can read more about the direction of the company from the President of the Commercial Division, Al Kabus, in this recent article in IndustryWeek.

With over 27,000 people in attendance, the Green Building movement is shifting from a standard to the way of building. I was most impressed with the time I spent with my friend Jayni Chase who has been dedicated to the greening of our schools for many years. Jayni, a founder of the Center for Environmental Education, has partnered with brilliant leaders in the space such as Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials and Rachel Gutter, senior manager of the education sector for the USGBC. If there was any big takeaway from Greenbuild for me, it was about partnerships and that leadership occurs in it.

Finally, I spent a few days in Chicago at the 3rd Annual Good and Green Conference. Numbers were smaller this year, but dedication was at a high. Those who were present felt like a strong core of task masters ready to understand the next move for green marketing. From groups such as The Shelton Group, Gfk Roper and Earthsense, the audience learned about the current marketing trends in green. The major takeaways were: Make it Practical, Affordable and Doable. The best way to get your customers, vendors and all other partners to embrace change in retooling and designing their current operations, homes, businesses is to provide solutions that make sense. While people want to care about doing the right thing, it must match up with the ability to make sense for their needs.

So, overall, we can expect to see our “green” leaders become more clear, visible and focused. Many companies will stay behind in the dark while these beacons of change lead the rest of us who are willing and able to view business in an entirely new manner.

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In my last blog entry, I wrote about the 2009 Newsweek Green Corporate Rankings. Soon after this issue was published, I had the good fortune of spending some time with HP’s Director of Environmental Sustainability, Bonnie Nixon, on a recent trip to Northern California. After seeing HP on the “Newsweek” list at number one, I was very interested to learn about the woman behind its corporate shift. What was confirmed to me is that behind every major corporate transformation story, is a truly heroic man or woman. While I am sure HP has a team of hundreds who have contributed strongly to this position as number one on the “Newsweek” list, I was certain after spending more time with Nixon that she was an integral part of it. According to “Newsweek,” HP leads the pack because of its “strong programs to reduce GHG emissions. The first major IT company to report GHG emissions associated with its supply chain.” As more companies review the impact of GHG across their entire supply chains and learn how to make significant reductions, we can expect companies such as HP to serve as a road map to how to best transition their processes to lower emissions.

What makes Nixon’s story so interesting is that not only was she responsible for HP’s transformation, but she has had an enormously positive influence on many other industry sectors as an active participant in multiple cross-sector consortiums. When she was given the reigns at HP for supply chain social and environmental sustainability, she deeply analyzed the practices of companies such as Nike, Levi Strauss, Gap, Disney, McDonalds, Tylenol, Nestles and Exxon. She was able to define their sustainability stories and also acquire a deeper understanding of what was required of companies who had to manage stakeholders’ expectations during difficult times. To avoid HP falling down the same path, Nixon leaned on her previous professional experiences to guide her through her current challenges. While HP was not in a crisis mode, Nixon had the foresight to see that HP could face a crisis regarding the GHG impact, toxic materials in products or global manufacturing practices if it did not prepare to address these issues. Bonnie’s experiences in environmental work run deeper than her time with major corporations.

During our meeting Bonnie shared that during her collegiate years in Pennsylvania she experienced the 3 Mile Island event of 1979. This incident marked her significantly and she spent the next 20 years of her career fighting social and environmental injustices - first for the Boston Harbor Clean Up and then by creating her own environmental mediation, planning and communication firm in California. Along with her partner, she was instrumental in tackling major issues in transportation, utilities, hazardous waste and the protection of California’s water systems. She was recently asked to represent the Institute of Business and Human Rights as their lead for Global Water Justice. This experience with large public sector environmental projects allowed her to better understand the impact of all forms of energy - hydro, natural gas, oil, nuclear and transportation - knowledge that would later help her drive HP’s macro understanding of its GHG emissions impact. “Fast Company” has always been my favorite business magazine as it highlights innovations in corporate design, leadership and practice. I can’t imagine a better innovation than bringing a person with Bonnie’s experiences to the table to help mediate and develop policy for vendor relations which address both social and environmental issues globally. Her work style and dedication have led to her trusted relationships with NGOs, vendors, customers and other stakeholders who could have blocked HP’s leadership in environmental and social justice. Early on she understood that an adversarial approach to problem solving just simply did not work. Bonnie’s work has directly led to a standard code of conduct and implementation measures – developed during her time at HP – for the entire electronics industry. Companies, such as Apple, IBM, Dell, Xerox, Sony and Phillips now all use this set of guiding principals and assurance system. She understands that her role is bigger than just HP or even her industry. Her dedication is helping to change the way business is conducted on our planet and will have a long-lasting effect on global impact.

Bonnie also understands that if she ran her division with a shareholder-centric model alone, the company would not have made many of the decisions which ultimately led to its current leadership style. It was only through her understanding of all stakeholders in the vendor and supply chain relationships that HP was able to advance better conditions for both the environment and the individuals making the majority of electronic products we Americans use in our homes and businesses. So what was the HP GHG emission reduction? Over 40 percent. For this reason, it is no surprise to learn that HP leads the Green Corporate List in 2009 and will most likely maintain that position when benchmarked against other Fortune 500 companies. With all that has occurred in our country over the last 12 months, it is easy for many to find fault with big businesses role in economic, social and environmental issues. For that reason, it is always reassuring to find a company like HP who has made conscious capitalism a part of their mission and found a leader like Bonnie Nixon to drive change. Reprinted from Fastcompany.com “Semantics of Sustainability.”

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When we think “green company” what companies come to mind? Patagonia, Stonyfield Farms, and now even WalMart. But there are hundred of corporations (if not thousands) that deserve to be called out for the amazing business practices they have engaged in over recent times. If you are a corporation in operation in the USA today and you do NOT have a sustainability strategy or program in place, you may not be around past the next decade. That’s the hard truth. All eyes are on the companies that are quickly retooling to operate using less, while simultaneously producing longer lasting products, with little to NO environmental impact. What was once a lofty, green dream is now increasingly a reality.

As a consultant to companies on sustainable strategy, I am often asked who is REALLY making the transition to become a social and environmentally responsible and even forward thinking business. The nature of my work offers me privileged access to a variety of men and women who lead green initiatives at companies small and large across the country, and provides opportunities to meet and hear fist hand from those who are driving real change in corporations. I am always encouraged to see the authenticity that lives in the hearts and minds of these individuals who have moved well beyond “green” marketing into real innovative solutions. These are company leaders who understand conscious capitalism and the shift from a shareholder- to a stakeholder-centric business model.

So when these companies are validated by a national publication as noteworthy as “Newsweek,” I am pleased and proud. This month, “Newsweek” printed its annual list of green companies, which can be accessed at http://greenrankings.newsweek.com/.

As I viewed the rankings, there are many companies listed on the roster that we may not identify with being part of the green evolution; it is good to see that those companies heralded are those that have traditionally been associated with producing waste, such as Starbucks, Staples, McDonalds, Avon, Proctor and Gamble, Coca Cola,
Colgate-Palmolive, Clorox and Hewlett Packard (HP), meaning the sustainable change is clearly taking place. And personally exciting for me is the inclusion of Mohawk Industries, a company that I have had the opportunity to work closely with over the last several years.

A major player in the carpet and flooring industry, Mohawk is one of the largest recycler in its industry –no easy feat, particularly when you are a $7 billion corporation with over 30,000 employees. Mohawk boasts relationships with over 40,000 customers, including all of the mass merchandisers and home centers that come to mind when you think of residential and commercial buildings. You can imagine that the company’s environmental footprint could be quite large,but given its strict attention to saving resources (water, energy and waste management), Mohawk is a trailblazer among many manufacturers in the U.S. The next time you are walking across the floor, take an opportunity to notice what’s below:there is a good chance is will contain recycled content, or in the case of Mohawk’s Everstrand fiber, it could be made from 100% recycled soda and water bottles. Mohawk recycles over 3 billion bottles a year in its Summerville, Georgia PET recycling and fiber extrusion facility, making the company the largest recycler of PET1 in North America. In fact, nearly 1 in every 4 bottles recycled goes into Mohawk carpet products. And if you are walking across commercial floors, every one of them is Carpet and Rug Institute Green Label Plus certified for low VOC (volatile organic compounds) emitting, making the carpet and the interior spaces it occupies healthier for all.
Mohawk is also a leading member of a very unique industry association called CARE (Carpet America Recovery Effort). The organization was Formed in 2002 by the Carpet and Rug Institute and the Environmental Protection agency to ensure that hundreds of millions of pounds of carpet are diverted from landfills and recycled back into carpet or other useable products each year. And in 2007,Mohawk launched the GreenWorks carpet recycling facility in Eton, Georgia to tackle this issue internally. Through key dealer and installer partnerships, as well as those with other recyclers across the nation, Mohawk recycles millions of pounds of carpet each year and expects to grow that number, along with the rest of the industry, to meet CARE goals. As of 2008, more than 1.3 billion pounds have been collectively diverted through CARE partnerships. (visit www.mohawkgreenworks.com)

But you don’t have to be a corporate giant in order to have an impact. Thousands of small business and corporation across this country are going green and may not show up on the Newsweek rankings. In my recent travels I have spent time with leaders of green at fortune 500’s, such as Bonnie Nixon of Hewlett Packard, and also smaller business owners who have dedicated their professional lives to changing the ways products are created and sold, including John Stein, CEO of Kirei USA (www.kireiusa.com), a manufacturer of boarding and panels made materials such as bamboo and wheat. and Jeff Mendelsohn, CEO of New Leaf Paper (www.newleafpaper.com), a company that provides environmentally sound paper and promotes it as a viable alternative to the past choices of paper products which have a heaving burden on our forrest.

Interestingly both of these men are avid surfers. It calls to mind another corporate hero of mine who even wrote a book about his dedicated to work life balance for his company employees called Let My People Go Surfing, Yvon Chouinard of Patagonia. Coincidence? Perhaps not.

Reprinted from FastCompany.com

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Reprinted from my Fast Company Expert Blog: Semantics of Sustainability

Yesterday (September 22), President Obama addressed the United Nations Climate Change Summit with a speech focused on how the United States is “determined” to combat Climate Change. While the Waxman-Markey bill has been held up in the Senate, and the president’s attentions have centered around Healthcare reform, many of us have been left wondering where we stand on the issue, eight months into this new administration.

As many of you are aware, the House bill which passed earlier this year would first set mandatory limits on greenhouse gases and then develop emission reductions from 17 percent by 2020 and an ultimate goal of 83 percent by 2050. As our country looks to HOW we are going to achieve these goals, I am inspired by a very small nation the size of Kentucky, a mere 2500 miles from the United States: Iceland.

Recently I visited Reykjavik, Iceland for business and experienced first-hand one of the world’s cleanest cities. This arctic capital boasts the use of many eco-innovations including: city parking spots designated for electric cars (complete with recharging outlets); an antibiotic-free meat and dairy industry; and a city composting plant (still in development) which will process all commercial food waste and generate renewable energy through waste-to-energy techniques.

However, I was most struck by the way Iceland powers and heats its buildings. In the capital alone, 26 percent of the energy comes from the country’s five major geothermal plants. And where, you ask, does the other 74 percent of energy come from – perhaps gas, coal or maybe even solar? Surprisingly, the majority (73 percent) comes from hydro-generated power plants with 1 percent being derived from fossil fuels; and overall, 71 percent of the domestic energy is from renewable sources. In fact, because of the abundance of natural geothermal resources available on this volcanic island, 87 percent of the country’s heating and water requirements are met.

During my visit I had the opportunity to visit one of the five geothermal plants that heats the city called The Pearl or Perlan. Home to the large hot water holding tanks that supply the city’s heat, this green landmark, has also become a major tourist attraction for those visiting as the location boasts an observation deck, Concert Hall, a Viking Heritage Museum and five star restaurant that resides in the pearl-like dome on top of the water tanks.

At this point some of you might be wondering if sourcing this amount of energy from the Earth will eventually have an impact on it; and the answer is no. Since the system was first adapted in 1944, CO2 emissions have been reduced by up to 110,000,000 tons, delivering savings of up to 4 million tons of CO2 every year. Additionally, possessing the world’s largest geothermal heating system of steam heating has allowed for Reykjavik to acquire substantial financial savings - roughly 4 billion U.S. dollars. And according to research, it is estimated that the country’s annual savings benefit of geothermal over oil is approximately 140 million U.S. dollars.

The great news is that Iceland is not alone. Many regions of the world boast a similar capability for geothermal capture. Since Iceland has a high concentration of volcanoes, it is an obvious choice for this country of only 300,000 residents – 250,000 of which live in or around Reykjavik.

What impressed me the most about my visit was learning that Icelandic leadership has long seen the potential for this alternative energy source. The structure was first investigated in the 1930s with development of the system beginning after WWII. In the late 60s, an Energy Fund was created to advance the development of geothermal use, both on a large and small scale. Given the country’s recent economic troubles, the strength of its utilities provides some peace of mind to a country otherwise in a state of transition.

When I returned to my laptop, I reviewed a map of U.S. geothermal locations. While the investment may be significant given the drilling required to reach the heat, geothermal may well prove to be one of the more significant sources of future energy, power and heat in our country. Did you know that the entire United States has the geothermal capacity necessary to power these heat pumps? And on the U.S. Department of Energy Website, you can view which regions maintain the greatest opportunity for geothermal energy.

While I am not a scientist by trade, I do recognize that we have tremendous untapped capacity that we should explore in our quest to diversify our renewable energy options and decrease our dependency on foreign oil. I encourage companies to review how these resources could be utilized in their manufacturing efforts – particularly those processes which require steam. A great example of that would be the textile industry, which involves the use of steam cleaning and steam turbines.

From my research I have learned that companies such as Johnson & Johnson (J&J) have already made investments in geothermal energy in Europe. J&J uses geothermal energy to heat and cool its 7000 square foot manufacturing facility for orthopedic surgical supplies and appliances in DePuy, France. In addition to the systems elimination of carbon emission, air pollution, noise and odor that would have been generated from the previous natural gas system, the DePuy operation has also recorded an annual savings of 9,000 Euros since 1999.

Based on what I learned on the Department of Energy’s Website, the majority of the Western United States maintains geothermal temperatures above 200 degrees Celsius, many regions in the 
Midwest and Texas have temperatures of over 150 degree Celsius and an mentioned above, all of the United States is capable of maintaining geothermal heat pumps. It would seem to me that we have vast untapped resources we need to be considering as an immediate fix to our energy and climate contributions in this country.

I welcome comments from readers regarding other ways geothermal is being used or can be used in the United States.

Note: research sourced from the C40 Cities Website, in partnership with Clinton Climate Initiative: http://www.c40cities.org/

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Last week, I attended a private tour of the new Eco Office at Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. Southface is an organization who works in green building advancement. Long before the USGBC began gaining momentum through its LEED certification platform, Southface was already tackling issues pertaining to superior sustainable design in both commercial and residential applications. Today’s new Eco Office was created not only to house the organization’s staff, but also to serve as a model for how commercial building can and will work in the future. The space boasts many efficiencies, such as daylighting window shading, linked to the heating and cooling of the building, rainwater harvesting, solar energy, and the latest technology in composting toilets. And, like many environmentally advanced buildings, much of the technology for energy is captured by an electronic dashboard, allowing users of the building to monitor usage of water and energy down to the minute.

One of the members of the tour asked a very critical question. How do we take this knowledge, relate it to the dollars saved and share it with the larger business audience looking at the return on investment connected to capital improvements to existing buildings. The savings is there. Any where from 10% - 70% savings in energy and water dependent on what measures are taken. A simple cost analysis can illustrate the benefits and timeline for realizing the true ROI of the investment.
But the even better news is that is there are now government incentives in place to make these improvements to our existing buildings.

Today’s business climate around going green in regard to internal energy efficiencies feels a bit like a gold rush as the Department of Energy moves significant amounts of money to the state level. This past week, I attended a monthly sustainability roundtable, which serves our community to educate stakeholders on various environmental programs throughout the region. This month’s topic was presented by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA), the governmental body tasked with doling out the hundreds of million dollars for energy efficiencies in our state. Here in Georgia, our dollars are allocated to various funding categories – from water, sewer, and energy efficiency to renewable energy programs – all a result of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a.k.a. The Stimulus Bill.

The reason I draw attention to this Act and the subsequent dollars is because the amount of business and innovation anticipated to be created from out of these funds is staggering. Business Loans and investments into green energy technology are a significant part of the final bill. In fact, of the total $288 billion dollars $63 billion is allocated for Energy.

In the past few months, I have spoken to numerous consultants in energy and other issues of sustainability who are working with companies, big and small, to help manage the process of how we re-tool our energy usage to renewable sources and create greater efficiencies in the process. Over the next several weeks, I will highlight businesses that are taking advantage of this time in our history to better their businesses for a sustainable future.

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Big Businesses Move Closer to Real Sustainable Innovation
BY FC EXPERT BLOGGER LEWIS PERKINS
Wed Jun 17, 2009 at 6:05 PM

Make sure to stay tuned as I will be sharing my thoughts on that gathering with you all next week.

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The tide of sustainable initiatives continues to shift rapidly. Over the last few years, as we have all been working to create strong, authentic and lasting initiatives, I have watched what was once the cutting edge of conversation become the norm. Two years ago, we were all scrambling to put programs in place to track our carbon footprint, energy output, water usage, etc… Today, having a tracking program in place is “table stakes.” I recently went on a sales call to a major hotel chain’s corporate office and was asked specifically to report on our company’s environmental goals and reductions achieved. This information won us the bid. Soon, those numbers will be expected reporting as a part of government compliance. Green will be the new OSHA.

Over the next few weeks I will be attending and speaking at several conferences on the green movement, including Sustainable Brands 09 and the LOHAS (Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) Forum.  Each of these conferences will explore areas of sustainable growth and marketing from companies of all sizes.   The past year has seen tremendous growth and a more earnest understanding of sustainable initiatives, coupled with a very tough economic climate.   Our new administration has raised the conversation and the funding levels to new heights.   I will look forward to reporting back to you on what I see and learn.

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Last week I had the benefit of meeting the team that is revolutionizing the way restaurants will look at their waste. The group is Fox Pollutions Systems from the UK and Germany and I met them in the corporate offices of Ted’s Montana Grill. They have developed a unit which is installed in restaurants to capture the food prep and table scraps that would otherwise be hauled off with the garbage. In the case of some dense communities (such as Manhattan), the cost of hauling off food waste is attached to a tip fees in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually.

This device (called the FoxSMB2) is like a small dishwasher size stainless unit that fits under the sink (similar to a disposal). The machine will reduce the waste by over 60% of its original weight, minimizing costs to dispose while creating a sustainable product that could even be used as waste to energy. Imagine the day when a city such as New York could be powered via food waste. The water “squeezed” out of the scraps is then treated to reduce methane (a major global culprit of climate change) and sent to the city’s waste water treatment facilities along with other used water.

I first heard about this group from Annie White, the director of Global Green USA’s CORR (Coalition for Resource Recovery) program, who told me that more than 1,100 tons of food is sent to waste EVERY DAY in New York City. That is about the same as paper, metal, plastic and glass combined. Using a tip fee of $100, the costs to tax payers and businesses for disposing trash is roughly $450 million a year. Enter the FoxSMB2 unit and you have a solution for reducing the waste and the cost by more than half, and creating a material which can solve energy issues. In areas where the waste materials is not needed for energy, it can simply be composted. The technology isn’t new. It has been used in Europe on ships by both the UK Navy, Cruise lines and other merchants for years. We are finally getting around to using this technology to solve social and environmental issues AND save money (the leading driver these days). I give great kudos to the team developing this technology and to Annie White and her colleagues who are bringing it to the restaurant industries. Ted’s Montana Grill has been testing it in their Midtown Atlanta location and hopes to test downtown where the conditions more closely resemble those of a New York restaurant. If all goes well, I hope we see these devices in every food preparation station in America or the World.

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“Marketing used to be about advertising, and advertising is expensive. Today, marketing is about engaging with the tribe and delivering products and services with stories that spread.” - Seth Godin from his book “Tribes.”
A colleague recently asked me “in today’s world of greater authenticity and transparency, how do you know what’s for real and what’s not? How would we know if companies speak the truth or are merely continuing a next generation of green-washing (where companies said they were environmentally responsible in one aspect or another … but in many more ways, their claims were unfounded or exaggerated at best)?

Go to my FastCompany Blog to read the rest of this article:
http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/lewis-perkins/new-wave-authenticity-marketing-real/companies-are-marketing-authenticity-it-real

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