Jamba Juice Joins Forces With MillionTreesNYC

Jamba Juice recently gave NYC a ‘feel good’ moment. On Saturday, October 24th, Jamba Juice joined forces with MillionTrees NYC to welcome and support more than 1,000 volunteers working to beautify NYC neighborhoods and parks—making it a healthier, more environmentally sustainable city. As part of Jamba Juice’s Fall ‘Feel Good Campaign’, the company donated gardening gloves, rain ponchos, and Jamba Feel Good Bucks–in the fifteen different planting locations across New York City. The ‘Feel Good Campaign’ is a three-month promotion comprised of three parts, including ‘Feel Good Bucks’, ‘Feel Good Moment Sweepstakes’ and unexpected public ‘Feel Good Events’. The campaign embraces the excitement customers have for Jamba Juice® products and blends up another way to keep them feeling good. “The Jamba Juice Fall Feel Good Campaign is all about connecting with and engaging our customers in their space, becoming a part of what makes them feel good,” said James D. White president and CEO, Jamba, Inc. “Aligning with MillionTreesNYC allows us to really get our hands in the soil, giving back to a Jamba community and making a mark that will last for years to come.”

California American Water Encourages Winter Water Conservation

As we head into the winter months, California American Water is making sure water conversation stays top of mind with consumers.  There are several different elements to the campaign including mailing leak detection kits, water conservation wheels and notices to each customer, bill text messages, education advertising, automated phone calls and conservation messages on public radio.  

“We’ve found that often customers don’t think as much about saving water in the winter, and it is more important now than ever,” said operations manager Al Yanez. “With new water use rules potentially going into effect, we want to help customers comply by reducing water use as much as possible. That is why between now and the end of the year we will be making customers aware of the free rebates on water-saving appliances, free water wise surveys, leak detection kits for toilets, and other conservation tools and ideas.” In addition, California American Water is offering rebates on high-efficiency washing machines and low-flow toilets as well as free home water surveys. “We offer a free survey that will help customers identify any leaks and other areas where they may be able to save water,” Yanez added.

Hickory Springs Launches “EarthCare Challenge” Via Social Media Networks

Hickory Springs, one of the nation’s leading suppliers of eco-friendly components to the furniture industry, knows it’s not easy being green. Recently the company announced a nationwide search to find six contestants to compete in its inaugural “EarthCare Challenge” for a chance to win $5,000 in eco-friendly home furnishings.  This first-of-its-kind contest will chronicle — in a reality game show environment — the challenges of six contestants aspiring to live more sustainable lifestyles.  It takes place entirely on social networking communities Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and EarthCareInside.com, the program promoting the company’s line of eco-friendly components for upholstered furniture.  “Through the contest we believe many consumers will see how they can improve not only their own lifestyles but their quality of life overall. We think it’s an important step from the home furnishings industry, which traditionally hasn’t been one of the leading industries to show all that it has done to become eco-friendly,” said Hickory Springs executive vice president Dwayne Welch.  “The EarthCare Challenge is a chance to share real experiences within a community that we’re creating with our partners in the furnishings industry, and where consumers can learn how to make more sustainable choices in their everyday lives,” said Welch.

Eco-friendly components from the company’s EarthCare line can be found in products from some of the country’s leading furniture makers including Craftmaster, Alan White Furniture, England and H.M. Richards.  The call for entries runs now through November 15. On December 1, Hickory Springs will announce six regional finalists to undergo a 45-day makeover. A panel of green experts in the areas of lifestyle, diet and home will guide the finalists toward their own sustainable options. As social media sites document their progress, the public may participate by voting for their favorite contestant and becoming a fan of designated online sites for a chance to win special discounts and prizes.  In January 2010, Hickory Springs will award the grand prize to the contestant who has made the most dramatic makeover. The winner will take home his or her own personal collection of eco-friendly home furnishings valued at $5,000. The contest is open to U.S. residents ages 21 and over. For entry details, visit www.earthcareinside.com.

Crystal Light Makes An Environmentally Friendly Design Change

With a modern look and sleek packaging that is more environmentally friendly, Crystal Light is setting itself apart while delivering the same great taste people expect.  The new Crystal Light design features a fresh logo and innovative canister configuration that makes the product more user-friendly:

• Easy-to-open packets
• A new 1-quart packet size in the 8-quart canister that helps people prepare the amount they want
• A clear window on the front of the canister shows when packets are running low

Beyond the visual changes, Crystal Light is committed to making significant changes for the better. In total, on a finished case goods basis, the new design will use 250 tons less packaging each year.  “Women look to Crystal Light to add some excitement to their water every day,” says Roxanne Bernstein, director, Powdered Beverages. “Our new packaging also reflects our consumers’ vibrancy and her desire to align herself with more environmentally friendly brands.” The new Crystal Light design is making people look twice at their beverage options.  Crystal Light fans can find more information on the entire line of products by visiting www.CrystalLight.com.

RecycleBank Announces Expansion of Hartford’s Single-stream Recycling Program

Recently, Hartford Mayor Eddie A. Perez joined city officials and representatives from RecycleBank to announce the citywide expansion of its popular single-stream recycling program with rewards from RecycleBank. Already a success in 21 states and in the United Kingdom, RecycleBank encourages people to recycle by rewarding households with Points for their efforts. These Points are redeemable at local and national retailers, restaurants, grocers, and more. Following a pilot that began in May 2008, now close to 25,000 Hartford households will enjoy the ease of single-stream recycling and be rewarded for recycling. The rewards-for-recycling pilot program brought a revolutionary way for Hartford residents to recycle–single stream with rewards. Single-stream recycling means only one collection container is needed for all paper, glass, metal, cardboard, and plastic recyclables–no more sorting! Rewards translate into savings for members during these tough economic times. In May, the City of Hartford celebrated its one-year anniversary with RecycleBank, a partnership that serviced about 4,500 households and more than doubled recycling rates. “Making Hartford sustainable makes perfect sense,” Mayor Perez said. “In the first year, those 4,500 households recycled more than one million pounds of waste. Not only does that make a tremendous impact on the environment, it also makes a tremendous impact on households and in kitchens across Hartford.”

RecycleBank motivates households to recycle by rewarding each household for the amount they recycle. RecycleBank measures the amount of material recycled and then converts that amount into RecycleBank Points that can be redeemed for rewards, gift cards, groceries, products and events at hundreds of local and national partners including major retailers and brands such as Coca-Cola, Kraft, Seventh Generation, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ruby Tuesday, CVS/pharmacy and Bed, Bath & Beyond. There is even an option to donate Points to charities or to local schools for environmental programming through the RecycleBank Green Schools Program. “Hartford businesses have felt a positive surge as well,” RecycleBank co-founder and CEO Ron Gonen said. “We consistently see RecycleBank members using more than half of their earned Points with local rewards partners. This provides local economic stimulus, involving the business community in the city’s recycling effort.” RecycleBank services more than one million people across 21 states. By cumulative recycling efforts, those households have recycled more than 300,000 tons of material, saving more than 200 million gallons of oil and over 3 million trees.

Motorola Celebrates Its Global Day Of Service

Now in its fourth year, Motorola Inc.’s Global Day of Service continues the company’s tradition of bringing people together in service. More than 8,000 Motorola employees in 41 countries around the world spent half the workday on Wednesday, Oct. 14, volunteering in the communities where they work and live. This year’s Global Day of Service, themed “Green & Global,” included volunteer projects focused on sustainable solutions for the environment and improving community conditions. “Our Global Day of Service provides an opportunity to help those in need,” said Karen Tandy, senior vice president, Motorola Public Affairs and Communications. “We are thrilled that our community partners around the world have again given Motorola and our employees an opportunity to work with them toward the goal of environmental sustainability. Whether it’s clearing forest undergrowth, cleaning up a beach, collecting electronics for recycling or teaching school children what they can do to help the environment, our employees eagerly roll up their sleeves to contribute.” As in years past, for each participating Motorola employee, the Motorola Foundation will fund the planting of a tree in one of five deforested regions of the world through a partnership with Carbonfund.org, reducing the day’s carbon footprint. This year, every employee who reused a Motorola T-shirt from a previous company event received a total of five trees planted in his or her honor. Reinforcing the company’s commitment to recycling, Motorola employees were encouraged to bring in used mobile phones for recycling to earn more trees. Motorola’s commitment to environmental sustainability does not end when the Global Day of Service is over. Since 2005, Motorola has reduced its carbon footprint by 20 percent. Currently about 15 percent of Motorola’s global electricity comes from renewable resources. Earlier this year, Motorola introduced the first mobile phone made from plastics comprised of recycled water bottles, the MOTO™ W233 Renew.

Mary Kay Creates Outdoor Learning Spaces For Five Women’s Shelters

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Mary Kay Inc. and The Mary Kay Foundation are building Nature Explore Classrooms at five women’s shelters across the United States as a part of its corporate social responsibility initiative, Pink Changing LivesSM. Nature Explore Classrooms are outdoor learning spaces designed to include nature in the daily lives and learning of children. Research shows that nature buffers the impact of life stress on children and helps them deal with adversity. It also helps reduce or eliminate anti-social behavior such as violence, bullying and vandalism – all of which are common in children who have witnessed abuse. This is the first time a Nature Explore Classroom is being built at a domestic violence women’s shelter. The women’s shelters that will receive the Nature Explore Classrooms from Mary Kay are located in Illinois, Texas, California, New Jersey and Georgia. Along with the outdoor area, each Nature Explore Classroom includes a multi-faceted curriculum with details on how to fully maximize the educational opportunities and healing effects of the outdoor environment. Mary Kay Inc., The Mary Kay Foundation and the Arbor Day Foundation partnered with Dimensions Educational Research Foundation to build the five Nature Explore Classrooms.

“As an organization, we believe that violence against women is simply unacceptable,” said Anne Crews, Mary Kay Inc.’s vice president of government relations and board member for The Mary Kay Foundation. “Bringing these Nature Explore Classrooms to women’s shelters is just one example of how we are addressing domestic violence. We know that helping women and children connect with nature during the healing process will empower them. Our primary goal is to enrich women’s lives. Because of this, Mary Kay will continue to be an advocate on the issue of domestic violence and a champion for women around the world.”

EcoPinion Survey Finds There Is Still A ‘Green Gap’ For Consumers

EcoAlign, a strategic marketing agency focused on energy and the environment, recently released the results of the sixth EcoPinion Survey to test consumer awareness and acceptance of terms used by the media and energy industry for messaging and communications around energy conservation, clean energy and smart grid.  The sixth EcoPinion survey confirms that consumers generally have positive associations with commonly used terms; however, the analysis shows that consumers do not understand the meaning of the terms and that individual consumers perceive little value or personal relevance of the terms with economic barriers being a key hurdle. As a result, the green gap between stated intentions and purchasing behavior still exists.  “Consumers understand the importance of conservation and clean energy on an intellectual and rational level but have not moved this awareness into action,” stated Andrea Fabbri, COO and chief marketing officer.  Findings from the sixth EcoPinion Survey include:

• American consumers have positive associations with terms such as energy conservation and clean energy, using one-word associations such as “good, important and necessary.”
• With the exception of smart energy, consumer understanding of the terms tested decreased over the past two years. Less than one third of consumers could differentiate between energy conservation and energy efficiency.
• Some industry terms should not be used for external communications, including demand response and peak pricing.
• Thirty-one percent of Americans believe that the “environment” will benefit the most from smart grid investments. On the other hand, consumers thought that government, residential consumers and utilities would benefit the least from smart grid investments.
• When asked about motivations to use new energy technologies or participate in energy programs enabled by smart grid, approximately two-thirds of Americans describe themselves as “cost-conscious savers” or “value buyers.”
• There is a huge range in the level of consumer understanding about the terms and concepts for alternative billing and payment options.
• Most consumers have a neutral perception of value connected to alternative billing and payment options.

A copy of the full EcoPinion report is available at no charge by visiting EcoAlign’s website at www.ecoalign.com.

BBMG Study Looks at the Effectiveness of ‘Trustmarks’

Good Housekeeping now has a green seal of approval. So does UL, the global product safety tester. They join some 400 certifications now vying to validate social and environmental claims on behalf of companies targeting consumers who care about issues like whether a product is truly organic, can be recycled or pays producers fair prices. But how effective are certification seals in enhancing brand awareness and driving actual purchases? As part of its annual survey of the nation’s increasingly conscious consumers, brand innovation firm BBMG tested a battery of 13 certification seals with 2,000 respondents. Not surprisingly, a majority of U.S. consumers are unfamiliar with all labels tested, except for Recyclable (89% familiar), Energy Star (87% familiar) and USDA Organic (62% familiar). The next most familiar seal (Smart Choice, 45% familiar) lags 17 points behind USDA Organic. All three leading seals are sponsored by federal agencies. Consumers are much less familiar with seals sponsored by nonprofits and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as LEED or Green Building Certified (12% familiar) and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified (6% familiar). Regarding impact on intent to purchase, only two seals are sought out by consumers with any real frequency — Energy Star (31% always) and Recyclable (20% always). USDA Organic (8% always) and Smart Choice (7% always), both food industry seals, rank next in driving intent to purchase. The remaining seals do not drive consumer purchasing, which is not surprising as the vast majority of Americans has no recollection of ever seeing these trustmarks. “While the majority of U.S. consumers are unfamiliar with most trustmarks today, we believe that certifications can work for forward-looking brands in several ways,” said Mitch Baranowski, founding partner of BBMG. “Trustmarks help ensure companies follow best practices by setting clear and transparent standards. They serve as important proof points for overall brand messages and stories. And they can provide an objective, third-party stamp of approval that demonstrates how companies are following through on their social and environmental claims.” For more analysis of the research findings, visit BBMG’s blog,  www.itshowelive.com.

A Brewery and a Healthcare Organization Set Out to Protect the Environment (And Save Money for Patients)

“Brewery” and “healthcare” aren’t two words that typically go together. But, in La Crosse, Wis., a major healthcare organization and the local brewer created a unique partnership that’s saving money for patients, and protecting the community’s natural resources.  On Oct. 7, Gundersen Lutheran Health System and City Brewery began generating energy through a combined heat and power project. Gundersen Lutheran installed an engine at City Brewery that uses methane gas discharged from the brewery’s waste treatment process—which was previously flared or released into the atmosphere—and turns it into electricity.  As Jeff Rich, Gundersen Lutheran executive director of Efficiency Improvement, explains, “The electricity doesn’t go directly to Gundersen Lutheran. It is sent to the power grid where it can be consumed by local power customers. The local utility pays us for this electricity production to offset the costs of our energy consumption. That savings can be passed along to patients.”

 

“This project allows us to use the waste created in the brewing process in a positive way and preserve other valuable natural resources. Most importantly, we will be more environmentally sound, and help lower the cost of healthcare by decreasing this expense in our system,” says Jeff Thompson, MD, Gundersen Lutheran CEO.  The combined heat and power project is expected to generate three million kilowatt (kW) hours yearly, offsetting about 8 percent of the electricity used on Gundersen Lutheran’s two largest campuses. As an added benefit, heat generated from the engine will be captured and recycled back to produce heat for the waste treatment process at City Brewery.  The combined heat and power project is one piece of Gundersen Lutheran’s aggressive plan to lower energy costs and lead the healthcare industry in environmental stewardship.