Good And Green™ sponsor honored for sustainable business efforts

Good And Green™-The Green Marketing Conference attendee Connie Linder, founder and president of the soon-to-be launched GreenPages Directory (http://www.greenpagesdirectory.net) , was recently listed as one of the “10 voices you need to hear” by Viewpoints magazine, the alumni publication for the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.   Linder, who received her MBA from the university in 1993, feels it is important for businesses to begin working “green” and states in the article, “Working in alignment with nature is the only way business will sustain itself; there will be a huge paradigm shift that we can already see beginning.  Sustainability is about using our resources wisely and taking responsibility; when there is a critical mass of intention that exists to align with nature it can be pretty powerful.”  As the site prepares for its official launch, visitors can check out a video showing how GreenPages, which was a 2008 sponsor of Good And Green™, will be filling the gap between green companies and the socially conscious consumers they are trying to reach.  Says Linder, “At GreenPages we are committed to supporting the proliferation of a sustainable economy.  It is a sophisticated directory and search tool to link information seekers with companies offering products and services that are more ecologically and socially progressive.  We live our values in how we do our business and the type of information we are making more accessible.”   Check out the site and the video at http://www.greenpagesdirectory.net.

Consumers can send powerful green message to electronics industry

Green Plug, a developer of digital technology enabling real-time collaboration between electronics devices and their power sources, recently launched a new site, http://iwantmygreenplug.com.  At the site, consumers can select the CE product they’d most like to “Green Plug-enable” – and, collectively, let manufacturers know that they’re at the ready, eager to buy compliant brands that deliver convenience and eco-friendliness.  Green Plug is the first green technology company to apply two-way digital communication to convert a universal power source to a device’s specific power requirements. Highly efficient, stylish DC power hubs enabled with Green Plug’s Greentalk™ digital protocol are able to simultaneously power multiple devices, each with its own specific voltage and power requirements. Green Plug technology minimizes solid waste by enabling consumers to keep their chargers for use with future devices after their current devices have become obsolete.  “By submitting their ‘vote’ with one click, people across the web are sending a powerful, positive message to the consumer electronics industry — they’re saying, ‘I’m ready to buy products that are green and hassle-free,’” said Frank Paniagua, Jr. CEO and founder, Green Plug. “They’re voting for an end to power cord chaos, for open standards and for practical solutions that eliminate the need for multiple power adapters for consumer electronic devices. At the same time, they’re voting against waste — and taking concrete action to help the environment.”  Beyond the ability to vote, http://iwantmygreenplug.com includes social tools for sharing with friends, embedding a widget on a blog or web site, bookmarking it on social sites, joining IWMGP groups on social networks, and following the Green Plug blog (http://blog.greenplug.us) for updates and news announcements.

Give the gift of carbon offsetting this holiday season

Save the Planet and Win, an environmental social network that lets everyone lower their carbon footprint in an online community of like-minded members, has announced a great way to help spread environmental awareness and reduce global warming this holiday season — by distributing free carbon offset gift cards to family and friends. AddOffset cards are available to any new or existing Save the Planet member at no cost, and shipping is completely free too.  Log on or register at Save the Planet and Win to request your free AddOffset cards. You’ll receive a box of 100 carbon offset cards in time to tuck into a stocking, hand out at a holiday party, or insert into holiday cards. Gift card recipients simply visit Save the Planet and Win’s website, enter the redemption code on the card, and Save the Planet and Win will offset 19.6 cubic feet of carbon — equivalent to one gallon of gas. AddOffset cards also come with a perforated box that easily turns into a cute point of presence (POP) for putting on your desk at the office or counter in a store.  When you give out these carbon offset cards, you’re not only neutralizing some of the carbon your friends, family, and colleagues put in the air, you’re also helping to spread environmental awareness that will translate into a healthier planet for us all. AddOffset cards and packaging are made from 100% recycled paper with eco-friendly water ink. And Save the Planet and Win not only pays for shipping, but also neutralizes the carbon produced in shipping — so there’s no reason to feel guilty.

Jeff Marshall of Green Earth Technologies interviewed on CEO Radio Network

Jeff Marshall, the chief executive officer of Green Earth Technologies, a manufacturer and marketer of green consumer goods, recently conducted an interview with John McDermott of CEO Radio Network. Mr. Marshall spoke about targeting the growing market of “Do-It-For-Me” customers, recent partnership deals, GET’s definition of being “totally green” and the future of the clean-tech company.  The interview highlights Green Earth Technologies’ growing markets within both the automotive appearance product and oil market. Within the oil business, GET recently announced a bulk program for G-OIL™, an environmentally safe green motor oil made with American-grown renewable animal fats utilizing the power of nanotechnology. The bulk program targets roughly 45% of the U.S.A. motor oil marketplace that supply motor oil to fast lubes, dealerships and other locations that provide oil change services for “Do-It-For-Me” consumers.  Mr. Marshall also spoke about a recent partnership with Ryobi Outdoor Gas Powered Equipment that will feature G-OIL packaged with all Ryobi equipment in 2009. While discussing the deal, Mr. Marshall stated that, “The acceptance of product by Ryobi is a significant opportunity for the company.” As for being selected by Ryobi as their companion oil, Mr. Marshall cited performance as well as being “green” as the primary reasons that Ryobi selected GET. In regards to the future of the company, Mr. Marshall stated that he is “looking for the 2009 season to be quite fruitful for the company.” The interview can be accessed at www.ceoradionetwork.com. Click on “Company Webcasts” and login or register for free.

Subaru “shares the love” with National Wildlife Federation

Subaru of America Inc. has stepped up to help conservation efforts as part of their “Share the Love” campaign that runs until January 2, 2009. As part of the campaign, new Subaru buyers can designate the National Wildlife Federation, as one of five charities to receive a $250 donation for every car sold or leased.   Based on research that shows Subaru buyers are more actively involved in charitable causes, the campaign has been developed to align that affinity to their vehicle purchase.  Subaru dealerships across the U.S. will also be participating in the program by hosting events and projects in their local communities.  The donations the National Wildlife Federation receives from Subaru will be used for the organization’s conservation work focused on seeking solutions to global warming, restoring wildlife habitat and connecting people with nature.   “Thanks to Subaru’s generous donation, our group will be able to expand the reach of our programs dedicated to protecting wildlife for our children’s future” said Larry Schweiger, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.  “Share the Love” features TV, print, and digital media components.  More information on the program can be found at www.subaru.com.  National Wildlife Federation is America’s largest conservation organization, inspiring American’s to protect wildlife for our children’s future. NWF unities individuals from diverse backgrounds through a grassroots network of 4 million members and supporters, and is joined by 47 affiliated state wildlife organizations. 

E+Co unveils renovated website

E+Co, a non-profit investment company that provides business support services and capital to clean energy businesses in Africa, Asia and Latin America, has unveiled their renovated website, http://www.EandCo.net.  While the address remains the same, “the design is fresh, interactive and user-friendly.”  Visitors to the site will have the opportunity to learn more about the E+Co energy investment experience.  Here, they can view the company’s portfolio returns, calculate their own triple bottom line results and meet energy entrepreneurs using an interactive map.  Visitors can also view video clips created by Emmy Award winning videographer, Stephen McGee, and most importantly, help create a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous planet by supporting clean energy businesses. With almost 15 years of experience and offices in Bolivia, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Ghana, the Netherlands, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand and the United States, E+Co’s innovative business model provides lasting solutions to climate change and poverty.  

Consumers looking for more environmentally friendly electronic options

More consumers expect their consumer electronics (CE) devices to be environmentally friendly, according to new data recently released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) ^®. Going Green: An Examination of the Green Trend and What it Means to Consumers and the CE Industry, finds that 89% of households want their next television to be more energy efficient, for example. Although awareness of “green” CE offerings lags behind sectors like household products and automobiles, 33% of consumers say they expect to make some type of green CE purchase within the next two years.  “Consumers are now beginning to associate terms like recycling and energy efficiency with consumer electronics products,” said Tim Herbert, CEA’s senior director of market research. “As they seek out those attributes in the purchasing process, there is enormous opportunity for manufacturers and retailers to educate customers about green products and how purchasing decisions can impact the environment.”  According to the study, price and features continue to be the primary purchase drivers for CE products, but green attributes will increasingly be a factor. In fact, 53% of consumers say they would be willing to pay some type of premium for televisions with green attributes.  Effectively communicating the green attributes of CE products continues to be an obstacle for manufacturers in particular. Though the study indicates high consumer awareness of logos like EPA’s ENERGY STAR^®, the absence of a single indicator for other “green” attributes leads to consumer confusion. The study finds consumers desire an easy way to determine if a product meets environmental standards, such as logos and descriptions printed on the product packaging.  “With 74 percent of consumers saying that companies should do more to protect the environment, it’s critical that CE manufacturers and retailers clearly communicate with customers regarding the environmentally-friendly products and programs offered by the industry,” notes Parker Brugge, CEA’s vice president of environmental affairs and industry sustainability.  The complete study is available free to CEA member companies. Non-members will be able purchase the study for $999 at http://mycea.ce.org.

Green Earth Technologies launches “Totally Green” initiative

Green Earth Technologies, a manufacturer of green consumer packaged goods, has announced their “Totally Green” initiative to help educate their consumers on GET’s standards for totally green products. In an effort to inform consumers and make going green easy in 2009, GET’s “Totally Green” definition and “Green” New Year’s resolution tips will be posted on the www.getg.com website. “Totally Green” will now be defined for the company as a product molded around four ideologies of being GREEN – biodegradable, renewable, recyclable and environmentally safe.  “Today, there is no clear cut definition for being green; consumers are left to make uneducated decisions with unpronounceable chemicals and materials that previously did not exist in nature and therefore cannot be biodegradable in Earth’s eco-system,” says Jeff Marshall, chairman & CEO of Green Earth Technologies. “It is important that our consumers look out for blanket statements such as ‘See a Doctor if swallowed,’ which should raise a red flag towards a toxic product that is not, by our definition, green. Green Earth Technologies is committed to better inform our consumers of what they can expect when purchasing ‘G’-Branded products.”  GET supports their “totally green” definition with national ASTM and MSDS standards that determine the biodegradability and toxicity/hazard of a product. GET products replace the petrochemical base of traditional appearance and performance chemicals with an Ultimate Biodegradable bio-base made with plant oil or animal fat. An independent third party study determined that GET products have the highest ranking standard of “Ultimate Biodegradable.” GET also uses a diamond shape diagram to indicate the degree of hazard associated with a particular chemical or material. The hazard diagram ranges from“0” meaning harmless to “4” meaning the products require a respirator, full face shield, a rubber apron, specialized gloves and handling tongs. When it comes to health or toxicity, GET products score a “0”!  More detailed information including the diagram of the hazard ratings will now be easily found on www.getg.com.

Site helps consumers find green flooring

FindAnyFloor.com has launched its environmentally oriented site Green.FindAnyFloor.com. The new site is a comprehensive guide to green flooring for consumers of all knowledge levels.  “Green.FindAnyFloor.com is something really special,” said FindAnyFloor.com founder and CEO Damien Patton. “We are known as the Web’s flooring authority and we are also an environmentally conscious company. Building the best website for green flooring on the Internet was a logical and important step for us. And anyone who visits the site will see we’ve achieved our goal.”  Green.FindAnyFloor.com employs the same clean layout and logical navigation FindAnyFloor.com, with plenty of helpful linking between the two sites. Site visitors will find detailed information on most floor types that can qualify as green.  There are blogs and articles on green flooring written by flooring experts, information on buying and installing green floors, a section on green flooring accessories, and others on green organizations, certifications and education.  As with FindAnyFloor.com, Green.FindAnyFloor.com also has the Live Chat feature with which consumers can ask green flooring questions and get answers in real time. The green site also features the popular Quick Click Floor Estimator™, a cool tool that allows site visitors to calculate flooring areas (square footage), wastage and estimated cost with ease.  “The site raises the bar for green flooring and makes a substantive link between our industry and the larger universe of green organizations and information,” said Patton. “The site will be continually added to, and the ‘What’s New’ section will be updated regularly. We will strive to give green floor consumers everything they could possibly need to purchase, install and maintain flooring in an eco-friendly way.”

Green Youth Movement introduces “Live Green” campaign

At the recent EcoStiletto Green Girls’ Night Out fundraiser for Dress for Success, Green Youth Movement (GYM) founder Ally Maize launched her “Live Green” campaign demonstrating how education has the power to teach young people to start being more environmentally conscious. Hosted by PureStyle Living’s Anna Getty, with support by Sarah Jane Morris from “Brothers & Sisters,” Intuition in West Los Angeles provided the right platform for GYM to embark on its mission of raising awareness among youth for the green movement.  “I am pleased GYM was able to participate in this fun event. Our mission is to educate kids beginning in grade school so they can learn about protecting our environment and form good eco-friendly habits,” explained Ally Maize, teen founder of Green Youth Movement and a junior at Archer School for Girls. “As teenagers, we can serve as tutors and role models for younger children to teach them what it means to be green and how they can make a difference as they grow up.”  Guests were asked to sign a simple “Green Pledge,” given free Green Youth Movement “Live Green” wrist bands and handy GYM reusable shopping bags, as well as educational materials by the GYM’s Teen Green Team members.   The evening also offered a wide selection of stylish eco-friendly clothing brought in by EcoStiletto’s Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff from California Rising, Del Forte, Doie, EcoSkin, Elodie, Erica Weiner, Heather Heron, and Larsen Gray, make-up by Perfect Organics and hand treatments by The Healing Seed.  With increasing societal concerns focused on the severe consequences of global warming, GYM’s mission has been embraced by Beverly Hills Mayor Barry Brucker, who has appointed Ally as a “Green Teen Ambassador” of Beverly Hills.  “For our world to survive long term, environmental consciousness has to begin with youngsters, with their families and in our local communities. Getting kids to take small steps towards recycling and conservation is the foundation of our movement, something that we hope will continue to build momentum around the country and even around the world,” said Ally Maize.