Finding the Ease in Living Green

A sustainable lifestyle often means different things to different people.  For those with broad eco awareness and who are well versed in sustainability concepts, living sustainably may be very different than someone just beginning to make sustainable life changes.  By viewing sustainable change from a personal perspective, a sustainable lifestyle becomes a more manageable pursuit. 

In our sustainability consulting, we hear a number of opposing comments to sustainable living.  Some of the most frequent comments we hear from clients and peers are:
 
•    “There is just too much effort involved in living a sustainable lifestyle.”
•    “I can’t afford to make sustainable changes.”
•    “Sustainable living does not apply to my life.”
•    “I am already living a sustainable lifestyle.”
 
Whether in business or in your personal life, sustainability is a personal journey that does not have an end or a state of completion.  Too often we find our clients focused on the “top of the mountain.”  They become overly concerned with the gap between where they are and a far-reaching reference point or comparison they have defined for themselves. 
 
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Home to one third of the earth’s trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company’s vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the “oxygen for your business”.

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Defining Where You Are on the Sustainability Continuum

Not all businesses and individuals are at the same level of sustainability understanding or implementation.  Whether your company is just becoming familiar with the concept of business sustainability or is sustainability leader in your industry, there are sustainable performance improvements that can help move your organization up the scale.

Companies often compromise by focusing on the short-term immediate gains at the expense of long-tem value creation.  As a sustainability consultant we encourage clients to realize that the pursuit of business sustainability is a continuous long-term commitment. 

Determining the criteria that will move you up the business sustainability scale, from where your company currently resides, is an important distinction. Breaking down a business sustainability plan into manageable steps will ensure that the approach is aligned in with your overall sustainability objectives.  At the same time, it will not overwhelm the business or your employees. 

Most of the prospective clients that approach us are at the front end of the sustainability continuum.  While these companies want to move quickly up the scale, there are important steps that need to be covered along the way.  Moving to ‘Business Sustainability Awareness’ includes:

•    Identify business sustainability potential.
•    Obtain leadership support.
•    Educate your stakeholders.
•    Set a vision for business sustainability.

The true value capture from business sustainability will come from the successful implementation of sustainability concepts and strategies.  Moving to ‘Business Sustainability Implementation’ includes:

•    Develop sustainability strategies linked to business drivers.
•    Clearly communicate an action plan.
•    Engage key stakeholders  in the sustainability plan.
•    Establish business sustainability policies and standards.

Managing a successful sustainability plan is a continuous process  that does not end with implementation.  Engaging with your stakeholders on the outside business world drives continuous improvement in the business.  Moving to ‘Business Sustainability Leadership’ includes:

•    Monitor and review successes and failures with stakeholders.
•    Capture and implement lessons learned.
•    Benchmark progress with industry and cross-industry sustainability leaders.

At Taiga Company, we recognize that each business is uniquely positioned somewhere along the sustainability scale.  Our small business resources work with clients to develop a successful sustainability plan that meets specific business needs.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Pacific Garbage Patch Could be the Next Alcatraz

An architectual team wants to build a habitable island made entirely from recycled plastic to call attention to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The island is intended to be a safe haven for climate-change refugees.

The island would be an urban utopia powered both by solar and wave energy. All food would be locally grown with food waste being composted. While the idea is both fascinating and ludicrous, I think hosting refugees there is a huge mistake. Why should they be forced to live out at sea doing scenes from Lost?

Let’s make this an eco-Alcatraz for any and all environmental crimes!

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Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis recycling kiosks and with curbside recycling programs.

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Are You Among Sustainability’s Best-In-Class?

We often interact with clients and peers already implementing sustainability concepts into their core businesses.  These organizations speak of the value they are realizing in their own operations; however, they often ask how their performance compares to other businesses, especially in relation to the leaders in sustainability.

I recent posts, we have discussed the steps, value drivers, and measures of business sustainability.  Implementing, managing and continuously monitoring a business sustainability plan places an organization in the top tier of sustainable companies.  Taking it to the next step, leading businesses are evaluating their efforts versus the best-in-class.  

The Aberdeen Group  recently used six key performance criteria to distinguish “Best-In-Class” sustainability companies.  The top performers saw significant reductions in cost, while also making strides to retain customers.  There research shows that leading business sustainability organizations are realizing:

•    9% reduction in carbon footprint
•    6% reduction in energy costs
•    7% reduction in facilities costs
•    10% reduction in paper costs
•    7% reduction in transportation/logistics costs
•    16% increase in customer retention

Managing a successful business sustainability plan in a continuous process that does not end with implementation.  Monitoring a plan for continued improvement includes a periodic observation to see if your organization is on track.  Benchmarking business sustainability leaders is a great way to evaluate your company’s progress versus the outside world.  It also may identify new opportunities and strategies previously not considered.

In our sustainability consulting, Taiga Company has observed many organizations implementing sustainable development programs.  Each of these businesses has its own focus and values drivers, which give that company a unique view of sustainability. 

Our professional consulting often brings businesses and individuals from different perspectives together to leverage the diversity of their sustainability experience.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Wind Powered Bamboo “Flow” Lights Give Hope to Third World Countries

Two designers create affordable and sustainable lighting to help third world countries thrive.

Due to poor economic conditions, many third world countries in Africa and South America can’t afford to light their streets, coastlines or neighborhoods. This makes it hard for businesses to thrive and for people to feel safe. Well, it looks like the team at Ingendesign (which consists of Daniel Lorincz and Alberto Vasquez) has come up with a solution. It’s called the “Flow,” and it’s a wind-powered lighting system made from sustainable bamboo.

According to Ingendesign, bamboo is one of the cheapest and most abundant resources in the third world, and that’s why it made sense for the team to use it as the light’s main material.  It’s also locally harvested in countries like Colombia (a place where the team is testing the lights), so there’s no need make a huge carbon footprint by shipping in materials.

Here’s some more information about the Flow:

• It’s made from bamboo blades that have been cut in half and angled at the end (to increase wind speed).

• It’s also made with electronic components like LEDs, wires and dynamo, which can all be recycled.

• Depending on the force of the wind, the lighting will either be continuous, or waver like a dancing light show!

Sadly, these lights are not for sale yet, but the Ingendesign duo plans to start the manufacturing of them this summer. So, what do you think? Good green idea, or not?

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis recycling kiosks and with curbside recycling programs.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

The World’s A Dirty Place. The PeePoo Bag Helps Clean It Up.

The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 894 million people are without potable water. That’s water for basic needs like drinking, cooking and — going potty.

It’s hard to believe, but the average human produces somewhere between 66 and 132 lbs of poop each year. Wow! And that’s dwarfed only by the amount of urine we produce — about 132 gallons.

We blush and smile — it’s an uncomfortable subject, our bathroom habits, that is. And here in the U.S., we don’t worry too much about it. It simply gets flushed away and forgotten. But in developing countries, that normal function we joke about and take for granted is a big problem. Every 15 seconds, a child somewhere in the world dies due to preventable diseases caused by contaminated water.

But Peepoople , a Swedish aid organization, is hoping to change that.

Peepoople has created the PeePoo bag, a self-contained, personal and portable toilet that is not only inexpensive to make and distribute, but is also completely sustainable.

The Peepoo bag uses no water, and keeps human waste out of freshwater supplies. But it can also be used a fertilizer, which can help promote sustainable food practices in impoverished areas.

The active ingredient in the bags is urea, one of the most commonly used fertilizers in the world. When human waste comes in contact with the urea contained in the bags, diseases and parasites are neutralized and ammonia is produced. The bags can then be buried and used as plant fertilizer.

Although the Peepoople website says that no supporting structure is needed to use the bags, it suggests that recycling a PET-plastic bottle by cutting it in half and using it for support can make taking care of business a little more comfortable.

At about 3 cents each, the Peepoo bag is a workable solution to an unfortunate situation. The Peepoo bag will help clean up supplies of available water in areas where water is scarce. And that will save lives.

It’s a dirty job, but I’m glad the Peepoo bag is around to do it.

What do you think of the Peepoo bag? Give your opinion here.

Greenopolis.com is dedicated to our users. We focus our attention on changing the world through recycling, waste-to-energy and conservation. We reward our users for their sustainable behaviors on our website, through our Greenopolis recycling kiosks and with curbside recycling programs.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily