Posts Tagged ‘Eco-Friendly’
Monday, May 2nd, 2011
Founded in 1902, 3M has grown into a billion dollar company by producing countless successful products. Their imaginative and innovative ideas has allowed them to give the world products we know and love. 3M is also committed to managing their environmental footprint by developing solutions that address environmental challenges and creating an overall sustainable company. They have recently turned one of their classic inventions green in an effort to produce more eco-friendly products.
Scotch Magic tape was created in 1961 and still continues to make its mark in offices, homes, and schools. Now the magic in Scotch Magic Tape is its new eco-friendly qualities. The new tape is made from more than 75% renewable and recycled materials. Its packaging is also made from more than 65% renewable and recycled materials. 3M knows its users are looking for ways to lessen their impact on the environment, which is why they were excited by the launch of this new eco-friendly product. They also have other projects in the works to transform their products into more sustainable versions.
Tags:3M, Eco-Friendly, environmental challenges, environmental footprint, green, packaging, recycled materials, renewable, Scotch Magic Tape, sustainable
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Monday, April 25th, 2011
We are encompassed by the words green, eco-friendly, and sustainable, but do we really know what it fully means to be eco-friendly and go green? Going green are steps we can take to replace environmentally harmful behaviors with behaviors that are friendly. These new behaviors can be simple or complex based on small or large scale atmospheres. Smaller scale behaviors can be done at home by an individual or a few others, while large scale operations can be done by corporations trying to become more sustainable overall.
Going green is centered around three words: reduce, reuse, and recycle. There are many ways to put these words into action and become more eco-friendly. One person can make a difference by following those three words in their everyday lives. One can reduce the amount of plastic bag usage by bringing their own bags when shopping. Reusable bottles can be used for water, juice, ect instead of drinking bottled beverages. And a person can take part in a recycling program at home so items can have the chance to be made into something else instead of going to the landfill.
Corporations can take their part in helping the environment by reducing, reusing, and recycling. Companies can find ways to make their packaging more eco-friendly by reducing ink and print content or the use of plastics. Amazon did this with their “frustration free” packaging by reducing content on their boxes and just having words on their packaging. They can also take their waste products from production and find ways to reuse them in other aspects of their business. PepsiCo’s UK Walkers brand potato chips did this by using the starch from their unused potato peels. Companies can also sprinkle eco-friendliness in their offices by initializing a recycling program and getting employees involved.
Every little bit of time we take to do things to be more eco-friendly helps our planet. So what does it mean to go green? Anything that will help the earth is an act of going green. Whether its done by an individual or a corporation, we can all take out part in protecting our planet.
Tags:earth, eco-friendliness, Eco-Friendly, environment, environmentally-friendly, go green, green, packaging, planet, recycle, reduce, reuse, sustainable
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Friday, April 22nd, 2011
Today is the day we honor our home planet and bring awareness to environmental causes, hoping to inspire and educate people to act eco-friendly. The first Earth day was in 1970 and since then over 175 countries celebrate our planet and promote environmentalism. This year Earth Day has been centered around a campaign called A Billion Acts Of Green. This is personal, organizational, and corporate pledges to live and act in an eco-friendly and sustainable manner. This campaign is the largest environmental service campaign in the world and is constantly gaining individuals, companies, and governments committed to taking their part in helping the environment. Whether an individual decides to take an initiative and create a change or a corporation decides to create sustainability in their company, A Billion Acts of Green welcomes an sort of help in reducing carbon emissions and helping the Earth.
This campaign shows how people can take their part in protecting our planet. Every bit of help counts. When individuals and organizations make commitments to better our environment, possibilities for success are endless. Cooperation and dedication are portrayed when millions come together to support a cause.
Other elements of Earth Day 2011 include:
-Athletes for the Earth: Voices of Olympic and professional athletes speak out to help the environment
-The Canopy Project: Deals with the restocking of existing forests and woodlands which have been depleted from the effect of deforestation
-Green Schools: Helping schools become eco-friendly
-Women and Green Economy (WAGE): Encouraging women leaders to develop ways to green our economy
-Creating Climate Wealth: Finding ways to solve the concern about climate change
-Arts for the Earth: Honor environmental artists who have made art that has brought sustainability to our world
Happy Earth Day!
Tags:2011, A Billion Acts of Green, awareness, carbon emissions, celebrate, Earth Day, Eco-Friendly, educate, environment, environmentalism, sustainability
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Monday, April 18th, 2011
Last week we featured a blog about Dell using mushrooms for their cushions in the packaging of their servers. Well this week we will be talking about Ford. They have also decided to dabble with mushrooms. Evocative Design is an eco-start-up company specializing in the development of using mycelium to make biodegradable materials. They collaborated with Dell and now are working with Ford to develop a biodegradable foam made from mushrooms. This foam could potentially be used in bumpers, side doors, and dashboards, and will replace petroleum based foams and insulators.
This new breakthrough has allowed Ford to become a more sustainable company. Not only is the mycelium material eco-friendly, but it is also cost effective, fireproof, waterproof, and will decompose in about a month when it has reached the end of its life. Ford plans on using Evocative’s mycelium material to outfit every car in the near future. They have also started to explore other environmentally friendly options including cooked chicken feathers, algae, and wheat straw. Ford has rigorous goals to make their vehicles more green and plan on replacing 30 pounds of plastic per car.
Tags:biodegradable materials, decompose, Eco-Friendly, environment, Evocative Design, Ford, mushrooms, mycelium, packaging, sustainablility
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Monday, April 11th, 2011
Dell has become a company that is dedicated to finding green alternatives for their packaging. They have announced that they will be using mushrooms as part of their cushioning for their server packaging. The brilliance behind using mushrooms is they are grown, not manufactured. This allows less energy to be used to produce the packaging. Mushrooms are also more dense, meaning they can support the weight of Dell’s servers and they can be grown quickly. The end result is an eco-friendly alternative for packaging that consumers can compost. Dell has already experimented with bamboo packaging in 2009 and will combine it with the new mushroom based packaging.
The process of conducting such a sustainable creation for packaging is very interesting. It is a fairly short process, lasting between 5 and 10 days. It starts out using agricultural waste products, mainly cotton. The cotton hulls are placed in mold and then implanted with mushroom spawn. It then develops into a root structure of a mushroom. They have tested and retested this new development in sustainable packaging and will pilot run it with its PowerEdge 710 server. If this test is proven to be a success, they will expand the mushroom packaging to their other servers.
Dell has many goals in becoming a more sustainable company. They plan to eliminate 20 million pounds of packaging material by 2012 and make sure packaging is recyclable. They have made an extraordinary accomplishment by finding a green alternative for their packaging. Dell also keeps working hard everyday, looking for other ways to reduce their carbon footprint and be a more environmentally friendly company.
Tags:bamboo, carbon footprint, compost, Dell, Eco-Friendly, environmen, green, green packaging, mushrooms, packaging, recyclable, sustainable
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Monday, April 4th, 2011
Sustainable packaging is now getting a voice on issues related to green packaging. Big companies have joined forces to help make the packaging industry more eco-friendly. ConAgra, Colgate-Palmolive, DuPont, Kellogg, and Proctor & Gamble are among the companies that have formed AMERIPEN, The American Institute for Packaging and the Environment. This organization plans to lobby for science-driven packaging policies and reach out to others to find ways to work together. The key issues are to find ways to improve sustainability of packaging and how to reduce waste.
AMERIPEN is trying to enhance sustainability initiatives and help save the environment by producing eco-friendly packaging. The efforts in finding ways to reduce waste and minimizing the impact on the environment are the two of the main reasons this organization was formed. They also hope to play the role of influencing opinion leaders to further improve the packaging industry’s value chain. The packaging value chain is rapidly changing as eco-friendly and sustainable trends are among us. As we become a society trying to find ways to save our environment, AMERIPEN is here to do their part, within the packaging industry.
Tags:AMERIPEN, Eco-Friendly, environment, green, green packaging, packaging, packaging industry, reduce waste, sustainability, sustainable, sustainable packaging
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Monday, March 28th, 2011
After seeing all the success Coca-Cola has had with their PlantBottle, PepsiCo has stepped up to the plate and has developed eco-friendly packaging for their pop. The green bottle they created is made entirely from fully renewable resources and significantly reduces its carbon footprint. The bottle is made from a combination of some materials you would never think could be put together to make a form of packaging. The raw materials include: switch grass, pine bark, and corn husks. Orange peels, potato peels, and oat hulls are on deck for materials to be used in the future.
This innovation from PepsiCo puts recycling up at a whole new level. The materials they are using to make the packaging are actually byproducts from its food business. So if you never believed that things could be recycled and reused to produce something else, there is now proof. The brilliance behind PepsiCo’s eco bottle is that they have combined biological and chemical processes to create a molecular structure that has the same look and feel of the standard bottle PepsiCo uses. The only difference is that the new bottle is fully recyclable and is made from environmentally friendly materials.
A pilot version of PepsiCo’s new packaging will be available in 2012. If successful, they will move directly into full production.
Tags:carbon footprint, Eco-Friendly, eco-friendly packaging, environmentally-friendly, green, innovation, packaging, PepsiCo, recycling, renewable resources
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Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Digipaks are becoming a popular option for CD/DVD packaging. They are an attractive and unique way to showcase products and artwork. People all over the world are switching to digipaks because of the versatility they offer. Digipaks can be customized to fit any type of design. They also have many benefits that make digipaks a great option for media packaging. Digipaks are not your ordinary packaging for CDs and DVDs and are being used by many for a variety of different things.
8 Benefits of Digipaks:
1. Two Products in One: Fuses parts of a jewel case and cardboard together.
2. Eco-friendly: They are made from recycled materials and use less plastic than traditional jewel cases.
3. Quality: Digipaks are made from high quality materials and are less resistance to breaking or cracking.
4. Display Capabilities: Images are easier to print on digipaks and graphics can be put anywhere. They can be UV coated or matte finished; both providing the digipak with a luxury finish.
5. Multi-disc options: Digipaks are not limited to only holding one disc. They can be made to hold as many discs as your project requires.
6. Customization: Digipaks are classified by the number of panels. A panel being a one sided square that is apart of the digipak. They can have as little as 2 and as many as 8 panels. They can be customized by adding pockets, folds, and booklets. They have various places for printing options as well. There are many possibilities and options available.
7. Marketing Included: Since digipaks have the ability to contain more graphic display, marketing efforts are lengthened. The marketing message that is to be delivered can be done on the digipak, increasing the message’s reach.
8. Creativity Has no Boundaries: Digipaks are a fun way to express a creative side. They have to ability to showcase anything that comes to mind. Whether you use only black and white or the colors of the rainbow, a multitude of graphics or just a few, a digipak will portray the idea you have and give it life.
Tags:benefits, cd/dvd packaging, digipak, Eco-Friendly, graphics, innovative, Jewel Case, Marketing, Media Packaging, packaging, versatility
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Monday, March 21st, 2011
If you thought you would always see your laundry detergent in plastic packaging, you were wrong. Seventh Generation, maker of non-toxic household and personal care products, has made an eco-friendly advancement in packaging. The have transformed their detergent packaging into a bottle that is made from 100% recycled cardboard and newspaper. The new packaging consists of two parts: the outer shell and a plastic pouch. The outer shell is made from 70% recycled cardboard fibers and 30% newspaper fibers. It is fully recyclable and compostable, using 66% less plastic than the typical detergent bottles. The inside holds a plastic pouch that is also recyclable. The packaging can be easily disassembled for recycling.
This new sustainable packaging will be available throughout the country by the end of this month. Consumers now have an eco-friendly option for how they buy their detergent. It is a choice consumers have never had before. The new detergent packaging also has other benefits than just being eco-friendly. It can be turned into new packaging by being recycled. Seventh Generation produces sustainable packaging to help make a difference by saving natural resources and reducing pollution.
Tags:compostable, Eco-Friendly, eco-friendly packaging, packaging, recyclable, recycled packaging, Seventh Generation, sustainable
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Monday, March 14th, 2011
Watch out Sun Chips, there is another chip manufacturer that is introducing compostable packaging. Boulder Canyon Natural Foods, a Colorado based snack food company, has put on their thinking caps and launched compostable packaging for its All Natural Kettle Cooked Potato Chips. The packaging contains more than 90% renewable material and has the same feel and sound of their standard packaging. When producing this new packaging, Boulder Canyon used a high barrier metalized film that is made from wood pulp. The printing on the chip packaging eliminates the need for spot colors, making this packaging compostable and recyclable.
Consumer interests are climbing in regards to eco-friendly options in packaging. This trend prompted Boulder Canyon to create compostable packaging and meet the needs of their consumers as well and fulfill their company values. They have goals in mind to expand the compostable packaging to other snacks and expand their brand.
Tags:Boulder Canyon Natural Foods, chip packaging, compostable, compostable packaging, Eco-Friendly, packaging, recyclable, renewable material, Trends
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