PepsiCo is at it once again to fulfill their overall environmental goal of becoming an eco-friendly company. PepsiCo has realized something very important, their beverages are not just packaged in cans and bottles, cups are another way that Pepsi products get distributed. Places like colleges, stadiums, theme parks, and eateries use cups to serve Pepsi beverages. Although cans are fully recyclable and they have created the Plant Bottle, PepsiCo now has another task to tackle.

So how did PepsiCo solve this problem? They realized the need for sustainable beverage packaging and used some innovation and creativity to create 5 different eco-friendly, compostable, and recyclable cups that they will issue to their U.S. food-service customers. They designed 100% recyclable clear plastic cups, compostable paper cups, and wax cups that are made from plant-based materials from sustainably managed forests.

PepsiCo has done a fantastic job at going green and meeting their sustainability goals. They work hard to come up with innovative ways to green their packaging. PepsiCo has taken initiative to realize that consumers want to be more eco-friendly and they want their packaging to be eco-friendly as well. They hope that other companies will realize this and come up with their own ways to be more sustainable companies and produce eco-friendly packaging.

Consumerism is a movement that seeks to protect and inform consumers by requiring practices like packaging, advertising, product guarantees, and safety standards. In theory it is also the outcome of producing greater consumption of goods for the benefit of the economy. Since we have become a society that is concerned with the state of our environment, consumerism has become eco-friendly. Green consumerism is a new movement that is concerned about products and services that are considered ethically made. This means with minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals, and/or the natural environment.

Green consumerism is interesting in that it focuses on us buying green products. Well how beneficial are green products to the environment if we don’t use them properly. An article written by Jacquie Ottman titled “The Next Frontier in Green Marketing is Responsible Consumption” pinpoints this issue spot on.  The article provides an example: how is an eco-friendly light bulb eco-friendly if the light remains on after everyone leaves the room? They contradict each other. We may feel good about doing our part if we buy green products, but we need to focus more on the behaviors we conduct when we use them. It defeats the purpose of buying green if we are not using the products in an eco-friendly manner.

Going green is based on behavior. If we want to be buy eco-friendly products we must learn green behaviors. If we look at this issue from a business perspective, marketers of green products should focus on adding value for consumers and providing them with the needed knowledge of how to use the product. Buying green products and using them properly is how we will help save our planet. Green consumerism is on the rise and more consumers feel they have a personal responsibility to do their part to help the earth.

Target announced April of 2010 that they were going to roll out a nationwide recycling program in the front of each of its 1,740 U.S. stores. The program was divided into 4 stations: aluminum, plastic and aluminum, one for regular trash, plastic bags had its own, and the last one was for MP3 players, cell phones and ink cartridges. The goal of this program was to reduce unnecessary waste from their stores and communities. Target also has the goal of becoming a more sustainable company overall by creating efforts to reduce their environmental footprint.

So how has this program performed a year later? More than 170 million shopping bags, 700 tons of bottles and cans, and almost 2 million small electronics were recycled. Target has made great progress in developing a plan that has produced this much success in only one year. Target has made an impressive commitment to becoming a more sustainable and eco-friendly company.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

It is that time of year where the flowers, heart shaped chocolate boxes, and cards flow to the ones we love. Valentine’s day used to be known for its red and pink colors, but this year we can incorporate green into the lovely holiday. What does green have to do with Valentine’s Day you ask? Well there are ways to not only show our love to our significant others but to the planet as well.

Here are 10 ways to go green this Valentine’s Day:

1. Cards can be hand made from recycled or tree free paper
2. E-cards can be sent
3. Buy chocolates and/or flowers that are organic
4. Make a donation to an environmental organization on behalf of the person
5. Jewelry can be purchased from jewelers who are certified in sourcing precious metals and gemstones in an ecologically and socially responsible manner
6. Gift certificates for holistic therapies (massage, health spa, ect.) make great gifts
7. Have dinner at a restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food
8. If dining in, prepare a meal using organic or locally grown ingredients
9. If purchasing perfumes or fragrances, buy the ones that are natural instead of synthetic
10. Going green involves imagination. Use your imagination and come up with some do it yourself gifts for your loved ones and have fun with it

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Although the Philadelphia Eagles lost their chance of making it to the Super Bowl, they are making touchdowns in creating eco-friendliness in their stadium. Owner Jeffery Lurie, is fitting Lincoln Financial Field with wind turbines, solar panels, and a biodiesel-reliant power plant. This will be the first major U.S. sports facility to be self-sufficient on renewable fuel. The goal is to have the eco-friendly additions ready by next season.

The stadium will be equipped with 80 wind turbines that will be placed on the upper rim of the stadium. 2500 solar panels will be hung on an overhang and facade. The power plant will be in the parking lot and will consist of 7.6-megawatts. The operations at the Lincoln Financial Field are also environmentally friendly. Almost everything that can be recycled is recycled, and everything else is composted. The new “green” stadium will save the team about $60 million in energy costs as well as reducing annual carbon dioxide emissions. Lurie also hopes that this project will prove to be a good example for others and encourage businesses to do even better.