Love On A Rooftop and Grape Jelly

Sometimes we really are dopes! Everywhere we look, the words “green” and “sustainability” filter into our consciousness…as well they should. We tend to think of ourselves as being superior to generations past, who we tend to think of as polluters. There may be some truth to that, but it’s not the whole story.
 
Retailers, listen up: I have a million-dollar idea for you! Okay, I didn’t actually think it up, but give me some credit.
 
Last night, I was watching the implausible 1968 TV sit-com “Love on A Rooftop,” starring the very cute Peter Duel as Dave, and even cuter Judy Carne (pre-“Laugh In”) as Julie. They’re a young, optimistic, newly married couple trying to get by on his miserly starting architect's salary of $68.50 a week. All they can afford to rent is an old storeroom (with no windows) on top of a high rise (no one else would rent it). By the way, it’s like a 30-story high rise with no elevator, but who cares, it’s the ‘60s, and they are young and in love, and, more importantly, happen to have access to the roof...hence “Love On A Rooftop,” where Julie uses the skylight as a table when she has company, and she hangs her laundry out to dry on the residents' TV antennas (very green).  Did I mention that the rooftop overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge?
 
Okay, so Dave is eating his breakfast when is overbearing father-in-law drops in and spots him eating peanut butter for breakfast, and bellows, “Why are you eating peanut butter…for breakfast?” “I eat peanut butter and jelly every morning,” replies Dave. “But, why?” protests his father-in-law. Dave, with his dimpled smile, plaintively states, “Well, we need the glasses, and Julie wants to complete the set!” The father-in-law is none too pleased that his baby (Julie) is drinking out of peanut butter and jelly glasses.
 
Like a repressed memory, the flood gates open, and I recall that when I grew up (in 1968, I was 11 years old), we always recycled our peanut butter and jelly glasses. We never threw them away. We kept them. They were not made of non-recyclable, benzene-ridden plastic with a screw-on lid; they were recyclable drinking glasses with a pop off cap. They were decorated with colorful prints of daises, “The Flintstones,” “Batman” and the Presidents of The United States (there were only 36 at the time). So not only did you get a jar of Welch’s grape jelly or Skippy peanut butter, but you had a reusable glass (for free!).  Less landfill! Less carbon footprint! Brilliant!
 
So food manufacturers, give consumers an incentive to buy your product, which is sitting quietly next to your competitors--give us free glasses. In today’s economy, who wouldn't want a pretty drinking glass, for free? Help us to recycle, reuse, renew. Okay, skip the corny old-fashioned commercial ties ins; instead, have some designer do a limited-edition jar. I’d pay twice the amount for a Burberry Plaid peanut butter glass, and maybe three times the amount for an Alexander McQueen grape jelly jar.

Ka-Ching! That’s the sound of a happy customer going home with your product!

--Ron Knoth, Guest Blogger

It's Not My Bag...Yet

Living in New York City, I am not a frequent visitor to Target, but I totally “get them.” I love their commercials, which are among the best on the air, but the nearest Target is located way out in Brooklyn (which is a “schlep”--Yiddish for “a drag.”). Target is not adjacent to mass transit, and I am one of those “city kids,” I don’t even have a driver’s license.

Target, like every major retailer, brand and label, advertises heavily in Times Square, where PVC (vinyl) graphics easily rise three to five stories tall by a whole-city-block-wide. These vinyl billboards are bright, colorful and graphic, and add to the energy of the area, which draws tourists from around the country and around the world to one of the most trafficked and visited areas in the world.

But, and it’s a big but, most of these PVC graphics are up for a few weeks and wind up in a landfill for centuries. They are not biodegradable. This turns me and my fellow consumers off…way off. Some companies have cleverly recycled the vinyl billboards and cut them down into tarps to cover dumpsters, so that debris and dust can be contained…that’s clever. Some companies have them cut down into strips (like a giant -size paper shredder) and they are recycled into a kind of insulation for new housing…that’s smart too, except we all know that with the housing market such as it is that there are more billboards going up than new homes being built.

Well, where there is a will there is a way. I'm not sure whose idea it was, but famed womenswear designer and personal champion Anna Sui and Target have partnered in an ingenious campaign to recycle Target’s 42nd Street billboard. When the billboard comes down, it will be rolled up and sent to Anna Sui, who will use the vinyl to create one-of-a-kind tote bags for Target. Okay, I don’t usually carry a tote bag around, and I’ve never had the opportunity to purchase an Anna Sui-designed anything--but Target, if I have to hitchhike all the way to Brooklyn in December in a blizzard, I’m getting one of those bags! If you live in Saint Paul or Paducah and can’t hitchhike to Brooklyn or any other Target location, don’t fret, the totes are available online for just $29.99 at Target.com/billboardbag. Pre-sales are strong, so don’t delay.

Okay, here is another incentive--it is not just that the billboard is one giant ad for Target and Anna Sui, but four famed artists (Laurie Rosenwald, Michael Anderson, Josh Goldstein and Charles Wilkin) contributed to the crazy collage of a billboard that celebrates the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the humble knish. If you’ve never had a knish, imagine eating a deep fried potato pillow…with mustard! But I digress. You arties out there will also get the opportunity to go home with a kind of museum-quality lithograph by a great artist.

To learn more about this great retailing partnership and all about the billboard bags go to Target.com/billboardbag or just call me!

--Ron Knoth, Guest Blogger

Greening the Cherry Blossoms

What’s pink and green and pretty all over? Tokyo’s annual cherry blossom season, of course. And by green, we’re talking eco-friendly. Now let me explain.

The Japanese custom of viewing cherry blossoms (known as sakura in Japan) dates back to before the 8th century. Blooming all over Japan from mid-January to early-May, the trees tend to flower in Tokyo in late-March or early-April, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to Chidorigafuchi Park to view its 200-plus baby-pink flowered cherry trees. That’s a LOT of visitors!

With so many people coming by to take in the trees’ beauty, the park lights the flowers at night to make the most out of the brief viewing time of the one- to two-week-long cherry blossom season. In years past, the trees were illuminated at night with halogen lamps—which not only consumed excess energy, but also damaged the flowers with heat and ultraviolet rays. 

But this year, Tokyo decided to make the festival a little greener, replacing many of the existing lights were replaced with more energy-efficient, flower-friendly solid-state floodlights. Built with LUXEON K2 with TFFC (Thin Film Flip Chip) LEDs from Philips Lumileds, Nagasaki-based lighing manufacturer INEX Corp. developed the new LED luminaires with engineering support from LUXEON supplier Future Lighting Solutions. The result is a lighting scheme that slashes energy use and carbon emissions by more than 90 percent! (Yes,I said 90 percent!)

Here’s to adding some green to the cherry blossom! Know of any other annual festivals going green? Let us know about it here!

--Jessie Bove

A New Shade of Green

Earth Day (April 22) has come and gone, but not without some impact. In a belated celebration, I'm still thinking about "green."

Pantone, the international color authority, forecasts a new shade called “Apple Green,” as a predominate color in fashion and home furnishings. "Green has been the symbolic color for the past few years, and will stay that way; it reflects the usage of the moment. The mother color to green is blue, in homage to water, the most precious commodity we have," said Laurice Eisman, Pantone color expert.

The word “green” creeps like the swine flu into almost all our daily conversations these days, partly as a result of our interest in environmentalism, and in past of its association with the economy, as in “greenbacks,” i.e., dollar bills, our other preoccupation.

Like it or not, the ownership of our planet is exchanging hands. The “younger generation” is not pleased with the condition they are finding their inheritance. Retailers either get it or scratch their heads. Many retailers are so out of the loop, they aren’t even aware of Bill H.R. 6049, which would provide tax benefits and abatements for stores to remodel, this includes incentives for retailers to use solar energy in their stores and warehouses (See www.retaildesigndiva.com “Congress Rocks, June 16, 2008).

Here’s what we are seeing--same old thinking, slashed budgets, reducing expenditures and more heads lopped off than at the Queen of Hearts tea party. (Oh! Mighty Isis!)

Retailers order the same way they always do, always have, without any recognition to the new global weather/season patterns. They go from their air-conditioned stores, to their air-conditioned cars, to their air-conditioned homes, not aware of what the real temperature is (physically or emotionally). Many designers still design four collections, yet we live in a two-season climate, which arrives later every year. Can you tell a spring wrap-around, from a summer wrap-around? Designers still release a Cruise/pre-spring line (when was the last time you took a leisurely cruise aboard the QE2 to the Mediterranean?). Clothing is produced overseas (China) with a minimum 12-14 week delivery, it always runs late, so retailers order early, which is why winter coats arrive in store in June. By August, amid 90 degree temperatures, retailers are already taking their third markdown and seem angry at customers who still aren’t buying wool coats. Christmas comes in October and is down by November. What planet are we living on? Retailers, you’d better start listening to your customers, they are fed up--which is why consumers are making their purchases online, in season.

Retailers refuse to consider the notion of blending Spring/Summer and Autumn/Winter--it isn’t factored into the shopping equation. Stores are not set up to accommodate the realities around us. The dictates of designers insisting that retailers have to buy full cruise lines for a customer base that no longer exists is wasteful. Many designers refuse to make a size 14 or larger, even though the average America starts at that size. The average designer doesn’t even wear a size 8 (the tail is wagging the store). The notion of purchasing locally, to support American jobs, reduce shipping costs, and reduce the carbon footprint is dismissed as not fiscally responsible, despite the fact that nearly every study demonstrates that consumers will dig more deeply into their pockets if the benefits of being “green” are identified.

But it’s just not about buying “green,” it’s about spending “green”--the days of wasteful acquisition are long over. Replacing last year's coat for this year's model is passé. Consumers want items of quality (not luxury). They shop differently. They insist on bang for their buck. “Buzz” (hype and slick marketing) is not bang.

There’s a new shade of green in town. It’s bright, familiar, enticing, healthy and optimistic.

--Ron Knoth, Guest Blogger

It's Not Easy Being Green

Many performers suffer from a reoccurring nightmare—usually induced by anxiety—they find themselves on stage, often in a state of undress, and they do not recall their lines, as if the play has been changed and the set is all wrong. They struggle to maintain their dignity, the audience laughs or boos. Alas, it is for naught, they wake up in a cold sweat.

The economy is like the stage, it’s set unexpectedly, and retailers are like the actor, they have a script does not match what is going on around them. They are unprepared to perform as usual. Not only has the economy changed, but also consumers’ (the audience) conversations (script) have changed. What is important to customers has changed. The stories of our lives have changed, and sometimes it feels like no one is really paying attention.

Research confirms that the culture is “nesting,” staying at home, people are avoiding the convenience and expense of restaurants. So if consumers are talking about eating out less often, then having “fun in the neighborhood” at Applebee’s doesn’t seem like it really fits the script, especially if mom or dad just got laid off. It may be “Better in the Bahamas,” but are Americans racing down to the Caribbean to relax when a tropical vacation may mean Dick and Jane can’t go to college?

Talk about your cold sweats. To be successful right now, retailers need to start listening to what their customers are talking about and where and how they are spending their money.

How green is your valley? According to an Opinion Research Study, four out of five consumers are still buying “green” products despite the bruised economy. While people are spending less, overall, green brands have not seen a decline like other brands. Smart manufactures have made the connection that eco-brands are ultimately about cutting cost and conserving in the long term, even though they tend to cost more—look up “green-washing” in wikipedia.org. Businesses that embrace the eco-frugal trend will get and keep higher profit customers.

For example, the car we love to make fun of, Mini-Coopers, (The Mini-e) are re-positioning themselves as minimalists, and testing an even more eco-friendly version of the Mini-Cooper. Mitsubishi is partnering with Microsoft—they just launched an electric car that can be operated by your iPod. Hello! GM may have missed the memo, but the Japanese got it. The U.S. Government has gone and set a target, it wants one in 10 vehicles on our roads to be electric by 2020, that’s just 11 years away.

Payless ShoeSource, the discount shoe store, plans to roll out its first line of green products in April, and is promoting it as an affordable alternative to other pricey eco-friendly goods. To further reduce the carbon footprint, the green shoes, already priced at less than $30, are made from organic cottons, linen, natural hemp and with recycled rubber soles…but it’s not just the shoes, Payless will be packaging them using recycled materials. Way to go! Whatever you do…don’t tell Star Jones!

Being “green” is not a fad, like acid-washed jeans. What can you do to take advantage of this movement while still being true to your company’s mission? Position your business for the current conversation: Soylent Green Is People! So speak fluent “green.”

Another finding in the Opinion Research Study was that nearly half of all consumers preferred green brands, even if they were more expensive, but about a third remained skeptical, as they really had no way of confirming that a brand’s green claims are true. Yet, about a quarter of respondents said that a brand’s reputation was pivotal in their purchasing decision. So prove it! Or, if you’re from Missouri, “Show me!”

That means that companies need to dig deep inside their company, product or services and authentically identify all their eco-friendly materials and practices. If that was never a focus of your marketing, (and it probably wasn’t) just tell your customers the truth, because you’re more likely to gain more profitable customers with a message that rings true, “We recycle all our trash.” “We got tired of expensive waste and smelly chemicals, and have decided to go green.” “We wash our floors with biodegradable cleansers.” “We’re replacing our old light bulbs with energy-efficient bulbs to reduce the carbon footprint.” The Cleanport Dry Cleaner in my neighborhood uses natural (corn derivates) to clean the clothes. They ask customers to return the wire hangers for recycling, or request folding your shirts, so you don’t need a hanger at all. I pass eight drycleaners to walk up to Cleanport, that’s how important it is to me.

Find ways to involve your customers in the “greening” process. The Opinion Research Study also found that there is a disconnect between what consumers say they do, and what they actually do. Eighty-seven percent of consumers say they recycle, yet the EPA reports that only 33 percent of our waste is diverted for recycling. Hmmm.

That means that your customers want to be environmentally conscious, but they need a support mechanism, and that could be your business. One of my favorite retailers is Martin + Osa, they encourage customers to bring back all their used clothing (not just theirs) and then they donate it to community-based clothing banks. Again, the retailer is right where the customer is. Companies that recognize there is power in going through the eco-journey together will gain a fiercely loyal fan base.

So how do you develop a dedicated fan base? Recruit an advisory board of customers, every retailer has a mailing list and Internet site to reach out to their customers, and ask them to collaborate on re-developing the products that they already buy, and saving the environment together, hand-in-hand. If you’re more of a consumer-oriented business, create a group, both at your bricks-and-mortar location, and on Facebook, and create or change a product or service all together. Put up a blog bar in your main aisle, let customers vent and praise you about what’s going on in your stores today.

Kermit may coon, “It’s not easy being green,” but you can still create and tell your green story. Most businesses shy away from storytelling. That’s too bad, because companies don’t make decisions to buy things, people do. There is always a person who ultimately decides to choose you. They may choose you because you are green.

--Ron Knoth, Guest Blogger

In Praise of Eek

A friend of mine recently turned me on to the sublime design of Ella, a new Sacramento, Calif., restaurant, and inadvertently kicked off an obsession. While thumbing through the photos they sent me, I was drawn to these funky little stools in the bar area, which seemed to have been bolted together from nothing less than driftwood. And thus did I become exposed to the furniture design majesty that is Piet Hein Eek.

In the few months since I came across him, Mr. Eek (or so I am thinking he likes to be called, what is Dutch for Mr. anyway?) has gone from somewhat obscure to being a global sensation. His furniture is not only incredibly thoughtfully designed, but incredibly green--being constructed largely from scrap wood or metal--and it seems you can’t click on one of those cool-watching type blogs anymore without someone else jumping on the Eek bandwagon.

What excited me most recently was a new line he’s released called 99.13 percent. It’s a shelving system designed to be fabricated from a single sheet of steel with barely any waste--0.87 percent of waste to be exact, and that waste comes from the holes he drills in it to bolt it together.

I was so floored by the premise of this, by the simplicity and purity of this statement that it had me thinking...How strange is our definition of green in this retail industry we find ourselves in? Where architects take exams to build greener buildings when perhaps we should just build less new structures. Where we claim our big boxes can be green if we put trees on the roof, only to build them so far from peoples homes that thousands of them burn up our ozone visiting them every day. Where our obsession with pretty visuals leads to grocery stores throwing away food ruined by the presentation.

In this odd world, isn’t something like the Piet shelving refreshing?  nd shouldn’t we all perhaps start with something like this when we think of the difference we could make?

--Christian Davies, Guest Blogger 

Walk The Green Talk

It's an exciting time for the environment. Finally, we're taking care of it, and every day seems to yield yet another amazing eco-friendly product. Payless ShoeSource recently joined the environmental phenomena with the launch of its new line of shoes. Hey, we've got green lingerie and green socks, so it was simply a matter of time before we had completely eco-friendly shoes.

According to GreenBiz.com, the new line will come out in 2009 and will feature, for under $30, 12 different women's shoes. Payless left no eco-friendly stone unturned while developing the new line. The shoes will be made with organic cotton, linen, hemp, recycled rubber and biodegradable glue. Wow, I think the only thing they left out was bamboo!

In addition, the retailer hopped on board yet another popular trend by hiring an eco-consultant. Summer Rayne Oakes, a fashion and beauty expert for the Discovery Network's Planet Green, was hired to review the line and support the retailer in making sure it stays up to par in the green world. And get this--Oakes is also an activist, model, author, host and brand marketer. This woman has more titles than anyone I've ever heard of before.

Not surprisingly, Payless is pretty excited about the prospect. Matt Rubel, CEO of Collective Brands, Inc., parent company of Payless had this to say, "Our alliance with Summer Rayne Oakes is important to this new brand initiative. Summer Rayne is a trend-setting expert in Eco Fashion, and she will help us launch our new green brand, as well as assist us in driving innovation with fresh, new eco-smart ideas for this brand going forward."

Well, you don't have to convince me. Oakes definitely sounds and looks amazing. Having an expert support the launch of a new line is pretty smart as well. Way to go Payless!

So be on the lookout for an opportunity to walk the green movement talk, at a Payless near you. Know of other must-have green shoe lines? Do they have a beautiful model/author/host/marketer as a consultant? Tell us about it here.

 --Heather Strang

Possum Is the New Leather?

We're all pretty familiar with the traditional fur debate. We've got Pam Anderson and PETA on one side of the fence and on the other America's elite who don't see too much wrong with killing animals for their fur, and then wearing it. Perhaps, though, you are not familiar with the eco-friendly fur debate. Oh yeah, this is a new one.

Leave it to my home of Portland, Ore., to try to pull this one off. Entrepreneur Chrys Hutchings has started a company called Eco-Luxury Fur, featuring the fur of New Zealand's most pesky pests--the brushtail possum.

That's right; eco-friendly fur is now possum fur. You can purchase a possum-fur throw, ribbed scarf or pillow.

But wait, I'm confused, how is killing a possum eco-friendly?

Apparently, New Zealand is plagued with these possums, otherwise known as paihamus, and they're the leading threat to the country's native birds, forest plants and other species. There are no possum predators in New Zealand, so the animal has overrun the area, with more than 99 percent of the country inhabited by possums.

So, basically, by purchasing a possum-fur throw you're saving New Zealand's kiwi bird and other species that are otherwise being destroyed by the ravenous possums. Still doesn't feel right? Well, you might want to consider that the possums are killed in a more "humane" way (wait is that an oxymoron?!), by being poisoned with potassium cyanide, which allegedly kills more quickly. Oh, what a relief.

All of my judgment aside, though, one fact remains: the possum products are actually really beautiful. I know it doesn't seem possible, right? Check out the Web site and see for yourself.

But, even with the possum-mania in New Zealand, can we ever call killing animals eco-friendly? Do retailers really want to take that on? Looks like they might. According to a recent article in The Seattle Times, Hutchings is in talks to sign with some major retailers.

Enough about what I think--what are your thoughts about eco-friendly possum fur? Would you buy it, feature it in your store and/or wear it? Tell us about it here!

--Heather Strang

Product Packaging Gets Eco-Chic

Remember when retail product advertising simply centered on the product itself? You know, when a piece of plastic was just a wasteful piece of earth-harmful material and nothing more? Those days are totally over.

Today, retail product advertising often glosses over the actual product, while honing in on the sustainability of the packaging that the product comes in. And it's not just in advertising.

Check this out--a friend of mine nixed my lunch suggestion because the food came with too much packaging. It's also no longer chic to waste massive amounts of sparkly paper to wrap Christmas presents in. Instead, gifts are being wrapped in old newspapers. We're now as eco-friendly about our packaging as we are with the product itself.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. We should care about these things. It is our Earth after all.

But, recently, I found myself chuckling quite a bit while reading a press release for Organicare Beauty products. The release focused somewhat on the loveliness of the skincare line, but mostly centered on the "sophisticated, fashionable and serious" packaging (10/21/08 release) all designed to send a message about the skincare's commitment to the environment.

In fact, the packaging is made using hydropower and wind power in a carbon-neutral facility. And that's not all. According to the Willoughby Design Group, which designed the packaging, it's also Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified with all of the paperboard straight from responsibly managed forests.

My, my, my--we've certainly come a long way, haven't we?

Not so long ago just a handful of folks were piloting the cloth grocery bag movement and now it has completely infiltrated our world. Retail product press releases wax on endlessly about sustainable packaging. And to top it off, our friends (well, mine at least!) won't eat our food if it comes with too much packaging.

Do you know other retail products that are package-centric? What do you think about this incredible focus in the retail world? (I am loving it, although it does make me giggle!) When we do things, boy, do we do them BIG. Care to share your thoughts? Do so here!

 --Heather Strang

One Human's Trash Is Another's Treasure...

If you have a minute, go ahead and take a peek into your garbage can. You'll probably find the usual suspects--a banana peel, pieces of random mail and maybe some coffee grinds.

Just ordinary garbage, right? Well, tell that to Trenton, N.J.-based TerraCycle (started by a 25-year-old Princeton drop out--I love this country!), a company that has taken everyday waste and made it into consumable products. And not products sold at a street fair either. We're talking about massive retail ventures.

TerraCycle recently began a partnership with OfficeMax, which now offers "Made From Waste" products in all of its stores throughout the nation. Products include waste baskets (ironic, eh?) pens, pencils, binders, paper, pencil cases, cork boards and computer bags. Even better, the products are made from commonly tossed items such as newspaper, cookie packaging, elephant poop, banana leaves, wine corks and billboard vinyl.

We truly live in the most innovative time in the history of the world. Who would have thought that elephant poo and wine corks could create so much goodness? It's absolutely amazing.

According to a recent TerraCycle press release, execs at OfficeMax worked closely with the company to develop products that consumers not only needed, but could also be created from common waste products.

Check out some of the Made From Waste products and their materials of origin:

-Pencils: 100 percent reused newspaper
-Paper lines: elephant poop, banana leaves, coffee grinds and straw
-Pens: biodegradable corn plastic and recycled plastic
-Kid's notebooks: reused Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookie packaging, post-consumer paper
-Computer bags: reused billboard vinyl
-Cork boards: reused wine corks

And get this, TerraCycle (I swear, the dude that started this company is a genius!) pays consumers to send in cookie packaging, wrappers, plastic bottles, wine corks, etc. as part of their efforts to clean up the Earth and create products we can reuse. They also partner with food manufacturers to act as sponsors for this brigade. It doesn't get any better than this people. Unless, of course, you're talking about the worm poop plant food packages for reused soda bottles that TerraCycle created back in 2005 for Wal-Mart and Home Depot.

I don't know about you, but OfficeMax's coolness factor just rose about 5 trillion points for me. What do you think? Want to track the CEO of TerraCycle down and marry him (like I do)? If so, leave your comments here. Or drop us your ideas for how to turn waste into goodness.

--Heather Strang