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Visit the Green and Sustainable Job Training Catalog at: CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com
Eco-Seals, Seals-of-Approval and Certifications
Environmental seals-of-approval, eco-seals and certifications from third-party organizations imply that a product is environmentally superior to other products. Because such broad claims are difficult to substantiate, seals-of-approval should be accompanied by information that explains the basis for the award. If the seal-of-approval implies that a third party has certified the product, the certifying party must be truly independent from the advertiser and must have professional expertise in the area that is being certified.
The FTC analyzes third-party certification claims to ensure that they are substantiated and not deceptive. Third-party certification does not insulate an advertiser from Commission scrutiny or eliminate an advertiser's obligation to ensure for itself that the claims communicated by the certification are substantiated.
Federal Trade Commission: Greenguides
earthNOW expo is the only conference program dedicated to green retail practices and the marketing, merchandising and selling of green products and services. Learn from business owners and leaders that have hands-on "going green" expreriene.
Eco-friendly, organic and natural product manufacturers that can get their products into retail stores NOW, will be the companies that succeed in the new green economy.
Eco retailing is a $230 Billion Dollar industry and will grow another 38% this year or another $87 Billion Dollars.
This is an extremely viable market, as 70% of consumers are females, the sex that controls consumer spending. These are educated consumers as 73% have bachelor degrees or higher and 31% of these households earn an excess of 100,000 annually.
Research proves that consumers will pay up to 20% more for Green Products they believe in!
Plan NOW to be a part of earthNOW expo June 4-5, 2008 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, the face-to-face trade show for consumer product manufactures, retail stores and other green business leaders.
Wal-Mart sustainability scorecard standards | |
| 15% | will be based on Greenhouse Gas (GHG)/CO2 per ton of Production |
| 15% | will be based on Material Value |
| 15% | will be based on Product/Package Ratio |
| 15% | will be based on Cube Utilization |
| 10% | will be based on Transportation |
| 10% | will be based on Recycled Content |
| 10% | will be based on Recovery Value |
| 5% | will be based on Renewable Energy |
| 5% | will be based on Innovation |
Sustainability Planning Resources:
Design Guidelines Available Online
- SPC – Design Guideline
- Association of Post Consumer Plastics has a design for recyclability guideline
-
FTC Guidelines
THE WAL-MART SUSTAINABILITY SCORECARD
It’s likely that you’ll soon have to comply with your customers’ sustainability initiatives as well as your own. That's the case if you provide products for the Wal-Mart chain of retail outlets.Wal-Mart has taken a "lifecycle approach" to packaging with objectives covering reduction in waste and renewable energy. Nine weighted parameters of Wal-Mart's sustainability scorecard are measured for their prospective and current vendors.
Wal-Mart has told its buyers that, starting in 2008, they should consider the packaging scores when choosing among various products for its Wal-Mart and Sam's Club stores. Matt Kistler, Vice President - Package and Product Innovations, Sam's Club Wal-Mart
Part of the challenge in rolling out greener products is informing customers about changes that affect their perception of savings. Wal-Mart's April 2008 "Earth Month" promotion is highlighting its greener products and informing customers how making better choices, especially on a large scale, can cause a difference. Wal-Mart is featuring more than 50 products in stores and 500 online, from transitional cotton shirts to mulch made from rubber to Clorox Green Works products.
To green its supply chain the company launched a it's "Wal-Mart Packaging Scorecard" in 2007 . By filling in information about products' packaging, suppliers are rated and find out their rank in relation to peers. Kistler said Wal-Mart works with suppliers, telling them what they can do to improve and let them know what other suppliers have done to reduce packaging.
Shipping Services
"On May 12 the USPS will adjust prices for our shipping services — Express Mail, Priority Mail, Parcel Select, Parcel Return Service, and International Mail. For the first time our pricing includes commercial volume and contract prices, rebates, online price reductions, and other new incentives."Mailing Services
First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services, and Special Services. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
A First-Class Mail stamp will be 42¢.
For more information, visit the US Postal Service Price Increase
For a limited time, upload your design portfolio for free!
The Galley is a global repository of high-resolution package photography from 38 countries, with over 5,000 images. The Gallery will be used by package designers and consumer packaged goods companies all over the world.
Contact the gallery's curator for details. EMAIL: curator@globalpackagegallery.com
The announcement comes a week after the release of a report from TerraChoice Environmental Marketing showing that the vast majority of green marketing claims are inaccurate or inappropriate.
The firm researched more than 1,000 consumer products with environmental claims and found that all but one violated at least one of the report's "Six Sins of Greenwashing."
The Federal Trade Commission is requesting comments on the Green Guides in regard to their costs, benefits, and effectiveness.Current FTC Regulations for Environmental Claims
Issued in 1992, the FTC Guidelines for Environmental Marketing Claims or "Green Guides" do not constitute a labeling system as such, but they are designed to have an effect on labeling. The guidelines are intended to prevent false or misleading use of advertising claims such as "environmentally friendly," "degradable," and "recyclable." Confusion over the meaning of such terms affected not only consumers but also companies, who were concerned about lawsuits over their environmental claims.
The Guides outlined four general principles for environmental claims:
- qualifications and disclosures should be sufficiently clear and conspicuous to prevent deception;
- claims should make clear whether they apply to the product, packaging, or just a component of either;
- claims should not overstate environmental benefits; and
- comparative claims should be presented in such a way that the basis for comparison is clear.
The guides also addressed claims concerning
- environmental friendliness
- degradability
- compostability
- recyclability
- recycled content
- source reduction
- refillability, and
- ozone friendliness
Language changes with the times, and the green revolution is spawning a
whole new glossary of terms for measuring, identifying and describing
climate change strategies and tools. Choosing the right words is
important...even critical to encouraging and supporting behavior
change.
Language is about conveying ideas...and if one party doesn't understand
the other...no communication happens!
Consumer communications and marketing is built on a foundation of "common understanding." The following research result show that crafting new terms isn't always effective and the same terms aren't accepted or understood by different groups of people. Knowing the people you communicate with carries equal importance to choosing the right words.
The 2007 EcoPinion Survey confirms the existence of a green gap between the communications and language commonly used by companies and stakeholders in the energy and environment space and customers’ understanding, acceptance and perceptions of value around terms such as energy efficiency, energy conservation, demand response, smart energy and clean energy.
The green gap in communications contributes to a growing misalignment between customers’ stated intentions, e.g., their desire to be more green or frugal with energy consumption, and their actual behavior.
Green Gap Communication Survey Findings
Most consumers can’t articulate the difference between the phrases "energy conservation" and "energy efficiency," while only 13% of respondents think energy efficiency has to do with saving money or cutting down on fuel costs.Age Differences in Green Action
The younger set, age 18 to 34, tend to use the words "conserve," "efficiency," and "waste less" in their responses.
However, it is members of the 55+ group that, when asked what they are
doing, have more concrete answers and are less likely than their
younger counterparts to answer “nothing.”
Regional Green Behaviors
The Midwest lowers their thermostat more than any other region when asked about energy conservationThe South cuts back on air conditioning.
The Northeast and the Western regions are more likely to say that they buy energy efficient appliances.
In terms of energy efficiency, the Northeast and the West are more likely to purchase energy efficient light bulbs.
READ MORE SURVEY RESULTS at CaliforniaGreenSolutions.com
Use video to tell your story...
Congratulations to Melissa Mansfield, the new host of "Keep It Green"!
I met Melissa when she was working on a Los Angeles green living blog, and am delighted to see that she is moving into her dream of sharing green and sustainable strategies with the community. Go, girl!
FIRST EPISODE: "So, it was exciting that my first interview as Keep It Green's new host was with Lou Cafiero of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries. Our oceans are home to a vast array of diverse species, all playing vital roles in our environment. Marine sanctuaries play a large part in protecting that abundance of life.
And there's a lot of work to do. Until I talked with Lou, I had no idea that whales face some very unique dangers - one of which is getting hit by huge shipping vessels. These ships move extremely fast, and if a whale is busy feeding or otherwise distracted, it can get hit and seriously injured or killed."
http://blog.equatorhd.com/