New Yorkers - Recycling Magazines is Excellent!

I was in New York today, and I saw in one of the subway stations a big ad for a recycling initiative for magazines and catalogs that was recently launched in New York by Mayor Bloomberg. It is called: ReMix- Recycling Magazines is Excellent.

ReMix is a national public education campaign aimed at increasing residential recycling of magazines and catalogs. The campaign conducted pilot programs in Boston, Milwaukee, and Portland. Now the campaign is bringing the need to recycle magazines and catalogs to the attention of the New Yorkers with promotions on buses, taxis, subc\ways, in movie theatres, on cable television, on billboards and in full-page public service advertisements in consumer magazines. The total budget of the campaign in NY is above $3 million.

According to the Environment News Service (ENN), The ReMix campaign began when a study by Time Inc. and Verso Paper found that while 95 percent of all unsold newsstand magazines are recycled by newsstands and publishers, only about 17 percent of sold magazines are recycled. Just for comparison - Verso CEO, Mike Jackson mentioned on the ENN report that today, 53.4 percent - of all paper consumed in the United States is recovered for reuse.

ENN points out correctly that the there's no problem nowadays to recycle glossy paper used from magazines and catalogs. Currently, all community recycling programs accept magazines and catalogs for recycling.

This is great initiative and I hope it will motivate people to take action and significantly increase the magazines and catalogs they recycle. It's relatively easy and it's doing good twice, by keeping this paper out of landfills and by letting companies resuse it instead of virgin paper to make new paper products.

Here's the 2008 ReMix TV spot (from YouTube):



This is also a good opportunity to remind you on a (relatively) new initiative to eliminate in advance the unwanted catalogs you receive on your mail - Catalog Choice, which I wrote about here in the past (and it's a free service!)

Enjoy recycling!
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

A great offer from Kedzie Press

I wrote here two weeks ago about our new partnership with Kedzie Press, an independent publishing house based in Seattle, Washington in a new initiative called Million Tree-A-Thon.

Now you can support this imitative and make some money on the way by joining the Kedzie Press Affiliate Program.

It's fairly simple - join their affiliate program (here's the link: http://www.shareasale.com/shareasale.cfm?merchantID=16051), place a Million Tree-A-Thon banner on your website, earn a 5% commission on click through sales, and help Kedzie Press reach the goal of planting one million trees with Eco-Libris by December 2009.

Kedzie Press has teamed up with ShareASale to offer a simple affiliate sign up process. Click here to start the simple and FREE process and start making money while promoting a good cause. Who can say no that?

If you have any questions or would like to put a banner on your site or blog and do not want to go though the Shareasale commission sign up process, please email Kedzie Press at: info@kedziepress.com.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Green Options - From My Bookshelf - Part 1

Eco-Libris is a proud content partner of Green Options. Today we bring you a post on the green bookshelf of Lee Welles, the author of the great Gaia Girls series. The post was originally published on Tuesday, February 18.

As a writer of fiction, I constantly get the question, "Where do you get your ideas?" The answer is, two places: I get out and play in the world a lot and I read a LOT! I wanted to share some of the books on my shelf, so that you too...can get inspired.

Food and food production was the first topic I tackled. I haven't read it yet, but Michael Pollan's new book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, sounds excellent. I enjoyed listening to a recent interview with him on Talk of the Nation and have it on hold at my local library. Michael Pollan also did a fantastic job with An Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Many people are familiar with Pollan's writing, but I wanted to make you aware of some titles you may have missed.

I believe I stumbled up Fat Land by Greg Critser first. Being a health and wellness consultant, the subtitle, "How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World," is what caught my eye. Critser tracks the rise of High Fructose Corn Syrup from the political motivations behinds its creation to the way it has influenced food pricing and "supersizing."

I then moved on to Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser. If you haven't kicked your Mickey D's habit yet...you will after reading this book!

With my interest in food production now piqued, The Meat You Eat: How Corporate Farming Has Endangered America's Food Supply, leapt off the shelf and into my eager hands. Ken Midkiff, former Director of Sierra Club's Clean Water Campaign, takes the reader on a journey. You learn the driving forces behind the demise of the family farm (sustainable) and the rise of industrial meat production.

By the time I move on to Diet for a Dead Planet: How the Food Industry is Killing Us, I had overhauled my own food buying habits. However, author Christopher D. Cook, really brought home the way government subsidies drive agri-corporations to pursue these destructive methods of farming. In an election year, it is relevant to understand how the Farm Bill touches every aspect of our lives.

This is valuable information and one every parent should be aware of. Industrial meat production threatens our waterways, lakes and oceans. Factory farming of threatens our health through fertilizer and pesticide use, antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria, air and water quality and what nutrition is made available in our grocery stores and schools.

Sustainable Table has a wonderful round-up of the issues.

And...I haven't even mentioned the humane treatment of animals angle. Suffice it to say, it can--and will--move you to tears. If you prefer a bit of laughter while still understanding the issues, The Meatrix won a lot of awards for a reason!

This may sound more depressing than inspiring. Watch for From My Bookshelf-Part 2. I will deliver the books behind hopeful flip-side!

Monday's green books series: Green to Gold

Today the Social Enterprise Association (SEA), NYU Stern School of Business’ chapter of Net Impact, is having a lecture of Prof. Daneil Esty, the co-author of 'Green to Gold'. I thought this is a good opportunity to present this interesting book on our green books series. It's not a new book (it was published on 2006), but this award-winning book is still one of the best green business books written to date.

The lecture will be held today between 6-7:30 PM at Cantor Boardroom, 44 West 4th Street. RSVP Required - please check SEA's website for further information.

So now that you know where you can listen to Prof. Esty tonight, it's time to introduce the book:

Green to Gold: How Smart Companies Use Environmental Strategy to Innovate, Create Value, and Build Competitive Advantage

Authors: Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston (their website - http://www.eco-advantage.com/)

Daniel Esty is the Hillhouse Professor of Environmental Law and Policy at Yale University. He holds faculty appointments in both Yale’s Environment and Law Schools. He is the Director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy as well as the Yale World Fellows Program.

Professor Esty is the author or editor of eight books and numerous articles on environmental policy issues and the relationships between the environment and trade, globalization, security, competitiveness, international institutions, and development. His current research agenda includes projects on environmental protection in the Information Age, a rethinking for corporate environmental strategy, global environmental governance, and “next generation” approaches to pollution control and natural resource management.

Prior to taking up his current position at Yale, Professor Esty was a Senior Fellow at the Institute for International Economics (1993-94), served in a variety of senior positions on the US Environmental Protection Agency (1989-93), and practiced law in Washington, DC (1986-89).

Prof. Esty has advised companies across the world on energy, environment, and sustainability issues and serves as the Chairman of Esty Environmental Partners, a corporate environmental strategy group based in New Haven, CT. He sits on the Board of Directors of Resources for the Future and the Connecticut Fund for the Environment.

Andrew Winston is founder of Winston Eco-Strategies and works with leading companies to use environmental thinking to drive growth. He has consulted with start-ups and Fortune 500 companies such as Bank of America, Reuters, Coca-Cola, and IKEA.

Andrew is a nationally recognized expert on green business, and has written for or appeared in Time, Newsweek, BusinessWeek, Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, ABC News, National Public Radio, and CNBC. He is a sought-after and engaging speaker, providing audiences with a timely and dynamic view on how companies turn green to gold. Andrew gives keynote addresses and also moderates "Q&A" and panel discussions at events of all sizes and venues -- from small meetings to large conferences, from world-class universities to corporate campuses.

Andrew sits on the Antron Sustainability Advisory Council for the $6 billion industrial manufacturer Invista. He also served as the Director of the Corporate Environmental Strategy Project at Yale’s renowned School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and is a Fellow of the Center for Environment and Business at Yale. Andrew received his BA in Economics from Princeton, an MBA from Columbia, and a Masters of Environmental Management from Yale.

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published in: October 2006

What it is about (from the publisher's website): The essential guide for forward-thinking business leaders who see the Green Wave coming and want to profit from it. This book explores what every executive must know to manage the environmental challenges facing society and business.

Based on the authors' years of experience and hundreds of interviews with corporate leaders around the world, 'Green to Gold' shows how companies generate lasting value, cutting costs, reducing risk, increasing revenues, and creating strong brands, by building environmental thinking into their business strategies.

Daniel C. Esty and Andrew S. Winston provide clear how-to advice and concrete examples from companies like BP, Toyota, IKEA, GE, and Nike that are achieving both environmental and business success. The authors show how these cutting-edge companies are establishing an “eco-advantage” in the marketplace as traditional elements of competitive differentiation fade in importance. Esty and Winston not only highlight successful strategies but also make plain what does not work by describing why environmental initiatives sometimes fail despite the best intentions.

Green to Gold is written for executives at every level and for businesses of all kinds and sizes. Esty and Winston guide leaders through a complex new world of resource shortfalls, regulatory restrictions, and growing pressure from customers and other stakeholders to strive for sustainability. With a sharp focus on execution, Esty and Winston offer a thoughtful, pragmatic, and inspiring road map that companies can use to cope with environmental pressures and responsibilities while sparking innovation that will drive long-term growth.

Why you should get it:

This book is not new, but still essential to anyone who wants to get better understanding what it means to integrate environment into the corporate/business thinking. You can find in this book analysis based on the experiences of leading companies, which is extracted to strategies and tools businesses can an should use to make environmental challenges their completive advantage. Definitely a book that is worth gold :-)

What others say about it:
"Green to Gold provides the definitive thinking on how business leaders can address environmental issues in the new economy, a world where companies win by integrating company strategies with social challenges, rather than treating economic and social as separate and different." - Michael E. Porter, Professor, Harvard Business School

"No executive can afford to ignore the green wave sweeping the business world. Esty and Winston show how to make sustainability a core element of strategy—and profit from it." - Chad Holliday, CEO, DuPont

"Green to Gold is a must-read for the twenty-first century CEO. Esty and Winston provide convincing examples of how companies out-compete their peers by tackling sustainability head on, engaging stakeholders, developing NGO partnerships, and folding environmental stewardship into their corporate culture." -Tensie Whelan, Executive Director, Rainforest Alliance

Enjoy the book, and if you're looking for other interesting green books, you are invited to check out our green books page on our website's green resources section.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

See Ed Begley Jr.'s talk at Strand Book Store

If you didn't have the chance to come to Strand Book Store last Wednesday to hear Ed Begley, Jr. speaking about his new book 'Living Like Ed' and his 30-year green experience, and maybe also to grab a signed copy of the book, you are welcome to see the video of the event on the Strand TV (and thank you to Strand Book Store for broadcasting it live!).

As you can see, Ed Begley, Jr. was the star of this evening, but another happy occasion on that evening was the announcement on the collaboration between Eco-Libris and Strand Book Store. The store is offering now its customers, in both of its stores on 828 Broadway and 95 Fulton Street, the option to pay to plant a tree to balance out the books they buy in the store.

Customers of Strand Book Store (in both locations - on 828 Broadway and 95 Fulton Street) will have the opportunity to pay to plant a tree to balance each book they purchase in the store. They will also receive an Eco-Libris sticker at the store for each book they balance out, saying 'One tree planted for this book'.

So check out the video of the event, which was recorded by Strand Book Store and is available on the store's online TV.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Reading books chapter by chapter

I read few days ago in Springwise (a great source to new interesting ideas) about a new initiative of Random House: Selling books by the chapter.

Random House explains the logic behind the new initiative: "Sometimes what you want is a slice instead of the whole pie. That's why we're offering a new reading experience-- the ability to purchase individual chapters. Imagine that! Downloading and reading exactly the part of a book that meets your needs".

The first book to be offered by them is 'Made to Stick', written by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. This book actually looks like a very interesting book. Here's the book description on its website:

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that “stick” and explain sure-fire methods for making ideas stickier, such as violating schemas, using the Velcro Theory of Memory, and creating “curiosity gaps.”

The process is very simple - on the book's website you can find a short description of each one of the six chapters of the book and its epilogue. You can choose the chapter that's right for you and download it as an Adobe Digital Editions file for $2.99. The introduction and index are available for free with the purchase of any chapter.

If you want to purchase the paper version of the book, you can still do it for $24.95 (or the audio CD for $29.95).

I like this idea as it generates more incentives for customers to download the book (or the chapters they are interested at in this case) instead of buying the paper version.

As Springwise writes, this idea won't work for every book, as most books you want to read from page one to the last page, but it can definitely work for guide books, such as 'Made to Stick'.

Random House is already involved for almost two years in a green initiative that is aimed to increase its usage of recycled paper to 30% by 2010. I'm not sure if Random House had the goal of reducing the usage of virgin paper when they came up with their chapters initiative, but it's definitely goes a welcomed by product.

Now we should only see if this initiative will really work. I guess other publishers will wait as well before jumping into the water with similar initiatives. We'll keep you posted as always.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

An interview with Diane MacEachern, the author of 'Big Green Purse'

Can women make the world a greener and a better place with their purses? Diane MacEachern believes they do and she wrote a great book 'Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power To Create a Cleaner, Greener World', which is a call-to-action for women to use their power as buyers (women spend 85 percent of every dollar in the marketplace) to make a difference.

MacEachern's message is simple but revolutionary: if women harness the "power of their purse" and intentionally shift their spending money to commodities that have the greatest environmental benefit, they can create a cleaner, greener world.

We covered the book few weeks ago, and since I was fascinated with the simple but yet powerful message of the book, I wanted to learn a little bit more about it from the author itself and interviewed Diane MacEachern. I know that not all of you see green consumerism as the best way to fight global warming and achieve sustainability, but Diane makes a very good case here in explaining how realistic and powerful option it is. you are welcome to read and judge for yourself. The book, by the way, will be published next Thursday (2/28).


To those of you who don't know her, Diane is a bestselling environmental writer, sought-after public speaker, and founder of http://www.biggreenpurse.com. She has advised the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, World Bank, World Wildlife Fund, and many other agencies and nonprofit organizations focused on protecting the planet. The author of the bestselling Save Our Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can Help Clean Up the Earth, she lives in the Washington, D.C., suburbs in the energy-efficient home that she helped design and build more than twenty years ago.


What brought you to write the 'Big Green Purse'?

Environmentalists were trying to protect the planet by passing new legislation and enforcing existing laws and regulations. But especially under the current administration, we were getting nowhere. On the other hand, the marketplace - which we were trying to regulate through policy - was responding at breakneck speed to what consumers were demanding. It seemed to make sense to focus on increasing consumer demand for responsibly made products and services as a way to force manufacturers to be more responsible.

Also, getting consumers to demand products that are certified sustainable seemed like the fastest way to get manufacturers to pursue sustainable production processes. It was a way of beating the "greenwashing" that otherwise dupes consumers and lets manufacturers profit from green marketing without being truly green themselves.

The book tries to show how women can change the world through smart and green shopping. Shouldn't we focus on trying to influence decision makers and companies? isn't political activism a better way to achieve results?

It's not either or. Sure, let's pass strong laws whenever we can. Let's enforce the laws and regulations already on the books. But let's empower consumers, too, especially in areas like personal care products where the laws already on the books just don't do enough to protect people. Besides, look at the track record. Under the current administration, no major environmental legislation has passed. Some wilderness has been protected, but no where near what's under siege. The new fuel efficiency standards that Congress approved don't go nearly far enough in helping Americans achieve energy independence.

On the other hand, during the same time period, green manufacturing has taken off. Thanks to choices consumers are making in the marketplace, companies are producing packages in bulk to save energy and reduce waste. They're innovating to develop more fuel efficient appliances. They creating toxin-free cosmetics. None of these developments would have occurred without consumer demand.

Just in the area of personal care products like shampoo and make-up, consider this. The Toxic Substances Control Act actually permits companies to use over 65,000 chemicals that could create health and environmental hazards. Even with new laws, all those chemicals will be allowed to continue to exist. You and I can protect ourselves from those dangers based on how we shop. And if all shoppers avoid them, companies will be less likely to use them. That makes sense to me.

We see that markets for green products such as organic food or hybrid cars are growing fast, but their market share is still very small. How much green consumerism can really make a difference?

The tipping point in the marketplace is actually pretty small. At some point, and some point soon, companies will decide it just doesn't make sense any more to squander their capital - and their company's good name -- on products that are bad for the planet. Plus, look at how much innovation is happening in the marketplace simply because consumers have created demand for green products. That innovation will have an enormous ripple effect throughout manufacturing.

Your book is full with information that will make anyone who reads it very concerned about the environmental and health impacts of almost everything we do on daily basis. Yet, I also find it optimistic - where is this optimism coming from?

can you share with us a specific experience that helped to generate your optimism? I'm generally a "cup is half-full" kind of person! But also, I'm really thrilled with how much innovation is happening in the marketplace, how short the turnaround time is between increased consumer demand and manufacturer response, and by how many millions of people have taken the environmental crisis to heart and vowed to do something, anything, to help protect the planet.

There are critics who see in green consumerism no more than just a way for consumers to feel better about themselves with no real added-value, as they see consumerism in itself as the problem. What do you think of it?

I talk to thousands of consumers every year. Many people are actually tormented by the dilemmas shopping poses. They need to feed and clothe their families, they need to drive to work every day, and they understand that all of these actions have an environmental impact. It does make them feel great when they can buy the product with the least impact - and there's nothing wrong with people feeling good for doing the right thing!

I've never come across anyone who says, "I just can't wait to spend more money." Most people are trying to economize. But they still need to live. The critics should be encouraging responsible green consumerism. They should also realize that, at least until the political reality changes, green consumers are going to be the most powerful force for change, especially change aimed at manufacturing.

The book is full of great tips in many areas, from clothing and cosmetics to furniture and transportation - if someone who wants to start their journey towards sustainable living is reading your book - would you recommend her to focus on one or two areas or try to make changes in each and every one of these areas?

Most people start with a single step. What makes sense for someone depends on their lifestyle, their means, and their comfort level. Probably the most important step to take is to figure out when you can reduce energy. Can you install a programmable thermostat to use less energy to heat and cool your home? Can you plug your computer and other office equipment into a powerstrip to avoid wasting energy when electronics aren't even being used? Can you drive a more fuel efficient vehicle, and drive it to save gas? Alternatively, can you carpool or take mass transit a couple days a week? Start with one step; it will lead you to others.

What's the most interesting thing you have learned through the work on the book?

There is green innovation happening in every sector of society, and in every industry. We face tremendous opportunities to make our money matter by taking advantage of what's before our very eyes. And the more we do so, the more opportunities we'll create.

How about men? aren't we expected to take part in the creation of a greener world?

Absolutely! Every man, woman and child can and should participate in creating a greener world. No one has the corner on the market when it comes to using whatever skills, knowledge and resources they have to protect the planet -- and themselves.

Can you tell us about the 'One in a million' pledge?

The One in a Million campaign urges consumers to pledge to shift $1,000 of money they're already spending on products and services that offer the greatest environmental benefit. If you're already spending $1,000 a year, you can join, too. The idea is to continue to give momentum to the creation of a truly green marketplace, as well as making it easy for consumers to participate in that marketplace by shifting money they'd be spending anyway on household products. Consumers can shift money in any category, but the campaign recommends some specifics for consideration, like food, coffee, appliances, and so on.

The green markets are evolving very fast. How you intend to keep the information in the book updated?

The website will be an invaluable tool for keeping information updated. I hear constantly from readers and companies about new developments, which enhances the research I do myself. I welcome feedback, suggestions, ideas, and input.

What's next? What your next book will be about?

I'm very interested in the impact China is having, not just on our own environment (through the China-made products we buy), but globally. If we really are a small planet, we have to help China clean up its "neighborhood" just as much as we focus on our own.

Thank you Diane! As I mentioned, the book will be published next week (2/28/08). One more thing I would like to note: the book is printed on acid-free recycled paper. For further and updated information, please visit http://www.biggreenpurse.com.

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!