AUGUST 08: GDUSA GREEN ENEWSLETTER

IN THIS ISSUE

Publisher's Note: High Interest, Low Confidence
Thinking Green: Urban Tumbleweeds, Precycling, Green Patriotism
Special Event: The Green Media Show
More Thinking Green: Pizza Hut, Green Mail, Measuring Progress
Quote of the Month: Green Means Growth
Companies: Green Ideas and Developments

PUBLISHERS NOTE: SUBSTANTIATION, NOT SENTIMENT

Brand strategy and design consultancy Lippincott, in conjunction with The
Climate Group, has released the findings of a consumer study on brands and
climate change. The bottom line: despite the billions spent on "green" and
"sustainable" initiatives and advertising, 76% of U.S. respondents could not
name a single brand that is taking the lead on climate change. It seems consumer
businesses are not being recognized for their efforts in this arena. This
despite the fact that the survey also reveals that a plurality of consumers are
committed to being green, they look to business for leadership, and they are
seeking likeminded companies with which to deal. This survey is remarkably
consistent -- at least in spirit -- with several others finding that consumer
companies trying to brand themselves as "green" are coming up short. The
Lippincott report suggests a reason: environmental marketing messages may be too
general and too feel-goody to overcome the skeptical nature of today's audience.
In a nutshell, consumers who care at all want and need more substantiation and
less sentiment.
http://www.lippincott.com

-- Gordon Kaye

PS. The study did find that some consumer organizations do a better job than
others at conveying the message, with GE, BP, Toyota at the top.

THINKING GREEN

In The Bag

The Burning Man Art Festival in the Nevada desert is the home to many visual
(and other) surprises. But next week, none will top the first showing of "2663
Urban Tumbleweeds," an eco-art installation by graphic design firm MSLK. Seeking
to raise community awareness of plastic bags as a common sign and symbol of
waste and overconsumption, the Long Island City NY-based design firm came up
with the idea of a graphic statement on a grand scale: an art installation 2663
bags, which represents the number consumed in the U.S. each minute. At Burning
Man, the bags are to be tied to the "Trash Fence" -- a name participants use to
refer to the boundary fence that keeps participants and trash inside the
festival limits. Signage, made from recycled vinyl graphics, tells the story of
the environmental impact of the bags. No new bags were harmed in making this
project. The project, note principals Marc S Levitt and Sheri L Koetting, began
with a visit to drop-off boxes at local stores to collect used bags.
http://www.mslk.com

Precyling

The Intelligence Group, a research organization specialzing in youth and
consumer culture, observes a new trend that is poised for growth. It's called
precycling, the practice of working to avoid products that create more
superfluous stuff -- everything from buying bulk in order to avoid excess
packaging to reusing everything from water bottles to shopping bags -- rather
than throwing things in the recycle bin and letting waste management sort it
out. In the past six months, 45% of trendsetters and 14% of mainstream consumers
have "cut down on bottled water purchases" according to The Intelligence Group's
Cassandra Report. The report also found that 49% and 16%, respectively, have
"cut down on use of plastic bags" during the same period. Melissa Lavigne,
director of marketing for The Intelligence Group, said, "It's not just about how
you dispose of [products and packaging] anymore. It's about being conscious
about products you buy in the first place. That's the idea behind precycling."
http://www.intelg.com

Green Patriotism

Begun in 2006 as a project to photograph landscapes around the world most
acutely affected by global warming, the Canary Project is an organization which
produces visual media, events, and artwork to help build public understanding of
climate change and energize commitment to solutions. Its varied strategies
include visualizing global warming in compelling ways that communicate a sense
of urgency, cultivate media attention to further inform the public, and
distribute information on concrete actions people can take to cut carbon
emissions. The latest project, a series of Green Patriotism posters by
Pentagram's Michael Bierut for his hometown of Cleveland. Designed in concert
with a Canary Project exhibit this summer at The Cleveland Museum of Natural
History, the posters have been featured -- with the green silhouette of a
Revolutionary War Minuteman as its emblem -- in 60 buses throughout the city to
urge ridership.
http://blog.pentagram.com/2008/07/green-patriotism-1.php
or http://www.canary-project.org

Sundance Tripping

The Sundance Channel has announced that the network is moving forward with the
production of an eight-part series, titled "Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Living."
Each of the one-half hour episodes will trace the eco-life of an everyday item
such as a cotton t-shirt, salmon, a cell phone or a bottle of water from
production to disposal, revealing the environmental, social, and health effects
along the way. Hosted by David de Rothschild, founder of Adventure Ecology -- an
organization that uses adventure and storytelling to raise media awareness and
inspire individuals, communities and industry to take positive environmental
action --the series will include a proactive component, educating viewers on the
decisions they can make to live a greener lifestyle.
http://www.sundancechannel.com

SPECIAL FOCUS:
GREEN MEDIA SHOW AND SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOP

SustainCommWorld is a consultant and event organizer working to educate
communication professionals from corporations and institutions on the production
of sustainable media, and the associated business challenges and opportunities
that face the graphic arts community and those involved in media production.
SustainCommWorld's next major event -- The Green Media Show, a conference and
expo set for October 1-2 in Boston MA -- explores the issues of sustainability,
profit and costs. GDUSA is involved in two ways. First, our readers are being
offered a $500 dollar reduction off the full conference price (use discount code
5164:396 when you register). Second, GDUSA is sponsoring the Design for
Sustainability Pre-Conference Workshop on September 30. It addresses the new
issues raised by sustainability for product design, and finding a reasonable
solution for product materials and packaging, containers and minimal carbon
footprints. It is hosted by Marc Alt, creative director, Marc Alt + Partners
(shown here), a design and brand strategy firm specializing in environmental
strategies. Here, our readers receive a $99 discount (use the code 3749:396).
The first 300 registrations to the full conference also receive a limited
edition, signed, dedicated Peter Max SustainCommWorld poster.
http://www.sustaincommworld.com/general/why_attend.asp
http://www.sustaincommworld.com/conference_programs/ pre_conf_workshops.asp

MORE THINKING GREEN

Pairing Pizza And Packaging

Pizza Hut, now the largest pizza restaurant chain, will be making some
environmentally friendly changes. The company is pairing a health-conscious
pizza made of whole grain with organic ingredients with a new pizza box that
will be consist of 75 percent recycled content. It is being introduced initially
in Tampa, Florida, and Dallas in coming weeks, and rolled out nationally later
this year. The pairing of healthier foods with eco-friendly packaging is
becoming a pattern... See the Burger King Kids Meal Redefined combining a
nutritious child offering with recycled paper bags in the July GDUSA Green
Enews.
http://www.gdusa.com/egdusa/pages/080729-green.html

Green Mail

An interesting approach from France. Paris-based direct marketing agency
TBWA\Excel launches its Mailing Vert service (Le Mailing Vert) in partnership
with an envelope maker, printer and mailing house. Excel is an agency of TBWA
group specializing in fundraising and commitment to social service associations,
foundations and corporate citizens. The concept: provide Excel's customers, many
of whom are non-profits, with a greener offer. Partners in Mailing Vert must
promise to adhere to a charter including four principles: (1) To protect the
environment, such as by purifying all waste water and using vegetable-based
inks, solvents and cleaning agents. (2) To preserve raw materials and protect
natural resources through the use of paper that is either recycled or derived
from sustainably managed forests. (3) To track waste and minimize energy
consumption, such as by optimizing transportation networks. (4) To measure and
offset the ecological impact of each phase of the direct mail process.
http:www.mailingvert.fr

Going Green Guide

PR News has published an extensive Going Green guidebook, which offers
strategies for greening a business. Diane Schwartz, vice president and group
publisher of PR News, edited the 200+ page guide. She comments that "most
companies are in the early stages of going green and there's no
one-size-fits-all solution to environmental responsibility. By providing
perspectives and ideas from hundreds of executives across the globe, this
Guidebook should give our readers a clear idea of what's working, and just as
importantly, what's not, when it comes to going green." Included are numerous
profiles of companies that have reinvented or reconfigured their businesses to
be more environmentally responsible. Among the topics: manufacturing, printing
and design, and CSR reporting and tactics. It is for sale on the PR News
website.
http://www.prnewsonline.com/store/13.html

Measuring Is Next Step

Rizco Design, Manasquan NJ, is the reputedly the first graphic design firm in
the country to be accepted into the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Climate Leaders program. As part of the program, Rizco has pledged to measure
and reduce its corporate-wide greenhouse gas emissions over a period of five
years. Says Debra Rizzi: "We dedicated the last year to going green starting
with how our office operates, to the creative process of a project and to the
final project. Measuring our greenhouses gas emissions and setting reduction
goals was the obvious next step. Considering that 26.8 million small businesses
(less than 500 employees) were calculated in the U.S. in 2006, it is obvious
that small business collectively play an integral role in global warming."
http://www.epa.gov/climateleaders
and http://www.rizcodesign.com

 QUOTE OF THE MONTH: GREEN MEANS GROWTH

"The successful business model of the future will be 'green'. Sustainability has
become a core strategy and goal at Unisource... and we are committed not only to
distributing products and services that help businesses respect our environment
and people, but also to partnering with our suppliers to educate businesses on
how to make their operations cleaner and healthier for long-term sustainability.
In this new era, it is the way to higher growth and profitability." Unisource
Worldwide symposium on sustainability held in late July at the Emory Conference
Center in Atlanta
http://www.unisourcegreen.com

COMPANY DEVELOPMENTS

Biomass Breakthrough

In the spring of 2009, Smart Papers complete a groundbreaking high efficiency,
co-generation power plant. The $30 million facility will ultimately use 100%
biomass fuel (short-fiber cellulostic waste typically found in landfill) to
generate electricity and steam that will operate the papermaker's mill in
Hamilton OH. Chairman Tim Needham reports that Smart Papers will become the
first North American paper manufacturer, and second in the world, to move to
biomass for power-generation needs, according to Tim Needham. The end result:
its papers will be carbon neutral and produced fossil free. In addition to
contributing to the State of Ohio's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,
the company is expected to sell clean power to the regional electrical grid.
Needham says that Smart "will leave the lightest environmental footprint of any
premium coated or uncoated printing paper produced in North America." Adds
president and coo Dan Maheu: "We will be a more efficient manufacturer, fiscally
and environmentally responsible, and energy independent."
http://www.smartpapers.com/newgrntest/About/release.asp ?NewsID=96

Taking The Pledge

Monadnock Paper Mills has become one of the first small businesses to join the
EPA's Climate Leaders Program. As such, Monadnock has pledged to reduce its
corporate-wide greenhouse gas emissions. The industry-government partnership
that works to develop comprehensive climate change strategies, and to help
partner companies such as Monadnock reduce their impact on the environment by
completing a third party audited environmental mangement stem, set aggressive
reduction goals, and annually report their progross to the EOP. Says Richard
Verney, chairman and ceo of the family-owned mill: "Monadnock has a long history
of using clean, renewable energy and of continuously improving our environmental
footprint. Joining the Climate Leaders program is a natural extension of our
commitment to the environment."
http://www.epa.gov/stateply/index.html http://www.mpm.com/news/

Paper Podcast

"On Paper" is a bi-weekly, interview-based program focusing on relevant issues
associated with sustainability trends, and featuring interviews with experts in
the field of corporate responsibility, renewable energies, health and wellbeing.
The podcast initiates a dialogue that producer NewPage Corporation, the largest
coated papermaker in North America, hopes will serve as a platform for
measurable change -- within the paper industry and every other industry in which
ethical and environmental stewardship is a core value to both the company and
its customers. New episodes are posted every other Thursday at noon PST.
http://papertellsastory.com/podcasts
(iTunes under Management & Marketing)

Certificate Presented

Admore, a popular presentation products company, is the first Ennis facility to
receive FSC Chain of Custody Certification. The certificate gives Admore the
ability to place and print the FSC logo on the projects that meet the strict
standards of the FSC criteria. Bill Tignanelli, General Manager of Admore, said,
"This certification continues Admore's efforts to provide environmentally
responsible products. The Admore staff can advise distributors on a green
approach to design, production and manufacturing processes on all of our
presentation products." http://www.admoreonline.com

FSC-Certified Bestseller

HarperCollins has chosen Fibermark's new Multicolor 80 line of lightweight cover
papers to jacket its international best sellers, "The Daring Book for Girls" and
"The Dangerous Book for Boys." Fibermark produces specialty covering materials
for publishing and luxury packaging. The Multicolor 80 line is not only
available in a full spectrum of colors and widths, specially designed for foil,
ink and blind stamping, but is also FSC certified. "HarperCollins took a very
savvy approach to marketing these books, and the cover paper they chose
reflected their strategy," said Susan Hurt, vice president of marketing at
FiberMark.
http://www.fibermark.com/multicolor

MICROSOFT EXPRESSION STUDIO BRINGS YOUR VISION TO REALITY

Microsoft Expression Studio takes your creative possibilities to a new level.
The professional design tools and innovative technologies in Expression Studio
give you the flexibility and freedom to bring your vision to reality -- whether
you are designing standards-based Websites, rich user experiences for the
desktop and Silverlight, or managing digital assets and content.
http://www.microsoft.com/expression/

Top 25 Green Colleges

As compiled by Kaplan Publishing, in alphabetical order:

Arizona State University
Bates College
Berea College
Bowdoin College
Carleton College
Carnegie Mellon University
College of the Atlantic
Dartmouth College
Dickinson College
Duke University
Grand Valley State University
Hamilton College
Harvard University
MIT
Middlebury College
Oberlin College
Penn State University
Santa Clara University
Tufts University
University of California
University of New Hamphire
UNC, Chapel Hill
University of Vermont
University of Washington
Yale University

http://www.kaplanpublishing.com