Archive by Author
Reinventing the Role of Paper in the Digital World: An Interview With Domtar’s Lewis Fix
Posted on 03. Nov, 2011 by Gaia Dempsey.
Domtar is Opportunity Green’s official paper partner, and has an exciting announcement that will be made at the conference on November 10-11. Last week I spoke with Lewis Fix of pulp & paper company Domtar about sustainability and how a paper giant is evolving to meet the needs of the market today. We talked about what motivates him to continue to lead sustainability initiatives in the paper industry. Lewis says, “I gotta make it really visible, and really simple. I know it can be complex. If you’re making it a little better every time, that’s what matters. We have the opportunity to attract young, engaged people who can make a difference.”
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Creating Meaningful Stardom: An Interview with Yoxi’s Sharon Chang
Posted on 20. Oct, 2011 by Gaia Dempsey.
Yoxi is an organization that elevates social entrepreneurs by leveraging their expertise for global business opportunities. It was founded in 2010 by Sharon Chang, former Chief Creative Officer at 19 Entertainment, the company behind mega-hit shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
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AlterEcho wants YOU to go green
Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
Mark Heaney of Alter Echo on stage at Opportunity Green 2009
In my recent conversation with Mark Heaney of AlterEcho, we discussed his passion for improving human health and the environment through environmental consulting services, and his belief that the marketplace is now ready for the same kind of environmental services that the government has been utilizing for decades. Mark’s firm, TechLaw, has been working with the EPA for years, working on some of the worst environmental messes in cities and waterways created by negligent industrial pollution. AlterEcho launched at the Opportunity Green conference this past weekend.
Listen to our conversation here:
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Learn About Your New KOR One Hydration Vessel: An Interview with Eric Barnes
Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
KOR Water co-founder Eric Barnes says KOR’s mission is to inspire people to transform the way they think and feel about hydration in everyday life. It is so important to reduce the massive waste generated by disposable plastic bottles, and KOR provides a stylish, accessible, proactive way to do that. Now that you have your very own KOR One companion, read the story of how it all began.
Eric: Thank you for having us. We’re very excited about Opportunity Green.
OG: Thank you! Tell me about KOR Water, how did you start out?
Eric: It’s been in the works since 2004, when I (not as an entrepreneur, just as a consumer) was looking for a re-usable water bottle. I went to some sportswear stores and it struck me that the bottles available were all focused on the outdoors, they were mostly canteens, things that you would take on the trail. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and I wanted something that I could use in my normal lifestyle, something I could bring to the office, use at home as well as at the gym.
I was also inspired by the founders of method and what they were doing. I read an article about how they were reinventing a dormant category through the use of industrial design, bringing meaning and sustainability to cleaning. I thought a reusable water bottle could address what was going on with bottled water. Voss and Fiji and Smartwater were accelerating as more and more people were migrating to higher-end bottled water, so it was an opportunity to bring aesthetic design to the problem of a reusable water bottle.
People drink water because they want to be healthy, and now people want to be sustainable too. That’s one of the pillars of KOR: “Better me, better world.” The paradigm used to be, “Better me, screw the world.” And then as sustainability caught on it was, “Better world, and I suffer.” So the opportunity for all of us today is to create the alignment of a product that does not sacrifice on performance, aesthetics, or price. We don’t need to pay a premium to be green. That alignment, of putting the consumer on same side of the table as the environment, is where products can really succeed.
OG: Why do you call it a hydration vessel?
Eric: We’re cognizant of the fact that it’s a very cheeky term. We have fun with it, we joke that it’s too highbrow, even for us. KOR as a brand is more than just a bottle manufacturer, we locate companies in our segment, our competition, as bottle makers, whereas we are a lifestyle brand focused on sustainable hydration. It’s about water first and foremost, KOR is a brand about celebrating water, it’s personal, we’re focused on consumers, and it’s sustainable. We thought the term “resuable bottle” lumped us into a category with all the canteen, so we wanted to differentiate ourselves from that traditional reusable bottle segment.
OG: It feels a lot broader, as a term.
Eric: Yeah, it is a lot broader. We didn’t want to just make a better bottle, we see that as a small market. We see the $50 billion bottled water market as our market, and as this latent opportunity. Bottled water drinkers are always pitted against those in favor of resusable containers and tap water. We call that the picket line, and you’re not going to get too many people to cross over. Mainstream consumers don’t want to sacrifice the taste and the experience, and go back to drinking out of a tap. We think a better way is to create products and services that incentivize drinking tap water.
OG: You’re “supposed” to drink a lot of water, 8 glasses a day. So there’s an idea that it makes you, if not a good person, at least someone that is taking care of yourself and your own body if you do drink a lot of water. I think that by having a vessel that you feel good about and you want to have with you, it reminds you to get those fluids and it makes it a positive experience.
Eric: Exactly. The move from carbon beverages to bottled water is a good thing. And bottled water has it’s time and place, we’re not rabid enemies of bottled water because there are places where you can’t get reliably clean water in another way. But people turn to bottled water to promote their health. If you’re drinking water, you’re typically on some kind of personal journey, whether you’re trying to get in shape or just live healthier, and that’s great stuff. But the waste that is created is an ironic consequence of this shift. You can spend hours talking about why bottled water is perceived differently than carbonated sodas and beers, it’s just this idea that water when put in packaging is somehow different. Bottled water actually missed out on a lot of bottle bills, where states actually tax the product to encourage recycling, and bottled water is in most cases not included in recycling laws, and therefore the recyled percentage of water bottles is very low.
Drinking water is a good thing, and I think the next step is to not just be healthier, but also be aligned with our values, so that our consumption is not doing unnecessary harm. There’s certainly an element of wanting to be the center of attention, when people drink out of KOR One, the common feedback we get is “Everyone stopped me and asked me what I was carrying, and when I explained that it was a reusable water bottle, they remarked, ‘Cool,’” and I think there’s an element of all consumer products where we like to stand for what we are.
OG: I really see KOR as a quintessentially contemporary company in a lot of ways. You are deeply involved in not just sustainability, but you’re also transparent, you give back, and you’re very involved in design. How did you come up with your S.E.T. standards – Sustainable, Ethical, Transparent – and when did they come about?
Eric: So, Paul, my cofounder and I, have had plenty of years of talking about the kind of company we wanted to create. We looked at the example of Patagonia, which has had plenty of opportunities to sell, and they’ve been very progressive in their growth. We looked at companies that were sustainable in a market, and we wanted to be ethical. We also wanted to be the best at sustainability that we could possibly be, and we’re not perfect, we have this comment that we don’t judge others, we like to say that we’re on the path. You have to be willing to be the best you can be today, and be willing to accept the challenge of how you’re going to improve tomorrow. Sometimes the economics of sustainability don’t line up, so you have to make choices, but as long as we’re on the path, it’s a positive thing.
The last one, transparency, was one that was missing from a lot of companies. It’s easy to be transparent when you’re small, and we are small, it gets a lot harder as you get bigger. To admit mistakes, to listen to your stakeholders. Sometimes you make mistakes with your product. At the end of the day, if you’re transparent, today’s consumer will embrace the company, whether it’s bad news or good news. This is an area where we thought we could really innovate, so we’re trying to be as transparent as possible. The bombshell that dropped in August on Sigg is a perfect example of how a lack of transparency can bite you.
OG: Would you say that it’s easier to run a company that is transparent?
Eric: No, it’s actually a lot harder. There are different levels. I think in the long run it’s easier, you have to spend a little more effort day in and day out. It’s like insurance, it costs a little bit over time, but it’s worth it in case you get a big incident. We consider it a very valuable thing to do.
OG: I want to talk a little bit about the design, because I know you partnered with a wonderful design firm and also partnered with Eastman to come up with the KOR One. You had a lot of sustainability requirements going into the process. What was it like?
Eric: Design, from the start, was critical. We sought out the best design firm we could find, RKS. We’re entrepreneurs, we didn’t have much in the way of resources, so we had to counter that with great enthusiasm and a great idea. At the time, the RKS guitar had won a design award from BusinessWeek and they were featured on the cover. We interviewed several design firms, but RKS won the job because they really understood what we were after. So it was very exciting. KOR came to the equation with a lot of deep thinking about where we could innovate—a cap that stays on the bottle so you don’t have to hold it, a threadless spout so you can put your lips on it without it feeling like you’re drinking out of a garden hose, little subtle things like the bevels. It’s sort of an obelisk in shape, in the way it tapers. We knew that we wanted to touch the senses the way a cologne bottle or a nice liquor bottle does, there’s a lot of thinking that goes into bottle design. In the resuable market at the time it was all about utilitarian functionality, and that was good enough. So design can really add that special layer, and I think RKS really succeeded. And we also got connected with Eastman. In 2005, if you did a little bit of research, it was already evident that BPA was a big issue. It wasn’t mainstream, but it was on the top of our list of requirements that the bottle be BPA-free. So poly-carbonate was not an option. We sought out Eastman when they were in the preliminary stages of developing Tritan, and it was a great match. Up until 2008 you had companies like Nalgene that were still holding onto poly-carbonate and defending BPA. It’s still not outlawed.
OG: Do you think it will be outlawed?
Eric: Well, I think it depends, the studies are mixed. It’s like global warming, you can find studies that support it and studies that don’t. A good rule is to err on the side of caution when there’s doubt.
OG: I’m sure that’s something parents feel very strongly about. If they’re going to have their kids drink water out of a plastic container, they want it to be the safest possible.
Eric: Yeah, a lot of people feel that way. Why take chances?
OG: You had a very positive response to KOR One when it launched. What’s it like when you talk to a retailer about being a distributor?
Eric: We’re a different animal, so retailers and distributors and even the consumer, in the traditional food chain of how you bring a product to market, are all used to certain things. This is a new category, which we call sustainable hydration. We said from the start that having our product be in a sporting goods store, while still nice and not a bad place to have our bottle, is not how we envisioned growing the company. We saw this idea of hydration as part of a lifestyle, like a new accessory. We’ve been breaking a lot of conventional norms about where a water bottle is sold, and I think the whole category is opening up to that. So you have the traditional Whole Foods, the traditional REI type of establishments, but we’re starting to see more gift stores, housewares, and we hope one day, the Apple store, and places like Abercrombie and Fitch. When we go to traditional retailers, because of our different design and consciousness, it kind of takes them aback. It’s a $30 hydration vessel. So we have to work a little bit harder to educate the retailer on the value proposition. But the amazing thing is we’ve had explosive growth and we have about 400 retailers now, up from about 100 retailers as recently as May. The machine is clicking in, and seeing growth in non-traditional places, like Fred Segal, and Harriet department stores in London. Two or three years ago that would have been unheard of.
OG: Are consumers also drawn to the fact that their purchases will go toward helping the four non-profits you partner with?
Eric: I think so. It’s the “Better me, better world,” concept. Consumers like being green and enjoy doing the right thing, but they love it even more when it’s extra credit that comes on top of an already great experience. We wanted to focus on water, which is a huge and looming issue for the next century. It’s not a third world problem, it’s a global problem, and we call ourselves and each of our consumers water advocates. It’s pretty cool because when somebody stops a consumer with the KOR One and asks them about it, they get a chance to tell that story, whether it’s recycling or the global water crisis. Our ability to influence and educate is worth a lot more than our percentage of sales at this stage of the game.
OG: How did you form partnerships with these 4 non-profits, the Blue Planet Run, Algalita Marine Research, Containter Recycling Institute and The Wetlands Initiative?
Eric: We see what those organization stand for as the four key issues around water. Ocean protection, wetlands protection—which is very misunderstood, and a lot of people aren’t even aware of it, Paul and I weren’t either and we’ve been learning about how they act as a biological filter or membrane for water systems—the global water crisis, the fact that some countries don’t have water is not someone else’s problem, and lastly container recycling, which may not be a sexy issue but if we’re going to drink bottled water, let’s at least have a proper recyling process in place. We tried to find the leading not-for-profit charity in those four issues, and when we took our vision for KOR and what we were doing for bottles to these four, they got it immediately, just a great match. They need all the help they can get fighting the fight on the front line, and we’re thrilled that they allow us to donate to them and talk about the work that they do. We could have just written a check to 1% for the planet, but we wanted to be more involved and take on the cause as part of who we are as a brand. It’s always a balance between mission and margin.
OG: How do you see your mission expanding in the future? What would you want to achieve if there were no limits on what you could do?
Eric: That’s a great question. We’re just starting with KOR, and we’ve thought about what this lifestyle brand could be. It’s a category that has yet to be created, and that’s an exciting thing. Bottled water has reached a crescendo, it’s not the just economy, we believe that consumer behavior and their mindset about how we hydrate is changing. It’s not just a temporary green fad. We find ourselves at a crossroads where this new concept has to be created, and we see a whole ecosystem of people at work and businesses at work, Brita, PUR, the filtration companies, many of which are small and local, to create this sort of ubiquitous filtered, clean water. We hope to play a role in this new category, we think deeply about design and performance, and we want to have loyal and engaged customers. There are a whole slew of new ideas out there, how you filter your water, what you put in it, whether it’s electrolytes or vitamins, these are all opportunities. We say we want to build, buy or partner, we don’t have to create everything. The category of sustainable hydration is huge, and we’re hoping that the $50 billion bottled water market will start to shift over to something else.
OG: What does your KOR stone say right now?
Eric: Let me see, it says “Never settle.” We’re actually going to have a sort of twitter feed for KOR stone messages. They’re all about your mission statement, what you’re working on right now. It could be 26.2, it could be carpe diem, it could be beat cancer, and we think it would be really cool to be able to share that in a community.
OG: It’s so cool that you’re giving away the KOR One at Opportunity Green.
Eric: Yeah, every attendee gets one. The other cool thing is that we’re going to showcase what sustainable hydration is like by having no bottled water at the conference. Not that bottled water is evil, it’s just unnecessary at a conference. We’ll have have great partners like Everpur providing filtered water at a few stations, and everyone will have a KOR One. We want to show how easy it is. We like to say that there’s no excuse anymore, because every Starbucks will give you free filtered water if you bring a reusable container. It’s been a well-kept secret, but not anymore, with 11,000 water outlets on the grid.
OG: I didn’t know that either!
Eric: Yeah, they don’t publicize it, but they’ve never turned anyone down to my knowledge.
OG: You mentioned putting electrolytes in water. What are you envisioning?
Eric: Well, in the market of sustainable hydration, there’s a need to filter water, dispense water, carry water, and sometimes there’s a need to enhance water. Consumers like Vitamin Water and Propel, they’re looking for healthier lifestyles. We’re working with a company called Yoli that makes a blast cap that fits the KOR One that’s loaded with vitamins and nutrients. It’s a sustainable energy replacement for Monster or Redbull.
OG: You’ve mentioned the term “deep thinking” a couple of times. Is that something where you and Paul shut yourselves in a room, or what does it take to get there?
Eric: No, it’s more just taking the time to consider every aspect of the product, what it’s made of, how it feels, how does the consumer feel when they’re carrying it around, how does it map back to our mission of celebrating and protecting water. It’s kind of an ethereal and ambiguous mission, but for us it’s about, “How do you put water on a pedestal and show real respect for it?” Because when you strip it down, water is all about life, it sustains life. We try to think broadly about the product. We’re not trying to get too big too quick, in fact one of the things we say is that we want to be more like Radiohead or Coldplay and be in this business for a long time, rather than being like Hootie and the Blowfish with one hit. We want to find our market and find our loyal customers.
OG: It’s also a very sustainable model of growth. Rather than expanding in a way that’s unmanageable, it’s taking your time. And I think that the kind of deep thinking you put into the products you’re creating really shows up in a big way, with the consumer experience, with the way it looks, the impact it has on people’s lives who want to be a part of the sustainability story, and be a part of great design.
Eric: Thank you, that’s a great way to summarize it. We’ve succeeded when we find consumers that want to be fans of our brand, or be part of it. This bottle has the power to touch people in a way that they get excited about it. It’s like the difference between an Apple and a PC, it’s that deep thinking.
OG: I think that any product that benefits from that kind of deep thinking ends up being a product that consumers want to identify with, and it becomes a value proposition that’s beyond just being convinced to buy something. It’s having a brand and a product that is more of a companion, that you see as an ally, rather than having somebody try to dupe you into buying it and then kind of forgetting about it.
Eric: I’ve never heard someone say that before, but I think that’s a great term for it, a companion. I’ve said before that the KOR One is like your little buddy that you take everywhere. It’s graduated from its utilitarian purpose, it’s doing more than just its functional job, you actually have feelings for it.
OG: And I’m sure it has feelings for you too!
Eric: Yeah, it’s pretty cool.
OG: Thank you Eric, it’s been great talking to you. I’m looking forward to trying out my first KOR One at OG09!
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Live Update from OG09: Become a Citizen of Hopenhagen!
Posted on 07. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
Even the Danish soccer team is doing it. It’s been incredibly inspirational to hear the story behind Hopenhagen here at Opportunity Green today. Hopenhagen is: “The hope that in Copenhagen this December – during the United Nations Climate Change Conference – we can build a better future for our planet and a more sustainable way of life.” It’s a global movement, a collection of people all running full speed ahead toward sustainability, and we want you to be part of it. We all want a more ethical, whole, responsible planet, and Hopenhagen is the place where people from all over the world can join together. In a very loving fashion, it has been embraced by soccer teams, moms, children, designers, corporations, and even the Danish government, and many other people all around the world. Their ad campaigns, as you can see below, are infused with a great deal of humanity, one of our most precious resources. You can become a citizen here. Thanks!
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An Interview with Karin Haase-Sehr: Consciously Cutting Edge Design Today
Posted on 07. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
Karin Haase-Sehr is an Austrian-born designer who works both here in the United States and in Europe. On her website she says, “After 14 years of production design, I still love my job.” As a designer and as a person, she is kind to the environment, astonishingly creative, spontaneous and resourceful. A strong believer in environmental and social responsibility, she recently launched her own design firm, 2121events, and has dedicated herself to such projects as Red Carpet, and Stitch LA, where she teaches homeless women to create simple yet cool handbags that they can sell to support themselves at a shelter in downtown LA . You can learn more about these and other projects here. Karin has worked on film and commercial sets the world over, has won awards for her music video designs, and is now turning her attention to designing the event space for Opportunity Green. Read on to discover her inspirations and insights on sustainability in the design world.
OG: I want to hear about your experience working in the film industry, because people say that this is one of the least sustainable industries around.
Karin: I think that’s absolutely correct. People are now starting to change the way they do things, but because it’s such a complex industry with so many interconnecting pieces, it’s very difficult to change some things. There’s pre-production, shooting, and post-production, and just within those three phases there are so many different aspects–it’s not just one company or one office where people go every day–and so many different people getting involved all the time, that it’s hard to coordinate changes in the way things get done. Also, whatever is constructed for the purpose of a shoot is by definition going to be temporary. If you do a series like a TV show, it might last a little longer, but in commercials and music videos, which is what I did mostly, you have 2-3 weeks where you set everything up, shoot it for 2 or 3 days, and then this incredible work of art that people put so much time into becomes just so much trash. There’s no space to store these big set walls.
OG: And you don’t want to use the same things over and over, because it always has to be new and different.
Karin: Exactly. It’s just something that our generation is used to. I understand it, I wouldn’t want to wear the same dress every day. But now people are starting to ask how it can be done differently. Personally, I was always very bothered by the waste that I created with these productions. In the 90′s budgets were big and it was about making big fat sets, it was all about looks. I tried to work with recycled materials but it was very hard to do. They were hard to find, and they were more expensive. You just don’t have the time to do it, even now, when you’re doing a commercial and you have to get everything from your fastest available resource, which is usually Home Depot, or whatever it is. You can’t research materials, get one piece of wood here and another piece of wood there, you have to get it all at in one place, now. And that always bothered me.
OG: Is that why you launched your own company?
Yes. For three or four years now I’ve had the idea to do 2121, but I started last year because I thought it was the right time, and I was ready. It’s a little bit easier now because I’m not by myself, I know there are other people trying to participate in recycling and everything, so the resources have grown. But at the same time, we still want cool things, and we want them to be a little different every time, and I understand that too. So what I’m trying to do is offer consciously cutting edge design. That’s the shortest description of what I’m trying to do.
I think it’s very important to have events where people can see things and touch things. Online media is amazing and it’s really strong, but you have to have a space where you can experience it, touch it, smell it, feel it, with other people—it’s very important. That’s why I think events are going to survive. They’re not going to go away, and that’s why I think 2121 makes sense, because there’s a need for someone who designs the space and the environment where you can go to experience new products, new ideas, new technologies, in the right environment.
And in terms of making it sustainable, I think it’s important for people to understand that it’s not just a phase. It has to become the norm. I don’t want it to just be hip now to make products out of recycled things, I want to inspire people to do this, incorporate it into their lives, and start thinking about it in a different way.
OG: I’ve often thought the same thing about recycling, organic, and sustainably-produced products needing to be the norm rather than the “elitist” exception. We should be moving forward from just “sustaining” to thriving, and that means we need a much higher baseline in the future.
Karin: Absolutely, I agree. With 2121 I always try to look to the future. I’m still very much in the moment, but I’m always trying to anticipate what’s next.
OG: How do you perceive the difference in the culture of sustainability between here and Europe?
Karin: Growing up in Austria was very different. I grew up with a grandmother that lived through the war, and my parents were end-war generation, so there were a lot of natural behaviors where they dealt with things as if there was a limited supply. It was the world before globalization. It wasn’t easy to travel, there was no such thing as shipping food around the world. So I was the first generation that experienced exotic fruit in the market. I remember as a child, it was special if we got a watermelon. So it was a given for me that I would deal with things differently, but honestly I was fascinated by the culture when I first came to the United States. I was 20 or 21 when I first came to New York, and I just took in everything around me. But I still didn’t buy into it completely, I wouldn’t buy the latest thing just because everyone else had it. Why would I buy a kitchen appliance if I’ve never used it until now just because everyone else is buying it? My grandmother was also very careful not to waste. She wouldn’t throw away an apple or a potato just because it wasn’t pretty, or if half it went bad she would use the other half. So I think there are certain things that are imprinted in you from the time you grow up. You can forget about them for a little while when you’re young and just want to have a good time, but they’re always there. It just gives me a bad feeling to throw away food.
So it’s easier for me to adjust to the sustainable mindset because I’ve experienced it. Other people who never experienced that might find it harder to adjust, and have to shift their whole mindset. They go to Whole Foods with their canvas tote bags because everyone does that now, but then they go to CVS and come out with double layer plastic bags. It takes time to adjust, and I’m not blaming anyone, I just hope to inspire people to be mindful.
OG: You’ve said you’re interested in the way environments influence people. What’s the process for planning an environment and an atmosphere?
Karin: It’s different depending on what you’re doing, if it’s an event, or a music video, or what have you, but the basic approach is to look at the client and try to understand what they are trying to say, what they want to express visually express with their brand or company. Parallel to that, I’m always looking at what physical objects they have. If the event were to be held in their environment, which rarely happens, what would it be like, who are they, what objects and images would be included? And I try to incorporate those things into the design, to ground it and connect it to the identity of the client. Also using what’s available is really important because it helps to avoid generating unnecessary trash, and keeps it local.
OG: So, do you see the process as similar to fashion design? You dress up the space to express certain things? I feel like you are the kind of person who expresses things better in a visual language, and the effect is immediate because the viewer processes images without having to go through the medium of words. They understand it instantly.
Karin: Yes, I have always been a very visual person. I think you said that well. I have also always been very sensitive to energy and that helps me to create environments that have an effect on people, and like you said it’s a visualization rather than words.
OG: What are you working on for Opportunity Green?
Karin: Today I was going through linen colors and generally tying together all the components and colors of the design. This is the first time we are bringing design to the event, and we’re basically pimping out the conference.
OG: That’s awesome!
Karin: The concept I designed is very focused on functional ideas that can be added to the setting to make it a more visual experience. I wanted everything to be not only sustainable but also interactive and have a functionality; nothing is meant to be unnecessary “decor,” which I hate. I’m not into that. It has to have a story that makes sense within the context of the event.
OG: Do you see that as the old paradigm of event design versus the new paradigm?
Karin: Yes, I do. At least that’s what I’m trying to do, that’s my agenda. I don’t want to just make something loud and useless. Like my work in film, I want to tell a story with the design, that can express a certain feeling. In the 80′s it was all about more, more, more and so people were using more and more—wanting bigger things and more of them—and the story was sort of in the background.
OG: It was about designing something that tries to capture someone’s attention, even just for 5 seconds, at any cost, almost creating a kind of ADD.
Karin: Absolutely. And I personally don’t want that. It has to have a story, it has to make sense, and it has to come full circle. I take a holistic approach, I would say.
OG: Give me an example of how you would accomplish that.
Karin: Take the TreePeople event that I did recently [photos available at 2121events.com]. It was amazing to see how we created and realized some of the concepts I had planned. By going to the company, seeing what they had available, we made everything all about TreePeople, and at the end of the event we had almost zero waste. We had a little pile of wire and a little pile of hemp rope, that was our trash. I thought, this is less trash than I have after 2 days at my house. So that was really cool.
I wanted to incorporate their tools because they tell a story about their work. They had all these shovels available, and I wanted people to really think about TreePeople going out and planting trees. People were kind of unconsciously forced to think about the story behind TreePeople, but because it was presented in an unconventional way, and in a visual language, it was a pleasant experience.
OG: That reminds me of the way photographer Chris Jordan expresses his ideas [see our article here]. He has, for instance, a photo of 28,000 42-gallon oil barrels. Even now, the words are just sort of blah, but the photo incorporates this incredible design, and when you first look at it you can’t really tell what it’s a picture of, but because it’s a beautiful design you’re drawn in and you want to look closer. Because it doesn’t look like oil barrels at first, it just looks like a kind of mandala. And then you read the sign and it says “This is the amount of oil that the US uses every 5 minutes,” and so now you’ve gotten this information and you’ve processed it visually in a way that your senses can understand. So Chris has gotten the viewer to understand this fact that otherwise you might just completely skim over.
Karin: You know, I really love his work. It makes me so proud to be a part of Opportunity Green, especially because I was a participant there last year, and I was just blown away. I really loved it. It was so educational and inspirational, and I’m happy to be able to be part of it, and to be supporting something that someone like is Chris Jordan is supporting as well, because I agree, he is amazing. And that’s something that important about what I’m trying to do too, I don’t want to be preachy, I want people to experience the sustainability message in a positive way. Like the lanterns we made for TreePeole that came out so gorgeous, which we made out of seedling tubes that they use to protect the seedling as it grows into a tree. We wired them together and made these gorgeous lamps out of them, and people may not always have realized it, but there was a message in them about TreePeople.
OG: They were probably thinking, “I want one of those!”
Karin: Yeah, it created an interest. So I really believe in positive inspiration. I personally can handle watching really blunt films and documentaries that show something really negative, but that might be hard to watch for a lot of people. So I believe in inspiring through design and beautiful things, which I love.
OG: You have said that branding is really important. This may be an obvious question these days, but what do you see as the connection between branding and design?
Karin: There’s a huge connection. It’s more important than most people think. Just think of Coca Cola or McDonald’s, and we all have an immediate image that comes to our minds. That’s powerful. It’s right there, we see the logo, we think of the bottle design, the color palette, maybe a taste. I’m sure this is true even of people who aren’t visual picture these things, and behind all these visuals is a designer. McDonald’s wouldn’t exist the way they do today if all they did was make good burgers. Even in science and technology, there is a designer that designs every component of a new product. Often, the product that looks naturally appealing is going to be more successful. And that’s also one of the things that I really appreciate about Karen [Solomon], is that even though Opportunity Green is a business conference, she’s bringing design into the fold.
OG: That story reminds me of one of Karen’s favorite people, Gaylon White [see our article here], who works for the chemical company Eastman, which is a raw materials company, so they don’t need to be involved in design at all. They make tiny plastic pellets, some out of wood, some are BPA-free, so they are participating in sustainability, and then these things go on to become pieces of shoes, or syringes, or what have you. But Gaylon started realizing that design is a hugely valuable way to tell stories that can create value. He has spearheaded a series of very non-traditional collaborations with designers, and it’s has been an incredible tool, because designers learn about all the capabilities of the material and Eastman learns what it can do better. They have a much more direct link to consumers. It creates tremendous value. So there’s this seed, even in the corporate world, that recognizes the importance of design.
Karin: I think design was always important, but people didn’t always know that. I think–I hope–that what you said is true, because if we want to keep this world healthy, we all have to take part in it and work closely together. Designers, more than anyone else, have to be conscious. We can’t just design something because it’s loud and new, we have to consider the effects of what we design. We have to consider the material—if you’re designing a chair, you want it to last forever, and you also want it to support the customer in helping him or her to sit properly. There are so many aspects that you have to keep in mind. But if we all take a little step it has a huge effect on the world. I think it really has to do with us needing to work together, and I love Obama’s campaign for that, because he told us that he can’t do it for us, we all have to do it, together.
OG: Do you find that as you get used to thinking in this complex way about all the inputs and how they’re going to affect the product design and ultimately the world—do you find that it becomes like second nature?
Karin: You do get used to it, but things change so fast. We’re learning so much, and I think just by being conscious you can improve so much in your daily life. For example, the company To Go Ware, which will be at the conference, makes re-usable utensils You just have to remember to put them in your purse and you never have to use plastic silverware again, because you have your own bamboo pair. Even biodegradable utensils, I think, should be avoided if possible, because there’s so much water that goes into growing whatever they are made out of. The time, effort and energy that went into making that fork, versus the five minutes you use it, it’s not a good ratio.
OG: What are some of your favorite materials to work with right now?
Karin: I love every material, but right now I’m really into reclaimed metals. What inspires me and what I would love for everyone to have an opportunity to do once in their lives is to go to a junkyard. It’s like a treasure hunt, there’s so much stuff. I love going there because you can get so inspired from things that you never expected. I would love to do junkyard trips with people, and really show them that what people throw away can be some really amazing things. There will be piles and piles of absolutely functional, beautiful pieces.
OG: Karin, thank you so much for talking with me today. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve created at the Opportunity Green conference!
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Interview with Michael Johnson of Organic To Go: A Bright Spot in the World of Lunch & Catering
Posted on 07. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
Michael Johnson has been described as a true “foodie” whose favorite sport is wining and dining. He has over 20 years of experience making delicious food, and is now a vice president. Organic To Go, an innovative company that provides fast, healthy, scrumptious lunches on both coasts, as well as catering services. In this interview we discussed his passion for sustainable food, his ideas for how to easily incorporate local, organic ingredients into your daily life, and the ingredients he’s excited about now. Lucky for all you Opportunity Green attendees, he is one of the masters that will be orchestrating a healthy, organic feast for the event!
OG: What’s the story behind Organic To Go? How did you get involved?
Michael: OTG was founded by a group of men and women who wanted to be able to find ‘clean’ food where they worked. They found that when looking for lunch for a business meeting or just leaving their office that their choices were really limited if they were looking for good organic and natural fare, so that’s how the concept was born. I became involved when the company that I was working for was acquired by Organic To Go. We had been steering towards a more ‘natural’ concept, so this just escalated my dive into the organic world.
OG: What is your strategy for continuing to meet your customer’s needs?
Michael: Our brands are evolving in many positive ways. We’ve recently brought in a number of chefs who graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and are really re-focusing our brands around food: awesome flavor profiles with high quality organic and natural ingredients. Our purchasing department is really focused on working locally wherever we can to support local sustainable farms and producers.
OG: Why is it so important to you to run the business in a sustainable way? What are some examples of that?
Michael: Operating sustainably is part of our core values–it’s simply part of who we are. Foodservice in general has a pretty massive carbon footprint but there have been some great strides in the past few years to help reduce that impact. We’re nowhere near where we want to be but we’re working hard each day to continue to make impact. Obviously we’re purchasing organically and locally where we can, our packaging is changing as the industry changes, using products like PLA containers (made from corn resin…and compostable), biodegradeable flatware, recycled paper products, and more earth friendly materials in our cafes and catering. Our new store build outs are focused around using sustainable materials and we’re changing out lighting to blend LEDs into our cafes to reduce electricity usage as well.
OG: What is your opinion on the organic vs. local debate? If you can’t have the best of both worlds, is it better to buy conventionally grown food from around the corner or get the organic stuff from 2000 miles away?
Michael: We are organic wherever possible, and where it makes sense. Ultimately the reality is that our customers will still want tomatoes in Washington DC in the middle of winter, and that’s tough to maintain locally. Promoting and supporting local sustainable vendors and farmers is again inherent in our culture, and we work toward that goal at each of our Culinary Centers, but if we cannot find what we need locally we will source from further away. In terms of the debate, our job is to serve our customers according to our values and our promises to them, and do it in the most sustainable way possible. Sometimes that works out to be local and sometimes it does not.
OG: What’s on the menu for the OG conference this weekend?
Michael: We will be feeding folks this weekend! (It is our favorite thing to do.) At the Confluence of Influence, Chef Kenley and Chef Colt will be preparing a selection of sustainable seafood dishes like a Kona Kampachi Sashimi, and Alaskan Spot Prawn Escebeche. On Saturday there will be lunches including a Roast Turkey and Brie Sandwich with Granny smith apples, and a cranberry orange compote, a crazy 12 vegetable salad with roasted corn and vegetables, and my favorite will be our Al Fresca, a roasted portabello sandwich with fresh mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes, fresh basil and balsamic on Foccacia.
OG: Mm, that last one does sound good. What are your favorite foods and ingredients right now?
Michael: I’m really into (you’re going to laugh) heirloom potatoes right now. My local farmers market has had some really cool ones over the past couple of weeks and I’ve been making all kinds of stuff at home, from simple mash to some wacky colorful dauphinoise, those and probably celery root are my favorites at the moment.
OG: I love celery root! Can you give some examples of ways to incorporate or support organic farming into your life and diet?
Michael: I think the easiest and most substantial way to make an impact is to explore your local farmers markets. You’re supporting local, you’ll find organic, you’ll be forced into thinking seasonally, and there’s nothing like meeting the folks growing your food. It makes for a much greater connection to eating. Go with an open mind and get creative–you’ll be surprised what you find. And ask the farmers what they like to do with some of their food, you’ll get awesome ideas!
OG: I had a really great experience talking with Julie Malcomson recently. She was very creative in the way she approached my requests, coming up with ideas for making food look like eyeballs and guts for a Halloween party. Do you see fun and creativity as an integral part of the business at Organic To Go?
Michael: I think any facet of the food industry has to involve creativity, and once you’ve introduced passion and fun it translates into everything from the presentation to how it tastes.
OG: Why are you excited to partner with Opportunity Green?
Michael: OG provides us a venue to support awareness and to increase our impact universally. If you are a large corporation with a big campus or even a small office and you have sustainability charters in place that you want to live up to, we can help partner with you to realize those goals. Awareness drives education, education drives action, action gets results. We want to be part of the solution.
OG: What are the challenges and opportunities ahead in the business of organic food? What do you hope to achieve in the future?
I think the biggest challenge and opportunity in one are to forge forward continuing to grow and do more and do better around organic and sustainable. As the movement grows, the impact grows and it will become more of the norm rather than a specialized segment. That’s what I hope to achieve: normalization of actionable sustainability.
OG: Thanks Michael! I’m looking forward to trying our OTG’s food that is “as good as it tastes!”
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Interview with Meredith Grant of NEENAH PAPER: How to Make Paper Sustainably
Posted on 06. Nov, 2009 by Gaia Dempsey.
How many companies that are the biggest in their field are also environmental leaders? Neenah Paper, the largest premium paper manufacturer in North America, is an example of just that. I recently spoke with Meredith Grant, a specialist in environmental marketing at Neenah Paper, about the fascinating programs they are implementing that put them on the cutting edge of sustainable business practice. The company was recently awarded a Green Power Leadership Award by the EPA, and is involved in several ecological programs that improve habitats for wildlife. Not only do they take their role as environmental stewards to heart, they provide an inspiring example of how this can be done effectively, even in an industry that is highly resource and energy intensive.
OG: What is the story behind Neenah Paper?
Meredith: Well, Neenah Paper is North America’s largest manufacturer of premium writing, text and cover papers. Many people are familiar with our fine products division, which provides papers for annual reports, corporate identities collections, thing like that, but we also have a technical products division that makes substrates, which are used for a variety of things people rarely consider, like tape and cabinet veneers. So, our manufacturing capabilities are quite extensive.
We’re a spinoff of Kimberly-Clark, and we became an independent company at the end of 2004. Right out of the gate we established corporate environmental responsibility standards and solidified our commitment to sustainability. We recognize that we need to be environmental stewards, especially because the pulp and fiber industry that we are in is very resource-intensive. Our CEO and senior management team are very engaged in sustainability.
My role was the environment papers manager several years ago, and then more recently I’ve been focusing on the sustainability initiatives at Neenah Paper. I’m the liaison between marketing and operations, so I make sure that our message gets to our consumers.
OG: What goes into the paper making process?
Meredith: The paper making process requires three main components: a lot of fiber, a lot of water and a lot of energy. It’s a controlled process that drives water out of paper, because at the beginning of the process you have a sweet-smelling mixture that looks like fluffy oatmeal and it’s 95% water and 5% fiber. As it goes across the conveyor belt, the water is drained from the paper by gentle agitation, and the fibers are allowed to settle and form very strong bonds. Then it goes through heated dry cylinders, and steam is also used to further draw moisture out of the paper, and at the end of the process you have a sheet of paper that is maybe 5% moisture and 95% fiber. It’s actually fascinating to watch because it happens in such a short time. A liquid substance becomes a roll of dry paper so quickly, it does have a “wow factor” when you see it happen.
You also have a mixture of fibers in a sheet, softwood and hardwood. Different fibers have different properties, and for instance in the case of post-consumer waste we have to slow down the vibration so that the bonds that form will be of equal strength to the bonds formed by virgin fibers.
OG: So, it’s actually more energy intensive to create recycled paper?
Meredith: If you focus on just the first part of the life cycle at the paper mill itself, yes, it does take more energy to make a recycled sheet of paper because you’re taking something old and has been used, so it doesn’t have the properties of virgin fiber, and you have to work with it and manipulate it in order for it to have the same or comparable performance to a virgin sheet of paper. But overall, if you look at the fact that by recycling you are helping to prevent more trees from being harvested and you are helping to avoid an increase in landfill–and paper generates the very potent greenhouse gas methane at this stage, so you’re avoiding the end-of-life emissions as well–a recycled sheet has a very small environmental footprint compared to a virgin sheet.
OG: So, how was the name Neenah chosen? Is there somebody named Neenah?
Meredith: Actually, we’re named after Neenah, Wisconsin. The town of Neenah is located off Lake Winnebago, and it’s where we operate one of our oldest mills, which started operations in 1873. So those from the region recognize the name. The area is called the Paper Valley because there were a lot of mills concentrated there–a lot of mills historically ran off hydro-power electricity, so being located on the Fox River was a convenient as a source of power.
OG: Where does the water go when it’s pressed out of the fluffy oatmeal substance?
Meredith: It is treated at our mills, and then it gets discharged back to the source. We take water from the Fox River, use it, and then almost all of it is returned back to the source, as clean as or even cleaner than when we got it. It goes through a very elaborate treatment process. In fact, there are wonderful pictures of the mills where people are fishing and swimming right next to where the water discharges, so it’s very clean, and that contributes to a very strong sense of community because we’re not damaging the local area. There’s a hospital next door, an antique store across the street, a sandwich shop within walking distance, and we really appreciate the small town feeling. There are families that have worked at the mill for generations, and I think this sense of a strong community really contributes to our environmental policies and our commitment to employee safety and morale.
Neenah Paper Mill in Wisconsin
OG: It’s very impressive to hear that about the largest fine paper manufacturer in the country. I was picturing a much more industrial atmosphere.
Meredith: Lots of people do! It’s actually a very intimate environment, not what people might think of when they picture a paper mill. There’s a distinction between a fine paper mill, and what we in the industry call a commodity paper mill, that makes white office paper. Our machines are very short, and the space is small, and it doesn’t have the footprint that a commodity mill has. At a commodity paper mill the machine attendants have to ride bicycles up and down their paper machines because they are so long. In fine paper it’s a different world, we have such a diversity of colors and textures that we have to start and stop the press to make adjustments, it’s more about quality, whereas a commodity mill’s goal is simply to keep the machines running as often and as long as possible. So at Neenah it’s a smaller space, a smaller mill, and I think what people think of is big smokestacks and big industry, and it doesn’t have that feel.
OG: You were recognized recently by the EPA for your sustainability practices.
Meredith: We are a 2009 EPA Green Power Award winner, and we received this award primarily based on our purchases of green e-certified renewable energy. To be an EPA Green Power partner, it requires that you purchase a minimum of 20% green e-certified renewable energy, and as a result of that purchase, and the fact that we have incrementally increased our green energy consumption over the course of several years, we were recognized by both the EPA and the Center for Resource Solutions, who co-hosted the award.
OG: Is that wind and solar energy? Tell me more about it.
Meredith: We have always been committed to purchasing from local sources, so we’ve purchased our energy through local utilities, and this year we also made the decision to purchase wind energy credits, the proper term is wind energy green e-certified renewable energy certificates, from a supplier called NextEra. We’re participating in a program where the revenues of our purchases of green energy go toward the financing of new renewable energy projects, both wind and solar, in the United States, so we’re very excited about that. It’s a new program, and many companies are participating in it, such as REI and Home Depot.
OG: Were you yourself drawn to Neenah Paper because of its proactive environmental stance?
Meredith: Well, before Neenah I worked for an air pollution control company, still very much in an environmental space, which is why I was familiar with the Neenah brand name. I was a natural fit, I was very interested in the environmental marketing side of the business. The business I was in before focused on the manufacturing of air filtration devices that removed hazardous and toxic gases from the air in a variety of industries. For example, museums are very concerned with protecting and preserving artifacts. You hear about sick building syndrome a lot, well not only do those toxic gasses affect the health of people, they are also detrimental to the artifacts and paintings in a museum. We also worked with businesses to improve air quality for the health of their employees. So it was very much a natural fit coming to Neenah, and thinking about the environmental space and being an environmental steward, and also all the things we do with philanthropy to try to improve the world around us.
OG: Tell me about the Osa Peninsula project in Costa Rica.
Meredith: That’s a very exciting project for us. It was established by the Nature Conservancy and Conservation International and Friends of the Osa. We are participating through our partnership with the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin. The Osa peninsula, and the 1500 acres of conservation property that we are helping to reforest, are very important ecologically. This property is actually a biological corridor between two national parks. We were attracted to the project because it’s a carbon-sequestering project and we were very much interested in that, but even more than that we were attracted to the conservation aspects that will help restore the flora and fauna of these areas once they are reforested. It also has a very strong local tie to us because there are 54 native Wisconsin species of birds that migrate to this particular area of Costa Rica for the winter. Wisconsin is a very green state, and the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin has been very actively involved in tracking the migratory path of these birds. Eighteen of them are state conservation priorities, and three are actually listed as threatened species. So not only did we think it was very cool to participate in a reforestation initiative, but also that we were helping to provide a habitat for something that is very important to our state.
OG: Meredith, I just got tingles. That is such a cool story.
Meredith: Yeah, it is a cool story. One of the things that is so important to me about it is that it is important to continue focusing on carbon neutrality, as a big manufacturer that uses a lot of resources. We’re always committed to finding ways to make our paper more efficiently and reduce our environmental footprint by using less energy, and then we focus on using green energy to meet the energy requirements we do have. While we continuously improve that in steps we can afford and manage, this has a different message. We’re actually helping to improve the natural habitat in the world. It still has a carbon-neutrality component, but this is very much a plus for the environment and is going to help conserve wildlife. It’s a win win win all the way around.
OG: Also the fact that the property you’re helping is a biological corridor, as I learned when I studied tropical ecology, means that the benefit will be exponential. It’s not just another part of the habitat, it’s a very important piece because it allows wildlife populations to breed with other populations that had been kept separate, and that strengthens the stock, and keeps the gene pool from getting too small. So that’s really amazing.
Meredith: Yes, and this particular area is also so unique and important because it harbors the last grove of old growth rainforest on the western flank of Central America. It’s actually believed to be one of the most biologically diverse regions in the world.
OG: Yes, the equatorial region is so rich with life.
Meredith: And we’re so dependent on what the rainforests provide to us, this is a much stronger message than we thought. We had considered several projects but decided on this one because it pulls together so many great elements, and pulls at the heartstrings a little bit. But we also do a lot in the state of Wisconsin, we’re focused on the Wisconsin State Natural Areas Program, which protects areas that harbor 95% of endangered animals and 75% of endangered plants, so they’re protected in these areas. Our money also goes toward training the conservationists that manage these areas, including grasslands, parks, and other green spaces.
OG: I look at these kinds of projects as little gems that shine through everything that you do in a company, and provide so much inspiration and hope. But I think it’s also important to recognize another thing at Neenah Paper. I was talking to an environmental consultant recently, and he made a very good point, which is if you are so dedicated to sustainability and protecting the environment that you put yourself out of business, then you aren’t helping anybody. Then there’s one less environmentally conscious company in the world, and it also gives people a false idea that sustainability can’t be practiced in a way that supports business. So I want to commend Neenah Paper, because you are taking incremental steps in a way that is smart and sustainable.
Meredith: I very much agree with that and appreciate that. There is a lot of fear out there and a lot of talk about greenwashing. There is the fear that companies are overstating their claims, and taking undue credit for the positive initiatives they participate in, or twisting these initiatives to make them look like more than they are, but it’s important to realize that there is a difference between being able to sustain your business and having a sustainable strategy, and you have to find a way to marry those two. I don’t think there is one consensus on how to do that, I think anything that a company is doing to offset it’s carbon footprint is a very positive thing, because in the short-term those are costs to the company. Though in the long term they can result in cost savings. So, they have to be managed well and responsibly. And I think that companies should be able to market and talk about what they’re doing so that they can continue to grow those efforts and generate awareness.
Here at Neenah we do have a very strong carbon neutral marketing platform, because we want people to be able to discuss it and we want to generate awareness. And since we are one step removed from the customer, we don’t sell directly to the customer, we want to give them that information so they can come back to Neenah and ask questions if they want to.
OG: Thank you so much Meredith. I look forward to meeting you at Opportunity Green!
