Tag Archives: Charity
Interview with Rita Rausch, VP and Sr. Sustainability Officer, Comerica Bank
Posted on 01. Nov, 2009 by Susanna Schick.
Rita Rausch is the Vice President and Senior Sustainability Officer at Comerica Bank. Under her guidance, Comerica has developed a 32-member sustainability council representing managers from all business units.
OG: What are you looking forward to the most about the conference?
Rita: What I’m most interested in is the opportunity to hear people in other industries as well as some in my own, with respect to where they are in the sustainability process. Many North American companies are just now getting started, coming to the table a bit late, and I’d like to know how they’re integrating their initiatives and goals within the corporation, as well as how upper management is viewing the process.
OG: Within banking, who would you name as leaders in sustainability?
Rita: Comerica is a mid-sized bank, with total assets of $60-70 billion. We benchmark ourselves against the mega-banks such as Bank of America, Citibank, and others. We then use the information from that to decide which sustainability initiatives we’ll pursue, what makes the most sense for a bank of our size.
Mainly, we focus on facilities, since that’s where the bulk of our greenhouse gas emissions are coming from. But the banks we benchmark against are now also going into their portfolios and addressing the GHG of companies they invest in. We’re just starting to look into that. Our inaugural Sustainability Report was released in September of this year, and it details where we stand regarding GHG emissions and other Corporate Social Responsibility issues.
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Interview with WearPACT–Change starts with your underwear
Posted on 27. Oct, 2009 by OppGreen Insights.
This morning I met with Jason and Jeff, co-founders of WearPACT, the sustainable underwear company. They met and started WearPACT while MBA students at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Jason is showing off their awesome compostable shipping bag that I was so impressed with. Even the glue on it is compostable! Pure genius and proof that where there’s a will there’s a way.
They sent me off with a free pair of boy shorts, event though I wanted to buy them, which I’ve found to be a very comfy indeed. They’re a thinner, silkier cotton than the boy shorts I’ve bought elsewhere, and come with a cute print bag that’s handy for storing jewelry and such.
OG: Tell me about the name WearPACT.
Jason: Well, first we called it ActionPACT when we were just going to do men’s underwear. When we added women’s, we needed a name that would work for women too–we thought ActionPACT was too macho. We had Yves Behar do the branding–essentially you’re wearing a pact between yourself, your underwear and the cause you’re supporting with your purchase. 10% of sales of each pair go to a charity-Oceana, Forest Ethics, and 826 National.
OG: This is remarkable, as most companies who donate a portion of sales don’t give more than 1% of profits, so 10% of sales is massive.
Jason: To build something sustainable, it has to be beautiful and work on all other aspects too. Then we also worked within the constraint of it being environmentally and socially responsible.
OG: Like Method, with tho they led with gorgeous cleaning products that work great, and the eco benefits are core to the product, but not trumpeted to the consumers?
Jason: Method was a huge brand inspiration for us, we really like them.
OG: So why underwear?
Jason: Jeff was hunting for sustainable and quality underwear, and I just wanted to start a green business of any kind. We looked at the category and couldn’t find an existing eco market leader, and saw that luxury underwear is a growing segment, with room for growth. Men’s and women’s underwear sales grew in 2008, in general it is a healthy category.
OG: Like the underwear index indicated?
Jason: Exactly! Also we wanted to focus on what people actually need, and well, we all need underwear. Plus there’s clearly room for innovation in the category.
OG: How hard was it to find Planet Access Company? I’m impressed they even exist!
Jason: We were introduced to PAC by Horny Toad–Gordon helped start Planet Access. It may have been solely Horny Toad’s fulfillment center at first, have since become a valuable fulfillment for many small and conscious companies.
OG: What were the biggest obstacles you faced as a startup?
Jason: I’m pretty familiar with startups, I’ve worked on about 6 so far, so we have a company attitude that we will be derailed weekly, and just need to work through these challenges. Potentially company-destroying problems come up all the time, but we just have to plow through them.
For example, we were starting up last summer, and when the financial crisis hit in Fall 2008, some of our investors backed out. So we started on a much smaller budget than we’d originally planned. We knew our floor–essentially we had to be able to pay for the first run of production and get the website up and running. So, we made sure we at least had that much.
OG: Do you see WearPACT expanding the product line in the future? Do you see yourselves eventually becoming the eco Victoria’s Secret, but for men and women?
Jason: We’re not trying to be anyone but PACT–we’re brand new, so volume is tiny right now. First we’d like to dramatically increase sales. We don’t want to deal with fashion whims but do like to come up with one or two new pairs per quarter. We’re still learning about what our scale will be, and trying to expand beyond the eco-consumers without compromising our values. We and our customers to buy beautiful underwear that fits great, looks great, but also has this eco dimension. We want to design a product that people are excited about, that’s sexy and fun but not trashy.
OG: What are you looking forward to at Opportunity Green?
Jason: I’m really looking forward to meeting like-minded people in sustainable businesses that we might partner with someday.
OG: You’ll check out Yves’ panel, of course?
Jason: Of course!
OG: Anything else you want to tell readers?
Jason: Buy lots! We’re offering a 25% discount to Opportunity Green attendees. Just enter the discount code “OG25″ when you place your order.
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Opportunity Green’s Top 10 Eco-friendly Office Supplies
Posted on 28. Sep, 2009 by Brent Remby.
Top 10 Eco-Friendly Office Products
Looking to make your office a little “greener”? Well look no further, these eco-friendly, cost effective products will help you make your office a lean, mean, fighting-for-Earth machine! We want to hear your opinion on these products!
Kor Hydration Vessel – You can check it out here: Kor Water
The Kor Hydration Vessel is a 100% BPA-free water bottle with a push-button lid. It features a customizable “stone”, which is a little message you can read while you are taking a swig. Each color represents specific organizations that proceeds from your purchase go to. Kor Water believes passionately in the importance of clean water – to human health and to the health of our planet. They also believe in the power of design to inspire and motivate. Kor acknowledges the serious waste problem that bottled water creates and believe the only real solution is change. Change requires a complete redesign of the hydration experience.
Tornado Bamboo Pen – Retro 51 – You can check it out here: Bamboo Pen
Designer pen maker, Retro 51, recently introduced its Bamboo Tornado pen made of sustainable bamboo. With the purchase of each refillable Toranado pen, Retro 51 makes a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation to save 250 square feet of rainforest. Keep those disposable pens out of the landfill by using a refillable writing instrument.
Unfold - Working Class Heroes - You can check it out here: Working Class Heroes
Presenting the Unfold: A laptop case that can be folded eight different ways to fit everything you need. With “comfy handles and a reinforced shoulder strap, the bag is also padded with a protective layer to keep whatever you carry safe”. Its interior is a soft cotton lining with small leather logo. They use natural fabrics like 100% handmade felt that makes it more durable and kinder on the environment. Working Class Heroes features many other products for all of your carrying needs.
ReBinder – Sustainable Group – You can check it out here: ReBinder
The ReBinder is the world’s only FSC Certified Binder. By choosing a ReBinder over the 3 ring vinyl binder, you lower your carbon footprint, save money and deliver an awesome message about your commitment to the earth. ReBinder is the original 3 ring binder made of durable recycled chipboard and corrugated cardboard. All of the binders are made in the USA using high quality, locally sourced materials. All of the binder covers are recyclable or compostable. ReBinder is assembled by a staff of disabled workers in the Pacific Northwest.
Autopilot Workstation – Material Furniture – You can check it out here: Autopilot Workstation
The Autopilot Workstation, like all of Material Furniture’s imaginative collection is built with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified woods, locally-sourced materials, and comes with easy assembly/disassembly instructions for maximum modular usability. This modern, unique desk comes with either a maple or walnut finish and can be splashed with one of four colors: ice blue, citron, tangerine, or white. Owner/designer Christopher Douglas’s thoughtful work extends even to the packaging, which uses as little material as possible by shipping each piece flat. Using it might just inspire you to get more work done.
Marcal 100% post-consumer recycled paper products – You can check it out here: Marcal Paper
Marcal has been saving trees and reducing landfills for over 50 years by making its paper products from recycled paper. Marcal uses paper collected from curbs in residential neighborhoods in cities and towns across America, from the small blue baskets in office buildings, from unwanted junk mail, and even waste from printers; all in an effort to do something good… to produce something that people need.
TerraCycle E-Waste Trash Can – You can check it out here: TerraCycle
The TerraCycle E-Waste Recycling Can is made from 100% e-waste (such as crushed computers and fax machines) that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. It comes in both blue and green, holds up to 28 quarts. Finally, we have something to make out of all that e-waste!
ATP Earthdrive 8 GB Eco-friendly flash drive – You can check it out here: ATP EarthDrive
The ATP EarthDrive™ is the world’s first recyclable USB Drive, appropriately named the EarthDrive™. With years of product development and extensive research, the EarthDrive™ is designed and built using the maximum amount of biodegradable materials (PLA), resulting in a fully recyclable product. PLA (Polylactic acid) is a biodegradable polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn. Shockproof, waterproof, and dustproof, the drive can also be password protected.
Wrap-a-long Reusable Sandwich Wrap - You can check it out here: Etsy
Introducing the Wrap-A-Long- an eco-friendly, reusable sandwich wrap perfect for sandwiches of all kinds! Combine these with their snack and lunch bags to make a perfect lunch kit! Now you can finally stop using plastic baggies, foil, wax paper, etc. to pack a sandwich. Just imagine how much you can do for the environment along with the amount of money you can save by making the switch! The Wrap-A-Long is made with 3 layers to keep food fresh longer: 100% cotton print fabric outside, 100% white cotton in the middle and it is lined with a water-resistant and stain-resistant nylon. It measures 12” by 12” when opened and doubles as a placement. It is designed with an adjustable Velcro closure so it can hold different size sandwiches perfectly! To clean- simply shake off crumbs and wipe down the lining. Is this concept sustainable?
EconoGreen Eco-friendly Plastic Bags - You can check it out here: EconoGreen
EconoGreen Plastics™ bags and drop cloths are better for the planet than traditional plastic bags. They cost less than comparable plastic bags and drop cloths while providing equal or better quality. Their bags and drop cloths are not only made from recycled plastics, they are also recyclable and oxodegradable. We believe that a disposable plastic product should be engineered to degrade over time. We find it’s an easy way to do our part for a healthier planet. Made from 100% recycled plastic, 100% oxodegradable, and 100% recyclable, these bags and drop cloths will completely break down within 2 years after use! This is considerably less than traditional plastic bags.
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10 Ways to Support Charity Through Social Media
Posted on 14. Jul, 2009 by Chathri Munasinghe.
This post is a collaboration between Mashable’s Summer of Social Good charitable fundraiser and Max Gladwell‘s “10 Ways” series. The post is being simultaneously published across more than 100 blogs.
Social media is about connecting people and providing the tools necessary to have a conversation. That global conversation is an extremely powerful platform for spreading information and awareness about social causes and issues. That’s one of the reasons charities can benefit so greatly from being active on social media channels. But you can also do a lot to help your favorite charity or causes you are passionate about through social media.
Below is a list of 10 ways you can use social media to show your support for issues that are important to you. If you can think of any other ways to help charities via social web tools, please add them in the comments. If you’d like to retweet this post or take the conversation to Twitter or FriendFeed, please use the hashtag #10Ways.
1. Write a Blog Post
Blogging is one of the easiest ways you can help a charity or cause you feel passionate about. Almost everyone has an outlet for blogging these days — whether that means a site running WordPress, an account at LiveJournal, or a blog on MySpace or Facebook. By writing about issues you’re passionate about, you’re helping to spread awareness among your social circle. Because your friends or readers already trust you, what you say is influential.
