Category: News

by Gil Cavada, Senior Designer

George Guffey, Product Development Technologies

 

From inside your home to inside your car, manufacturers are changing what it means to be “green.” Eco-friendly products certainly aren’t a new trend; however, the definition of what makes a product ‘eco-friendly’ is changing. Companies are figuring out that the driving force for many consumers to buy “greener” isn’t necessarily the environment- it’s about saving green. While consumers seem more driven to save money than the environment, pairing them together makes the latter very attractive.

There is a new interest in being a more efficient consumer of energy, particularly in the home appliances market. Brands like LG, Samsung and Kenmore are creating appliances that relay to the consumer the best times to use electricity and allow them to make an educated decision on when and how they consume energy. These products gather information about energy consumption rates and empower consumers to make better choices about their energy use.  For example, a laundry machine might have a display that shows energy consumption trends in the area, helping them determine the best time to run the machine and use less energy, saving money on their energy bill.  Ultimately, the decision on how money and energy is being spent lies with the consumer.

Mobile applications, like Power Stoplight, can also help consumers monitor the energy consumption in their home.  Applications such as these make it easy for consumers to be green by making information easy to access and understand, helping homeowners reduce their energy costs and avoid wasteful energy usage. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, there will be a 19% increase in domestic energy use over the next 25 years, making innovations like the Power Stoplight app timely to meet this rising demand. Applications like this one can help prevent megawatts of energy from being wasted by making consumers more judicious in running their home appliances.

Read the complete story at Environmental Leader

 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing for public comment a draft permit that will help improve our nation’s waterways by regulating the discharge of stormwater from construction sites. Stormwater discharges during construction activities can contain sediment and pollutants that harm aquatic ecosystems, increase drinking water treatment costs and pollute waters that people use for fishing, swimming and other recreational activities.

The proposed Construction General Permit (CGP) includes a number of enhanced protections, including enhanced provisions to protect impaired and sensitive waters. Some of the significant proposed permit modifications include new requirements for:

• Eligibility for emergency-related construction
• Required use of the electronic notice of intent process
• Sediment and erosion controls
• Natural buffers or alternative controls
• Soil stabilization
• Pollution prevention
• Site inspections
• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans
• Permit termination

Many of the new permit requirements implement new effluent limitations guidelines and new source performance standards for the construction and development industry that became effective on February 1, 2010. These requirements include a suite of erosion and sediment controls and pollution prevention measures that apply to all permitted construction sites.

The permit will be effective in areas where EPA is the permitting authority, including four states (Idaho, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New Mexico); Washington, D.C.; most territories; and most Indian country lands.

The public will have 60 days to comment on the draft permit. EPA anticipates that it will issue the final construction general permit by January 31, 2012.

The current permit is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2011; however, EPA is proposing to extend the current permit until January 31, 2012 to provide sufficient time to finalize the new permit.

More information on the proposed construction general permit: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/cgp.cfm

 

 

 

by Jeff Sharfstein, CEO, The Strive Group

If you look on the shelves in just about any store today, you are hard pressed to find a product that is not emblazoned with some form of “green” label on it. And it’s no accident. CPG companies know that sustainability is no longer just a fad; consumers’ demand for environmentally-friendly products is not waning. In fact, it has grown so strong that consumers no longer just want green products, they also want to know the companies that make—and sell—those products are doing good for the world across their operations. Retailers have been quick to take note of this and make adjustments at all levels of their businesses—Walmart and Ikea are two examples among the many that have implemented changes in areas of their supply chains, expansion efforts, marketing and so on.

As both CPGs and retailers prepare to operate in this new-normal environment, merchandising supply chain companies can serve as a critical missing link that can not only enable better collaboration between the brands and stores, but also can leverage their understanding of consumer habits to get the maximum value—fiscally and environmentally—out of each and every sustainability effort.

There are several simple, yet impactful ways merchandising supply chain company are working with their clients to increase sustainability with limited additional work. This joint-value model is becoming common-place, not just for sustainability but across strategic initiatives.

Read the complete article at Environmental Leader

 

by Victoria Kenrick, Specialist, Allen & York

Sustainability has become a mantra for the 21st century. It embodies the promise of societal and business evolution towards a more equitable and wealthy world in which the natural environment and our cultural and corporate achievements are aligned. Within a business context, sustainability can accordingly be defined as meeting the needs of a firm’s direct and indirect stakeholders, without compromising its ability to meet the needs of future stakeholders as well. Putting sustainability at the forefront of business has for many companies (The John Lewis Group, The Cooperative, Marks & Spencer) created a positive brand association and increased consumer interest, equating to financial buoyancy. Put simply, sustainability is good for business.

It’s also good for the planet. Global issues surrounding energy security, unstable fuel prices and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as sustainable procurement, the purchase of raw materials from sustainable sources, ethical trade and corporate social responsibility (CSR), has led to organizations increasingly making the commitment to move towards a more sustainable, low carbon, energy efficient model.

If energy and sustainability are managed in a strategic manner by one individual who delegates out responsibilities, then an organization is more easily able to present a clear and transparent sustainable strategy for the company as a whole.

Here are some questions any company looking to manage their energy and sustainability needs to answer:

• How much energy does the business currently use?
• How can you improve your energy efficiency?
• What impact would saving energy have on your business from a financial perspective?
• How do you source your materials?
• Are you using sustainable products and processes?
• What is your impact on the local and global community?

Read the complete article at Environmental Leader

2011 Energy Star Award winners announced

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring 111 Energy Star partners  who have demonstrated leadership and commitment in protecting American’s health and the environment through energy efficiency achievements. 2011 Energy Star award winners include manufacturers, retailers, public schools, hospitals, real estate companies and home builders. Organizations are recognized in one of three award categories: Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year, and Excellence.

“Year after year, Energy Star award winners reflect American ingenuity at its highest level,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The innovations at work in the Energy Star program are cost-effective ways to reduce pollution, improve our health and grow our economy all at the same time. Those who have invested in these energy saving technologies display economically-sensible solutions that are good for our communities and our future.”

The forty-six Sustained Excellence winners have continued to exhibit leadership year after year in the Energy Star program while remaining dedicated to environmental protection through energy efficiency.  2011 Sustained Excellence award winners include 3M, Bosch Home Appliances, Ford, GE, J.C. Penney, KB Home, Lowe’s, and PepsiCo.

Forty-four organizations have received Partner of the Year for strategically and comprehensively managing their energy use.  These organizations promote Energy Star products and practices in their own operations, and provide efficient products and services to consumers within their community.  2011 Partner of the Year award winners include Boeing, Cleveland Clinic, Colgate-Palmolive, Hanesbrands, HEI Hotels & Resorts, Kohl’s, Panasonic, Sears, and Staples.

Twenty-one organizations are recognized with an Excellence award for a specific activity for promoting energy-efficient products, homes, or buildings, helping to expand the reach of the Energy Star program. 2011 Excellence award winners include Canon, DirectTV, Lennox, Menards, and Sharp Electronics.

Last year alone, Americans, with the help of the Energy Star program and its 20,000 partners, saved approximately $18 billion on their energy bills while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 33 million vehicles.  To date, nearly 1.2 million new homes and more than 12,600 office buildings, schools, hospitals and public buildings have earned the Energy Star. Since 2000, approximately 3.5 billion Energy Star qualified products have been sold.

More information and a full list of 2011 award winners: http://www.energystar.gov/awards

March 31, 2011

Nevada officials on March 18, 2011 dedicated Sempra Generation’s Copper Mountain Solar, the largest photovoltaic solar plant in the United States. The 48-megawatt (MW) project is adjacent to Sempra Generation’s 10-MW El Dorado Solar installation in Boulder City, Nevada, about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Construction on Copper Mountain Solar began in January 2010 at the 380-acre desert site. Nearly 775,000 thin-film photovoltaic solar panels, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, were installed.

The facility is now generating enough electricity to power about 14,000 average homes. The power from Copper Mountain Solar and El Dorado Solar has been sold to Pacific Gas & Electric under separate 20-year contracts. See the Sempra press release.