Interview with Don Carli, Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Sustainable Communication.

Don Carli is Senior Research Fellow with nonprofit Institute for Sustainable Communication (ISC) where he is director of The Sustainable Advertising Partnership and other programs addressing advertising, marketing, corporate responsibility, sustainability, and enterprise communication. Don is an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Industry Studies Program Affiliate Scholar, Sustainability Editor of Aktuel Grafisk Information Magazine in Sweden and a contributor to PBS “MediaShift.” Don has been a senior advisor Fortune 1000 companies and has been extensively quoted in major media on issues related to sustainability, advertising, media and green marketing.

GMC: The story of sustainable media is a bad news/good news story. The bad news is that the public’s concern about our forests and the environment is justified. We do have a significant problem. The good news is that the solution lies in rethinking our use of pages and pixels to learn, collaborate, communicate, and make informed media supply chain choices.

We’re being bombarded, everyday, with catch phrases like “think about the environment before printing this email,” or “switching to e-billing saves trees.” Is the use of digital media really saving trees?

DC: I think that we’re presented all too often with forced choices, and frankly, in many cases, false dilemmas. Digital media and information technology are actually contributing to deforestation in very direct ways that most people are unaware of.

Print media is not perfect by any means. Forestry and the papermaking industry have enormous strides to make in improving the ways in which they use energy, materials, and address sustainability in their business practices.

Despite the fact that it has been given such a free ride as being categorically green, the use of digital media has extremely significant environmental impacts too. In particular, because so much electricity is derived from coal-fired power plants, digital media has a direct impact on deforestation as well.

GMC: Could you talk more about the public’s concern about the environment and our forests as a significant problem? How paper and online media contribute to that problem?

DC: The first thing to realize is that we should be concerned about the state of our forests. We should be concerned about deforestation; these are extremely significant global issues.

Forest cover in the United States has, in fact, increased over the past 100 years. Although some groups will argue that their definition of a forest doesn’t fit the criteria of sustainability; in other words, a monoculture plantation is not seen as a forest, where as old growth is.

The fact of the matter is that overall forest cover has increased in the United States, and sustainable forestry has increased, both in the US and worldwide. We should be concerned about deforestation, but we should also be very much aware of what is driving deforestation.

Frankly, hamburgers and condominiums are doing more to drive deforestation, as is coal-fired power, than papermaking or print media.

GMC:  You’ve used a term called “gray energy” when you talk about electricity and coal-fired power. Please explain that more fully.

DC:  Gray energy is another way of describing the embodied energy in a product; that is, the energy that was required to make it.

In the sense of a digital product, for example, the computing devices, the information technology, the network infrastructure, don’t grow on trees. Somebody had to crack open

Interview with Harold Kirstein, President Greenstar-Kensington

In 1910, Harold Kirstein’s great-grandfather was a “rag man” or “trash man” who used to pick up newspapers, glass bottles, rags and other usable trash. Over the last century, handling of recyclables has changed from a horse and wagon business to multi-million dollar automated processing business. Kirstein’s great-grandfather’s business evolved into American Recycling and the company became part of Greenstar in 2008. 

Greenstar, America’s fastest growing recycler, is headquartered in Texas. The company currently processes 2 million tons of recovered paper, plastic, glass and metals a year through 16 material recovery facilities.

GMC: When we think of a "green" company, the first thing that comes to mind is recycling; particularly recycling of paper products, glass, and plastics. We don’t often take a closer look at the company doing the recycling. In the early 1900s, cities began to provide regular collection of trash; how has the business changed over the last 100 years?

Kirstein: I’ve been in this business for over 40 years. Things stayed pretty much the same from 1910 until the late 60s and early 70s. Automated process machinery such as high-density balers brought about dynamic changes.

Of late, the biggest changes are geared more towards “single stream” recycling and larger capacity balers for other recyclables. In the past, a state of the art baler could process five tons of material an hour. Now 30 to 40 tons an hour is the norm. As a result there is a big increase in capital costs. Machines used to cost $100,000, now they cost millions. 

GMC: People might assume that a recycling company is green because - after all - you’re recycling.  How are you expressing your environmental commitment? What are you doing within your plant to make your operation green? 

stein:  You’re right, people assume that you’re green, and in our case, we are. We are proud that Greenstar was recognized in 2009 as a Climate Leader by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

Recycling is one of the best ways to decrease greenhouse gases and preserve our natural resources.  Based on EPA estimates, by recycling 2 million tons each year, Greenstar is reducing emissions by approximately 6 million Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MTCO2E). That’s equivalent to:
• Removing 1.3 million cars from the nation’s roads
• Eliminating the energy use of 182,000 households
• Saving 6 million barrels of oil, 275 million gallons of gasoline
• Preserving 4 million cubic yards of landfill space 

In addition to the carbon reductions achieved by recycling activities specifically, Greenstar made a voluntary commitment to the EPA to reduce its own carbon emissions by 10% over the next five years.    

For example, when it comes to our office environment, we have our own recycling programs and most of us take pride in recycling at home as well.  In our plants, the new equipment and new technologies use much less energy, so that also contributes to a positive green scenario. 

And, we work closely with the direct mail industry to produce mail pieces that can be easily and more efficiently recycled.

GMC: In some cities, residents separate out various recycling streams such as glass, plastic, and paper, while in others everything goes onto one bin. What is the impetus behind single stream processing? Intuitively it seems more expensive.

As the new decade ushers in, the opportunity exists to think ahead, to ask the question . . . so what can we expect in 2010 related to green marketing?  Following are a few thoughts derived from multiple sources.

What about overall public sentiment?  Well, the general consensus is that consumers around the world are becoming increasingly more environmentally aware.  Many are adopting personal philosophies of reducing their own personal carbon footprint.  Another interesting fact about these consumers is that those who prioritize environmental consciousness are considered to be more affluent and loyal to those they do business with. These few thoughts alone, just scream that now, more than ever, is the time to gain momentum for green marketing initiatives and campaigns.

It is forecast that 2010 will see increased spending on green marketing.  While initially the economic downturn seemed to slow the green movement, there are many who believe it is now propelling the movement.  The economy with its challenges resulted in lifestyle changes for consumers, which in return has led to an embrace of simplicity by many.  This preference for simplicity translates into a greater appeal for green organizatons and products, provided the value proposition is appealing.  It is a perfect time to educate your customers and potential customers not just about what you are doing, but why it really matters.  If possible, even give them some way, whether large or small, to participate on a peronal level with your initiative, to be part of something bigger.  It is critical though, that your message be legitimate.  You need to be doing what you say you are doing, or the repercussions can be significantly negative.

In terms of specific areas of emphasis, what might 2010 hold?  Manufacturing plants and offices are looking longer and harder to reduce carbon emissions.  Those already using recycled paper are looking to further increase post consumer waste content.  We will increasingly use electronic files such as PDFs when possible in work flow.  Less really is more.  More effective use of databases will continue to result in increased campaign success, while at the same time being substantially better for the environment.  None of the aforementioned is brand new.  They are continuations of what has been evolving and occurring in the green movement.  I believe they reinforce a renewed focus on the importance of small incremental changes.  We don’t have to reinvent the wheel; we just have to keep the wheel moving along.  If done right, with real thought put into application, each additional green action or step literally has a snowball effect - exponentially, positively impacting the environment, our businesses and our customers.  What a win!

This article was originally posted on MediaPostBlogs on November 25, 2009 and is reproduced here with her permission.

Green marketing is no longer solely the responsibility of the marketing department. Successful marketing actually depends on, well, the new marketing team; the members of that team however, may surprise you.

As businesses embrace a sustainable model, they move from a shareholder to a stakeholder focus; the latter is a more diverse group, and its members are participants in receiving and transmitting your messaging. That is really good news when done properly; it can be detrimental for an organization that doesn’t get it right.

Those stakeholders are composed of anyone that is influenced by the company directly or indirectly, including shareholders; in this newer model, stakeholders and shareholders need not be mutually exclusive. It also includes employees and their families, communities surrounding a company facility, supply chain and partners, customers and any charities the company donates time or services to. In this newer model, stakeholders and shareholders need not be mutually exclusive.

Marketing, perhaps in conjunction with a Chief Sustainability Officer or other similarly titled role, now has two general audiences for which to create messaging frameworks -- internal and external. Internal is anyone who may be perceived as a part of the company, whether a payroll employee, a board member or a valued partner. External remains the traditional audience marketing has been speaking to: prospects and customers.

The success of any green marketing program is actually more than just that. It can hold the key to the success and brand reputation of a company that is making green claims and promises. If the internal team has not gotten and embraced the company’s message, the repercussions can be significant and potentially damaging to the brand.

A reputable and responsible company can be perceived as greenwashing if the communication internally is not properly executed; this can be as harmful to a brand as actually engaging in bad corporate behavior.

Consider the following scenario, which I have experienced on a few occasions. An advertisement touts a green product you are not familiar with. You contact the company to find out more. The person who answers the phone, whether it is a receptionist or a member of the sales team, gives you the verbal equivalent of a blank or confused stare. They have no idea what green product you are referring to and don’t seem to recognize any terms that were mentioned in their own ad; they are even unaware of what products are being advertised, and don’t know who to refer you to within the company. Cleary, this scenario outlines problems that extend well beyond green marketing requirements.

While in-depth green expertise and knowledge is not to be expected of an entire organization, achieving a base level of understanding, as well as awareness of a your company’s mission and corporate behavior, is certainly attainable, as is identifying the go to experts within the organization.

The advent of social media necessitates this shared company wide knowledge. All levels of employees become part of your marketing team as they engage in social media, whether designated by the company to tweet and blog, or on their own when posting their LinkedIn profiles.

The old model of marketing pushing outbound messages to a target audience has been replaced by a multi-participant, two-way conversation, changing the game significantly and requiring many more participants to be successful.

The key to successful green marketing starts internally by creating a well-informed team of stakeholders, who are now part of the marketing team. For green marketing to succeed, it takes a village.

At this time of year, many of us are creating marketing plans for next year. It wasn’t too long ago that we could get away with updating the previous year’s goals, plans and budgets with some new numbers and call it done.

No more. Too much is changing. The economic turmoil may be calmer, but it’s not over. And emerging media are making our lives more interesting (or should I say difficult’) every day. The best idea is to start from a clean slate – or at least reconsider our options – to determine the best approach.

If you’re thinking about environmental issues, you may gravitate toward electronic communications. Before jumping in completely, it’s important to ask whether business objectives can be met through email, search or online display advertising.

It’s unlikely all paper mail can be replaced by email, but where it makes sense to do so, we should. For example, if you have collected customer email addresses, communicating electronically will likely return positive results for you – in both response and ROI!

Where we need to use traditional mail, embracing environmentally friendly production methods should be part of the consideration.  Responders can often be sent online where you can collect opt-in email information for future efforts or to fulfill offers.
 
In a competitive and challenging economy, we need to use all the tools we have to reach customers and prospects and think through how we can meet our business objectives in an environmentally conscious way.

 

I attended a fascinating “green” meeting on September 17. It was the www.sustainableindustries.com/forums here in Seattle.

The keynote speaker was Paul Hawken, author and business person – probably best known for launching Smith & Hawken, the gardening retail outlet. I say “probably” – but I confess that Smith & Hawken was all I knew about Paul Hawken before the event. I certainly had no idea about his credentials in environmentalism.

Hawken was brilliant and totally inspirational.

One of his concluding points was about the power of organizations that bring businesses together to solve environmental issues. We need more organizations like the www.usgbc.org, now the largest environmental NGO in the world. (Who would have guessed?) He suggested the formation of a green banking council, a green agriculture council, a green chemical council and a green transportation council.

And I wanted to stand up and say, “Yes! And what about a Green Marketing Coalition, too?”

The basic recipe for paper is wood, water, and energy. First, trees are harvested and transported to the paper mill. Logs are cleaned and the wood is turned into small chips. Water is added to the chips and, using chemical or mechanical processes, turned into watery pulp. This solution is sprayed onto a long, wide screen called a wire. Water drains out and is recycled over and over again (the original use for grey water). The fiber mat that remains on the wire is squeezed by felt rollers until the pulpy stuff is about 60% water. The wet pulp passes through heated, steam-filled metal cylinders (like wringers on vintage washing machines) many times, gradually turning into paper. The paper gets a uniform thickness by passing through big, heavy cast iron rollers called a calendar. At the end of the line is a roll of paper as wide as 30 feet.

Recycling adds fibers from previously made paper to the pulp mix. This isn’t as easy as it may sound. As much as 20% of what goes into a recycle bin can’t be used. Trash, such as staples, paper clips, wire and plastic must be screened out and sent to a landfill. Inks, coating and adhesives must be removed. Some fibers may have been recycled many times before and are now too short to produce paper. These will simply stay in the wastewater. Fibers get shorter and shorter with each recycle and can only be used five to seven times. Producing pulp from wastepaper requires more energy than creating pulp from virgin wood because the fibers must be broken down mechanically.

Collecting recyclable paper is still one of the most expensive aspects of paper recycling. The process involves sorting the paper into categories, baling it, and transporting it where it will be re-pulped. The paper is put into large vats where it is soaked, reducing it into fibers. When ink starts to separate from the fibers, chemicals are added to prevent the ink from reattaching to the paper fibers. The pulp goes through a series of screens to remove ink and additives and is cleaned several times with heat and chemicals to remove additional ink. The pulp then enters a floatation device, where a chemical mixture containing calcium soap is introduced. Air bubbles form causing any remaining ink to float to the surface where it can be skimmed away. After the de-inking process, the pulp is ready to be made into paper and related products, just as if it were pulp that had been made from wood chips.

Even with all this extra work, using recycled paper is more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly than cutting down trees and transporting them to a paper mill. And it keeps – literally – tons of paper from going to landfills.

 

According to the Winterberry Group’s 2009 Direct Mail Trends report, direct mail marketers were focused on promoting efforts to go green in 2008. In fact, Winterberry cites, in 2008, more printing service providers (some 1,492) were certified by the Forest Stewardship Council—an independent body that promotes responsible forest management—than ever before. What’s more, the Direct Marketing Association introduced its Green 15 initiative, setting out a formal set of “environmentally responsible decisions” for its members worldwide. And the Federal Trade Commission revisited its “Green Guides,” introducing new packaging requirements that provide general guidelines for all environmental marketing claims, including popular green marketing terms “recyclable” and “biodegradable.” However, as the recession took hold, businesses and consumers directed their attentions away from green initiatives and refocused on the very real concerns of income and commercial survival.

As marketers grappling with how to drive business and simultaneously committed to employing environmentally sound practices, what are some realistic direct mail program tactics we can recommend and implement that are both financially and environmentally sound’ One to consider might be digital print on demand. K/P Corporation CEO Susan Kelly offers her thoughts on the benefits of digital print on demand in a March 16 DMNews article, “It’s Easy Being Green, with the Right Tactics.” 

In short, by leveraging digital assets that allow for personalized communication and print on demand tactics that make it possible, marketers can create more relevant dialogue with clients and prospects and drive leads, while at the same reducing print, delivery, storage and disposal costs and their consequential environmental impact.

Mr. Brett Olszewski is Chief Marketing and Sales Officer for K/P Corporation.