A.R. Marketing House

Jul

2023

Bridging the Knowledge Gap: A.R. Marketing House’s Mission to Drive Sustainability Through Environmental Content

Investments in global renewable energy surged to $1.3 trillion in 2022, signifying a transformative shift towards sustainable practices, with renewable energy leading the charge. Sustainable investments from consumers, investors, and businesses are still trending toward the mainstream. As we navigate this environmental consciousness era, businesses seek innovative ways to communicate and promote sustainability without greenwashing. One company at the forefront of this movement is A.R. Marketing House, a leader in education-based environmental content marketing.

A.R. Marketing House is deeply committed to supporting businesses in their renewable energy and zero-waste initiatives. We strive to support companies in their sustainability objectives through education and marketing, believing that with the right knowledge and support, organizations can achieve their sustainability goals.. A.R. Marketing House’s approach is unique: the team combines strategic marketing techniques with a deep understanding of environmental issues to help businesses communicate their sustainability initiatives effectively.

Like any pioneering effort, A.R. Marketing House helps clients who face their own set of challenges. Clarifying complex environmental issues, crafting beginner-friendly explanations, and identifying the right audience for each message are all hurdles clients have encountered. These challenges have not deterred us. On the contrary, we’ve developed specialized strategies to address each of these areas, ensuring that clients’ sustainability messages are clearly understood and effectively communicated so that people can take action.

A.R. Marketing House works closely with our clients to promote sustainability and zero waste. We begin by analyzing existing communications to identify areas for improvement. We then develop a strategic communications plan, carefully selecting the right strategies and partnerships to execute a comprehensive and effective campaign. This approach has proven successful, with A.R. Marketing House having worked with major entities such as LAX, the City of Los Angeles, State Farm, and Cornell University to educate on important environmental topics.

Looking ahead, A.R. Marketing House is committed to supporting businesses offering sustainability and zero-waste solutions. The team’s work extends to companies offering B2B services in these areas, intending to foster a more sustainable corporate landscape.

As we navigate the future, full-scope corporate responsibility, our expertise in effective and transparent sustainability communications will become even more crucial. It will greatly benefit CMOs needing an environmental science communications edge. We’ve set the bar high, demonstrating that responsible practices in communications about waste, people, and business are not just possible but imperative for long-term success. Companies can become more resilient and well-equipped to navigate the future by instilling higher standards and future-proofing operations.

While renewable energy continues to play a significant role in corporate sustainability, zero-waste initiatives are equally important. A.R. Marketing House is helping businesses walk the talk and contribute to a more sustainable future through its targeted, education-based approach.

Guide to Educating Your Audience About Environmental Issues

Recognize the Importance of Education: The first step is acknowledging the crucial role of education in promoting sustainability. Understand that your audience needs to be well-informed about the issues to gain buy-in for environmental initiatives.
Identify Your Audience’s Knowledge Gap: Different audiences have different levels of understanding about environmental issues. Determine where your audience’s knowledge gaps lie to tailor your educational initiatives appropriately.
Partner with Experts: Leverage the expertise of companies like A.R. Marketing House, which specialize in environmental education. They can help you craft accurate, easy-to-understand content that resonates with your audience.
Clarify Complex Environmental Issues: A key challenge in sustainability education is making complex issues understandable for beginners. A.R. Marketing House has experience in simplifying complex environmental topics for various audiences.
Create Tailored, Educational Content: Work with your environmental content partner to generate content that educates your audience on environmental concerns and the ways your organization is responding to them. This could be in the form of blog posts, webinars, infographics, social media posts, or any other medium your audience engages with.
Measure Impact and Adjust Accordingly: Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of your educational efforts and adjust your strategy as needed. Feedback from your audience can be a valuable tool for continuous improvement.
Demonstrate Long-Term Commitment: Show your audience that your educational efforts and environmental initiatives are more than just a marketing tactic. Demonstrate your long-term commitment to sustainability and education, setting a positive example for your industry.
Promote Actionable Steps: Beyond understanding environmental issues, your audience needs to know how to contribute. Provide actionable steps your audience can take to be part of the solution.

With this guide, businesses can better understand how to educate their audiences about environmental issues and the benefits of partnering with a company like A.R. Marketing House.

Ready to revolutionize your approach to sustainability? Want to communicate your environmental initiatives in a way that truly resonates with your audience? A.R. Marketing House is here to elevate your sustainability communications. Our team of experts is ready to help you bridge the knowledge gap, craft powerful messages, and inspire your audience to join your sustainability journey. It’s time to make a more significant impact. Reach out today, and let’s shape a greener future together!

Dec

2022

ESG Investors: The Importance of Environmental Literacy

How to support sustainable investing with Environmental Content Marketing

Running a successful company that solves environmental issues requires a network of investors, staff, community leaders, policymakers, and marketers who have a working knowledge of the environmental problem the company is trying to help solve. Sustainable brands have an opportunity and a responsibility to add education to their internal and external communications efforts helping ESG Investors find their way. In this article why it’s essential to educate ESG investors and how to get started.

Why is it essential to educate ESG investors?

It’s a necessary time to educate investors about sustainable ventures. With the rising tide of ESG Reporting (Environmental, Corporate, and Governance), investors and bankers are asking for guidance to help them navigate the claims companies make about their ESG metrics. Investors of sustainable brands and companies taking on sustainable initiatives want to ensure they are being accurately assessed to mitigate the risk of backlash from potential greenwashing – or metrics fabrication.

Sustainable investing is growing interest as investors know that accurate, healthy ESGs indicate future growth and can also align their financial contributions and returns to their personal values and goals.

When your company takes on the leadership role of educating investors on environmental problems, you’re arming them with the knowledge they need to make the best decisions. A Deloitte study found that companies with more transparency received more funds from investors versus companies with less transparency. When your company solves an environmental problem, it’s even more important to connect investors with the intensity of that problem so they can understand your mission’s importance. Now that the problem and solution have become clear, it’s easier for investors to know what is needed to drive that mission.

A great resource to model your investor education on is The Center for Sustainable Investment Education. An organization in the U.S. works to educate investors in the field of sustainability to help advisors, consultants, and analysts make the best decisions based on facts.

How to educate ESG investors

Poll results show investors want to be educated. They want to make educated decisions based on economics, policies, the environment, future projections, financial outlooks, and valuable reports. Investors want to see data and proof of a given trajectory to finance a project, a company, or a CEO. Some of the most effective ways to educate investors about sustainable brands are:

Creating a fact sheet for inventors based on environmental, economic, and policy facts
Share environmental facts on the issues you’re solving to raise awareness about the problem
Produce a metrics-based ESG Report geared toward educating investors – make sure metrics can be proven
Send a quarterly investor newsletter educating on a new topic that your company addresses geared toward teaching investors something new each time
Develop a digital content marketing strategy where investors can learn more on your resources page, blog article page, or social media platform where education is shared

If you have an investor email list, that’s where you want to focus. Sharing content on LinkedIn with your potential investors and inviting them to follow your company’s page has proven highly effective for the companies we work with. Building environmental educational content that is simple enough for anyone to access but deep enough to increase awareness and understanding is key.

Sustainable Investor preferred content formats:

Newsletters
LinkedIn Content
Reports
Infographics
Articles & Write-ups
News and documentary-style videos
Case Studies
Social proof

A.R. Marketing House is the first diverse women-owned business specializing in environmental content that supports ESG Investors. We create accurate, compelling reports that connect with stakeholders and can also be used in a more comprehensive communications strategy.

Resources:

https://www.ussif.org/education

https://www2.deloitte.com/gu/en/pages/about-deloitte/articles/deloitte-launches-climate-learning-program-to-empower-all-330000-people-to-take-action.html

Jan

2022

Don’t Just Quote the King, Embody His Message: The Formula for Making an Impact

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led an entire era. What made him a powerful and effective communicator was that he educated, engaged, and motivated people into action. In fact, to this day, his words continue to ignite and spark new generations to action that continue to face oppression.

One significant difference between MLK’s era and today is that many more people are leading companies with the heart and power to drive an impact, both environmentally and socially. Inspired by impact investing, these companies higher on the social and environmental spectrum are investing in a cleaner, more equitable future. Whether that be educating on and implementing workplace diversity, helping reduce waste, proliferating renewable energy, cleaning up water supply, you name it. It’s not a winner-take-all capitalism game for future-proof businesses. Because of that, there are a lot of lessons that young environmental entrepreneurs can learn from MLK’s impactful strategies, emotional metaphors, academic writings, stories, and speeches.

Dr. King’s tactics can be effectively adopted by today’s disruptors, innovators, renewable energy knights, and organizations adopting solid social and sustainable initiatives. His approach could be used to introduce and motivate people to make better environmental choices which ultimately impact all members of our society. Dr. King understood the interconnectedness of everything – as he once said, “An injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Here’s how environmental companies can adopt the formula of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to improve their measurable impact on the planet.

Education

“A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit, in many instances, do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Education is a vital aspect of helping our society turn the corner on new, healthier initiatives. We cannot make an educated shift if we aren’t given the information and the tools necessary to do so. The lesson here from Dr. King is that if we are delivering a solution to one or more of the issues this world faces, we must incorporate education on the issue and the solution we’re presenting.

People are now accustomed to having answers at their fingertips. And if we aren’t providing an in-depth, relevant, and transparent explanation – our business and its offerings can be seen as mildly irrelevant – not part of the conversation. These conversations and educational efforts can be executed IRL, online, social media – perhaps the metaverse. Enlisting the power of engagement can be helpful when delivering our education. It’s what Dr. King did. Why wouldn’t we learn from what worked?

It is an especially important time for environmental companies and organizations to claim their role in society and accept a new level of social responsibility. When creating educational content, remember that your organization was created to make an impact. That means it also needs to improve how marketing is done and what it does for people – helpful, transparent, and educational is where we want to be.

Collaboration – supporting and leveraging other movements

MLK was fighting for social justice, but he also deeply understood the interrelated components of all movements and the importance of actively supporting many issues that ultimately shared the umbrella of injustice. Dr. King knew in order to achieve social justice; environmental justice must be achieved. Healthier living environments for every community and access to clean air, water, and soil all led back to racial equality and voter rights.

Dr. King leveraged and supported many movements and organizations in order to reach the overall goal of social justice. Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized how many great movements of his time were linked. Environmental organizations and companies can realize this as well. Many movements could be stronger with collaboration and recognizing how interdependent they are.

“It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Did you ever stop to think that you can’t leave for your job in the morning without being dependent on most of the world? This is the way our universe is structured; this is its interrelated quality. We aren’t going to have peace on Earth until we recognize this basic fact of the interrelated structure of all reality.” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

For organizations solving environmental woes, let’s think about the movements or companies we can partner with to get more reach and grow our impact together. Without bastardizing a cause, how can we genuinely support our community on important and interrelated issues? How can we use our marketing dollars or combine our marketing dollars with others on education to shed light on significant problems we’re solving? Make an effort to collaborate and form deeper connections with our people and demonstrate our organization’s genuine desire to solve, educate, uplift, engage, inform, and create great and lasting changes in the world.

Political Engagement and Involvement

Dr. King spent much of his life meeting with politicians, leading marches, speaking, writing, and organizing political activism campaigns that were instrumental in the changes that occurred. Green companies are uniquely positioned to learn from King’s past and apply it to create a better future. Most organizations are involved to some degree in policy influencing, whether that be having a lobbying arm in the company, being part of an association that lobbies for a particular industry, or getting individuals to sign environmental petitions. We are amidst many environmental changes affecting our daily lives; while the old powers are trying to cling to their stagnant seats in the market, a shift is happening. Environmental brands are positioned to adopt with ferocity and approach political engagement tactics for the issues our green brand represents, just as Dr. King did.

Consumers are hungry for truth, transparency, and political action on the environmental issues they support. Environmental companies who wish to have long-term staying power in their industry will rally the support of community members and consumers and sway political agendas in a better direction. Dominant sectors like petrochemical, plastic, and non-renewable energy companies have used the power of lobbying for decades. Environmental companies might not have the same sizable budget necessary for a lobbying firm retainer; perhaps utilizing the same principles of lobbying firms and incorporating them into our content marketing strategy is the alternative action. Combining communication, education, and collaborations can help fuel political campaigns our community wants to support.

Storytelling and Engagement – Lead with a positive outcome

There was no doubt when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke; we knew he understood and deeply empathized with the people he spoke for. He painted a picture of the final step of success. He delivered an idea, a goal to attain – a dream. He lifted hope from a riverbed by drying it off and holding it up as a vision. In our communications, be like Dr. King – paint a picture of the promised land first and foremost. What does success look like for our people in particular? How will they know when they’ve reached the finish line? What hopes can actionable steps be drafted from?

From a world with cleaner water to communities with optimal health and excellent air quality, whatever our team and our company is solving, let’s be sure to paint the picture of success in our content.

Visibility – P.R./Advertising/Social Media Marketing

Dr. King was impressive with garnering media attention and capturing a nation, whether in print, radio or on television – the imagery and sound continue to live on. The brutality and horrors that occurred, and still do today, as everyday life for black people in the United States, he knew, had to be seen by everyone to make a difference and change minds. Dr. King made sure this was the case every chance he got. The media played a big part in the civil rights movement. Environmental companies can note Dr. King’s use of the media and press to activate imagery about the need for change.

Green public relations and content dissemination are about relationship building and content sharing around a collective effort to address environmental issues. Green PR builds an ecosystem around our social and environmental solutions. More than building a green face to maintain a positive image, Green PR seeks to align with community members and media to exponentially increase the impact and efficacy of campaigns, content, and agendas.

Takeaways from Dr. King

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. listened and genuinely connected people in a movement. Expanding our environmental impact and protecting the most vulnerable people from the worst catastrophes requires all hands on deck. In today’s world, it involves the action of environmental companies and organizations. We all can do more than quote Dr. King; we can take his strategy for real change and adapt the same formula for expanding our reach and impact on the world – people and our environment. For those that hate the idea of marketing but know it must be done, consider how our solutions in the world will benefit people the bigger our movement can be. To instill new ideas and solutions, we need more organizations on board to take action and:

Educate
Collaborate
Politically Activate
Create a vision of success
Be visibly doing it all

Don’t just quote the King, be one by working with our team to improve your measurable impact. As the first environmental content marketing company owned by women of color, A.R. Marketing House offers a unique perspective and expertise in combining environmental science and marketing tactics to drive sales and impact. Our team is dedicated to using our skills and passion for sustainability to help sustainable businesses achieve their goals. Take action and make an impact today with your content strategy.

If you need help developing content and building content marketing strategies, we can help. Contact us today.

Resources:

https://www.thesca.org/connect/blog/dr-king-civil-rights-and-environmental-justice

https://biography.yourdictionary.com/articles/martin-luther-king-progress-civil-rights-movement.html

https://kinginstitute.stanford.edu/king-papers/documents/purpose-education#fn1

Oct

2020

A Brief History of Trash

The evolution of our waste issues

We, the people, are communal animals. There is no denying that. We are also creators of waste. As we came together in larger and larger communities, the need to manage waste grew more complicated and more expensive, of course. Waste management has long provided work for some, and benefits to society such as health and even soil improvements. Waste is one element that we often want to keep out of sight and out of mind – NIMBY (not in my backyard).

In this age of uncertainty and distraction, we sometimes overlook basics. Waste management is one of those basics. Above is a rendition of life during the black plague, when waste was not properly managed. Knowledge seemed to come and go about managing waste. Some ancients made sure they had clean environments. Others, not so much. Some even figured out that keeping things clean helped people’s health, as embodied in the Shinto religion, cleanliness is godliness.

Urban growth seemed to dictate innovation in this area, but it wasn’t organized as we know it in a municipal effort until the 18th century. As a historical note, the Han Dynasty (2000 BC) had records of “fertilizer recipes,” and the Minoans (1500 BC) had evidence of dumpsites outside of the Cretan capital of Knossos.

In ancient cities, wastes were thrown onto unpaved streets and roadways, where they were left to accumulate. It was not until 320 BCE in Athens that the first known law forbidding this practice was established. After the fall of Rome, waste collection and municipal sanitation went into serious decline. “Scavengers” eventually were given the job of moving waste to dumps outside cities around the 14th century.

England decided that every city had to have its own “Scavenger,” according to the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1714.

For many of us, Waste Management consists of those weekly pickups of our garbage and recycling bins. Keep them coming, and all is well. Yes, a variation of out of sight; out of mind. Some rural types haul theirs to the local dump or landfill and are a little closer to the land and the need to handle the waste properly.

Waste Management has evolved. Here are a couple of fun historical attempts by communities to handle waste:

Charleston W.V. 1834, hunters were prohibited from killing vultures because they helped consume the city’s garbage.

Worcester, MA, from 1872-1932, used up to 8000 pigs to take care of the city’s garbage. The city’s “piggery” employed these diligent public servants to good measure, consuming over 10 tons of garbage daily. These poor porkers received room and board only despite their dedicated service.

50s plastics = Throwaway Society

In Life magazine in 1955, an American family celebrates the dawn of “Throwaway Living,” thanks in part to disposable plastics. Single-use plastics have brought great convenience to people around the world, but they also make up a big part of the plastic waste that’s now choking our oceans. Photograph by PETER STACKPOLE, LIFE PICTURE COLLECTION/GETTY IMAGES

In Life magazine in 1955, an American family celebrates the dawn of “Throwaway Living,” thanks in part to disposable plastics. Single-use plastics have brought great convenience to people worldwide, but they also make up a big part of the plastic waste that’s now choking our oceans. The composition of waste has changed over the years, and the days of the cart moving waste to noxious incinerators, rivers, ocean fronts, and old fashioned garbage dumps have mostly disappeared.

Technology improvements like motorized vehicles lead to things like garbage trucks and organized waste collection in most American cities. Increased mobility, supermarkets, an explosion of packaging saw many changes to our society, and a wave of waste. From celluloid to plastic, was it inevitable that our distancing from the natural world would lead to the Throwaway Society coined in a 1955 Life Magazine article “Throwaway Living”?

The 1985 article, A Paean to Plastic, was also a hallelujah to housewives’ chance to free up time, which would have been used for cleaning plates, towels, diapers, ashtrays, etc. But, of course, for every action, there is a reaction.

The problem was that these unnatural conveniences didn’t go away. No, they might have been burned and polluted the air. They may have been piled into a landfill and, as we now know, breakdown over 400 plus years. They might have fallen into rivers finding their way to the sea, sinking into the depths of Marianas Trench.

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9UtaVgnPMY ” width=”540″ autoplay=”yes” mute=”yes” title=”Deep In The Heart Of The Mariana Trench…Is A Plastic Bag”]

Before the birthing of western environmental consciousness in the 1960s, waste was usually burned on-site in barrels or pits. Waste sent to landfills was likely to be dumped in “open burn landfills.”

Then in the 1960s, public health experts started sounding the alarm about our handling of waste in its many forms. A 1963 conference screamed about the dangers to health that improper handling of waste could cost. By 1965, the Solid Waste Disposal Act (SWDA) gave birth to solid waste’s first nationwide regulation. Moving at the usual government speed, Congress passed the Federal Resource Recovery Act in 1970. This act amended SWDA to require the Federal Government to step in and set National Guidelines for Waste disposal.

Trying to fix the growing volume of municipal and industrial waste, congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) in 1976. The act banned the dumping of waste, taking lessons learned; it also recommended national goals for conservation, human and environmental protection, and environmentally-sound waste disposal. Hazardous waste was to be controlled, as well as passing the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Waste trends have been exploding since 1960; the U.S. generated 88.1 million tons of waste or 2.96 lbs. That is per person, each day. By 1970, that number jumped to 121.1 million tons averaging 3.25 lbs per person on a daily basis. In the year 2000, we generated 243.5 million tons of solid waste, jumping up to 4.74 lbs per person each and every day. In 2017, 267.8 million tons were generated with the average lbs per person at 4.51, according to the U.S. EPA.

U.S. Congressional efforts to tighten environmental damage has, of course, complicated the handling of solid waste. Recycling came to the rescue – at least for metal, glass, and paper. The same cannot be said for plastic recycling; on that front, it’s official – we’ve all been lied to. But over time, certain wastes became commodities. And for every commodity, there’s always a conservative, corporate raider lurking. Jeez, guys, can’t we have anything nice?

And at last, we have the explosion of public service privatization. You can spot these people as haters of the New Deal who brought us concepts like “Breaking Municipal Monopoly” Emanuel Savas. Sounds like the Hollywood phraseology from Ronald Reagan: “Government is not the solution to our problem, the government is the problem,” which we’ve all come to learn the hard way via COVID-19; this is simply not true.

Gone are the open burn pits, yes, but demonizing of public workers and desperate, financially strapped communities blasted with little more than propaganda about how privatizing and shrinking the size of government would be so wonderful – NEWS FLASH, it’s not…

Lobbying exploded in this time period, as well. Of course, this followed a long history of money, finding easier access to halls of power.

When a municipality seeks to outsource its solid waste services, the bidding process encourages competition among the private waste sector, which in turn encourages fair pricing and good service.

From 1996 municipal revenues from waste have shrunk while private and public company participation has skyrocketed. Let’s break this down:

Municipal = A city or town that has corporate status and local government. These communities collect various types of waste and then send it off to their disposal sites.

Private = City contracts with a privately owned company to handle the waste. Owned privately, usually meaning the founders, management, or a group of private investors.

Public = City contracts with a publicly owned company that handles the city’s waste.

A Public company is one that has sold all or a portion of itself to the public via an initial public offering (IPO), meaning shareholders have a claim to part of the company’s assets and profits.

[su_quote]TALKING POINTS From The National Waste and Recycling Association: – The private sector can help reduce costs and improve efficiency while freeing municipalities from having to maintain their own removal and disposal services. – This, in turn, allows governments to focus their limited resources on core services such as recycling education, first-responders, education, and infrastructure. – Governments are likely to benefit from privatization through better protection from market risks, better safety records, faster adoption of more efficient technologies, and less debt. [/su_quote]

The talking points are a privatizer’s dream. In the end, who paid? Did recycling, composting, waste-to-energy cover the costs of the operation? I suspect the contract called for the municipality to take care of that part of the equation.

It is common practice in this alternate world of post-reality economics to blame costs on government regulations, unions, and various other improvements to society that get in the way of excessive profits. When it comes to privatization, what really must occur is making sure the contracts benefit the taxpayers and be very careful of the fine print. I’m sure the 1996 $41 billion revenues shown above jumped to $70 billion for various reasons, but the transition does parallel the industry catching the mergers and acquisitions bug. The dedicated scavengers of old flipped the tune to bottom lines first and foremost. Of course, they were joining a general business tone that permeated those years.

You will note from above that in this 20 year period, municipal governments dropped from taking care of 35% of the waste to only 20% in 2016. Over the same period, massive companies began sucking up smaller ones creating “economies of scale.” They jumped from covering a third of the industry up to nearly 60% and growing.

Taking care of waste is a massive challenge. You eat, you drink, you buy. Things get old. Clothes, furniture, car batteries, and appliances eventually need replacing, and these old items must go somewhere. There are three main roads that our waste usually travels down: sorting and recycling, landfill dumps, and some might work their way into an incinerator to produce energy. And this is just the solid waste side of the issue.

The evolution of waste management has come a long way from the days of pigs munching on organic waste. Gone is the appointed Scavenger. Today recycling must follow the rules meant to keep our environment safe and clean.

The debates between privatizers like the National Waste and Recycling Association and Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), who represent more public sector types; agreeing on some things and disagreeing on others, looks a little like this:

Bruce Parker, CEO of NSWMA (private sector-oriented): “There’s no black and white between privatization and public,” Parker says. “You can always find examples of each and where it hasn’t worked.” He characterized waste collection as a commodity business, which some believe makes it more suitable for privatizing. “Garbage is pretty simple,” he says.

John Skinner, CEO of SWANA (public sector-oriented) “Solid waste is a public service,” Skinner adds. “That is the critical issue. Shortsighted governments that get out completely, with no control over costs in the future — that is very poor policy.” Skinner also points out that solid waste is a public health issue, and therefore, the government should at least maintain oversight control.

It is curious to note that Mergers and Acquisitions like to claim “efficiencies.” That’s the reason or partly that Municipal Waste Landfills went from 7,683 in 1986 to 6,326 in 1990. By 2009, the number had dropped to 1908. In the recent year of 2017, there were just 1,269 left.

SDG Goal #12 – Sustainable Production & Consumption

The world has reached a tipping point on waste, which is addressed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG #12.

At last, natural resources should be conserved and waste creation avoided at all costs, and I suggest we follow the EPA’s formula:

365 Waste Stats & Facts for Social Media

After that short journey on waste, it’s time to educate your community on waste. That’s why our researchers have curated 365 important facts about plastic waste, food waste, e-waste, and recycling to support your social media, blogging, and other content needs with science-based, triple fact-checked stats & facts on waste. Don’t stop believing! Waste education can be easier when you plan ahead with one year’s worth of factual information to share. Power up your social media with 365 facts and stats here!

Continue reading →

Aug

2020

Your Sustainable, Black, Indigenous, and POC-Owned Supply Chain

As a black and brown women owned business, A.R Marketing House has a vested interest in environmental justice, peace, and uplifting sustainable businesses owned by people of color. We’ve reached a point in our world where we need all hands on deck for radical change that ensures a cleaner, just future for everyone. That means sharing resources, supply chain information, and educational tools that help us advance a mission that pulls our collective genius, honor, and shared planet forward.

This blog article is just a start to highlight some of the many key products owned by black, brown, and indigenous people that anyone can start purchasing from now. Our goal is to make this an introduction because there are so many businesses to catalog (add your business to the directory). Because the list is so long and ever-growing, we’re developing a comprehensive database to help buyers and consumers source sustainable supplies from businesses of color. If you would like to add your business to this directory, please fill out this form.

You will also find Environmental Justice resources to use and share with allies as we navigate our path forward together. Let’s Dive in!

Apps and Directories

Black-Owned Farms in the U.S. – https://www.agritecture.com/blog/2020/6/9/shoppe-blacks-list-of-black-owned-farms-amp-food-gardens

Black-owned eco-friendly companies – https://www.greenmatters.com/p/black-owned-green-beauty-and-skincare-brands

Hispanic Ya! Various products and service locator for Latino businesses – http://hispanicya.com/

Black Wall Street – https://officialblackwallstreet.com/directory/

Buy Native Guide – http://www.beyondbuckskin.com/p/buy-native.html

Pow wows – List of Native Products – https://www.powwows.com/our-favorite-places-to-shop-for-native-products/

Marketplaces

Marketplaces hold the goods to transact easily from various vendors. These marketplaces feature black, brown, and indigenous places to shop for various products.

Atijo – Vintage, secondhand, and artisan products. https://www.instagram.com/atijostore/

BLK + GRN Marketplace – high-quality all-natural products vetted by Black health experts – https://blkgrn.com/pages/blk-grn

Faubourg – Handmade, organic, recycled, locally-made, fair-trade clothing and accessories. https://shopfaubourg.com/

Galerie.LA –Sustainable, recycled, artisan, and locally produced clothing, beauty, self-care, and home products. https://galerie.la

Label By Three – Homeware collection. http://www.labelbythree.com

Native West Trading – https://www.nativewest-trading.com/

Black and POC-Owned Sustainable Supplies

Some of our most basic purchases are often tossed into our cart on your average big box store run. In the age of COVID, where ordering online is encouraged, you can now toss one of these products into your cart from a company of color, with effortless ease. From basics like recycled toilet paper and detergent to higher-level needs like green construction and car manufacturing, below are a handful of common items and services offered.

Get the Basics

Freedom Paper Company – 100% Made from Recycled Paper toilet paper. www.freedompapercompany.com

PUR – HOME and Cleaning Products – https://pur-home.com/

True Products – Laundry Detergent and Hand Sanitizer www.thetrueproducts.com

Dirt Don’t Hurt – Bamboo Toothbrushes and sustainable bath supplies. https://dirtdonthurtme.com/

Oui the People – Bath & Body Care. https://www.ouithepeople.com

Shades of Africa – https://shadesofafrika.com/

Los Angeles Oils & Butter – losangelesoilsandbutters.com

The Honey Pot Company – Feminine products. https://thehoneypot.co/

Nena’s Plant-Based beauty – nenasorganics.com

Kantanka – Auto manufacturing (currently in Ghana). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantanka_cars

Naturally Urban Environmental, Inc. – Green Construction & Development

Book Stores

The Lit Bar – http://www.thelitbar.com/

Lil’ Libros – https://lillibros.com/

Harriett’s Bookshop – https://www.harriettsbookshop.com/

Food & Beverage

Zero – Zero waste grocery delivery (currently in SF, coming soon to Los Angeles and New York). https://www.zerogrocery.com/

Iya Foods – https://www.iyafoods.com/

Chickasaw Nation Owned Chocolatier – Bedré Fine Chocolate

Wines

McBride Sisters Wine – https://www.mcbridesisters.com/

Maison Noir Wine – https://maisonnoirwines.com/

Brown Estate – https://www.brownestate.com/

Zafa Wines – https://zafawines.com

Beer

Brewjeria – https://www.brewjeriacompany.com

5 Rabbit Cerveceria – became the first Latino-owned craft brewery in the United States in 2012! http://www.5rabbitbrewery.com/

60+ Black-owned Breweries across the U.S.

Coffee, Tea, Water

BLK & BOLD Coffee – https://blkandbold.com/

Dope Coffee – https://www.realdope.coffee/

Marley Coffee – https://www.marleycoffee.com/

Kye Tea House – https://kyeteahouse.com/

Pathwater – https://drinkpathwater.com

Home Goods

Lit Soul Candles – Coconut wax meditation candles in upcycled cans from food donations. Each candle has a High Vibration Crystal at the bottom. https://www.litsoulcandles.com

Linoto – Linen bed, bath, and home products. https://www.linoto.com

Eighth Generation – Native-owned & Inspired Native Blankets that provide a strong, ethical alternative to “Native-inspired” art and products through an artist-centric approach. 100% Native designed products. – https://eighthgeneration.com/

Shoes and Apparel

Brother Vellies – Shoes. https://brothervellies.com/

TPMOCS – Designer Baby Moccasins. https://www.tpmocs.com/

b.YELLOWTAIL – Native Fashion, Accessories, Activism. https://byellowtail.com/

Kind Socks – https://www.kindsockswear.com/

Ginew – Denim apparel. https://ginewusa.com/

Omi Woods – Jewelry. https://omiwoods.com/

Environmental Justice Resources

Communities of color are more susceptible to the effects of climate change and environmental degradation, yet contribute less to pollution and do not benefit from pollution financially or any other compensatory way. The voice of black and brown people in the United States and around the world needs to build businesses that contribute to sustainable development to advance our collective good. We need full collaboration, respect, and justice on sustainability for people of color and indigenous communities, to deconstruct the harm of colonialism, which has continued to exploit black and brown communities since before the times of chattel slavery and the trail of tears. Here are some incredible resources for protesters, allies, and everyone who supports a more peaceful, just, and sustainable society.

#1 Justice in June

This guide is for allies. Justice in June is a comprehensive self-guided learning tool to help individuals learn how to be better allies. It is available at 10, 25, or 40 minute a day segments of videos, reading, and online learning.

https://justiceinjune.org/

Bryanna Wallace & Autumn Gupta

@Autumn_Bry

#2 Herbal First Aid Aftercare for All Who Have Experienced

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1y-X_88H9XM1dkzZsyFIQUBcPkhhDQzxG/view?fbclid=IwAR00u4_h6UMjDJrqzFk1Su4zrQa1Sjo8Kd8HsNg316lLKcQxSPCMz2PwcY8

Police Violence: bumps, bruises & burns, chemical weapons

exposure, taser, handcuff injuries, & trauma.

Plant Medicines for Resilience!

Black Lives Matter.

Dixie Pauline, Grassroots Apothecary, MASHH;

Greta Montagne, Gentle Strength Botanicals, MASHH;

Dana Aronson, Wild Kin Botanical s ;

Ingrid Bauer, MD, Five Flavors Herbs ;

Jocelyn Laurel Pena, Paramedic, Blackcap Medical

#3 – A Brief History of Environmental Justice

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/30xLg2HHg8Q” width=”540″ autoplay=”yes” mute=”yes” title=”A Brief History of Environmental Justice”]

#4 Van Jones – The Economic Injustice of Plastic

“How can this movement be so passionate about saying we don’t have throwaway stuff, no throwaway dead materials, and yet accept throwaway lives and throwaway communities like Cancer Alley?” – Van Jones

[su_youtube url=”https://youtu.be/W1UGzaG1Uos” width=”540″ autoplay=”yes” mute=”yes” title=”The economic injustice of plastic – Van Jones”]

#5 EPA’s Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool

https://ejscreen.epa.gov/mapper/

Environmental and Climate Justice Resource Organizations

“Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. You need to understand that balance and respect all the creatures. From the crawling ant to the leaping antelope, we’re all connected in the great circle of life.” – The Lion King

As we move forward together, business, non-profit, and communities, here’s a list of organizations that are working toward environmental and climate justice.

Call to action!

Don’t see your company? List it! Don’t see a company you love? List it! We need all hands on deck for the revolution, whatever your expertise, your business, and your skill. We must align and build a voice for those working toward a just and sustainable future.

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Jul

2020

6 Lessons for Marketing Teams of Sustainable Brands

Stop Calling it Environmentalism

Environmentalism: The natural world is being destroyed and it is a moral imperative to preserve and reconstitute as much of it as possible as soon as possible. If only the environmental movement were framed so simply in the public’s eye (or traces of neural circuitry, rather). – George Lakoff

The human brain thinks in terms of frames, according to Cognitive Linguistics Expert George Lakoff. Our brains’ ability to make rapid assumptions based on a few words makes our brains open up or shut down. When we hear a frame we agree with, we listen; when we hear a frame we don’t agree with, our brain quite literally shuts out information. When we hear frames that we’ve never heard before and that don’t fit into another frame we already have, we LISTEN!

As we embark on many new ways of life, it’s time for us to start building new frames for discussing vital topics, that impact our health and everyday life. The advantage of discussing these deeply bi-partisan topics in new ways is that we all profit in terms of health and financial gains. If we can all agree that we’d like to live a long life and build wealth while doing so, it’s high time to make new frames. Here are six lessons we can take from communications expert George Lakoff as we develop communication strategies for sustainable movements, brands, and policies.

Lesson #1 – What exactly are frames?

All thinking and talking involve framing. Frames are more than words; they are building blocks of understanding a particular topic, which we use as quick reference points for understanding. As a subconscious force, frames dictate how we think and talk. They act as concepts and metaphors working with our emotions to create narratives that our brains cannot avoid.

“Moreover, many frame-circuits have direct connections to the emotional regions of the brain. Emotions are an inescapable part of normal thought. Indeed, you cannot be rational without emotions. Without emotion, you would not know what to want, since like and not-like would be meaningless to you. When there is neither like nor not-like nor any judgment of the emotional reactions of others, you cannot make rational decisions.

Since political ideologies are, of course, characterized by systems of frames, ideological language will activate that ideological system. Since the synapses in neural circuits are made stronger the more they are activated, the repetition of ideological language will strengthen the circuits for that ideology in a hearer’s brain. And since language that is repeated very often becomes “normally used” language, ideological language repeated often enough can become “normal language” but still activate that ideology unconsciously in the brains of citizens—and journalists.” – George Lakoff

[su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpIa16Bynzg&feature=youtu.be” width=”600″ height=”400″ responsive=”yes” autoplay=”no” mute=”no” title=”” class=””]

Lesson #2 What activates frames?

While frames are not words, frames are activated by words. One word can act as a frame or a metaphor, and once activated, bring up an entire system that the frame is in. Over time, as frames are built within the brain’s network of understanding, words quickly fire up the relationship from one neuron to another.

Frames act on a hierarchy, according to Lakoff, whereby moral frames are at the top. Any frame below that can activate everything up to the top. Yes, one word or phrase can communicate entire ideologies, and the person hearing will only allow through what matches their current “frame” of reference.

The frames working in the human brain challenge sustainable communicators and marketers. It is the battle of discussing highly essential topics in a polarized political landscape. For sustainability communicators, this piece of knowledge is vital. What we do with this information is create new frames or new pathways of understanding. We omit old frames that, while yes, some people might align with, they leave out the massive amounts of people that also must be brought to the table.

In his book “Don’t Think of an Elephant,” Lakoff explains the two models of morality working in a highly polarized U.S. One he calls the “strict father” and the other the “nurturant parent.” The strict father mindset is associated with conservative moral thinking and the nurturant parent with more liberal ethical thinking. There are a host of words and phrases that evoke each. Navigating these modes of morality with new sustainability communications means knowing who you want to talk to, and speaking to them in that language. It also indicates where new frames must exist; you must create them to surpass the current mindset.

Lesson #3 The dangers of environmental framing

The framing of health, economy, food, security, and trade as “environmental” has removed a large swath of people from the conversations that must be had. Everyone is affected by environmental issues; however, the word itself shuts down brain synopsis in many people who see the word as merely a liberal topic. Nothing could be further from the truth when cancer has no party lines. Everyone needs to take part in conversations and policies that affect health outcomes. Some established conservative frames have removed people’s ability to learn new concepts and apply new discussions, new ideas, and innovations to collaboratively solve some of the issues around health, economy, food, security, and trade.

Exceptional framing offers people new modes of learning that directly impact their quality of life and help tackle topics like contaminated drinking water or carcinogenic plastic consumption. The dangers of framing topics as “environmental” remove a person’s ability to participate in their own health and wellbeing. Environmental frames keep conservatives detached from problems that are quite literally killing them. The solution is to go around those barriers and create new frames they haven’t worked with that fit into a conservative mode of communications.

Lesson #4 Successful vs. failed frames

Framing is all about creating worldview building blocks that go beyond language, but that triggers those ideas through careful word selection. In the U.S., conservatives have been incredibly successful with a long-term strategy of framing thanks in part to 30-years of wordsmithing from strategist Frank Lutz. Lutz is responsible for the reframing of the following concepts for the purpose of owning the topic.

The purpose of reframing these topics was that conservatives knew that they should own the language of hot-button issues. When anyone with another viewpoint comes to speak on these issues and uses the vocabulary and thus framing of the other side, it brings to point the title of George Lakoff’s book “Don’t think of an elephant.” That’s because the first impressions you have on the topic now are associated with the other side. Instead, when discussing hot topic issues, never use the language of the other side. Stick to the values and higher-level features of the issues.

You would think protecting resources that we all use would be equally important to everyone. That assumption has largely been the downfall of environmental communication. Those who wish to communicate about the environment assume it is important to everyone and use the same tired frames that many ignore. While conservatives have had decades to build successful frames, topics that have been driven by a more progressive wing have only recently started to create some of these frames.

Lesson #5 Emerging environmental frames

In the last five years, there has been an acceleration of elevating environmental communications beyond old frames and into a place that supports Environmental Literacy for more people than just “environmentalists.”

Significant numbers of sustainability leaders are exploring new ways to discuss and design sustainable supply chains and the business proof for the existence of sustainability in all areas of life. Below are some promising frames that have emerged in recent years that we should look to promote, create content around, and use in our everyday interactions on environmental topics.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Regulated Commons
Sun-Based Food vs. Industrialized Oil-based Food
Overall Wellbeing Indicator

And moving from frames like these that shutdown communication:

Climate change
Environmental
Propaganda
Manipulation
Capitalism

Take a moment and feel the difference in each set of words above. What does your framing system do to evaluate each of those framed topics? In the newer framed versions, you might notice that your mind begins to ask more questions and be more open to new pathways of understanding. The older frames you have a predetermined understanding of, maybe even some judgments of your own. So how do you create these new, more effective frames? Let’s learn what Lakoff says about creating new frames.

Lesson # 6 Rules of engagement

Creating new frames is vital but must be done with extreme care. More than just using new words, creating frames can be detrimental when not considering all aspects and outcomes of the new frame. According to George Lakoff, here are some considerations to make before engaging in creating new frames.

Talk at the level of values and frame issues in terms of moral values. Distinguish values from policies. Always go on offense, never a defense. Never accept the right’s frames: don’t negate them, or repeat them, or structure your arguments to counter them. That just activates their frames in the brain and helps them.
Provide a structured understanding of what you are saying. Don’t give laundry lists. Tell stories that exemplify your values and rouse emotions. Don’t just give numbers and material facts without framing them so their overall significance can be understood. Instead, find general themes of narratives that incorporate the points you need to make.
Context matters: be aware of what’s going on. Address everyday concerns. Avoid Technical jargon; use words people can understand. The messenger matters. Visuals Matter. Body language matters.

Sustainable brand marketers and communicators are tasked with the high-level objective of going beyond preaching to the choir. Sustainability efforts are weak when we don’t have all hands on deck. For sustainable brands, communicating the need for your product, service, or policy, must go beyond corporate “green teams,” if you’re looking for making a considerable impact. Environmental Literacy for adults is no small task; however when understanding some basics about how frames and linguistics work, you can begin to build a communications roadmap to broad audiences.

When it comes to dismantling old environmental frames, it takes creativity for replacing them with new, more inclusive ones. These lessons from George Lakoff demonstrate why Environmental Marketing is vital and must be handled with precision and care.

Resources

https://www.thoroldnews.com/local-news/beyond-local-the-power-of-talking-about-energy-change-2285491

https://theieca.org/resources/environmental-communication-what-it-and-why-it-matters

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524030903529749

https://www.forbes.com/sites/joshuacohen/2018/10/15/measuring-well-being-its-more-than-gdp/#1196149c4eaa

https://www.businessinsider.com/political-language-rhetoric-framing-messaging-lakoff-luntz-2017-8

https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/george-lakoff-green-marketing

https://armarketinghouse.com/what-is-environmental-literacy-and-is-it-missing-in-the-workplace/

Jul

2020

What is Environmental Literacy and is it Missing in the Workplace?

The word environment is defined as the natural world in which people, animals, and plants live. Environmentalism is the concern about our natural environment and how to improve and protect it. An environmentalist is a person interested in the natural environment and who wants to improve and protect it. The natural world is defined as all the components of the physical universe — atoms, plants, ecosystems, people, societies, galaxies, etc., as well as the natural forces at work.

Once we begin to understand that everything is connected, it’s inevitable for us to start thinking about the environment as not something “out there” but as something that impacts the world around us and, more personally, our workspace, our homes, our health. Moreover, interconnectedness helps us critically think about the world we interact with every day, such as how the products we love are made, where they come from, and where they end up once we’re done with them. Do employees from Fortune 1000 companies understand how the pollution from coal-powered boats bringing in our clothing, food, building materials, furniture, etc. affect the air we breathe, our water, our health, the economy, and entire ecosystems? How would corporate sustainability decision-makers benefit from environmentally educated staff? So that we may pave more impactful sustainable pathways, investing in employee environmental literacy will be a vital next step.

For successful corporate decarbonization, employees will need to understand society’s heavy reliance on finite resources such as fossil fuels for transportation, energy, and manufacturing. Also important is making it clear the transition to a decarbonized economy can easily be made with a diverse array of innovative sustainable materials. When we educate employees on sustainability initiatives, we deliver a bigger more well-rounded vision of our company to them, whereby we go far beyond immediate monetary profits, and into long-term profits that include health of people, pesticide-free organic foods, reduced pollution, properly managed waste, well-managed resources, increased biodiversity, and cleaner oceans that supply the oxygen we use to breathe.

At this point in human history, everyone needs to have a working knowledge of the natural world, to make valuable short-term and long-term decisions for building sustainable foundations and protecting natural resources and ecosystems. This requires basic environmental literacy, so we know how to value resources and organically create a circular system, as we see in nature.

Companies with environmental solutions and sustainability initiatives have a window of opportunity to educate about environmental stewardship, impacts of our environment on health, and how all of these factors tie into taking action in the workplace. Educating employees about environmental solutions is a way to fill the knowledge gap and help build a more engaged workforce. Many Fortune500 companies invest in employee environmental literacy, to give muscle to the entire company, rather than solely relying on the efficacy of the company’s green team. When you charge your workforce on sustainability, initiative success is cranked to the max, which is essential for long-term business development.

Education is the new marketing

Until environmental science and climate change are mandated curriculums throughout global educational systems, many environmentally conscious companies who solve environmental problems will have to deliver knowledge gap information via marketing efforts.

At A.R. Marketing House, we have a running motto; education is the new marketing. That’s why we make sure that our marketing team has the environmental background knowledge, they need to see communication opportunities, accurately interpret science, and in general, outperform in their roles of promoting sustainable solutions.

As the stakes for cleaning up the planet grow, we see innovative companies in LED lighting solutions, plastic-free choices, reusable packaging, air quality monitors, etc. worthy of top-shelf ranking, but unable to make the mark entirely. One significant factor of this communication shortfall is companies not knowing how to communicate sustainability in a helpful, full scope way to their community of customers and employees.

A silver lining of such a horrible infectious disease like SARS-CoV-2 has become a time to reflect, learn, improve, and incorporate new environmental initiatives, plans, policies, educational platforms, and ventures.

What is Environmental Literacy?

We define Environmental Literacy as the ability to understand and recognize the conditions of our surroundings, where we operate and where we live, and the impacts our individual, community, and corporate actions have on the entire system that sustains life and commerce.

Why we need employee buy-in for sustainability initiatives and business growth

In a Nielson study, 81% of global respondents feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment.

When employees are educated and engaged through company-wide sustainability initiatives, it has been shown to increase environmental programs’ success. It is a win for energizing your workforce by connecting them with matters they care about. Improved employee performance is another benefit gained from engagement on environmental issues, and will generate long-term economic value for staff and c-suite leadership. Ultimately garnering employee support through environmental literacy proves to be a value to the immediate community and society as a whole. Companies who partake in environmental literacy see an increase in employee loyalty, efficiency, productivity, and engagement on company sustainability initiatives. These factors all help to improve company HR scores.

How employee buy-in impacts the success or failure of sustainability initiatives

“When employees understand environmental issues and their impact on health and quality of life, they act in allegiance with initiatives that serve the planet, business, and their personal life. People make smarter buying decisions, and know the difference between genuine sustainability and greenwashing” – Denise Anderson-Rivas, Educational Director & Co-Founder of A.R. Marketing House

Employee Brand Loyalty

When we support employee buy-in on sustainability initiatives, we see an increase in brand loyalty. Part of the reason for this is a concept called psychological ownership. Psychological ownership of a job or organization by an employee is a feeling of having a stake in the entity as a result of commitment and contribution. Psychological ownership leads to greater job satisfaction, engagement, productivity, and profits.

If given a choice, most people would choose to eliminate disease, cancer, and premature death. When empowered with the right tools and knowledge, they can participate in environmental change by taking action on air pollution, smog, and poison plastic that deteriorates health. When a company provides communication and engagement around environmental solutions, they fill voids of the absence of knowledge and miseducation around sustainability and important climate action. Environmental literacy is the litmus test for environmental commitment. With newfound knowledge, the people who work for you become closer to the company mission; their newfound learning and efforts serve as an extension of the good that can be produced.

For example, do you remember your favorite K-12 teacher? Did that teacher make you feel special and remind you of your unique place in the world? Did they help you rise to your best self and help you recognize your purpose? You may likely have adopted some values that your favorite teacher thought were important. Perhaps that was gardening, eating healthy, picking up litter, becoming politically active, or simply being a more conscientious, caring person.

When a company takes on sustainability initiatives and invests in educating, you embody a similar role to our impressionable teacher. People who work at your company become better, more well rounded employees as a result. That means a happier, more fulfilled workforce with improved productivity that delivers toward broader business objectives.

Environmental literacy vs. Environmental illiteracy

What does environmental literacy and engagement mean for a company with sustainability initiatives? Unfortunately, environmental science is not a staple in our education system (we hope to see this change). Without the understanding that everything is connected, it is hard for anyone to relate to the overwhelming word, environment. The environment becomes just a word out there and framed only for “tree huggers” and “environmentalists.” While nothing could be further from the truth, environmental literacy can mean the difference between life and death for an individual and the success or failure of a company.

Starting with a company’s initiatives, education around the who, what, where, why, and how employees are connected to actions that impact air quality, water, health, and food systems. Communicating on environmental education means connecting people to the systems they rely on for sustenance and how those systems relate to sustainable initiatives. Initiatives become a springboard for improving employee health, wellness, longevity, and wealth. Delivering reliable, relatable environmental training makes for a more informed employee base who will make better choices for the company at each step throughout their workday and beyond into their personal lives, which becomes a societal WIN-WIN-WIN.

Environmental illiteracy is a current disease of humanity; it holds us back from making educated decisions and taking action on essential measures like climate change. We need to commit to eradicating environmental illiteracy because our lives and our businesses depend on it.

What does environmental illiteracy mean for a company with sustainability goals?

Currently, there is a lack of substantial, relatable education about climate change and the major environmental issues society faces today. Many media outlets copy and paste watered down information based on imperfect interpretations of scientific studies. Environmental news has become a regurgitation and a dangerous game of telephone. When misinformation is widespread, it creates doubt within people, and the result is a lack of care for the future. In turn, this indifference leads to poor decision making at work and personal decisions that could be detrimental to life and the environment.

Distrust and frustration that emerge from a lack of foundational knowledge on environmental issues make people easily fall victim to greenwashing, believing unsubstantiated claims that set back the scale on important workplace initiatives. Without a strong commitment to employee development on sustainability, employees will not have a foundation of knowledge and will lack interest in the company’s sustainability initiatives. We want employees to adopt new ideas, and your company initiatives could offer a successful framework for understanding. A lack of literacy means a lack of actionable adoption for company sustainability goals.

Employees properly educated in sustainability adopt sustainable measures across their personal and professional life

Three years ago, our Environmental Content Director decided to run a company contest to see if our team could go the entire month without buying any single-use plastic. We started on Earth Day, and most of us quickly realized how difficult this challenge was. Most of us refilled our glass and stainless steel reusable bottles. Ernesto, one of our fantastic graphic design artists, found himself on the road parched and looking for water at a convenience store. He looked for an aluminum can and was pleased to find a reusable aluminum bottled water at 7-eleven, which he kept for at least a year before recycling it.

The plastic-free challenge was a big realization that while many plastic-free choices exist when you do a simple google search, in a pinch, those options are far fewer on the shelves. The challenge also proved another point, the importance of having enough knowledge to choose the best materials for something as simple as a bottle of water. That requires some background in material recycling and the importance of seeking reusable options first.

Teaching employees skills in sustainability helps them know what to look for when seeking alternatives to environmentally damaging products. However, employees that don’t have this background won’t know enough to make a better choice or will flail and rely on marketing tactics by less than sustainable companies that greenwash.

The NO single-use plastic bottle beverage initiative still stands at A.R., and we continue to educate new members of the team on the importance of sourcing more sustainable beverage containers like reusable glass and aluminum.

Building personal frameworks are the success cursor for teaching Environmental Literacy

Environmental learning initiatives cannot help but be personal if you’re looking for genuine adoption. For example, if we want staff to stop wasting plastic, we have to teach about the toxicity plastic packaging has on our family’s health and food systems. Topics become a part of conversations, seeping into the psyche. We become aware of how one issue of plastic packaging affects our quality of life on a grander scale (affecting air, water, food, farming, and short- and long-term health). Environmental literacy as a staple part of your company’s culture makes for an even more significant impact on bottom-line measures.

Be the change that sparks a revolution

One of the most effective and empowering measures of environmental literacy is that when we train staff, they take their lessons home. It’s especially impactful when you see the fruits of environmental literacy seep into your company’s culture. When businesses take their sustainability initiatives seriously, they take education on those initiatives seriously, and we see that play out in employees, their families, and their civic engagement. A commitment to providing employees with Environmental Literacy is the spark needed for impacting real world shifts on sustainability and is the direction for businesses that plan to be around for decades to come.

Next steps to implementing Environmental Literacy Certification for employees

Linking employee values to sustainability breed long-term success. Bridging the gap in knowledge for those with little exposure or knowledge of the environmental issues we face today can make all the difference to explosive success for company-wide sustainability initiatives.

If you’re looking to start the journey and increase the Environmental Literacy of your staff, we invite you to connect with the A.R. team.

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Resources

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/environment?q=environment

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/environmentalism?q=environmentalism

https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/english/environmentalist?q=environmentalist

https://undsci.berkeley.edu/glossary/glossary_popup.php?word=natural+world

https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/mql_sars-cov-2_-_cleared_for_public_release_2020_05_05.pdf

https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2018/global-consumers-seek-companies-that-care-about-environmental-issues/

https://hbr.org/2016/10/the-comprehensive-business-case-for-sustainability

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/ethical-practice/pages/employeesandsustainability.aspx

https://eom.org/content-hub-blog/psychological-ownership

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1059601104273066

https://pacinst.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/bottled_water_factsheet.pdf

CB Bhattacharya, Sankar Sen, and Daniel Korschun, Leveraging Corporate Responsibility: The Stakeholder Route to Maximizing Business and Social Value, Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 2011.

https://ssir.org/articles/entry/engaging_employees_to_create_a_sustainable_business#

https://hbr.org/2018/02/how-to-make-sustainability-every-employees-responsibility

https://www.thomsonreuters.com/content/dam/openweb/documents/pdf/corporate/Reports/global-500-greenhouse-gases-performance-2010-2015.pdf

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies/ethical-practice/pages/employeesandsustainability.aspx

https://www.neefusa.org/sites/default/files/assets/elr/NEEF-EnvironmentalLiteracyReport-2015.pdf

Jul

2020

Water for an Emergency; Preparedness Water Tips You’ll Probably Want to Try ASAP

There are two types of people – those who prepare for emergencies, and those who don’t. Which one are you? Preparing for emergencies comes down to being psychologically resilient enough to feel the threat of a disaster before it strikes, to prepare for it. Preparation helps reduce stress and build confidence in emergencies. Action beforehand is required; here are the answers to some of the most important questions about emergency water storage.

What is a water emergency?

For people who live in areas of the world with water supply, you can become reliant on water, always coming out of the tap. In an emergency or natural disaster where your water supply might be shut off for days or even weeks, being prepared can be the difference between hydration and dehydration. Since the average person can only survive without water for roughly three days, it’s good to know if water shuts off, you can find some emergency reservoirs in your hot water tank, pipes, and ice cubes. To avoid having to use these last resort resources, you can prepare by planning for water storage for up to a few weeks in case of an emergency.

How much water should I have for an emergency?

An active person requires a minimum of a ½ – 1 gallon of water every day. You will want to have two weeks of drinking water prepared for each family member in your household.

If you want to prepare your kit, you will want to store about 14 gallons of water for every person and pet in your household. If you have three people in your home, you will want to save 42 gallons of water. Drinking water should be stored in a cool, dry place. Consider storing just above the amount needed, in case the emergency lasts longer than two weeks. If you find yourself running out of the water, reduce the intake of salty foods, reduce activity, and conserve the water you have.

For hygiene and food preparation, you will want to store the same about ½ gallon her person per day. That is the same amount necessary for daily usage beyond hydration.

How long can I store water for an emergency?

When it comes to bottled water, you’ll find an expiration date somewhere on the bottle. Why is that? Water doesn’t expire. As a consumable food product, FDA regulations require an expiration date to be printed on the bottle; it’s just one of many printed elements required to identify the bottling date, plant, and other critical information about what has been bottled.

Water doesn’t expire, single-use plastic bottles made of PET (polyethylene) do. The 1-year marker is typically when chemicals begin leaching into the water of the PET bottle, as they are very porous and tend to absorb whatever is in the surrounding area. When drinking water from glass or reusable aluminum bottles, this recommendation can be stretched further.

Does emergency water expire?

Water does not expire. How it is stored and what it is stored in will determine the flavor and safety of the water. However, you can still drink water that has been stored for over a year.

How do you prepare water for emergency storage?

Depending on the space you have, you can:

Fill your non-plastic refillable bottles with screw-on tops. The steps for storing water in your bottles are:

Sanitize the bottle
Fill bottles with water from your filtered faucet or tap
Store bottle in a cool, dry, and dark place
Replace every six months with the same steps

Some of the top filtration systems for this step are:

Big Berkey Gravity-Fed Water Filter is a filtration system that comes with fluoride and arsenic filters and gives you water with fewer metals and chemicals. Like its road trip sidekick, the Travel Berkey comes with a stainless steel reusable bottle.

Home Master Artesian Reverse Osmosis System is an under the sink water filter, which removes more than 99% of most dangerous contaminants in the water, including heavy metals, herbicides, pesticides, chlorine, and other chemicals. This reverse osmosis filtration system is known to:

Add healthy minerals back after filtration
Lower water waste that is common to R.O. systems
Easy to maintain

Mitsubishi Cleansui Micro Filtration Pitcher is some of our team’s favorite water pitchers. Cleansui’s micro-filtration system completely removes solid lead, bacteria, algae, fungi, micro-organisms, cysts, parasites, rust, and other particles from tap water. What makes Cleansui so unique is the ability to capture microplastics from entering the water you drink.

The PUR 18-Cup Dispenser with Filter is a widely available filter that removes 99% of lead, 96% mercury, and 92% of certain pesticides, and holds up to 40 gallons of water. You are guaranteed great tasting purified water at an affordable price.

Travel Berkey Water Filter is the best portable filter for your road trips. It comes with a stainless steel reusable bottle to pour your clean filtered water—more time for sightseeing and less time stopping to buy single-use bottles along the way.

Now that your water is filtered, what will you store it in? Let’s take a look at some large and smaller options depending on your storage space.

Invest in food-grade barrels to prepare and store water.

If you are storing water for an extended period, you will want to save ½ to 1 full gallon of water per person for every day. This is also true if you are preparing water barrels. Food grade water barrels typically come in 55 gallons. This equates to 2 gallons of water per day for two people that will last two weeks.

The most basic steps for preparing water in a barrel include:

Choosing a high-quality food-grade barrel
Disinfect the barrel with a thorough cleaning
Fill up the drum with potable water
Store barrel in a cool, dark location away from the sun and slightly raised off the ground
When ready to consume, treat the water with disinfectants like water tablets, iodine, or bleach with measurements recommended by the EPA.

How often should I replace my emergency water?

The CDC (Center for Diseases Control) recommends replacing non-store bought water every six months. The recommendation is to observe the expiration date and replace water accordingly, which is typically one year for bottled water.

What is the best emergency water bottle?

When it comes to storing bottled water for an emergency, ditch plastic. Plastic-free bottled water companies are coming out and offering better solutions for long-term emergency storage. The best choices are bottles that you can reuse over and over again. The downfalls of storing single-use plastic bottled water are that the bottle quickly leaches chemicals into the water and that you’d be contributing to more plastic pollution in the world.

Here are some of the best plastic-free bottled water options for emergency storage:

Ever & Ever brings you still water and sparkling water in a 100% aluminum bottle. You can store these bottles and reuse them as much as you want, then recycle them.

RainForest Water brings a much-needed plastic bottled water alternative to Costa Rica. The 100% aluminum and glass bottled water offers a touch of paradise and automatic participation points in tree planting. This is a shot out to our resident Tico, Christina, the Environmental Content Strategist here at A.R. Marketing House. And the bottles are gorgeous!

Proud Source Water is another plastic-free bottled water industry disruptor. This fully aluminum bottle would be a great addition to any emergency storage since you can refill the bottle safely after use.

Woman-owned, Open Water, formerly known as Green Sheep Water, is a reliable, safe choice for drinking, refilling, and storing water. These fully aluminum bottles are refillable bottles as well as 100% recyclable.

Prepare your water emergency water kit

Time to get started! Being prepared for emergencies is an empowering feeling. Knowing your family will have the clean water they need if an emergency strikes will help everyone sleep better at night. There are so many alternatives to single-use plastic bottled water for safe water storage. Seek better, healthier water filtration systems and plastic-free bottled water for an emergency, and everyday hydration. Be safe, and stay healthy.

Resources

https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/creating-storing-emergency-water-supply.html

https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water/emergency-disinfection-drinking-water

https://www.redcross.org/content/dam/redcross/atg/PDF_s/Preparedness___Disaster_Recovery/Disaster_Preparedness/Food_Safety/Food_and_Water-English.revised_7-09.pdf

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/water-never-goes-bad-so-why-does-it-need-a-expiration-date-18718243/

https://extension.psu.edu/how-to-store-water-for-drinking-or-cooking

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325174

https://www.ccwater.com/173/Emergency-Preparedness

https://www.livescience.com/32636-why-do-bottles-of-water-have-expiration-dates-.html

Jun

2020

What Will the Economy Look Like After This Pandemic?

Governments are preparing for recovery by focusing on ecology & economy

The world’s economic outlook is uncertain. As states across the globe learn to adapt to various levels of managing COVID19, we see the ebb and flow of contraction and death rates. Major decisions are being made on the best methods for supporting people and businesses through this tumultuous economic time. As seen with the swift economic and environmental measures adopted in New Zealand, nations worldwide are quickly following and adapting models of support for maintaining public health and improving our collective impact on air, water, and food quality. In the wake of COVID19, the Green New Deal sees a resurgence.

If ever there was an overarching issue that has caused the world to examine the many constructs that were not working, it has been SARS-CoV-2. Some of those issues we can no longer escape addressing will have to be addressed by our government and include the following:

Healthcare access
Racial inequality
Environmental degradation
Food insecurity
Housing insecurity
Unemployment

Resurge: The Global Demand for a Green New Deal

Forward-thinking states are taking on the challenge by adopting a set of measures that address these issues, especially in equity, jobs, and climate change. The Green New Deal is a starting point, where states are learning they can adapt specific measures to the ideology of green economic stimulus. According to a developing paper, the definition of Green stimulus is the application of policies and measures to stimulate short-run economic activity while at the same time preserving, protecting, and enhancing environmental and natural resource quality both near-term and longer-term. Recently adopted standards are not exclusive to The Green New Deal. While online trolls mock the resolution, it’s essential to look at what economists say and how governments around the world are adopting measures for economic growth and taking action on climate change.

So the first question is, which governments around the world are adopting Green New Deal-style legislation? Let’s take a look at some of the newest adaptations.

South Korea gets started on $10.5 billion Green New Deal style measures

As perhaps a rebranding of already in place legislation, South Korea has announced a proposal of ₩12.9 trillion invested in 133,000 jobs for projects including:

remodeling public buildings
creating urban forests
recycling
renewable energy
low-carbon energy industrial complexes
reduce reliance on fossil fuels

These measures will be executed over the next two years, and plans are to address more serious environmental legislation. For example, coal currently makes up 40% of South Korea’s energy, and serious measures would include ending coal financing, implementing a carbon tax, increasing renewable energy, supporting people impacted by climate change, and addressing air pollution with more aggressive goals.

Green New Deal Virginia, USA

The Green New Deal Virginia was introduced by Sam Rasoul (D) to rival the weaker Virginia Clean Economy Act. The main differences between the two are the Green New Deal renewable goals are much more aggressive, address environmental justice, improve renewable energy equity, assist fossil fuel workers in a transition to renewable energy, and work to improve union labor standards.

The main components of the bill include:

Fossil fuel moratorium
Labor union standards
Renewable portfolio standards
40% clean energy investments directed to communities in need of Environmental Justice
Transition assistance to fossil fuel workers

The European Green Deal

Twenty-seven countries have banned together intending to move from a high carbon economy to a low carbon economy. Through goal setting like net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and 50-55% reduced emissions by 2030, the deal will encourage private investment into sustainable measures that will improve renewable energy, protect biodiversity, and improve natural resource usage and waste practices.

The European Green Deal is slated to be a revision of the EU’s heavily criticized carbon trading scheme. The deal will also address emission standards for automobiles, address farm policy, and phase out support for fossil fuels.

California Covid19 Recovery Deal

What was introduced initially as a Green New Deal for California, has been rebranded as the Covid19 Recovery Deal. The bill has fleshed out what is meant by generating economic stimulus through a just transition to a green economy. The bill’s details are still in process and can be found here: AB-1839 Economic, environmental, and social recovery: California COVID-19 Recovery Deal.

Now that we’ve taken a peek at the governments moving forward with adaptations of the Green New Deal, what are economists saying about the best strategies for recovery based on historical data, environmental needs, and the need to keep people safe and solvent?

Paul Krugman

Paul Krugman on the Green New Deal, Income Inequality, and The Destruction of Society:

[su_youtube_advanced url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DAwKGycQNk” width=”200″ height=”200″]

Tim Harford

We could crush livelihoods to prevent ecosystem collapse — but that would be a last resort –

Tim Hartford (the Undercover Economist) would rather the green deal than no action, or just a carbon tax which will not be enough to tackle climate change efforts.

“One response, then, is to demand an ambitious programme of government investment and regulation — the most prominent of which is the Green New Deal, advanced in the U.S. by Ed Markey and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, two prominent Democrats. The exciting thing about the Green New Deal is that it has serious political momentum focused at addressing climate change. Yet this momentum has come at a price. The details have deliberately been left vague, and grand aims often win more support than hard practicalities. (See also: Brexit.)

The Green New Deal is also expansive. The resolution not only wants to act against climate change, but to “promote justice and equity . . . repairing historic oppression of indigenous peoples, communities of colour, migrant communities, deindustrialised communities” and many others. Worthy goals these may be, but in mobilising the U.S. government to take action on every imaginable progressive goal, the whole project may become derailed by its own utopianism.”

Frank Stillwell

“The Global Coronavirus Crisis GCC, coming hard on the heels of the bushfire emergency in Australia and accelerating climate change worldwide, signals the need for much more than short-term correctives. Indeed, at a time such as this, it is appropriate and desirable to be considering more radical policy measures, such as the introduction of Universal Basic Income, the adoption of a Green New Deal, cooperative patterns of business organisation, perhaps nationalisations of industries that are crucial for our survival. Keynesian stimulus can help with short-term crisis-alleviation, but it is policies like these that address the deeper structural problems that have been set aside for too long. In this sense, the GCC may be regarded as a wake-up call. Now is a time to be linking crisis management to meeting the longer-term social and ecological challenges of the era.” – Frank Stillwell

The Green New Deal & adaptations for the times

As we face the challenges of COVID19, it’s evident that adaptations of a Green New Deal are having a resurgence. In general, this means that specific to localized needs, legislation is being drafted to shore up losses from COVID19 and deal with the bigger issue to come, climate change. It’s especially important to note the environmental justice issues that are being addressed with new measures because to succeed; a green new economy must be inclusive and right the wrongs of a toxic fossil fuels past.

Resources

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/19956/WPS5163.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/19956

https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=400&nr=670&menu=1515

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/05/20/naomi-klein-and-arundhati-roy-help-launch-global-green-new-deal-project-worldwide

https://www.nytimes.com/by/thomas-l-friedman

http://www.worldincbook.com/res_book_friedman.html

https://www.ppesydney.net/beyond-the-global-coronavirus-crisis-austerity-or-recovery/

http://timharford.com/2019/05/why-the-world-needs-a-carbon-tax/

https://www.ft.com/content/0b171892-8afd-11ea-9dcb-fe6871f4145a

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB1839

https://www.greennewdealva.com/

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/09/what-is-the-european-green-deal-and-will-it-really-cost-1tn

https://www.gndforeurope.com/

Feb

2020

7 Circular Economy Innovations that Solve Food Waste

Raising awareness and education for solutions to food waste

Creative minds are seeking opportunities to make things right when it comes to the absurdity of food waste. Some social entrepreneurs are looking to implement efficiencies as they come across waste in their particular areas of concern. Others are looking for solutions to waste issues that they stumble across and feel a calling to solve.

At A.R. Marketing House, we work with companies making a difference with much needed innovations that seem so obvious; you wonder why you didn’t think of it first. Their ideas allow for unique ways to profit from a mission to reduce waste and help the environment in various ways.

Here are some food waste solutions bringing real change to our world.

Food Waste

LOOP Mission are the creators of cold-pressed juices and unique beers. They also supply high fiber pulp residue that eventually becomes doggy snacks.

LOOP works on the concept of capturing blemished, stock imbalanced, or rejected vegetables and fruits to create a variety of juices that are put through a process called pascalization (sterilization via pressure) rather than the common use of pasteurization (sterilization via heat). Oh, and they even use day-old bread for making fruity spirits and sour beers.

The components for LOOP products are collected before companies like Mucci Farms in Ontario and Courchesne Larose in Montreal, Canada is forced to send perfectly tasty and healthy yet imperfect looking produce to landfills.

LOOP Mission is based in Montreal, Canada. LOOP is a favored name for other companies using similar concepts regarding circular economic business models and concepts. So keep LOOP and Mission together when searching the company. These entrepreneurs saw the massive waste in the agricultural industry and came together to do something about it. Thus was born the “Rescue Squad” looking to save those fruits and vegetables that food banks couldn’t handle and turn them into cold-pressed magic.

The creative minds at LOOP Mission and their “Rescue” concept are having a positive environmental, as well as an economic impact. Older shared statistics show LOOP Mission’s impact as follows:

2,580 GHG emissions avoided
271,160,022 liters of water saved
835,466 slices of bread rescued

Now LOOP is rescuing potato scraps to make a lime and ginger gin as well as soap from, guess what, “rescued” overstocked vegetable oils.

This is an idea and a company that needs to spread across the Americas and the world.

Solving Social Waste

Wize Monkey is based in Vancouver, Canada looking to resurrect and spread the use of coffee leaves to make a healthy award-winning tea. Their waste is more socio-economic than the usual waste saving model that we generally think of. Wize Monkey’s project revolves around rescuing human lives, minds and stabilizing those many coffee farms where we get that nice jolt of joe.

Wize Monkey found a wonderful surprise – coffee leaves make a tasty, healthy beverage. Coffee with leaves? Not exactly, these are leaves being brewed to give a variety of wonderful flavors like tea like Jasmine, even Earl Grey. You get a nice subtle kick. But you get more with Coffee Leaf Tea, and we don’t mean just an AWARD Winner, you get a concept that keeps workers in the fields year-round. You get stomachs saved from near starvation as families migrate, looking for ways to put food on the table when the coffee harvesting season is over. Children get a chance to grow in a stable home and have more fulfilling lives. Best of all, you support help reduce waste and “stabilize” economies in coffee-growing countries.

Wize Monkey started in 2014. They now have customers in 35 countries. Not bad for what actually started as a business class assignment.

They are based happily in the wonderful city of Vancouver, Canada. How do they get coffee leaves in Canada? Good question – Wize Monkey currently teams with a major coffee grower in Nicaragua in Central America. From this farm, the plants are grown, cultivated, processed, and then the leaves are shipped off to Vancouver.

After discovering the benefits of using the leaves from coffee plants for tea, Wize Monkey is looking to turn the seasonal nature of coffee farms into year-round operations, stabilizing life for farmers and the workers who supply this valuable bean to the world. Now, this innovative product can help overcome fluctuating prices that coffee bean growers regularly encounter. Putting the leaves to use gives the farmers a new source of income, adding an important socio-economic element to this struggling country.

Next comes getting the 25 million coffee farmers worldwide on board. Imagine if they too had flat rates for their leaves? Imagine if these producers and workers got a fair share of their piece of the action? Imagine drinking one of their tasty teas and thinking healthy thoughts. For more info, refer to the Wize Monkey impact page.

Repurposing and partnering with Nonprofits

Big Wheel Burger. What a great thought, french fries that fuel. The name is not an indication of the size and shape of their burgers. It’s a reference to something much cooler – the company’s fryer oil that gets converted to biodiesel by another local company Cowichan Biodiesel.

Actually, Big Wheel’s main point of pride is making delicious food. They have taken a hint from the climate crisis and look to have a positive impact on the environment while still making great fast food.

From their home on Vancouver Island, the influences of trying to create a circular economy are strong. Big Wheel Burger refers to itself as Canada’s first carbon-neutral fast food restaurant. Their quality classic American Cheese Burger comes with a twist. They try to surround it with compostable containers and a commitment to keep their area trash free. They have partnered with Food Eco District (FED) that works with local restaurants to reduce their impact on the environment. They try to see that those pesky single-use items get to become compost in the FED garden.

Big Wheel Burger was committed to becoming carbon neutral from its inception. Their kitchens were set up with high-efficiency appliances, fryers, and fridges.

A tasty operation. Check out their site. Tell me, could your city use a sustainable and innovative burger business that helps fuel vehicles?

Upcycling an East Asian winner

Renewal Mill is an Oakland, California based company looking to introduce the American public to a flour that could be termed a Superfood. Yes, they want to reduce global waste by upcycling the soybean pulp left after tofu and soymilk are processed. Okara, an ancient child of the soybean, so prominent in East Asia, has long been given a second life. Renewal Mill is looking to take this poor cousin and turn it into a variety of tasty and nutritious items with multiple levels of benefit. How about that? Upcycle what might be waste and bring on a healthy impact while you are at it.

Renewal Mill captures and dries the pulp left in the tofu process and makes a healthy, flexible flour that challenges the food waste syndrome and upcycles the former burden into a valuable product.

Farmers, the original creators of the circular economic system, never let anything go to waste. Renewal Mill has captured this concept to find a sustainable use for this “shell” (pulp) and repurposes the pulp of the soybean by drying it out and converting the Okara into a flour.

Renewal Mill is looking to expand on this ancient East Asian product and other products that can be salvaged from the waste stream and turned into a valuable and healthy benefit to society. What is most unique are the plans to grow and spread this concept of repurposing food by-products. Starting with a partnership with another Bay Area company Hodo Foods; spreading the idea of how good their flour is with Chocolate Chip Cookies and looking to spread a business model, Claire Schlemme founder and CEO of Renewal Mill calls “co-location” which is a “plug and play model” with tofu makers around the country. Watch next, for pancake mix and pasta hitting shelves near you.

An Upcycling Team Member

Hodo Foods, a partner of Renewal Mills, is an organic tofu maker and pulp supplier for Renewal. They are known for their top quality organic plant-based hand-crafted food and as masters of wonderful tofu.

Like Renewal Mills, Hodo hopes to save 100% of their raw material and have this burden turned into upcycled tasty edible alternatives. This Oakland, California neighbor was giving 5 to 10% of their leftover pulp to Renewal Mills, and that should grow since Renewal Mills pays far more than they get for animal feed at local dairies.

Check out Hodo and their great tasty plant-based foods. They are strong supporters of a circular economy and look to put quick, tasty food on your plate via upcycling a concept that needs to grow.

Repurpose and Upcycle

Regrained is a product that blossomed from a couple of adventurous and some creative minds. No doubt, they said, “whoa” when they found that the grain used in the brewing process to make beer takes out the sugar—leaving behind protein, fiber, and micronutrients that could be made into a flour called “SuperGrain+” and incorporated into snack bars. Repurpose. Don’t waste. Upcycle.

Yes, Regrained is a great concept. Their nutrition bars are as they say “upcycled grain” that crushes food waste. Grains leftover from the beer brewing process get made into healthy, tasty, and delightfully flavored bars and puffs.

These young food entrepreneurs, discovered as college-age home-brewers, that researchers had found brewer grains actually had wonderful nutritional value. Imagine all the breweries creating a magical supply ready to be rescued “ left-overs” or as they like to imagine “harvested.” Another upcycle winner. The beer-making process leaves 1 lb of nutritious grain for every 6 pack.

This company from California’s Bay Area grabs those spent grains from the beer brewing process and turns those fibers into a food source that just happens to promote digestive health.

Regrained got help from the USDA and an innovative patent-pending process that creates flavorful, nutritious snacks. Regained is finding a way to reduce waste while handing out a Superfood to those interested in keeping the old gut happy.

A Needed Rescue Operation

Copia is a company looking to make hunger, history. They strive to make healthy food more accessible to people in need before it ends up getting wasted. In their eyes, food waste is a logistics problem, and they are there to help businesses and nonprofits redistribute high-quality excess food to people in need.

Copia takes a slick approach to find food for those in need. Copia says we waste three times more food than there are mouths to feed. This is shocking. Their game is rebalancing food distribution. Organizations have banquets, meetings, etc. and extra high-quality food is left unused. Copia’s unique idea is executed via a Mobile APP. The donating company or organization contacts Copia when there is excess food, and Copia ensures that perfectly good food gets to nearby nonprofits. Technology helps to make amazing things happen when driven by companies like Copia.

At its core, Copia rescues food from going to waste, but they actually do much more. The technology can help what tax deductions might be available from their food donations. Restaurants, hotels, hospitals, and even corporate cafeterias can link with Copia to see their donations efficiently transferred to areas of need.

They have been centered in the San Francisco Bay area, but are hoping to take their model nationally, even internationally.

Copia is a for-profit, conscious business that hates waste like the rest of us. Copia was created to smooth the way to reduce waste and hunger by seamlessly feeding communities in need.

Conclusion:

These are just a few companies using ideas to solve concerns and go far beyond a profit motive.

Marketing sustainable solutions through education are incredibly important to the promotion and implementation of food waste solutions. The more we educate on various waste issues we face today, the greater we open the creative gap for innovations to be sparked and supported. When people are more informed on these key environmental issues, the more influence important companies such as these will have. There is power in education and power in the numbers that are educated.

As a team of environmental science and marketing professionals, we carefully vet and partner with environmental solution-based companies high on the sustainability spectrum. Having a hybrid of experience in understanding the science behind environmental solutions coupled with a marketing and education perspective we discovered that marketing for green businesses looks and feels different, and when put into action brings environmental content marketing approaches bringing ROI to a higher level and can open doors for new innovation and industry change.

Looking for support for your marketing team, breaking down your solutions to add power to your message, we’d love to chat.

References:

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/03/15/470434247/these-27-solutions-could-help-the-u-s-slash-food-waste

https://www.refed.com/downloads/Restaurant_Guide_Web.pdf

https://www.refed.com/?sort=economic-value-per-ton

https://medium.com/social-good-of-silicon-valley/introducing-komal-ahmad-copia-poverty-9c61589a181c