Saving ourselves - Technology or Behavior

I am in the middle of an interesting project trying to determine the best type of packaging for shipping products.
The interesting dilemma at hand is how does one make the right decision when you are not comparing apples to apples?

So that you can quickly understand the challenge, I am going to simplify the issue.  Packaging #1 is a recycled paper envelop, while Packaging #2 is a recycled plastic envelop. Sounds similar? Not so much.

The interesting issue at hand is that while intuitively we want to stay away from plastic, the plastic option is actually more durable and seen as a better product. But ultimately this packaging, like so much packaging, ends up in the hands of individuals in our homes and we have limited ways of disposing of it well.

Most waste haulers across the USA don't want soft plastics; in fact only 5% of municipalities will accept it.  This is mostly because of how recycling is sorted in the facilities. Usually there are large conveyer belts that are sorting materials with giant magnets and optical scanners. In this system, soft plastics get caught up in machinery.  And the other issue is that because soft plastics are so light, if they get dirty - that dirt easily contaminates the ability for recycling to occur.

BUT, if there was a way to guarantee we could effectively recapture the large quantities of clean soft plastic, the technology exists to recycle it.

So back to our two options for packaging: Packaging #1 is paper and there for can be recycled (and people already know how to recycle it easily), or worst case scenario is in a landfill and will eventually biodegrade. Packaging #2 - could be recycled forever... but we don't currently have the systems to support that.

Separate bag for sorting soft plastics, next to our kitchen laundry bin

We are living in an interesting time  - where technology and human behavior are needed to work together in new ways to achieve the desired results. And that is part of the equation towards sustainability. All the great technology in the world will not allow us to create better systems, unless we change our behaviors to create those better systems.

So to start: recycle everything you can. And think about which of your systems you can develop -by changing your behavior - to support sustainable change.

Conservation or Corporate Environmentalism - who's sexier?

So I spent the weekend back up in Canada hanging out with my environmentalist dad and his friends.

Guess what we talked about...
How to save the world.


Their approach - conversation.  They are activists fighting the man, stopping evil corporations from polluting rivers, killing plants and animals.  It was interesting to hear how they are using the grassroots organizing tactics, leveraging laws and government agencies and processes to slow process and engaging residents to take action and use their voices.  It was very inspiring, a great reminder that we all have the opportunity to fight for justice.  But is it also a long and hard fought road, it is painfully slow and tiring to be fighting all the time.

I believe I have similar goals of protecting the environment in my work, but rather than fighting the man, I am the man and I am working within to make change. Companies have the opportunity to make positive impacts with every decision they make.  And that has been something I have been able to help steer.  It does not happen every time and there are often trade offs, it moves slow and gets frustrating, but when change does happen it gets pretty exciting.

I suffer from the grass is always greener on the other side syndrome and get really excited by activism.  This was very evident in talking this weekend. Creating petitions, buttons, creative ideas on how to bring awareness to an issue. I think I just need to reframe my work - creating policies, procedures, excel files and guidance documents... and maybe a button just for the fun of it!

I have come to realize that we need both a activist and an internal change approach towards shifting our world towards more sustainable behaviors.  They feed upon each other, driving change and showing examples of that change shows that good can be done. So to everyone inside or on the outside, continue your great work.

Be Awear - Taking what we wear and telling a good story

Last week I had the chance to get interviewed by Kestral Jekins the curator and founder of Be Awear. The idea is that we all have the ability to be Change makers using our clothing as a conduit for that positive change.
How often are you out with a group of friends and someone says "Oh I love your (sweater, dress, scarf, earrings, shoes... you name it)"?
The statement is an invitation to tell a story.
It could be a short story - "I bought it at the GAP on sale" - or it could be a story that gets people thinking and engaged.
What if your response instead is, "I got this used from a friend of mine I have known for 10 years, or I spent months searching for the perfect organic cotton jeans and here they are, or I bought this from ABC company who is committed to sourcing everything Fair Trade and out of recycled materials."

Our clothes have the opportunity to share a story about the world we want to see, about how one lives their values through the purchases we make.  And acts as a starting place for a robust conversation toe hare stories about the people who make our clothes, what they are made out of and how we are part of a global connection to everyone along that supply chain.

Check out a video I did to share the Awear story and visit the site to see a lot of fashionable, passionate change makers that will inspire you to look at your clothes differently.

And adopt the BeAwear Principles - they are good rules of thumb when you go shopping!

Who knew we wanted more than just a job?

The idea for this article came out of continuous conversations with many colleagues and friends. What is the conversation you ask? Well none other than this — the idea of having more meaning in our lives. Countless conversation start out with, “I don’t believe my company really cares about anything but profits, I don’t want to be a part of that. I want to have a job where my values are more aligned, or we are doing good for the world.” A lot of companies are investing in social and environmental responsibility and a lot more are having conversations about the subject. But the sense is that they are not moving fast enough for their employees.

The people I have engaged with work in industries from finance, to automotive, events, healthcare, and consumer products. So it is not just one company, nor one industry. Everyone wants more meaning in their work. And if their companies are not moving in the direction to provide that deeper meaning, that sense of giving back to the greater good, then these good people are not going to hang around.

Many studies have shown that a passionate, values aligned employee is going to be more productive, more engaged and a real ally to one’s business. So if your company does not have socially or environmentally based values, you probably don’t have engaged employees.

It makes sense to most – engaged employees are good for business. And yet it is still a topic that doesn’t get much attention, nor gets connected to a company’s social and environmental or sustainability strategy, objectives and goals. When we only look at quarterly returns, there isn’t much motivation to invest into shifting the business to be more values based. And that is where unfortunately too many businesses sit today. There is a point when we work so much, dedicate so much of ourselves to our work that after 10 – 20 years we say, “And for what?” After being able to meet one’s basic needs, more and more people are asking the question, “what do I really need to earn and how much happier would I be to work AND help improve communities or the planet in that pursuit.”

Values have evolved and we all have a better idea of how the companies we work for impact others all over the world. That desire is a valuable Social Capital of our employees.
We work within a pretty complex global system, so if a company were smart and wanted to not only hold onto, but leverage their social capital by aligning business values with those of their employees would show positive results to the business.

Step one in keeping your great employees around: Take a litmus test of where your current strategy and values are and where the values of your employees are. Conduct a gap analysis. It isn’t hard. Organized companies will have a business strategy probably already developed. This is the plan of where you want your business to go in the next 1 – 10 years and how you are going to get there. Look at this strategy, are social and environmental values called out?

Step two, gather anonymous feedback: Ask questions like – what are important values in your life? How would you integrate those values into your job if you had the flexibility to do so? How would you change the way you work if those values were integrated? Would you, or how might you feel differently about working for this company if we aligned with those values?

Step three, share this with your employees: A company maybe surprised to know the results and hear directly from people how wide the gap is and their ideas for closing it. As more and more people are asking themselves the question, “Is this worth it? Can I risk everything to have more meaning?” companies should remember money is important, but it isn’t everything. There are a lot of social enterprises popping up for a reason. People know that they can contribute more to their lives and want to use work as a tool to do that. Make sure that you’re creating a business that keeps their best talent in house.

This post was written in partnership with Kim Carpenter
The Change Agent’s Coach  
Kim Carpenter is a professional marketing expert and business mentor for change makers who mean business. Over the past 20 years she’s helped businesses large and small, including the United Nations, non-profits and Fortune 500’s — to focus their efforts for maximum profitability and maximum positive impact in the world.

Do Your Employees Care About Sustainability? Tips to get people on board with your Sustainability Goals

No matter how big or small the organization, companies everywhere are making new and exciting commitments to sustainability - externally and internally. 

But how much weight do your external sustainability commitments hold when inside your office you throw things away instead of recycling, leave the water running while you make copies, and generally don't set a good example. 

Changing behavior is not easy but in a supportive group environment you can prioritize actions that will foster a greater understanding of your sustainable business strategies. 

1. Offer Flexibility | Your employees are already busy. Study work patterns to identify opportunities to insert flexible sustainability training that works for their schedule not yours. Use digital, unique means of communicating this information. Let employees own their education.

2. Be Relevant | Make sure employees understand what sustainability means to them and their responsibilities. Forcing broad generic goals on hard working people will give you at best mixed results. Use focus groups to present sustainability goals and solicit real feedback on why these goals are meaningful to your employees. Recognizes differences between positions, teams, and departments. Cater sustainability information accordingly when you roll out sustainability programs.

3. Keep Current | One of the biggest complaints about all training is when resources and information are out of date. When designing the program, assign accountability for updating content, resources, and especially links (nothing shows you don't care about training by putting dead end links into current training). Get buy-in from everyone involved and make these responsibilities an important part of a job description. Creating a great sustainability training program is one thing; keeping it great is the real goal. 

4. Do It Together | Get everyone on board with your goals. Create team goals and declare and track progress publicly. Don't over promise; set one or two goals at a time to change behavior with a fun challenge. Do challenges for at least two weeks to start forming new habits. Assign team leads to motivate people and create ownership. 

5. Reward Learning | Think of non-monetary incentives. Offer opportunities for professional growth for individuals, teams, and departments. Offering experiential rewards that last long beyond the moment instead of one-time monetary or short-term rewards will save the business money, add more value for employees, and create longer term commitment and engagement in the important process of embedding sustainability in your internal culture. 

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions for employee engagement? Send your thoughts to mackenzie@sustainabilityinreview.com

Thank you!

Appreciating How Things Are Made

I have just spent the past two weeks in China watching how things are made on a scale that is almost incomprehensible.

Making things has been an intimate part of human existence, making shelter, tools - and now things you could never imagine.  Who knew we needed a Hello Kitty shaped laser pointer for kitties?  But we did and we make it.

Interestingly in the USA there is an attention being put on the Makers Movement, which draws attention to the craft of how things are made.  When we understand all the details of how to make something, we appreciate it at such a different level than we would if we just bought the finished product.

cut fabric ready to be assembled

More often than not in the USA and Canada, we buy a lot of finished products.  The time to make something from scratch is almost impossible if we look at everything we use in our homes.

Let’s take the shirt you are wearing right now.  If you were going to make your own shirt at your dining room table right now - what would you need?

There are a lot of pieces to a shirt. We need fabric, thread, buttons, and labels, maybe your shirt has a print on it, and maybe it has elastic.  And we need to think where did the material for all of those things come from too?  The plastic in your buttons, the yarn for that fabric - how did it get to be
the color it is?

So why spend time talking about all the details it takes to make something? 

When I watch that shirt in a factory getting made, from receiving the fabric, counting out each button, cutting the fabric, setting it up in the sewing machine, sewing it, adding a pocket, washing it, pressing and then packaging it.

I can’t look at the clothes in my closet the same again.  I saw each part of my shirt, the details and intricacies of each piece and the time it took to build them and the materials that they are made out of and all of a sudden the way I valued my shirt changed.

Seeing the amount of time and care it took, I should know all of this in order to pay the true value of the product.

And the detail of making something also needs to include what is happening on the social and environmental side.  Were those workers paid fairly? Were their working environments safe? Was the water that left the factory treated correctly? That is only to name a few. 

My take away when I am making a purchase - any purchase, from a fork to tissue paper – is ask the questions: “How was this made?”, “What is this made from?, “What could the social or environmental impact be for this product?”, and "how will I value this product?"

Most of the time I am not going to have the answer, but asking the question gets me thinking and talking.  Since everything we buy has an impact and we all have the ability to ask questions and when we learn the answers, we make better decisions.

This is important to making change.

The Super Coolest Thing Ever

Remember to step back and appreciate the grandeur of what you do.

Recently attending a conference by Textile Exchange in Portland, Oregon, I listened to an amazing Nike bigwig - Adam - talk about the merits of sustainability at Nike. But Adam also brought up a point that was too good to not share.

He told a story where he was on the plane. The guy next to him was reading an article in a magazine about Nike releasing garments made from recycled water bottles. Thrusting the magazine into Adam's face, his eager neighbor exclaimed, "Have you heard about this bro? Water bottles into clothing?? That is the super coolest thing ever!"

At this point, Nike had been working on textiles from recycled water bottles for several years. Adam had been integral in this process, dealing with the growing pains of whether 50% waste or 20% waste was enough of a hurdle - or if zero waste was the only acceptable option. Hours and years of struggles with this a topic inspired less than a "just do it" feeling in the pit of Adam's stomach.

A little put off by his seat-buddy's overzealous introduction and feeling unamused with the subject, Adam leaned forward to respond when words suddenly hit him a little deeper -

That is the super coolest thing ever.

He thought: We make clothing out of water bottles. Something that didn't exist not too long ago. We found a way to recycle something hard on the environment and creating waste in our world. We are making a difference.

"You know what?" Adam conceded happily, "you're right. That is the super coolest thing ever."

This simple anecdote reminded me of how often when we work so hard towards a goal, churning on the problems and obstacles standing in our way for too long, we lose sight of how amazing and important the work we are doing really is. When you are feeling frustrated by minimal progress, staunch opposition, or just being stuck - let's step back and give our journey a chance to speak for itself.

The work we do is important - it will take years, many people, and lots of energy to take the little steps that eventually carry us over the finish line. The work we do is not easy - but the struggle makes us stronger and teaches us lessons for a better future. And, who knows? The work we do, when shown to an outsider - say, an excited dude on a place - might just be the super coolest thing ever.

Find out more about Nike uniforms made from discarded water bottles: http://www.ecouterre.com/nike-outfits-world-cup-teams-in-jerseys-made-from-recycled-bottles/
http://www.ecouterre.com/watch-how-nike-recycles-plastic-water-bottles-into-football-jerseys-video/

By Design, Not by Default

For a long time, there has been a major assumption about Sustainability in business. Not always explicitly stated, but clearly communicated through actions taken by the majority of businesses: Sustainability should happen by default.

Whether through the power of intrinsically-motivated leadership or due to the nature of the industry, some companies just "get it". Outsiders assume these leading companies default to sustainable actions - seemingly at odds with stakeholder interests or other business goals. 

Other companies wait until their hands are forced, by bad press from negative consequences of unsustainable practices or other means. These companies ignore sustainable options until they are in the middle of controversy and must respond quickly, without preparation, and often under the scrutiny of the public eye. 

But as a whole, people are beginning to recognize that true sustainable business practice must happen by design and not be default. Those first companies succeed not because they stick to sustainability despite good business sense - it is because they have incorporated sustainability into the core of their business strategy. Sustainability is a lens through which we can view our business practices and make decisions not to the detriment of stakeholder value, but to enhance everything we do as value creators. 

The other kind of company may not have holistically implemented sustainability into its business strategy - but still is beginning to recognize the value of considering sustainability as a highly effective method of risk management, as a tool for capturing more customer value through marketing, as a longer term and truer financial valuation of the company not just in the snapshot of today but as it will exist ten years in the future. 

So, wherever you are of the spectrum of completely integrating Sustainability into your business strategy or just looking to explore how sustainability can enhance your business strategy, grab your drafting pencils and blueprint paper. As in building anything else, constructing Sustainability into your business strategy starts from the foundation. It is a material with which we use to build structure and strength into our businesses - not a coat of green paint we apply liberally to the outside whenever green is en vogue. Sustainability ensures we will succeed, sustain, and thrive well into the future. 

An Industry comes together to help make the world a little better

We just got back from 4 days surrounded by some of the smartest minds in the field of Sustainability and the Textile Industry.
Nov 9 - 12 Textile Exchange held their annual conference in Portland OR.

I wanted to share some insights gleaned from the event for me.
In looking back even just 5 years ago the conversation was much more about convincing us that there is an environmental and social crisis in our world today and a dire need to start addressing these issues. Today that conversation is moving into mainstream media and conferences like this are focusing on solutions.
There was a lot of excitement to see ideas like Bio-based polyesters in the market and a desire to move away from food based sugars.  I was also inspired by the technologies around dying, water less, or reduced water use.
And there was a whole track of sessions on Chemistry.  One designer leaned over to me and said, "I had no idea when I went to fashion school I was going to need my Chemistry knowledge."

The industry is changing and in some ways too slow and in others quite quickly.  Overall the sentiment is a desire for figuring out solutions.

Inspiring few days!

Guest Blog - Approaching parenting in a sustainable way

This blog post comes from my sister - Samara Bassett. Samara is a high school teacher and wonderful mother to my adorable little niece.  This is a great post on values and creativity.

There are many challenges you face as a first time parent. Amongst the sleepless nights and endless questions I felt an overwhelming pressure to make the “right decisions” for my daughter. Thankfully time and experience have taught me to trust my instincts and no decisions are forever. As long as my husband and I keep our values and goals in our hearts and make decisions with love; hopefully our daughter will learn and grow into a happy productive woman. It was a priority for us to approach parenting in a sustainable way. I anticipated this would be a challenge amazingly sustainable parenting has not only been simple but also economical.

• Our cloth diapers have saved us hundreds of dollars and kept hundreds of diapers out of the landfills. 
• Making my daughter’s baby food gives us piece of mind that we are giving her pure nutritious food that costs us a fraction of the jars and processed foods in the stores. 
• I can also make wise choices in terms of her toys and clothes. 
• Thankfully we live in a family filled area so there are of of opportunities to buy used which saves us money and saves a lot of plastic from ending up in the landfill. 

I have even gotten creative with some of her toys. The following was inspired by a play kitchen I saw on pinterest as you can see from the very close resemblance. I half assed looked on craigslist for a TV stand but couldn’t find that special item. Then driving to meet a friend I saw a TV stand out on the side of the road. I forced my husband to pull a u-turn so we could grab it. It always amazes me what I have found on the side of the road.

I brought my treasure into the high school where I teach and begged the wood shop teacher Tim to help me transform it. I left it with him and 2 hours later he had built shelves, built the microwave door and stove doors and cut out the sink hole. I was blown away with what he did in such a short time; I guess that’s why he’s the pro. At this point I decided to try to complete this project using recycled or used items. Amazingly I was almost able to completely do it. The stove knobs came from an appliance repair shop. The kitchen sink (bowl) and curtain (dress) came from the local thrift store. The white and blue paint came from our stash in the garage. I did have to buy a tiny pot of black paint, the number stickers and shellac new. Overall I love how it turned out. My little girl plays with it all the time and her friends are drawn to it every time we have play dates. I did notice I forgot to put a zero on the microwave console when we were trying to microwave my girls “apple soup” for 60 seconds, adds to the charm.

 The best part it the whole project cost considerably less than buying a new play kitchen. I think the total was around $60, not counting the case of beer I bought Tim.

If you are interested in making your own - Here is the link for directions

Nice

When you are your own boss, you have to be your own marketing and PR person too.

So I wanted to share an article about an award I co-won with a colleague of mine Greg Scott from Mountain Equipment Co-op.

A huge honor from an amazing group of people I am humbled daily to work with, from the Outdoor Industry Association Sustainability Working Group.

Read the press release: Outstanding Contribution to the OIA SWG 

Enjoy!

Nicole's guide to the Holidays

Hello Everyone

I know you are going shopping. So I wanted to arm you with some things to think about when you purchase your gifts in the next few weeks.

We live in a time, where we have more than enough, so here is the theme...

Buy Less, Buy Better

Buy Less

Save yourself some money, giving a gift does not have to be a new THING.

• Give of gift of something homemade or something you don't use any more
• Give a gift of chores - wash your friend's floor, watch their kids for a night, rake their lawn, help them paint a room they always have wanted to do... the list is endless.
• Give the gift of appreciation - sit down for 10 minutes and write a note to someone about how much they mean to you. Think about how wonderful it feels to be appreciated.

Buy Better

• Buy used. I was in a Goodwill the other day and found some beautiful items that I know friends would appreciate, used is the new black.
• Buy organic - it can be food or clothing, but this gift is not only a nice treat for the receiver, but also for the farmers and the communities who grow organic crops.
• Buy Fair Trade. This is not charity, it is about good and fair business being done all the time. Each time you support Fair Trade you are directly helping workers at the lowest levels of the supply chain gain access to a better living.

My Favorite brands right now:

PACT - All organic and super cute T's, socks and underwear.

prAna - prAna is offering more organic and Fair Trade styles than the company ever has before. You will love the designs.

NAU - I am a huge fan and appreciate all of the work that goes into the designs of their products, and the contents are recycled, organic or TENCEL.

Metiseko - this amazing company is a French couple living in Vietnam who are focusing on all organic cotton and silk styles. I got to meet them when I was there 2 years ago. Amazing products. 

Green e-bay - e-bay has a specific site for all things green - worth checking out especially if you have kids.

The Body Shop - continues to innovate around sustainable innovation for farmers and customers around the globe. And I LOVE the smell of pink grapefruit!

Share your favorite sustainably designed products for the holidays. 

Innovation

So much has been going on, my blogging has suffered.

But I have found a moment to write and one thing that has been following me through my journeys this summer - INNOVATION.

The first story that sparked this idea was an amazing visit with my friend Maura Dilley. Maura is an ideas person with a deep knowledge in sustainability - we spent the afternoon walking and talking about what it is going to take to bring the world to living by the principles of sustainability. We didn't solve the world's problem by any stretch, but we did talk about what it will take to bring about real innovation.
Not innovation where we change the color of an existing design or make stuff less bad, but where we live differently and let go of the fear that controls our bad habits and behaviors.
Super inspiring...

The second story is a good friend is starting up a new company, he called me to talk about sustainability and asked the best question EVER. He said "Nicole if you were to start it all over again, what would you recommend to a brand new company?" Luckily it was a easy question to answer.
I said I would build my business on the principles of The Natural Step Framework.  So we set up an opportunity where I spent a few hours with his team and we walked through the Natural Step for their new company. It was an AMAZING experience. The ideas that everyone came up with were innovative, different, pushed the boundaries of the way we live currently, the way a business could operate.
It made me believe that there is innovation out there, ready to be taken and implemented and to change the way we live.

Inspiration to keep going

I will be honest with you - I am not a saint. I know hard to believe eh?  Well not really.
So while I do have strong values and a passion for sustainability, I don't have perfect days.

I was feeling a little bummed out that both work and personal sustainability efforts were feeling a bit stalled of late.  Trying to get past habits and bad behaviors that we all get accustomed to that is leading the unsustainable life style we are cranking on.

Well I spent a few days a couple of days ago up in Nelson BC where one of my sisters lives full time and my other sister lives part time.  Nelson is one of this magical places that embodies contradictions: clear cuts and hippies, conservatives and liberals, insane athletes and a whole lotta coffee. It is everything that is there that gives the area its culture and flavor of passion.
I had the pleasure of being inspired and reminded that life can be what ever you want to make it and you will still be successful and live a full life. I was also reminded that what I do does mean something and not in what I do just for work, but how I live my life. That when I make decisions to buy local, from a coop, organic, fair trade, or Nothing, I am making a difference and creating a world that I think helps more people than less.

So I am taking this inspiration to the streets - yep join in!
I am calling on everyone to make a decision to change a single behavior that they didn't think they every could and just do it.
Ideas? What about:
- Never using a take out cup
- Buying only organic milk
- Buying only Fair Trade coffee
- Checking out craig's list for purchases before getting something new
- Building a drying rack and stop using the dryer.

Want some more inspiration? Leave a comment telling the world what your commitment will be and for the rest of the month all names will be put into a draw for a $100 gift card to prAna. Yep I am now buying your sweet sustainability love. But I have a feeling you are going to be greatly inspired and see the difference that you make!

Can't wait to hear your ideas... OH wait - what's mine. No more cheese unless it is organic. Ack - this one ain't easy. I love cheese and Organic cheese is spendy - but time to put my money where my mouth is...

Sustainable Living TMI

Ok I am warning you right now - this is probably Too Much Information about me for some of you.  But I wanted to talk about one of my bad behaviors that I finally found a sustainable solution to.  Here it is... SHAVING!

I have been shaving my legs since I was in high school - that was a few years ago so the amount of disposable razors, their plastic composite and all the packaging has added up. At first I figured - well a razor isn't that big so the environmental impact must be small, right?  But then over time I learned of this concept called embodied impact - which is the impact of everything it took to make that product and to dispose of it.  Now that little razor compounded by 20 years of using and disposing was adding up.

It wasn't until I went to Palm Springs about a year ago with some friends and the gentleman of the group wanted to visit a shaving store. (? they have whole stores dedicated to shaving? well you always learn something new) There I saw a steel razor where you just switch out the blade when it is dull, limited waste and no packaging.  The store staff answered by questions about - yes women can use these razors they aren't just for the guys and what to look for in a good razor.

Well as I have mentioned time and time again - change takes time and I finally bought my steel razor!  I am so excited. I tried it out and it works amazingly. But in full transparency I did nick myself twice and it takes some getting used to.  I am so happy to have nicely shaven legs and know that I didn't create a ton of packaging and plastic waste. (Plastic in our waste stream is pretty bad.)

And the nice bonus - it is a cheaper investment.  For instance to replace the "head" of my  old razor with new blades it cost me $13 for 4. I was also due to get a new handle since I the old one was getting pretty gross - that would have put me back another $20.
My new Merkur steel razor was $34 and a box of 10 blades is $7.  Think a year from now - if I use 2 blades a month I will have saved. $27.60.

It is fun when sustainability efforts save you money!  Happy Shaving all.

Voicing your values

I have spent the last 3 days, one more to go, in a room with 30 other sustainability professionals receiving a training on a new methodology for assessing factory working conditions.  The training is essential as we all shift our thinking and approach from measuring "compliance" to a code of conduct in a factory to actually understanding what the management functions are in a factory and the reasons behind the success or unsuccessful implementation of good working conditions.

After today's training I decided to take the long way back to my hotel past the Washington Monument and take a look at the new Martin Luther King Jr Memorial.  Now I have a hard time with our society's obsession to create heros - my problem is that no person is an island - but is influenced by their background, those who came before them and the community they are a part of.  So it was interesting for me to walk through his memorial with this bias and be humbled.

The memorial is beautiful and evokes a passion and a vision that this man had, the confidence to share his thoughts in a divided time.  A excitement for a better world infused me as I reflected on my day and read his quotes and thought of the work that the people I was training with were trying to do.

How do we give those who are not heard voice?  How do we protect human and labor rights in a climate where people should "just be happy to have a job?" The desire and intention to have a better world is a theme that so many people share and try to strive for every day.  Adopting a philosophy of peace and vision that "we the people" have the ability to make decisions everyday to be heros make a difference and Martin Luther King Jr is an example of this.

I have heard that 2012 is a year of change - as cynical as I can be, if I look back on how far we have come in corporate social responsibility it is true.  There is a strong desire to see the world be better and have the fortune to work with so many people who share this dream.