Post on 07-Jul-2020
transcript
Sustainability
Committee
2010-2011
•Fred Griffes
•Mary Host
•Janet Holland
•Darvin Johnson
•Ann Pennington(Sustainability
Captain)
•Jim Raterink (Company Officer)
Neal Mast and Son
Greenhouses, Inc.
1780 Four Mile Rd NW
Grand Rapids MI 49544
Tel: 616-784-3323
Toll Free: 800-311-6278
Fax: 616-784-4081
www.nealmast.com
Mast Young Plants
6564 Peach Ridge Ave NW
Grand Rapids MI 49544
Tel: 616-784-0583
Toll Free: 800-541-3910
Fax: 616-784-3136
www.veriflora.com
~NEWS TO USE~
S u s t a i n a b i l i t y Up d a t e V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 8
Neal Mast and Son
Greenhouses, Inc. 1780 Four Mile Rd NW
Grand Rapids MI 49544
Tel: 616-784-3323
Toll Free: 800-311-6278
Fax: 616-784-4081
www.nealmast.com
Mast Young Plants 6564 Peach Ridge Ave NW
Grand Rapids MI 49544
Tel: 616-784-0583
Toll Free: 800-541-3910
Fax: 616-784-3136
www.mastyoungplants.com
Sustainability Committee
2014-2015
LOOKING FORWARD
TO A GREAT YEAR!
• Ann Pennington
• Jim Raterink
• Dawn Eardley
• Ashley Borey
• Kyle Boynton
• Jason Lucas
• Stephanie Mull
www.veriflora.com
A green wedding is any wedding where
the couple tries to decrease the impact
of their event on the planet - and there
are many ways to do it without sacrific-
ing style or elegance! Green weddings
are eco-chic, which means they are
every bit as gorgeous as conventional
weddings, but without the waste. And,
amazingly enough, going green can
save you money. Every part of a wed-
ding has eco-friendly options, and
whether you incorporate just one or
two earth-friendly elements, or go
completely organic, remember that
every green choice makes a difference.
Why go green in the first place? Going
green on your wedding day has envi-
ronmental, social, and economic bene-
fits.
1. The environmental benefits: Each
one of the 2.5 million weddings this
year in the United States will produce
an average of 62 tons of carbon dioxide
and 400-600 lbs of garbage. Consider
all of the stuff that goes into conven-
tional weddings: single-use bleached
white dresses, chemically treated im-
ported flowers, and individual packets
of rice, to name a few. It adds up
quickly! Picture this: if every wedding
this year used a disposable aisle runner
and they were laid end to end, they
would circle the globe twice. Similarly,
the amount of paper used for invita-
tions could cover the entire island of
Manhattan. If every engaged couple
made just one small green choice, that
would be 2.5 million greener choices a
year, and that is an amazing impact.
2. The social benefits: The average
wedding costs almost $40,000 and
weddings are a $60+ billion industry.
Having a green wedding is an opportu-
nity to make a difference by support-
ing companies that actively incorpo-
rate social and environmental respon-
sibility into the way they do business.
When you start talking to vendors
about green choices, and explain your
choices to your guests, you support
the green economy and change the
way people in your community think.
You can showcase how easy it is to be
eco-chic and share your favorite eco-
friendly products with your guests.
3. The economic benefits: Being green
usually saves you money, and in to-
day's economy this is probably reason
enough to do it! By making simple sub-
stitutions and eco-conscious decisions,
you can easily decrease your impact
on the planet and the cost of your
event simultaneously. Incorporating
earth-friendly choices takes little, if
any, additional effort when you have
the right resources. Use our tips to
begin planning your eco-chic wedding.
(continued on page 2)
Green Weddings 101
P a g e 2 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 8
Green Wedding 101 (continued from page 1)
Invitations - Throughout the wedding planning cycle, paper is used for save-the-dates, invitations, RSVP cards, seating programs,
menu cards, and more. Traditional papermaking is an energy-intensive process that creates a large amount of waste and uses
harsh chemicals such as bleach. Recycled and post-consumer waste paper, tree-free paper, and soy inks options all offer beauti-
ful and elegant ways to reduce resource consumption. Many modern couples are finding ways to simply cut down the use of
paper in their invitation suites by housing all pertinent information on a wedding website.
Attire - The problems: Single-use bleached wedding gowns. One-time wear bridesmaids' gowns. An eco-chic bride and her
wedding party can also incorporate items that have been previously used and/or can be used again. Buy vintage, have a family
gown altered to fit your taste, or donate your gown after the big day. No matter what your style or tastes, there are countless
ways to make your wedding attire greener.
Flowers - Over half of the florists in the U.S. use imported flowers that are sprayed with pesticides and fungicides. Using local,
seasonal and organic flowers, lowers fuel consumption and is often less costly than ordering exotic species, which must be
shipped.
Photography - More and more photographers are going digital. Digital photography offers a paperless and chemical-free way to
capture your event, including being able to view online proofs before deciding which ones to print.
Decor - No matter what your budget or theme, putting a little extra thought into both ceremony and reception decor will reduce
one-time-use items. Using your location and the season for inspiration will provide you with a number of natural, cost-saving
decor ideas. Centerpieces made from vintage items or pieces collected from friends and family will add unique personality to
your tables, and give your wallet a break, too.
Food and Beverage - The average American meal travels 1,500 miles. No matter how you choose to design your menu, using in-
season local and/or organic foods will decrease the carbon footprint of your meal while supporting the local economy. When
available, providing wine, beer, and other beverages made in the area adds some local flavor.
Favors - Favors for all your guests can cost you hundreds of dollars, and often wedding favors are small trinkets destined for the
trash can. If you are set on giving a small gift, there are tons of non-wasteful favor ideas like edibles, small potted plants, seed-
lings or soy candles that will echo the values behind your wedding.
Transportation / Travel - The EPA estimates that cars, trucks, and buses are the leading producers of air pollution, yet about 75%
of couples travel to and from their wedding in a limousine.
Holding your ceremony and reception at the same venue,
or close by one another is one way to limit travel for your
guests. If possible, make this a centralized location so that
most of your friends and family will not have to travel far.
Many honeymoon hotspots, such as tropical reefs or na-
tional parks, are also ecologically sensitive areas. Ecotour-
ism options, green hotels/accommodations, and carbon
offsetting all help conserve resources and ensure the
money that you are spending makes its way into the local
economy. Sometimes a simple destination wedding can
actually have a smaller environmental footprint than a
large lavish affair at home.
RECYCLING/WASTE REDUCTION
P a g e 3 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 8
Upcoming Event—FAMILY DAY IN THE GARDEN
Date: Saturday, August 22
Time: 10 am
Location: Bristol Show Garden
NMG/MYP employees and their families are encouraged to join us for a fun filled and educa-
tional morning in the garden. This will be a great opportunity for our kids to learn about
where their parents, grandparents, or aunts & uncles work and what they do all day. Activi-
ties will include a children’s garden tour to learn about the different plants we grow, crafting
time where kids can paint and decorate their own clay pots, and a mini gardening lesson
where they’ll learn how to transplant a small plant into that newly decorated pot and care for
it at home.
Everyone interested in participating should contact Stephanie Mull at stepha-
nie.mull@nealmast.com by Wednesday, August 19 so we know how many people to expect.
Cash Back
for
Recyclables
Disposal $$
Saved
NMG
Recycling
(Costs)
Net Savings/Cash
Back
Aug-14 13.54 $476.70 $794.52 $481.02 $790.20
Sep-14 10.41 $107.85 $610.65 $481.02 $237.48
Oct-14 19.87 $1,646.90 $1,165.57 $641.36 $2,171.11
Nov-14 9.44 $159.44 $553.75 $481.02 $232.17
Dec-14 38.65 $667.61 $2,267.20 $1,122.38 $1,812.43
Jan-15 15.12 $164.98 $889.96 $801.70 $253.24
Feb-15 35.20 $360.43 $2,101.08 $641.36 $1,820.15
Mar-15 22.95 $156.83 $1,369.88 $801.70 $725.01
Apr-15 20.75 $248.73 $1,238.56 $641.36 $845.93
May-15 7.85 $136.26 $468.49 $320.68 $284.07
Jun-15 16.90 $165.45 $1,008.60 $962.04 $212.01
Jul-15 8.46 $148.74 $504.89 $481.02 $172.61
219.14 $4,439.92 $12,973.15 $7,856.66 $9,556.41
Rolling 12 Mos.
Recycled
Materials/Tons
872.44 TONS TO DATE TOWARDS OUR GOAL OF 1,000
P a g e 4 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 8
Sustainability Committee 2014—2015
Sustainability Committee Meeting Recap
Thursday, August 6th, 2015 7:30am
Attending: Jim Raterink Ann Penning-
ton
Stephanie Mull Kyle Boynton
Dawn Eardley Ashley Borey
Jason Lucas
Projects Updates for 2014/2015
• Sustainability Article – JR - We reviewed an article
on Sustainable Packaging Trends for 2015: All
About Millennials (see next page)
• Walmart’s Sustainability Index update – JR – more
information to come. Traveling to WM soon and
should hear more.
• CDP Project update – JR – We review the process
for using the “intensity” measurement of using
cubic feet soil for establishing our CO2e reduction
target. We should be receiving our report the end
of October or early November.
• Recycle Dashboard – Ann (see dashboard) Some
good news is that commodity pricing on office pa-
per and corrugated has gone up in the last month
and we received more pay back for what we recy-
cled in those two categories.
• Continue enhancing and building on successes
from previous Sustainability Weeks – Stephanie
updated with a tentative schedule for Sustainabil-
ity Week. Free market will last all week starting on
that Monday. Tuesday we will do a food drive for
South East Community Food Pantry. Wednesday
will be the blood drive and Thursday we will have a
presentation from Kent County. Friday of that
week we will have our Flu Shot Clinic and also Con-
quer the Chaos Day.
• Recycle Revisited – Figure out how to streamline
and improve what we are currently doing already.
– Jason/ Kyle are in the process of finalizing the
training video. This will be a short (6-7 minutes)
video that explains the why and how to sort prop-
erly.
We want to be able to post the link to our website
and have it on youtube so everyone can see it. We
will also be showing to employees to get ahead of the
sorting issue.
• Grant Research –Dawn gave an update on avail-
able grants using solar panels. There is a new
grant available with 80K set aside for solar. She
supplied information on cost of installation, pay
back and savings..
• How to ramp up employee engagement at work
and at home with Sustainability. –Stephanie re-
viewed the details for family day coming up on
August 22nd
.
• Hot Logic Warming Systems as an alternative to
Microwaves and to Save Electricity – Kyle up-
dated the team on the units currently installed to
test. They are being used, some people still not
sure how to use them. He is going to be checking
at all sites to see usage and do demo/
instructions.
Next meeting will be
Thursday, September 10th
at 7:30 am.
P a g e 5 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 8
PLEASE RECYCLE
Sustainable Packaging Trends for 2015: All About Millennials By Elisabeth Comere
As packaging innovators, it is in our best interest and in the interest of our customers to monitor emerging trends in
the industry. I compiled three distinct ways packaging could evolve in the coming year which have been primarily influ-
enced by millennials, the largest generational group of socially-aware consumers globally.
1. Reaching millennials - Millennials, generally aged between 15 to 35, make up about a third of the global population,
and they are significantly influencing market trends. This purpose-driven group uses its power to drive social and envi-
ronmental change across economic sectors by demanding accountability from major corporations and big brand
names. They are also the largest generational group in history and, on average, they spend approximately $600 billion
annually. Results show that total is expected to rise to $1.4 trillion in the next six years.
Research released by brand marketing firm Oliver Russell indicates their purchasing choices are influenced by compa-
nies that exercise positive social and environmental best practices across the entire supply chain. “Millennials view tak-
ing care of themselves and the environment as one and the same,” wrote the authors of the Oliver Russell Brand Am-
plitude Study.
With on-the-go lifestyles, this generation is looking for healthy and convenient food and beverages that come in pack-
ages that are easily opened, resealed for later use, and feature recyclability and other green qualities. In fact, 3 out of 4
millennials would choose soup from a carton over a can for just these reasons. Healthy and eco-friendly products are
dominating the purchases in this market, but millennials also look for transparent information about a product’s sus-
tainability credentials, with claims supported by third parties.
2. Transparent recycling chains - According to a global study commissioned by Tetra Pak, 89 percent of consumers pre-
fer to buy products in packages they know to be recyclable. But according to a recent ISRI study, 33 percent of Ameri-
cans have doubts about recycling, as they are not always certain if an item is recyclable, and 6 percent say they do not
believe the items they set aside for recycling are actually recycled. (This survey was conducted online within the United
States by Harris Poll on behalf of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) from Nov. 3-5, 2014 among 2,013
adults ages 18 and older.)
For this reason, we need to establish better transparency within our recycling chains in order to communicate the
goals, challenges and accomplishments of existing recycling programs. One way to alleviate confusion and skepticism is
to incorporate the transparent reporting structures that measure the efficiency and effectiveness of recycled materials
and disclose the chain of custody of how these materials are recycled. This is in addition to clearly labeling products so
consumers can easily identify how to properly recycle them.
3. Move from “clean” to “clear” labels - “Clean” labels refer to a branding approach that emphasizes a product’s
wholesomeness of ingredients, lack of artificial ingredients and sometimes a lack of common allergens. “Clean labeling”
relies on the use of terms such as “natural,” “organic” and “minimally processed.” The lack of universally-accepted defi-
nitions around these terms, however, has led to growing skepticism and confusion in the marketplace. In reaction to
this, consumers and consumer advocate groups are pushing for more clarity in labeling, hence better transparency
about the product and packaging composition. A recent study by Innova Market Insights found that clear product la-
beling is the top trend to likely impact the global food and beverage industry in the new year. The importance of ad-
hering to the clear labeling approach holds equally true for packaging manufacturers. In a survey of 6,600 consumers in
10 countries, conducted by Euromonitor for Tetra Pak, almost half of the respondents said they find on-pack logos
helpful in understanding the environmental impact of beverage packages. One example by which Tetra Pak is leading in
this field is by displaying FSC labeling on more and more of its packages made of FSC-certified materials, thus providing
consumers with a third-party assurance that the paperboard used to make cartons comes from responsibly managed
forests and other controlled sources.
P a g e 6 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 8
WATER •Ebb and flood floors for watering.
•Water retention ponds.
•Drip tape used indoors and out instead of sprinklers
to reduce water used as well as chemicals and fertilizers.
ENERGY-TRANSPORTATION-CO2
REDUCTION •Replaced over 420 old fluorescent and halogen fix-
tures/bulbs for a total watt reduction of 253,272 and
the opportunity to save up to $35,700 annually on
electrical costs.
•Installed window tint on office skylights to reduce glare and heat in
the office—reducing A/C costs.
•Completed our CDP information for the 4th year and reduced our
carbon produced at our 4 facilities by 5.5%.
•Installed energy curtains (received a federal grant) for reduction in
natural gas used.
•Researched LED lighting for HID replacement—will do a small trial
in 2014.
•Researching alternate energy sources (air and solar) for future.
•High efficiency roof poly / double poly on all outside walls to pre-
vent heat loss.
•Replace lighting and plumbing fixtures as needed with high effi-
ciency and low water use.
•Heat wrap for pipes and boiler bras to retain heat.
•Keep all carts and trucks full to reduce fuel used.
•Increased floor turns to produce more for the same resources.
•Power down / shut down all office equipment at night.
COMMUNITY
•Donated 1,946 pots of vegetables and
herbs to the Habitat for Humanity Restore!
•February 2015 we had an employee spon-
sored change drive that benefited the
Make a Wish Foundation of Michigan.
•January 2015 gave a cash donation to in The Image to
help fulfill critical needs in the community.
•October 2014 donated mums to the Step Out: Walk to
STOP Diabetes put on by the American Diabetes Associa-
tion.
•October 2014 NMG / MYP held a canned food drive com-
petition between all four locations. All the food that was
collected was then donated to a local food bank.
•April 2014 held an employee driven supply donation
event for Dia de los Niño's. All of the donations were
given to the Boys and Girl’s Club of Grand Rapids.
•December 2013 made plant donations to Habitat For
Humanity of 328 Poinsettias and 132 Zygo Cactus.
•December 2013 made a money donation to In The Image
and Home Repair Services.
•Contacted 62 companies and removed 150 junk mail
sources. Shredded 6 pallets (250 banker boxes of old
records to be recycled.)
• October 2013—NMG/MYP Employee Sustainability
Week—daily events from flu shots to shredding!
•September 2013—Sponsored the “Best Commercial
Streetscape” award for the America in Bloom competi-
tion.—winner Kent, Ohio.
•July 2013 A total of 53 racks and 150 additional pots of
flowers were donated in two shipments to Habitat for
Humanity’s ReStore.
•April 2013 A total of more than 2000 Easter Lilies were
donated to Spectrum Health Rehab & Nursing Center,
Grand Rapids Home for Veterans, Baxter Neighborhood
Community Garden, Villa Maria Retirement Community,
Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation
Army.
PROCUREMENT •Replace paper towel dispensers with high efficiency hand dryers—
eliminate 60% of paper towels.
•Signed commitments from top 80% of suppliers to abide by social
compliance standards.
•Using returnable crates for bulbs and cuttings purchased instead
of disposable packaging.
•Continue to keep a tight inventory and use up cardboard and
other excess materials.
•Purchase eco-friendly cleaning supplies.
•Purchase office supplies made from recycled materi-
als.
•Production anti fatigue mats made from recycled
materials.
PLEASE RECYCLE
REDUCTION OF HAZARDS • Use of bio-pests for insect control.
• Use sticky cards on booms to capture pests.