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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Elemental Impact Yr Three in Review - Amazing!

Happy, Happy Birthday to Elemental Impact!  On February 05, Ei completed a magnificent third year of Sustainability in ACTION and crossed the threshold to the fourth year of impact. The following Ei Year Three in Review summarizes the astonishing milestones and accomplishments achieved.  


Ei Programs:
In September the Zero Waste Zones were purchased by the National Restaurant Association with intentions for national expansion through their state restaurant association network. For additional details, visit the Zero Waste in ACTION Blog post, Ei: An Established Program Creator

With the ZWZ under NRA guardianship, the Sustainable Food Court Initiative takes center stage for Ei zero waste focus. It was a busy year for the SFCI with the following pilot action:
(1) For details on the Atlanta Airport contract provision, visit the Atlanta Airport Makes a Bold Sustainable Statement post. 

During the year Doug Kunnemann of NatureWorks took the helm as SFCI Chair when his co-chair pursued adventures in another industry.  The IMPACT Blog post, Strong Leadership Maximizes Impact, where Doug is profiled along with Ei Board Members.

National Media:
Affairs Team during interview
photo courtesy of ATR
Ei continues to garner national media attention for pioneering work, especially in the food waste arena.  In November Martha Stewart's Whole Living published the feature article Spoil Alert where author Elizabeth Royte refers to Ei founder Holly Elmore as "the Kevin Bacon of wasted food."  For details on Elizabeth's two-day Atlanta interview marathon along with article anecdotes see the ZWA Blog posts, Atlanta's Focus on Food Waste Reduction and Atlanta Wasted Food Heroes in National Spotlight.

In January Holly along with Ei pals Affairs to Remember and the Georgia World Congress Center were highlighted in CBS SmartPlanet's For business, food waste is a ripe opportunity for savings. Author Kevin Gray refers to Holly as "one of those Erin Brockovich whistleblowers." The ZWA Blog post, Food Waste, the business perspective, is a commentary on the article and beyond.

Speaking Engagements, Workshops & Industry Meetings:
In addition to the media, the industry values Ei's initiatives and Holly is invited to speak at national conferences and gatherings. Below are highlights of Holly's prominent speaking engagements with the supporting ZWA Blog post in parentheses:   
Holly @ podium in ATL
Holly's PPT presentations are available on the Ei Speaking Engagements page.

Beyond conferences Ei participated in the City of Chattanooga Zero Waste Workshop orchestrated by Ei Partner Neil Seldman of the ILSR. The ZWA Blog post, Chattanooga Building a Green Brick Road, gives workshop details. In October Ei orchestrated a two-day series of zero waste workshops and meetings for the City of Newark. Ei Partners Chris Bradlee of BASF and Amy Moreland of Heritage Interactive Services joined Holly for the educational visit.  For an overview of the Newark visit, see the ZWA Blost post, Ei Team Visits Newark for Zero Waste Education.  PPT presentations from the workshops are available on the Ei Meetings & Events page.

2012 F&B Pkging Mtg
Group Picture
In December Global Green's Washington D.C. office hosted and Ei orchestrated the second annual Sustainable Food & Beverage Packaging Meeting. The gathering included the trade associations and non-profits representing the entire food and beverage packaging value chain. For an overview of the meeting, visit the ZWA Blog post, Second Annual F&B Packaging Meeting. Participant PPT presentations are available on the Ei Meetings & Events page.

Industry & Ei Partner Tours:
Tours are excellent vehicles to learn first-hand about industry practices and fellow partner business expertise. Ei hosts industry and partner tours designed for experiential education, strategic planning and bonding among the Ei Team. The following lists Ei Year Three tours along with supporting blog posts in parenthesis:
WOP uses an on-site digester
for inedible animal parts
Links to the Ei FB albums with tour pictorial recaps are listed in the respective blog posts and on the Ei Tours page.

Ei Evolution:
As Ei completed year three, it was time to evolve the mission statement, partner program and focus areas to continue maximum impact in new dimensions. In December the new Ei Mission statement was announced in the IMPACT Blog post, Ei: New Mission Statement | New Directions
To work with industry leaders to create best operating practices where the entire value-chain benefits, including corporate bottom lines and the environment.  Through education and collaboration, establish the best practices as standard practices.
Along with the Ei What We Do page, the post introduces Ei's three focus areas: Product Stewardship, Toxin-Free Environments and Zero Waste Initiatives.

Early in 2012 the Ei Sponsor program was renamed the Ei Partner Program. In December the entire program was overhauled to reflect the true partnership nature of the program. The IMPACT Blog post, Ei Partner Program Evolves, announces the evolution along with emphasizing the required active participation.

Ei Communication:
Ei Chair Scott Seydel
filming @ NOLA meeting
Documentation of successes, milestones and the template creation process is essential to inspiring others to take action within their unique circumstances. A clear narrative, in pictures, videos and copy, is intertwined within Ei's communication tools.  Ei uses the following on-line tools to document the journey:
  • Ei Website - serves as a solid central point to communicate Ei action.
  • Milestone Page - details major events by month in reverse chronological order. Related blog post links are included where appropriate.
  • Zero Waste in ACTION Blog - documents Ei zero waste activities along with pertinent related topics. YEA, the blog recently topped 75,000 page views!!!!
  • IMPACT Blog - documents Ei work and influence in areas other than zero waste initiatives. The blog is closing in on 25,000 page views!
  • Ei FB Page - each blog post is shared on the Ei FB page along with links to Ei PartnersStrategic AlliesAdvisory Council and SFCI Pilot Team articles, videos and activities.
  • Ei FB Albums - whenever possible Ei action is documented with pictures and organized into albums including thorough descriptions.The 60+ Ei FB albums serve as a valuable industry resource.
  • Ei Twitter - Ei is active on Twitter as part of the cyberspace network building process and is developing a strong following.  @elementalimpact is the Ei name.
  • Ei Pinterest Board - blog posts are "pinned" to one of the current twelve boards on the Ei Pinterest page. In addition to increasing search optimization, the Pinterest boards organize the blog posts by category and are listed in reverse chronological order.
Ei is building a powerful industry cyberspace network grounded in the above tools. Part of Ei Partner active participation is sharing within the network.

Whew, Ei was busy during Year Three!  The foundation is set for a major metamorphosis into new realms of action and impact. Follow the Ei journey on the above cyberspace venues and stay tuned for pending exciting announcements.  Thank you for your support!