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:
- Georgia Dome, SFCI Event Venue Pilot: The ZWA Blog post, Georgia Dome - SFCI Event Venue Pilot, announces the pilot while the GA Dome SFCI Pilot Team Tour documents the inaugural team tour.
- Concord Mills, SFCI Shopping Mall Pilot: The ZWA Blog post, Concord Mills - SFCI Shopping Mall Pilot, announces the pilot. Committed to action, the following posts document the Concord Mills Team enthusiasm: ACTION, Theme for SFCI Shopping Mall Pilot, Food Donation - Everyone Wins! and Concord Mills: The Power of WE in ACTION!.
- Atlanta Airport, SFCI Airport Pilot: To support the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport concessionaires meet the contract provision requiring the use of compostable packaging (1), the SFCI Airport Team issued the HJAIA Compostable Foodservice Ware Packet. Ei Partner Brenda Platt with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance took the lead on developing the valuable industry tool. The ZWA Blog post, Compostable Packaging Info Packet, announces the packet and gives links to download the document. In April, the SFCI Atlanta Airport Team toured the under-construction International Concourse. Ei Partner HMSHost operates the foodservice - the ZWA Blog post, SFCI Team Tours New ATL Airport Int’l Airport, is an overview of the tour.
(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.
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:
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| Affairs Team during interview photo courtesy of ATR |
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:
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| Holly @ podium in ATL |
- Global Green's CoRR NOLA Green Growth & Resource Recovery Opportunities ( Global Green Team Work in NOLA ), New Orleans, LA
- U.S. Zero Waste Business Council's Creating Value Through Zero Waste Conference (U.S. Zero Waste Business Council hosts first-rate conference), Costa Mesa, CA
- Biopolymers Conference (Biopolymer End of Life - or is it?), San Antonio, TX
- U.S. Composting Council's The Magic of Compost Conference (Compost, A Magical Experience), Orlando, FL
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.
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| 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:
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| WOP uses an on-site digester for inedible animal parts |
- South Georgia Farm Tours, May ( Consumer Demand: A Powerful Voice to Effect Change) - Taking the first steps into the Product Stewardship focus, Ei Partners traveled to South Georgia to learn about meat packaging at on-farm slaughter houses. White Oak Pastures and Thompson Farms Smokehouse were gracious in hosting and educating the Ei Partners on their farm practices.
- Simon Mall Tour @ Gurnee Mills, May (Simon Property Group @ Sustainability Helm) - a group of Ei Partners took a day off from the NRA Show in Chicago to travel north for an educational day on mall operations.
- Ei Indy Partner Tours, July ( Ei Partner Tours Launch in Indy) - Heritage Interactive Services hosted fellow partners for the inaugural Ei Partner Tours in Indianapolis. Tours included the 99.9% zero waste Subaru plant, Heritage’s impressive research & development laboratory and Hilex Poly’s plastic film recycling plant.
- Indy Organic Tours, September (Zero Waste is A Team Sport and Perpetual Life Cycle Systems - Simplicity is Key) With Ei Partners Heritage Interactive Services and Simon Property Group corporate headquarters located in Indianapolis, IN it seems many activities revolve around the city.
- NYC Ei Partner Tours, November (Food Waste: Too Valuable for the Landfill and Ei NYC Tours) The second Ei Partner tours were scheduled in NYC for early November to tag-team with Global Green's CoRR Food Waste Conference.
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:
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| Ei Chair Scott Seydel filming @ NOLA meeting |
- 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 Partners, Strategic Allies, Advisory 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!