Ei Awards, Recognition & Milestones

At the 2014 Annual Ei Partner Meeting, Ei founder Holly Elmore gave an Elemental Impact Overview presentation on the new three-platform approach: 1> Product Stewardship, 2> Recycling Refinement and 3> Water Use | Toxicity. The IMPACT Blog article, Ei 2014: A Year of Evolution, is a synopsis of the powerful meeting, including the history of Ei's evolution to a monumental year. 

Melissa & Holly at
Ei Partner Meeting

Melissa Selem gave the final meeting presentation: Ei ROCKS!  Melissa chronicled the awards received, recognition achieved, milestones surpassed and an update on Ei's powerful cyberspace network. PPT presentations from the meeting are available for download on the Ei Meetings & Events page.

The year started with Holly's induction into Lamba Alpha International (LAI), The Honorary Society for the Advancement of Land Economics. The IMPACT Blog article, LAI Atlanta Chapter growing membership, influence & impact, gives an overview of the prominent organization.

As the self-appointed spokesperson for Compost, The Quiet Hero, Holly is enthusiastic to educate the impressive membership on the critical role compost plays in cultivating healthy soil. 

In April, Holly served on the host committee for a celebrated Atlanta Land Economics Weekend. The local chapter welcomed global colleagues for two days of education, presentations and tours on Atlanta land economics. The IMPACT Blog article, Atlanta Welcomes Global Land Economics Group, is a synopsis of the powerful weekend and how Atlanta shined in a global spotlight.

Atlanta was the host city for the 2014 U.S. Zero Waste Business Council Conference (USZWBC), Creating Value Through Zero Waste. In addition to serving as the conference media partner, Ei orchestrated | moderated three panels including the opening plenary panel, Atlanta's Zero Waste Story.

Holly with her USZWBC
Zero Waste Promoter Award

At the conference, Holly was presented with the Zero Heroes 2014 Zero Waste Promoter of the Year. With grateful tears Holly accepted the honor during the first-day luncheon presentation. The ZWA Blog article, Atlanta Shines as Zero Waste Conference Host City, is a recap of the USZWBC conference from Ei's perspective.

USZWBC executive director Stephanie Barger attended the 2014 Annual Ei Partner Meeting to present on their year of accomplishments and educate on the 2015 USWBC Conference, The Stars of Zero Waste, hosted in Los Angeles, CA. In her presentation, Stephanie announced Ei is the 2015 conference media partner!

In addition, Ei will orchestrate | moderate two panels at the 2015 conference: Source-Separated Materials Recycling Template and Zero Waste in Multi-Tenant Buildings. The Zero Waste in ACTION (ZWA) Blog article, 2015 Zero Waste Conference: A Star-Studded Event!, announces the 2015 conference.

Holly on stage receiving
Green Ribbon Award

Awards continued in the fall when Holly was the recipient of the Green Ribbon Award at the Atlanta Les Dames d'Escoffier International 14th Annual Afternoon in the Country. The prestigious award was given in honor of Holly's sustainability work in the foodservice industry dating back to the Green Foodservice Alliance, founded in 2007 by Holly.

When the Green Files Blog launched, Ei Pioneer Supporter Affairs to Remember Caterers (ATR) included a quote from Holly in the "Not Everything about Green is Black & White" says ATR; Atlanta's Greenest Caterer Launches the Green Files Blog press release. 

Continuing the honor, ATR listed Ei as a "distinguished guest" at a Zero Waste Zones event in their One Million Pounds Diverted From Georgia Landfills press release. In addition a quote from Holly along with the following Ei copy was included in the release:

Elemental Impact, an organization that works with organizations to help create best operating practices specific to sustainability, was an early partner to Affairs to Remember Caterers during the development of Legacy Green, the company's sustainability program.

ATR was honored by the City of Atlanta with a proclamation November 11, 2014 was Affairs to Remember Day in recognition of their one million pounds of material diverted from the landfill. In his acceptance speech, ATR general manager Rich Wilmer recognized Ei's integral role in ATR's sustainability successes.

SFCI Vendor Fair
in ATL atrium

In October Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) - the busiest airport in the world - hosted the Sustainable Food Court Initiative (SFCI) Vendor Fair to educate concessionaires on the BPI certified compostable products available. Liza Milagro - ATL senior sustainability planner - gave Ei prime visibility in the SFCI Vendor Fair Program: 1> inside front cover, right-hand read page is dedicated to the SFCI and 2> inside back cover page is dedicated to Ei.

Executed in 2011, the new airport concessionaire contracts included a provision requiring food vendors to use compostable food & beverage packaging. For a history on the contract provision including the implementation plan, visit the ZWA Blog article Atlanta Airport's Leadership Role in Compostable Food & Beverage Packaging.

The March issue of the American Association of Airport Executives' Airport Magazine featured AIRBORNE KITCHEN GREASE: A New Frontier in Sustainability, A simple solution saves tremendous water use, labor and dollars an article co-authored by Michael Cheyne, ATL director of asset management & sustainability, and Holly. The ZWA Blog article, ATL Presents a Proactive Approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease (AKG), announces the article and gives an AKG overview.

Thanks to their visionary spirit, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation brings Green Streets to Atlanta as the first in a series of film screenings. A thought provoking conversation panel moderated by Sophie Constantinou, Citizen Film co-founder and director of photography, follows the film. The inaugural screening is instrumental for Green Streets and subsequent films. 

Ei is honored to co-present the Atlanta January 14 screening along with Green Streets, Urban Strategies, Citizen Film and the Fledgling Fund. The ZWA Blog article, Green Streets Comes to Atlanta!, introduces the film screening along with information on the important grass roots program.

The Ei Blogs - The IMPACT and ZWA - finished the year with impressive milestones:

• The IMPACT Blog surpassed 60,000 pageviews.
• Combined Blog pageviews surpassed 225,000 pageiviews and is closing in on 250,000 views.
• The ZWA Blog's most popular article Reduce First, Donate Second Compost Third topped 10,000 pageviews.
• On 12-13-14, a powerful number sequence, the ZWA Blog pageviews exceeded 175,000 views.

With strong industry recognition, the Ei Blogs are recognized media with solid global readership. The Ei cyberspace network is further augmented with active Twitter, LinkedIN, Facebook and Pinterest accounts. On the Ei FB page over 120 photo albums support blog articles and give a pictorial recount of Ei's important work.

With a monumental year coming to an end, Ei is staged for an exciting 2015 filled with promise of tremendous impact.