Ei Blogs Attract Strong Global Readership

The combined readership of the two Elemental Impact Blogs is nearing the coveted 200K pageviews milestone!  With current 138K pageviews, the Zero Waste in ACTION Blog surpassed the 75K, 100K and 125K readership milestones in 2013. On February 05, 2014, The IMPACT Blog reached the 50K pageviews benchmark.

For most of the milestone achievements, a blog article published commemorating the powerful Ei cyberspace network consisting of the Ei Facebook page, Ei FB albums, Twitter, LinkedIN, Pinterest and the Ei website. An in-depth Ei cyberspace network overview is documented within The IMPACT Blog article, Elemental Impact Yr Three in Review - Amazing!, under the Ei Communication section.

In February 2013 the ZWA Blog article, ZWA Blog Hits 75,000 Pageviews!, celebrates the milestone with examples of the valuable role LinkedIN plays in developing long-term, substantial relationships. When the ZWA Blog surpassed 100K pagviews in July 2013, the ZWA Blog article, ZWA Blog: A Powerful Industry Resource & Voice, chronicles Ei's evolution from a zero waste cheerleader to current work in Recycling Refinement, moving beyond landfill diversion. Below is an excerpt from the article:

Authored by Elemental Impact, the ZWA Blog articles document the evolution of zero waste from concept to emerging industry standard, tell the story of zero waste pioneers and warriors who shifted paradigms in materials management, and shine light on fallacies within accepted recycling practices. 

Validating the ZWA Blog as a powerful industry voice, Ei serves as media sponsor for prominent industry conferences via published blog articles along with supporting Ei FB albums:

• 2012 Biopolymers Conference:  Pre-conference blog article: Role Compostable Packaging Plays in Waste Systems. Post-conference article: BioPolymer: End of Life - or is It? 
• 2013 U.S. Composting Council Conference articles: USCC 20th Annual Conference - Stellar! and Central Florida Ripe with Food Waste Options.
• 2013 US Zero Waste Business Council Conference: Pre-conference blog article: Food Waste Focus @ Zero Waste Conference. Post-conference articles: Know Your Trash Up Close & Personal, Zero Waste Success Requires WE Consciousness, and Zero Waste is a Team Sport, a powerful USZWBC conference panel.
• 2014 U.S. Zero Waste Business Council Conference: Pre-conference blog articles: Atlanta: Host City for the 2014 U.S. Zero Waste Business Council Conference,  Creating Value Through Zero Waste and Zero Waste Conference: National in Scope, Local in Flavor.

In 2013, the Ei Blogs evolved to on-line magazines as most posts are in-depth articles with readership continuing long after publication. For the ZWA Blog, several of the all-time most popular articles are:

• Reduce First, Donate Second, Compost Third, February 2012
• Waxed Cardboard Boxes = Landfill Destination = $$ Lost, May 2012
• Food Waste too Valuable for the Landfill, December 2012
• Role Compostable Packaging Plays in Food Waste Systems, August 2012
• Know Your Trash, up close & personal, May 1013

With a total of 295 blog articles, the ZWA Blog to date played the stronger role in creating Ei's powerful cyberspace voice. This article marks the 112th article published on The IMPACT Blog. Note the average per article pageview is 467 for The ZWA Blog and 464 for The IMPACT Blog - impressive how similar!

Another common ground among the blogs is the global readership: roughly 65% of the readership for both blogs is from the United States. The remaining 35% of the readers are scattered throughout the globe. 

The IMPACT Blog article, Ei Emerges from a Metamorphosis, introduces Ei's three new platforms:

• Product Stewardship, integrity throughout the entire product life-cycle
• Recycling Refinement, moving beyond landfill diversion
• Water Use | Toxicity, the water footprint: a new sustainability standard

With templates under development in each platform, a surge in The IMPACT articles will document important work in areas other than material management.

Scott filming Preston Fletcher

of FreshPoint

A strong cyberspace presence requires collaborative effort. In addition to engaging the various tools available, working in tandem with Ei Partners, Supporters and Strategic Allies is essential to driving traffic. Cyberspace promotion and tag teaming is a recent phenomena; education on how to promote in a virtual world is often necessary for success.  

In April 2013 The IMPACT Blog article, A Powerful Cyberspace Voice: A Creation Guide, was published in celebration of achieving the combined 100K pageviews milestone. The Guide gives Six Rules to follow with final one the most important: be a renegade, share your passion and let go of what others say "should or should not be done."

Thank you to the U.S. Composting Council, U.S. Zero Waste Business Council, Container Recycling Institute, CleanRiver, Heritage Interactive Services, Novelis, Orwak, Affairs to Remember, Grease Lock Filters, and the Georgia World Congress Center for playing well with Ei in cyberspace. In addition, Southeast Green and the Mississippi Recycling Coalition often publishes Ei articles in their daily news releases. 

Recognizing the Ei Blogs as press worthy, many organizations list articles on their site in the published press section.

In late 2013 Ei produced its first video: Fresh Point Plastic Film Recovery. Ei Chair Scott Seydel filmed | edited the video with Ei founder Holly Elmore playing the producer role. The Ei FB album, Plastic Film Recycling: building a city-wide network, gives a pictorial recap of the fun morning filming on location at FreshPoint. 

Lynn Dyer of FPI with
Jim Lanier of Earth Farms

With her camera in-hand, Holly records visual recaps of conferences, meetings and work-in-progress in still pictures. The Ei FB page includes over 100 well-documented albums, which serve as a valuable industry resource. Recently, the Foodservice Packaging Institute included an Ei picture in the Foodservice Packaging Recovery Case Study: Earth Farm Organics, part of the Foodservice Packaging Recovery Toolkit. Several folks use Ei pictures for their profile pictures on LinkedIN and other social media sites.

Ei maintains an active Twitter account with momentum building in followers. Committed to "playing well" in cyberspace, Ei ensures approximately 40% of the tweets promote Ei Partner, Supporter and Strategic Ally successes along with industry news.

At the foundation of the Ei cyberspace presence is the Ei website. Ready for a re-launch later this year, the site is updated on a regular basis to reflect Ei's tagline Sustainability in ACTION. In the last weeks, site visits increased at an impressive pace.

In each Ei Newsletter published five to six times per year, the following copy is included to encourage readers joining the Ei network:

Ei is the hub of an influential network and invites YOU to join:

like	follow	connect	follow

Due to technical challenges, the active link is in the "like" etc instead of the graphic.

With a substantial cyberspace nucleus built, Elemental Impact's powerful industry presence and voice continues to garner global respect as a leader who creates solutions to challenging circumstances grounded in solid business sense.

Happy Birthday Ei: A Year in Review

Patrick Cuccaro & Steve Simon @
ZWZ Two Yr Press Conference

February is birthday month for Elemental Impact! On February 5th Ei celebrates our four-year anniversary and enters into Year Five of living the tagline, Sustainability in ACTION!  

Year Three ended with the National Restaurant Association's purchase of the Zero Waste Zones, which thrust Ei into a metamorphosis filled with possibilities and opportunities for most of Year Four. For details on the ZWZ purchase, see the Zero Waste in ACTION Blog article, National Restaurant Association Acquires Zero Waste Zones.

Following the ZWZ purchase, the Ei mission statement was expanded beyond the foodservice industry to encompass the entire corporate community, including government, universities and other institutions:

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.

The IMPACT Blog article, New Mission Statement | New Directions, introduces the mission statement along with Ei's expanded focus.

From the metamorphosis Ei emerged strong with three new platforms filled with action-in-progress. The IMPACT Blog article, Ei Emerges Strong from Metamorphosis, introduces the following platforms along with corresponding initiatives:

Product Stewardship

Integrity throughout the entire product life-cycle 

samples of alternative-coated
corrugated cardboard

In August, Ei took the first action steps in the alternative coated box initiative during the Indy Zero Waste Tours. The Ei FB album, 08-13 Indy Zero Waste Tours, gives the pictorial recap of the pre-tour meetings on waxed corrugated cardboard education. For an introduction to the importance of replacing paraffin-based waxed corrugated boxes with alternative coating, see the ZWA Blog article, Waxed Cardboard = Landfill Destiny = $$ Lost,

Recycling Refinement

Moving beyond landfill diversion

unveiling the trial baler

Intertwined within Recycling Refinement is Recycling Integrity - maintaining maximum material value with minimum energy expended. With an emphasis on source-separation at the generation site, Recycling Integrity demands organizations understand the final destination, including the journey along the way, of by-products and material generated during operations. 

The Ei Team is developing a city-wide plastic film recovery template with Atlanta serving as the pilot city. FreshPoint (FP), the nation's largest produce distributor, stepped forward as the lead Pioneer in the pilot. A first action step was installing an Orwak mini baler at the FP Atlanta distribution center to bale the film generated in their operations. 

For a pilot overview, visit the following ZWA Blog articles:

- If it was easy, it would already be done  - introduces the pilot & details challenges.

- Plastic Film Recycling: A New Frontier - gives Ei plastic film history along with a pilot update.

Water Use | Toxicity  

The Water Footprint: a new sustainability standard 

airborne kitchen grease
deposited in kitchen exhaust system

Within the Water Use | Toxicity Platform, Ei’s initial focus is on a proactive approach to Airborne Kitchen Grease (AKG). Grease Lock Filters (GLF) collect 90% plus of the kitchen grease particulates before entering the kitchen exhaust system. By eliminating grease build-up in the system, nightly baffle filter cleaning is generally reduced to weekly; the number of third party contracted kitchen exhaust system cleanings are significantly reduced.

Ei's Airborne Kitchen Grease page documents the project's mission and current status. Below are the ZWA Blog grease-related articles: 

• Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity - introduces the importance of addressing water use and gives an overview of the GLF system.
• GREASE: Activating the Zero Waste Evolution – reintroduces GREASE along with history, future directions and mention of the SFCI – Atlanta Airport meeting on grease generated by airport concessionaires.
• GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic and environmental promise – delves into the current AKG scenario and how a proactive approach saves water, toxic chemical use, labor and dollars.
• Airborne Kitchen Grease: a simple solution to a costly kitchen by-product – introduces the first action steps to developing a city-wide AKG initiative.

Under the direction of SFCI Co-Chairs Scott Seydel and Doug Kunnemann of NatureWorks, the Sustainable Food Court Initiative Pilots continue their active leadership roles:

SFCI Airport Pilot - Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

Coinciding with the one-year anniversary of the new International Terminal opening, the SFCI Team toured the new terminal to experience the impressive facility and explore opportunities to refine current practices. The ZWA Blog article, SFCI Atlanta Airport: ACTION Resumes, recounts pilot success to date along with a tour overview.

SFCI Team @ ATL Airport Tour

GREASE - Grease Recycling & Energy Alternative Solutions for the Environment - was reactivated via a SFCI - Atlanta Airport meeting focused on grease generated by airport concessionaires. The Atlanta Airport is exploring a campus-wide GLF installation with an estimated 1.3 million gallons of water saved annually. Concessionaires receive an anticipated $7,500 annual cost-savings per unit due to reduced labor and kitchen exhaust system cleaning. The Ei FB album, 02-20-13 Airborne Kitchen Grease Pilot Tour, documents the first grease-related airport tour.  

SFCI Event Venue Pilot - Georgia Dome

SFCI Team ready to
pick the bowl 

The SFCI Team toured two Atlanta Falcons games to learn first-hand the pre, during & post-game recycling practices in place. As a founding ZWZ participant, the Dome has strong recycling practices and is a prime candidate to refine practices to the next level. A goal is to create an on-site mini MRF - material recycling facility - where material is source-separated for sale in the commodity market. Often on-site source-separation evolves a recycling & waste cost center to a recycling profit center.

For recaps of the Falcons game day tours, see the ZWA Blog articles, Winning Recycling Seasons: Team Work Required and Refining Recycling Practices at the Georgia Dome.

SFCI Shopping Mall Pilot - Concord Mills

The SFCI Pilot
recycling & food waste bin

In the spring, the SFCI - Concord Mills Team hosted fellow Ei Partners to the Charlotte Ei Partner Tours. Simon Property Group and HMSHost orchestrated an excellent day of presentations intermingled with tours of their plastic film recycling, food donation and food waste collection for compost programs. The IMPACT Blog article, Charlotte Ei Partner Tours, and ZWA Blog article Bring the Possible out of the Impossible, are overviews of the two powerful days in Charlotte.

Integral to success is documenting the paths traveled so others may follow. The Ei FB page has over 100 albums with pictorial recaps of our journey. A valuable industry resource, each album includes an overview description supported by copy with each picture. Ei founder Holly Elmore took the vast majority of photos.

During the year, the Ei Blogs - The IMPACT and The Zero Waste in ACTION - grew into on-line magazines as the articles are in-depth and longer than typical posts.The strong global readership continues with impressive momentum and stats:

• ZWA Blog - topped 100,000 pageviews on November 20 and is closing in on 135,000 pageviews
• IMPACT Blog -  closing in on the coveted 50,000 pageviews milestone.

In April, The IMPACT Blog article, A Powerful Cyberspace Voice: A Creation Guide, celebrated the combined blog 100,000 pageviews milestone with a guide on how the milestone was achieved.

Ei is committed to playing well in cyberspace via Twitter tweets and FB posts on Ei accomplishments, Ei Partner success and interesting industry news. The strategy is effective with Ei posts often featured in various industry daily news and the combined FB | Twitter following topping the 1,000 connections milestone.

Over the past year, Ei website copy was overhauled in anticipation of a mid-2014 site re-launch with a reactive template that adjusts view format for laptops, tablets and phones. The What We Do section was rewritten to reflect the three new platforms and the Ei in ACTION section was created to document the many activities in-progress or completed.  Website visits continue to escalate with consistent momentum.

Year Four was a year of firsts with the following first-time achievements:

Stephanie Barger (USZWBC) &
Suzanne Burnes (Sustainable ATL)

• First conference partner - Ei partners with the U.S Zero Waste Business Council 2014 Conference hosted in Atlanta. The ZWA Blog article, Atlanta Host City for USZWBC Conference, announces the conference. 
• First White Paper - Ei orchestrated the industry report: The Water, Chemical, & Cost Savings in Commercial Kitchens By Using Grease Lock Filters, A Report on Restaurant Pilots prepared by an independent engineer substantiates the water, toxic chemical use, labor and cost-savings experienced by the foodservice operator: the report is available for download on Ei’s Airborne Kitchen Grease page.
• First Honorary Society - Ei founder Holly Elmore was inducted into Lambda Alpha International, the Honorary Society for the Advancement of Land Economics, in recognition of a successful career in the foodservice industry and her work to implement sustainable best practices in the food industry. The IMPACT Blog article, Lambda Alpha International Atlanta Chapter: growing membership, influence and impact introduces the honorary society and synergies with Ei's initiatives.
• First Global Footsteps - Ei CEO Scott Seydel attended the Circular Economy 100 first annual summit in London on behalf of Ei. The IMPACT Blog article, A Revolutionary Evolution - going from a linear to a circular economy, introduces the CE100 along with an overview of the summit.

  

  Scott filiming @ FreshPoint

• First EPA sub-grantee - Ei is a sub-grantee under the Sustainable Packaging Coalition's EPA Region IV grant to scale up composting in Charlotte, NC. With the SFCI - Shopping Mall Pilot in Charlotte, Ei is well connected within the Charlotte food waste and composting community. The ZWA Blog post, Scaling Up Composting in Charlotte, NC, gives a solid grant overview.
• First Video Produced - Filmed & edited by Ei Chair Scott Seydel and produced by Ei founder Holly Elmore, the video was a team effort. The video, Ei Plastic Film Recovery Pilot @ FreshPoint, is an overview of the metro-wide plastic film recovery pilot initial action step.

Active participation is key to Ei success. Whether an Ei Partner, Supporter or Strategic Ally, organizations align with Ei to take an active role in evolving sustainable practices into best business practices that improve the bottom line. The expanded mission statement, along with introducing new platforms, attracted new partners, supporters and strategic allies and ensured renewals among long-time partners. The IMPACT Blog article, Active Participation Maximizes Impact, introduces new partners and recognizes renewing partners' active roles.

Holly & Melissa @ Ei Partner Meeting

Ei Program Administrator Melissa Selem is closing in on her one-year anniversary! With a Ph.D in Community Health, Melissa brings a healthy perspective to Ei initiatives along with strong organizational skills and clever wit. Recently Michael Simone joined the Ei Team as an intern with the intent to join full-time upon completion of the three-month internship. Ei maintains a lean, agile and effective staff who works closely with the Ei Partners for maximum impact.

Whew, it was a busy year!  The stage is set for incredible accomplishments during Ei's Year Five, the year of change - the time is now to CHANGE outdated practices into those suited for a new paradigm.  

Active Participation Maximizes Impact

Active participation is key to Elemental Impact's success. Whether an Ei Partner, Supporter or Strategic Ally, organizations align with Ei to take an active role in evolving sustainable practices into best business practices that improve the bottom line.

Ei lives its tagline, Sustainability in ACTION, within three platforms: Product Stewardship, Recycling Refinement, and Water Use | Toxicity. Industry pioneers work with the Ei Team to create replicable templates via the Sustainable Food Court Initiative or platform pilots. The IMPACT Blog article, Ei Emerges from Metamorphosis, introduces the three-platform approach along with corresponding initiatives under development. With the expanded focus, Ei attracted new partners, supporters, strategic allies along with strong renewals.

Welcome New Ei Partners

Ellis Fibre | Grease Lock Filters

Within the Water Use | Toxicity Platform, Ei’s initial focus is on Airborne Kitchen Grease (AKG) via installation of the Grease Lock Filters (GLF) system, a proactive approach to AKG maintenance. GLF collect 90% plus of the kitchen grease particulates before entering the kitchen exhaust system. By eliminating grease build-up in the system, the nightly baffle filter cleaning is generally reduced to weekly; the number of third party contracted kitchen exhaust system cleanings are significantly reduced.

Installed GLF system at
Pei Wei in ATL Airport

The Water, Chemical, & Cost Savings in Commercial Kitchens By Using Grease Lock Filters, A Report on Restaurant Pilots prepared by an independent engineer substantiates the water, toxic chemical use, labor and cost-savings experienced by the foodservice operator and is available for download on Ei’s Airborne Kitchen Grease page.

Note the Atlanta Airport is exploring a campus-wide GLF installation with an estimated annual 1.3 million gallons of water usage reduction annually. Concessionaires receive an anticipated $7,500 annual cost-savings per unit due to reduced labor and kitchen exhaust system cleaning.

A national fire & safety training organization produced an informative six-minute video, Introduction to the Grease Lock Filter System, which gives a solid system overview with an emphasis on fire safety. GLF produced the Installing the GLF System to show the simplicity and ease of installing the filters.

Ei's Airborne Kitchen Grease page documents the project's mission and current status. Below are the Zero Waste in ACTION grease-related blog articles: 

• Zero WATER Waste: more than a goal, a necessity - introduces the importance of addressing water use and gives a GLF system overview
• GREASE: Activating the Zero Waste Evolution – reintroduces GREASE - Grease Recycling & Alternative Solutions for the Environment - along with history and  future directions 
• GREASE: a new frontier filled with economic and environmental promise – delves into the current AKG scenario and how the GLF saves water, toxic chemical use, labor and dollars

ATL Airport tours WCTI system
installation at GA Tech

To show their support, three local GLF distributors joined the Ei Supporter program:  GreaseStop, GreaseBusters, and Premier Grease.

Another Water Use | Toxicity Platform focus is reducing cooling tower water usage via WCTI Technology represented by Renaissance Technology. The Ei FB album, 05-22-13 Tour re: WCTI System @ Tampa Verizon Data Center, is a pictorial recap of the system.

Novelis

Novelis is the global leader in aluminum rolled products and aluminum recycling. Novelis supplies premium aluminum sheet products to the automotive, transportation, packaging, construction, industrial and electronics markets.

SFCI Team with Novelis
Recycling Bins

Beginning with the 2012 season, Novelis stepped into the Atlanta Falcons Recycling Partner role. First action steps included installing two brightly decorated eight-yard recycling dumpsters in the four Georgia World Congress Center Authority owned parking lots used as pre-game tailgating venues. For the 2013 season Novelis provided outdoor & indoor recycling bins. The Novelis bins complement the Coca-Cola bins in service for the past years.

With the Georgia Dome, home to the Falcons, the SFCI Event Pilot, it was synergistic for Novelis to join the Ei Partner program. Last fall GWCCA director of sustainability Tim Trefzer and Ei founder Holly Elmore toured the Novelis aluminum recycling plant in Greensboro, GA. Local recycling destinations is a SFCI commitment and integral to Recycling Refinement. The Novelis Greensboro plant is local to metro Atlanta markets.

With immediate action participation, Novelis associates joined the SFCI Team on November 10 for a Falcons game day recycling tour and attended the November 21 Annual Partner Meeting. For an overview of the Falcons game day tour, visit the ZWA Blog article Refining Recycling Practices at the GA Dome. The IMPACT Blog article Another Year, Another Ei Partner Meeting is an overview of the powerful annual meeting.

Pratt Industries 

Australia-based Pratt Industries is America’s 5th largest corrugated packaging company and the world’s largest, privately-held 100% recycled paper and packaging company. The company operates an extensive recycling company to supply three of the most modern, cost-effective 100% recycled paper mills in the U.S. Pratt is dedicated to the sustainability of the environment, its customers and its people.

The Pratt tour group including
the GWCC & ATL Airport 

With their recycling and mill complex located at the American headquarters in Conyers, GA, Pratt is a natural local destination for paper and other fiber material generated in metro Atlanta. Each Falcons game approximately 35,000 programs and 140,000 promotional flyers are distributed among the seats. The majority of the valuable fiber is landfill destined.

In June 2013 Ei hosted a Pratt Mill Tour for Tim and Michael Cheyne, Atlanta Airport director of asset management and sustainability, to learn about the local option for paper | fiber generated at their respective facilities. Note the Atlanta Airport is the SFCI Airport Pilot. Ei Supporter Republic Services is the Airports waste & recycling service provider and contracts with Pratt for recycling Atlanta Airport material.

In addition to hosting the tour, Pratt vice-president operations Kurt Schmitz joined the SFCI Atlanta Airport Team for an on-site meeting designed to better understand the Airport's recycling logistics. Mary Place, Southeast sales manager, represented Pratt at the Annual Partner meeting.

Thank You Renewing Partners

Doug & Holly in action mode
delivering food waste to compost

Doug Kunnemann, NatureWorks global segment leader - foodservice retains his important, active SFCI co-chair role. With their 2013 renewal, NatureWorks is Ei's longest standing partner! Ei Partner HMSHost remains a powerful pioneer willing to make the effort required to create new industry practices. Note HMSHost's Pei Wei restaurant in the Atlanta Airport International Terminal served as one of the three pilot restaurants in the independent engineer's report referred to in the above GLF section.

Chris Bradlee, BASF market development manager - biodegradable polymers, hosted his fellow partners to the Ann Arbor Ei Partner Tours in August 2013. The IMPACT Blog article, Ann Arbor Ei Partner Tours, is an overview of the excellent two-day tours. In addition to sharing their recycling expertise with fellow SFCI Team Members, CleanRiver contributes excellent design services via Jamie Maclellan.

Chemol recommitted as an Ei Partner to embark on the wax-free corrugated cardboard initiative in the planning stages. The ZWA Blog article, Waxed Cardboard = Landfill Destiny = $$ Lost, laid the foundation for the pending pilots. Ei Partner EcoLogic Solutions (ELS) is awaiting their shining star once the AKG programs shift focus from water usage to water toxicity. In 2012 ELS hosted their partners during the NYC Ei Partner Tours - the ZWA Blog article, NYC Ei Partner Tours, is a tours overview in the wake of Hurricane Sandy.

Always smiling, Heritage Interactive Services director of business & supplier development Amy Moreland wins the award for most-pictured in ZWA and IMPACT Blog articles! Understanding the magnitude of Ei's works, Amy makes Ei meetings, tours and other activities a priority in her hectic schedule.

Amy & Chris in Newark for
an Ei Zero Waste Workshop

.... and then there is the City-Wide Plastic Film Recovery Pilot Template under development! Requiring team work and pioneering spirit, the Ei Team - Tomra | Orwak, M-Pass Environmental and Hilex Poly - is building an infrastructure system to capture valuable plastic film considered a contaminant in single-stream recycling. FreshPoint, the nation's largest produce distributor, stepped forward as a true pioneer in its role as a film generator. The ZWA Blog article, If it was easy, it would already be done, introduces the pilot and Plastic Film Recycling: A New Frontier is an in-depth update on action to date.

During the early Zero Waste Zones days, Ei called upon industry leaders to serve as pioneers to create back-of-the-house food waste collection for composting practices. Many of these early pioneers are eager to step back into the invigorating leadership role. Thank you to Affairs to Remember, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Dome and the Georgia World Congress Center for stating your commitment by joining the Ei Supporter Program.

Welcome New Strategic Allies

Collaboration is key to Ei success. Ei Strategic Allies – consisting of institutions, non-profits, trade associations and business organizations - contribute industry expertise and  connections to Ei initiatives. 

The Container Recycling Institute (CRI) and Ei share Scott Seydel in a leadership role: Scott is Ei Chair and CRI Co-Chair. In addition, Ei & CRI take a strong stand on single-stream recycling. At the foundation of many ZWA Blog articles on single-stream recycling - Single-Stream Recycling Controversy, Single-Stream Recycling: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, and Source-Separate Key to Maximum Recycling Profits (to name a few) - is the CRI Understanding Economic and Environmental Impacts of Single-Stream Collection Systems 2009 white paper. 

Thanks to the strong relationship with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of the GreenBlue Institute, Ei is a subgrantee on the SPC EPA Region IV grant to "scale up recycling in Charlotte, NC."  The ZWA Blog article, Scaling Up Composting in Charlotte, NC, is a grant overview that details the many intertwining relationships. Fellow sub-grantee Earth Farms joined the Ei Supporter Program. For a recap of Ei's March Earth Farms tour, see the ZWA Blog article, Bring the Possible Out of Impossible, during the Charlotte Ei Partner Tours.

Stephanie w/ Suzanne Burnes of
Sustainable ATL, a long-time Ei Ally

The U.S. Zero Waste Business Council | Ei relationship is synergistic and powerful. With Atlanta the host city for the 2014 USZWBC Conference, Ei works closely with executive director Stephanie Barger on local connections to create an amazing conference. The ZWA Blog article, Atlanta: Host City for 2014 U.S. Zero Waste Business Council Conference, announces the 2014 conference along with a USZWBC overview.

Sustainable America is a young non-profit whose goals are to make our food systems more resilient, reduce oil usage in transportation, and invest in new sustainable methods and products as appropriate. Executive director Kranowitz attended the Ei Partner meeting and is eager to move forward on joint adventures.

Elemental Impact has the active ingredients for success: national and global leaders working in partnership to achieve best sustainable operating practices that make solid business sense.