Be curious and inquire about how the merchandise you purchase gets to market. Do the retail outlets where you purchase goods have green supply chain management (SCM) practices? Managing pallets via a pallet pooling program can greatly lower the impact that pallets have on the environment. While pallets are often put to work behind store front activities, we consumers can best see pallets in action at big warehouse outlets. Next time you are in such a retail establishment, take a look at the pallets underneath the stacked goods for sale. Look to see if the pallet wood is stamped or painted. If yes, the pallets are probably part of a pallet pooling program. For example, the CHEP program paints its pallets blue for easy identification. If you see a blue pallet, take a closer look, it will probably be stamped with the CHEP logo. Support retailers with green SCM initiatives.

‘Tis the season to be shopping and we are shopping! National Public Radio (NPR) says that Black Friday and Cyber Monday both exceeded anticipated holiday sales levels. This year, according to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales are expected to ring in at $447.1 billion; that’s about $1,450 per capita. With holiday sales representing about 20 percent of total annual retail sales, discounters, department stores, grocery outlets, and specialty shops make sure to stock sufficient merchandise for us to choose from. And, for those of us who don’t like to elbow our way through the shopping mall, we can always order on-line. E-commerce sales (which are not included in the above forecasted number) are expected to reach $32.4 billion- a whopping 11 percent increase over last year.

So, how does all the merchandise we purchase during the holidays find its way from factories to warehouses and from warehouses to store shelves and ultimately to us? Business consultants refer to this process as Supply Chain Management (SCM). To give you an idea of the importance of SCM, the US Military and Wal-Mart invest heavily in this process and are considered to be leading experts in the field. SCM makes sure goods are where they need to be when they need to be there. Despite the complexities of SCM, at the bottom of it all and critical to the movement of most goods is the simple pallet. Read the rest of this entry »

November 15th is America Recycles Day (ARD). Started in 1997 to raise public awareness about the benefits of recycling, this event will be celebrated by hundreds of communities across our nation. Municipalities, schools, companies, and other organizations will conduct recycling-related activities to spread the message that recycling is good for our environment, economy, and society. So, with ARD’s thirteenth anniversary upon us, how well has America’s recycling rate improved during this time? Read the rest of this entry »

On November 15th, participate in America Recycles Day and help increase recycling awareness and participation in your community. Together we can increase the U.S.A. recycle rate.

No matter where we shop, the retail landscape is loaded with miscellaneous merchandise that tempts our impulses to gather and to purchase. Designed and packaged to best capture our attention, many goods are marketed in multi-material packaging to provide optimum shelf presence, safeguard product integrity, and reduce in-store pilferage. As a rule, multi-material packaging is not recycling friendly. Often comprised of both recyclable and non-recyclable materials, individual packaging components must be properly separated and sorted prior to reclamation. One such format, the blister pack, is both a merchandising marvel and an environmental nightmare. Read the rest of this entry »

Spread the word that plastic resin recycling symbols are missing on most blister-packed goods. Tell your friends and family to get the word out that plastic resin identification should be mandatory for all blister-packed goods. Let industry and government know we want blister-packs to be recycled. Let them know that mandatory plastic resin identification on blister packs is the first step toward making blister pack recycling a reality.

Double, double toil and trouble; fire burn and cauldron bubble”¹.

While this famous phrase may conjure up thoughts of witches concocting a potion, it surely doesn’t represent all the Halloween fun we have carving pumpkins, trick or treating, and dressing up for costume parties. This year Americans will spend $1.8 billion dollars on candy, $1.6 billion dollars on decorations, $2.0 billion dollars on costumes, and almost $350 million on greeting cards. After the holiday, tons and tons of candy wrappers, rotting pumpkins, polystyrene and latex masks, glow sticks, inflatable lawn decorations, and even pet costumes will end up in our landfills. As a nation are we under some sort of “throw away” spell?” Read the rest of this entry »

Make greener holiday choices this Halloween. Before choosing your costume or any decoration ask yourself, “Can I recycle this?” Let your neighbors know you are trying to make greener choices, so they wil make greener choices too. Don’t throw away your Halloween, recycle it!

For several years now, the disposable plastic shopping bag has been a worldwide, much debated, often legislated, environmental issue.  Extreme opinions exist at both ends of the spectrum.  Proponents of the disposable, plastic shopping bag argue that this inexpensive, handy tote can be reused and recycled.  Oppositionists claim the disposable plastic bag does so much damage to the environment that it must be banned.  All opinions aside, new reclamation technologies may soon enable these much debated bags to be not only recycled, but biodegraded.  Viola! Eco-friendly, disposable, plastic shopping bags!! Read the rest of this entry »

Always recycle your used plastic shopping bags at your local grocer or big box store. Also, let your friends know that research has been long underway to make polyethylene plastic shopping bags biodegradable.