Ripple Glass

Keeping with the theme of Jeanee's recent post on climate change, I'm excited to post about a new Kansas City company that is impacting local recycling efforts in a big way. Under what is being called "the nation’s first self-contained metropolitan recycling system," Ripple Glass, which launches starting on November 1st, will help shatter the reluctance of Kansas City residents to recycle glass containers.

The Kansas City metro area has a pretty solid curbside recycling program, but that program no longer includes the pick of glass bottles and jars (pickup of bottles and jars in ended in 2003 due to the hazards of sorting broken glass and the problems of separating broken glass from other recyclables). When curbside pickup of glass ended, there were very few locations to recycle glass, so accessibility became an issue, and participation in glass recycling dropped drastically -- KC residents currently recycle only 5% of their glass, compared to the US average of over 28% -- eeeek!

That's where Stacia Stelk, Mike Utz, John McDonald and Jeff Krum, who also work for Boulevard Brewery, came up with a plan. Mike and John actually came to Hallmark about a year ago to present the Ripple Glass idea to Hallmark's Eco Team, an internal interest group focused on Hallmark's green initiatives. I was fortunate to see them present at that time. Their plan was simple: KC metro residents would be able to recycle their household glass (bottles, jars, etc.) at multiple area locations, the glass would then be picked up by a local company, taken to two local companies (Owens Corning and CertainTeed Corp), and recycled into fiberglass insulation and other products. They had me at hello, so to speak.

It took a little time, but they've now got all the logistics figured out, financing (by several local businesses) secured, and are ready to launch! I'm very excited that Hallmark has agreed to participate in the Ripple Glass efforts by having a glass drop-off bin right outside out building!

Read the full Ripple Glass story here, and if you're a KC local, support this program! With over 60 glass drop-off locations, 95% of metro residents will have less than a 5-minute drive to a drop-off location -- you have not reason not to support Ripple Glass! Thanks to Stacia, Mike, John and Jeff for seeing an opportunity to making a difference -- and to taking it!

Blog Action Day: climate change

Blog Action Day is today, October 15, 2009. Thousands of bloggers will unite to blog about a particular issue that is affecting our world on a grand scale. This year the topic is climate change.



Today I blogged on my blog about the connections between climate and food.

I talked about purchasing sustainable local food. Sustainable agriculture involves food production methods that are healthy, do not harm the environment, respect workers, are humane to animals, provide fair wages to farmers, and support farming communities.

At Hallmark we just completed the summer of a community supported agriculture program. Every Wednesday we picked up a bag of food from local Kanas City Farmers through Hen House. It was fun to get vegetables I'd never buy in the store. But next summer I need to be more adventurous and try to make more recipes. I threw some of the scary squashes away :(

Also, here are some local Kansas City spots that are supporting local farming.
In Kansas City, Bad Seed Farm Market is a local, natural & sustainable food producer marketing to nearby, conscientious consumers. Their farmer's market is open every Friday night, 4:30 - 9p (May thru Nov. 20th). They have a winter farmer's market also.

And... The Farmhouse in Kansas City has bi-weekly farm-to-table-dinners. Four courses meticulously planned for your enjoyment using only the most fresh ingredients available from the farms that week.

Buy local. Eat local.

200 Mile Radius - Home Grown

All week, most Hallmarks were looking forward to this particular presentation because we were promised free food. And they didn't disappoint...

Hilary Brown from Local Burger was our first presenter today. She told us about how she grew up feeling sick from all the food that she ate, which installed in her the dream of making healthy fast food in a casual environment. That's why in 2005, she opened up her fully organic, totally LOCAL restaurant. She went on to prove how healthy it actually was, by showing us her video "Localize Me" (get it? Like Supersize me? eh!?). It's about a man who eats all fast food, switches to only eating Local Burger, and sees a dramatic change for the better.
*note -Sergio was here! See what he thought here.

Next was BadSeed Farm. The vision of Farmer Brooke, a twenty something rebel, wanted to make food with LOVE. Her story was an inspirational one, where she grew up angry and "punk rock". Which led to her traveling the world, farming in foreign countries instead of becoming an artist. Which then led to her finding out that her place was back on her home soil. Now she teaches classes on how to start your own gardens, and you can find her food at the Organic Farmers' Market every friday night or at the City Market

Good Natured Family Farms' Diana Endicott told us about there plethora of organic and local foods that are sold locally through the Buy Fresh Buy Local program via Hen House Grocery stores. Products including: All Natural Beef, Free-Range Chicken, Farm Fresh Milk, All-Natural Pastured Pork, Local Honey, Farmhouse Cheese, Free-Range Eggs, Midwest Prairie Bison, Native, Wild Fruit Jellies, Local Farm Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, Free-Range Heritage Turkeys all from Kansas and Missouri.

To nosh on, Local Burger brought samples of all there burgers, and some deserts. BadSeed had homemade beer-bread and homemade organic apple-butter. Good Natured had pita chips and hummus, bison jerky, and cheese plates. Trust me, I had one of everything, and I didn't have ONE gripe. It might have been the best part of my day. Jeanee seemed to be enjoying every bite as well. But you can blame me for not having a picture of us doing so.

All of this goodness also inspired me to go out this weekend and get the supplies to start my own garden.

Happy Friday in Sunny KC. ;)
-Josh

PS. Check back Monday for photos. I had to leave work early today and i am posting from home without them. Sorry.

200 Mile Radius - Sustainability in Action

As I mentioned before, a big trend in culture is being green. One of the top experts in this field is Simran Sethi...

Right in our own backyard... Simran Seth, award-winning journalist, teaches courses on sustainability and environmental communications at the University of Kansas. Simran is named one of the top ten eco-heroes of the planet by the UK's Independent and lauded as the "environmental messenger" by Vanity Fair. Simran has contributed segments to the Nightly News with Brian Williams, The Oprah Winfrey Show (above photo recycling with Oprah), The Today Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show and Martha Stewart Show to name a few. She is committed to a redefinition of environmentalism that includes voices from the prairie, the inner city and the global community. Simran serves on the Sustainability Advisory Board in Lawrence, Kansas and is the Chair of the City's working group on climate change policy, education and outreach.

Her unique approach to fighting "the good fight" left me without words (even now i am having trouble writing this). She explains the concept that changing the way we live in general will have it's impact on the environment. She touched on subjects such as: communities & relationships, clothing, energy, transportation, media consolidation, fostering art, commerce, nature, waste, and even how global issues like terrorism can relate to climate change. Very interesting.
Since Simran is from our area, her talk was focused on what our region is doing, and could be doing to better itself. Specifically, she mentioned Kansas and wind-power, and preserving the Haskell-Baker Wetlands—577 acres, inhabited by 312 different species. Below is a piece she did for the Sundance Channel on the success of Greensburg, Kansas (which she showed part of at the presentation).


The Good Fight

I'm personally glad she is part of my 200 Mile Radius.

Green :: Double-bonus!

It's on everyone's mind: the economy, high gas prices, the environment, global warming... The list goes on. But starting October 1, Hallmark employees can rest a little easier with some help from the powers that be here at our World Headquarters.

To help offset continued high gas prices and encourage mass transit, Hallmark is offering financial incentives for employees who choose to take a bus or vanpool to work. Hallmark is now subsidizing half the total cost of a monthly bus pass for the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (The Metro) or Johnson County Transit (The Jo) for employees who opt to use these methods of transit. Vanpools are also available to employees. Here are some sweet details:

-Kansas City employees may purchase one monthly bus pass for their personal use using payroll deduction (yay!)
-Vanpool riders pay a monthly fee, also payroll deducted, that varies based on mileage and the number of van passengers. (sweet!)
-Employees who drive a van commute for free and may use the van — which Hallmark provides — for personal driving as well (wow!)
-Hallmarkers who commute by bus or vanpool also are guaranteed two free taxi rides home each year in the event of emergencies or illness. (awesome!) This benefit also is available to carpool participants or bicycle commuters. (excellent!)

Double-bonus: Hallmark helps pay for mass-transit and We lessen our impact on the environment! Gosh, we work for a great company!

Uptown Theatre Green Festival

The Uptown Theater is organizing its first annual Uptown Green Festival for the weekend of August 23-24, 2008.

This festival will be held on the grounds of the Uptown Theatre and the Uptown Shoppes (formerly the Valentine Shopping Center), and will feature local and national businesses and organizations that are devoted to promoting a green and eco-friendly lifestyle, as well as food and beverage vendors, and live music entertainment.

>>> click on the flyer to view the details <<<

more info...

Green :: Kaleidoscope

Located just across the sidewalk from Hallmark's World Headquarters in the Crown Center area of Kansas City, is a child's creative wonderland, Kaleidoscope.

Since 1969, school-age youngsters have been turning scraps from Hallmark's manufacturing processes into anything their minds desire. Shiny papers, foils, die-cut shapes, cardboard, zigs and zags, ribbons, bows, and lots of other "jazzy junk" become costumes, crowns, piggy banks, masks, and more within this creative experience for children -- no parents allowed!

Other features include family art classes, independent art classes, summer workshops, Earth Day activities, themed programming that changes every few weeks, a Hallmark Illustrators and Writers series, special programs for art educators, and rock-bottom prices on tons of awesome art supplies for art classrooms.

I don't know about you, but it makes me want to be a kid again!

Green :: Ahead of the Curve

I found a very interesting article on our intranet site this week written by Hallmark's CEO, Don Hall, Jr.. In it, he talks about environmental responsibility at Hallmark as "nothing new." Don goes on to say,

"Hallmark was an early leader in practices that many companies have adopted more recently. We began recycling paper in 1943, started our van pool program in 1978, installed a solvent recovery system for gift wrap in 1981, moved to water-based ink in 1993 and began replacing the ballasts in our fluorescent lights in 1997 to increase energy efficiency."

As I visit college campuses throughout the U.S. each year, I am often asked, "How is a company known for paper-based products becoming more environmentally responsible?" Among the many green initiatives at Hallmark (click the label "green" to see more green entries), I found it fascinating that our company was on the forefront of recycling paper, way back in 1943.

It wasn't until 1970 that The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed by President Nixon, and finally, in 1989, the EPA set a 25% national waste reduction and recycling goal, resulting in 26 states adopting comprehensive laws making recycling an integral part of solid waste management (source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).

I'm proud to work for a company that has been investing in a cleaner, greener Earth since 1943.

Green :: Buy Fresh, Buy Local

Buying local has many earth-friendly benefits. For one, it reduces transportation costs and environment-destroying, energy-wasting long hauls. It also keeps money in the local economy, and cuts out the middle-man, leaving us with straight-from-the-garden, fresh produce.

Hallmark has partnered with Good Natured Family Farms, an alliance of over 100 family farms within 200 miles of Kansas City, to provide locally grown fruits and vegetables for Hallmark employees to purchase in The Café. There is a large wooden cart of veggies in The Café each week (I'll take a pic soon to add to this post) that contains fresh veggies for sale: squash, heirloom tomatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, and much more. Also, every Wednesday during the lunch hour, representatives from the farms are there to answer questions and give out free samples! My fave: the heirloom tomatoes!

For more info on buying local in KC, check out Kansas City Food Circle, a grassroots organization created to promote the development of a permanently sustainable local food system, and Kansas City Community Gardens, a not-for-profit organization that provides self-help and educational assistance to low-income people, children and community groups in the metropolitan area to grow their own food from garden plots located in backyards, vacant lots, schoolyards and at community sites.

Green :: Donating Products for the Greater Good

Every business has some level of unsold products, and it can be a challenge to dispose of those products efficiently and responsibly. For Hallmark, the answer for many years has been to donate excess product inventory to help enrich the lives of less-fortunate people.

From 2006 to 2007, Hallmark doubled its product giving to a group of pre-approved charitable agencies serving the communities in which Hallmark operates. “By donating surplus products, we can support our core mission of enriching lives by strengthening relationships,” says Brenda, from Hallmark's Corporate Contributions Group. “We also minimize expenses associated with discarding products and keep those products out of landfills, which is environmentally responsible.”

Here are just a few examples of the organizations that Hallmark has benefited, while at the same time, keeping excess product out of landfills.

City Union Mission, which distributed last year’s Father’s Day T-shirts and boxer shorts to homeless men.
Harvesters, which packs Hallmark plates, napkins and cups along with canned food for its member agencies.
Head Start, where teachers use Hallmark stickers and stuffed animals to encourage good behavior.
The Guadalupe Center, which includes a senior center, youth development, and drug rehabilitation program, decorates the facility with piñatas and other party decorations.
Della Lamb Community Services, which takes bridal shower invitations and uses them for writing practice by refugees learning English through its adult education program.

More KC Rankings...

Folks, I'm telling ya...

Next to Beijing, Moscow, Seattle, and other fab cities, KC, MO also made Fast Company's latest List of 12 Fast Cities.

Also, boasting affordable housing, terrific schools, and top of the line entertainment, KC ranks 6th on Kiplinger's list of 50 Smart Places to Live.

And if you are still wondering if KC is a great place to live, check out our strides toward sustainability, in this article, which highlights KC's "Sustainable Skylins" initiative.

Green :: Food Composting

The first things that come to mind when I hear the word "recycling" are newspapers, plastic bottles, and soda cans. But I usually don't think about recycling food scraps.

Food is actually the second heaviest waste stream in our landfills. And the cafeteria within Hallmark (The Crown Room) feeds a few thousand people each day, you can imagine that there will be food waste. So, we're doing something about it!

Here is how it works: Each year, Hallmark’s kitchen workers scrap the food, paper and bones off dishes into a sink with a grinder. It comes out on the other end as 130 tons of kitchen waste, which is ground into compost. The result: organic compost free of pesticides and herbicides, which feeds a local rain garden of native Missouri plants.

Click on this video link to watch a recent news spot by NBC Action News (KC NBC affiliate) on Hallmark's Food Composting initiative (there is a 15 second advertisement, and then the story will start).

Green :: Lights Off!

Remember when your parents used to constantly remind you to turn off the lights around the house? Part II in my "Green" post-series discusses "Lights Off," an ongoing contest here at Hallmark.

Recently, a team of 18 volunteer Hallmarkers wandered the office complex between 6:30 and 7:30PM, checking over 5400 (!) cubicles for lights left on. Why? Electricity is 75% of our carbon footprint and lighting counts for most of it.

A summary of their findings was displayed outside the cafe shortly after their endeavor: Of the over 5400 cubicles counted, 472, or 8.7% had lights on (the summary was broken down by floor number and section, so you could see just how good-or not so good-your area fared). 91.3% with lights off is pretty good, actually, but there's obviously room for improvement.

So, each area now has an opportunity to practice improvement! Each quarter, a volunteer team will count lights left on. To the areas 1) that show the greatest percent of improvement and 2) that have the greatest percentage of lights off, goes a celebratory bagel breakfast!

Green....

.... is not just a modern-day buzzword here at Hallmark. Throughout our company, we're doing all sorts of things to reduce our carbon footprint and decrease our impact on the environment. To prove it, I'll be posting examples of our green initiatives each week. Here's the first!



For one of our largest mass-channel retail partners, WalMart, we created this line of green cards. These sweet cards hit the end cap displays in the card section of most WalMart stores nationwide this summer.

From the back of each card: "These little cards are greener than most because they are made from half sugarcane by-products and half recycled paper. That means no new trees were cut down to make the. So not only are they fun to send, but they're extra good for the earth, too."

Not only are they earth-friendly, but they only cost $0.94 each, so they're good for your pocketbook too!

For more posts about green initiatives at Hallmark, look for our new logo, or click on the "green" label.

TrendPlant ACTIVITIES

At Hallmark we have a cool trends department ran by Marita and Scott. They chose 8 employees to meet on a monthly basis to develop our research skills. I'm so happy to be in this group to sharpen my research skills. The group is called TrendPlant.

For this month's theme was customization. So I suggested we do a swap. What's a swap? Well, everyone makes a list of their likes and dislikes of their hobbies and such. Then we drew names and kept our swap partner a secret. Kinda like secert Santa. The swap theme was green, the color and eco-friendly items.

Here is a photo of everyone's packages today. They all look so nice!!!


These are some of the items I gave my swap partner.


This is the package I received.

I like to cook and I don't have any bamboo cooking utensils. So that was a super fun thing to receive!

After we opened our goodies Marita took us out to the Leawood, KS in•gre•di•ent location.

They've been open for a month. I've been to the Lawrence, KS once and they are opening one on the Plaza soon.

I ordered mahi tacos.


We ate outside. There were colorful chairs and a oversized plant bucket water fountain.


It was a fun afternoon. And it was work too!!!

Love these!

Going green... I spotted these earth-friendly cards while on a recruiting trip a few weeks back. Check out more of Compendium's cards, hang tags, invitations, books, and journals. Fun stuff with inspiring messages and reminders of the good things in life.

ARTIST TRADING CARDS

Every other month I host an Artist Trading Card (ATC) trade at Hallmark.

ATCS are 2.5 x 3.5 inch miniature works of art which artists trade with one another. It's a fun exercise to do and get off the computer and make some art! There are so many talented people here at Hallmark. You never know that a writer can illustrate or a photographer can sew!

I've been having the trades for almost 2 years now. It started with some co-workers on my team and then word got around and folks from different departments come out to trade.

This month the theme for the trade was "go green." Everyone went GREEN and used recycled materials to make their ATCs. Here are some cards form the trade.





You can see more at my other blog.

SmartDesign :: Smart Car

As part of Earth Week at Hallmark, we had an exhibition of earth-friendly options for Hallmarkers: new earth-friendly product, ridesharing information, bus passes for purchase, recycling information, eco-goals for Hallmark's Corporate Headquarters, and sign-ups for eco-friendly volunteer events (like Wild Saturday at the KC Zoo, where you help clean up and plant new trees, flowers, and shrubs at the KC Zoo for a day).

There was something for everyone, but the most exciting part of the display for me was the SmartCar! I hadn't seen a SmartCar in person since I studied abroad in Roma, IT in 2003 (I think I was nearly run over by one several times... they are zippy little things!). It was yellow and oh-so-fun -- 10x better than the re-designed VW Bug and the Mini Cooper combined!

Oh, and if there's ever a SmartCar on display in your corporate headquarters, don't try to open the door..... car alarms are loud.... (In my own defense, I wasn't trying to steal it -- I'm a designer!! I like to look with my eyes and with my hands!)