Kudos to eBay for introducing its shipper box that is supposed to be reused, sent from eBay seller to buyers, and then sent further along, until the end of its useful life.

Made of 100% FSC-certified and recycled material, it is designed to use minimal tape and to be able to withstand multiple use.

Hopefully these stylish bozes will become a status symbol for eBay members, and help to encourage reusing of boxes to other industries, especially any company in the mail order business. Perhaps Amazon, Dell, Lands’ End, Apple and other large-volume shippers will create their own boxes to encourage reuse, rather than recycling.

“Our company been reusing boxes since 1986,and have heard favorable feedback from our customers”, says Robert Piller, President of Eco Marketing Solutions. He continues. “Several companes have a kraft-colored spray paint that can be used to mask over old labels and scuff marks– rendering these reused boxes as good as new”.

For companies that are going green or are looking to reduce their carbon footprint, small changes like reusing boxes and other shipping supplies, go a long way and show your clients that you are “walking the walk”. Perhaps companies can include a decal or insert sheet (both made of recycled material) ecplaining why reused boxes are being sent out – and to encourage the recipients to do the same. Think of the number of trees that can be saved if every company made it their goal to reuse their shipping boxes at least one time.

Remember, going green is a state of mind– and small changes can begin at the top, as well as in the shipping department.

Help make Every Day Earth Day.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and environmentally-friendly promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive eco-friendly advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

Although the California Senate voted to reject the planned ban of plastic bags from grocery, drug and certain convenience stores, that doesn’t mean that retailers should not be encouraging their use.

Despite this week’s statewide vote, leaders in many California communities, including Los Angeles and Santa Monica, are pursuing local plastic bag bans similar to the ones already in effect in California cities such as San Francisco, Palo Alto, Fairfax and Malibu. Nationally, Washington, D.C. now charges five cents for paper and plastic bags, while the city government in Austin, TX, is debating whether to ban plastic shopping bags altogether.

Every retailer should encourage reusable tote and shopping bags by offering them at their store—either free or for purchase at a nominal fee. Not only does it help to have industry self-policing, but it can make economic sense too—as every tote bag with your logo is like a walking billboard, advertising your company.

According to an industry study that I had mentioned in a previous blog, the average imprinted tote bag is seen by 12,000 people per year. Cost per impression is under a penny per view—so why wouldn’t every retailer use eco-friendly, reusable tote bags?

If the bags are under $3, offer them free with a $25 purchase, and have extras available for sale at $5. The ones that you sell will help to offset the ones you give away—so basically, you will have free advertising, while doing your part to reduce the carbon footprint of your customers—and keep the legislature away from your industry.

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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and environmentally-friendly promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive eco-friendly advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green. The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

GE has announced the closure of their last U.S. incandescent light bulb factory, which was located in Lexington, KY.

This is mostly due to new federal legislation calls for a switch to energy-efficient bulbs, making incandescent lights obsolete. “Market decline for incandescent types of bulbs has accelerated with governments around the world setting new standards for efficiency,” said Roy Wilson, general manager of GE’s North America Lighting Manufacturing in a written statement.

Now, there will be three types of bulbs to replace them: Compact fluorescent lights (CFL), light-emitting-diode lamps (LED) lights and MR16 halogen bulbs.

Compact fluorescent lights, which use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs, are increasingly replacing Thomas Edison’s original invention on the market.

LED lights have been sold at Home Depot and a few other locations are starting to take hold in America. Although an LED will produce roughly the same amount of light per watt of electricity as a compact fluorescent, its advantages are that is fully dimmable and lasts longer than incandescent bulbs.

MR16, which are usually halogen, are only slightly more efficient than a standard incandescent and too small to allow for a fluorescent version. They do not fit into existing lighting fixtures, as they have two small metal pins and a flat face no more than a few inches across, these are mostly used in accent lighting in kitchens or retail stores.

Thomas Edison’s incandescent bulb lasted over 130 years, an amazingly long success for any technological invention. Dozens of new lighting methods, systems, discoveries and inventions will surely come and go over the next century.

Out with the old; In with the new. What will lighting be in 2110? I can only imagine it will be more powerful, more ubiquitous and more efficient.
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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and environmentally-friendly promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive eco-friendly advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green.  The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.

It has been reported that ULC Standards has acquired TerraChoice, the managers of Canada’s EcoLogo program.  This consolidation might make it easier for consumers to differentiate between green claims—so as to compare apples to apples.

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Robert Piller, experienced in green marketing campaigns and environmentally-friendly promotional products. His web site includes a comprehensive eco-friendly advertising specialty search, featuring over 250,000 eco promotional items in all price ranges, for any business or organization interested in going green.  The site’s handy search tool helps you easily find recyclable, biodegradable, organic or recycled imprinted promotional items in your price range and time frame. View the Go Green website at EcoMarketingSolutions.com and comment on his blog postings at GreenSpotBlog.com.