Creating items from plastic bottles, it seems, is the hot new to-do item on the corporate checklist these days. Coca-Cola created a recycled-bottle t-shirt for the Olympics to promote its new recycling efforts. Now Nike has created jerseys from recycled plastic bottles for World Cup players.

Late last month, Nike announced that it is providing what it called “the most environmentally-friendly and technologically-advanced kit in football’s history.” The new uniforms, which will be worn by international superstars like Ronaldo, Robinho, Ji-Sung Park, are made from up to eight recycled plastic bottles.

“This summer in South Africa, Nike will give footballers an edge by providing the newest and most innovative product for the game’s greatest players,” said Charlie Denson, Nike brand president, in a recent press release. “With today’s announcement, we are equipping athletes with newly designed uniforms that not only look great and deliver performance benefits, but are also made with recycled materials, creating less impact on our environment.”

Not only are these uniforms created from bottles that would have ended up in landfills, but using recycled polyester saves raw materials, and Nike believes it reduces energy consumption by up to 30 percent. The company estimates that they’ve prevented 13 million plastic bottles from going to landfills by using recycled polyester. That’s nearly 560,000 pounds of polyester waste.

Nike also has added some performance innovations, which they say will keep players cooler, drier, and more comfortable on the field. They include:

• Improved Dri-Fit Fabric that is 15 percent lighter
• Ventilation zones on either side of the jersey increasing airflow by 7 percent
• 10 percent more stretch

Nike deserves some recognition for creating and promoting World Cup jerseys made from recycled bottles. Reducing the energy required to make jerseys by up to 30 percent, and preventing 13 millions plastic bottles from sitting in a landfill is commendable.

And while we are pleased that Nike has taken steps to develop products that use recycled materials, we wonder about all the water and chemical dyes that were needed to create those jerseys. What is being done to ensure that water is not wasted or polluted by chemicals? If the first step is to transition to recycled materials, the next should be to dye responsibly with AirDye or another environmentally sensitive process.

The world’s top 3,000 companies cause $2.2 trillion dollars in environmental damage per year, according to a study conducted by Trucost for the United Nations (U.N.). The Guardian reported that if these companies had to pay for the damage they are causing, it would wipe out nearly a third of their profits. If you add in the impact of other companies, plus government and household activities, the financial cost is far higher.

Eight years of research went into creating the report which will be published later this year. Richard Mattison, Trucost’s chief operating officer, explained to the Guardian that the goal of the report is to inform and encourage investors to pressure companies to reduce their environmental impact before governments are forced to step in.

Led by economist Pavan Sikhdev, the report may suggest that governments get rid of the billions of dollars in subsidies that they give to harmful and polluting industries each year. Tougher regulations or more taxes may be in store for companies that cannot clean up their act.  Companies need to get ahead of these environmental issues, and make real changes–not just new “green” marketing campaigns.

Mattison also told the Guardian, “What we’re talking about is a completely new paradigm. Externalities of this scale and nature pose a major risk to the global economy, and markets are not fully aware of these risks, nor do they know how to deal with them.”

The largest share of the $2.2 trillion in environmental damage is expected to stem from greenhouse gases emissions. Over use and pollution of freshwater also accounts for a large portion of the environmental damages tally. And while Trucost did not name which sectors caused the most damage ahead of the full report’s release, energy companies, heavy energy and water users, such as aluminum producers, clothing, food, and beverage companies, will be high on the list.

“Another major concern is the risk that companies simply run out of resources they need to operate,” Andrea Moffat of the US-based investor lobby group Ceres told the Guardian.

As we have previously written, water scarcity poses significant risks to companies. This report will confirm that the financial cost of damage being done to the environment is immense. Companies have a real incentive to reduce their negative impact on the environment. If the world reaches a crisis point (where water is scarce or polluted, fisheries collapse, or soil is no longer fertile) there could be a populous backlash against those deemed responsible for the damage.  If so, companies that change to environmentally-friendly operations now could save themselves from having to “pay” for the damages later.

And amid all the finger pointing that will ensue over how we got to a crisis scenario, governments could choose to impose new taxes and regulations to “protect the environment” moving forward. For example, India is considering taxing coal in order to pay for renewable energy development.

So our message to companies is this: Act now, for the good of your company, profits, and the planet. Start by…

• Looking at your business and supply chain from top to bottom.
• Eliminating waste and improve efficiencies. This will improve profitability and reduce your company’s environmental footprint.
• Examining new technologies to power your operations like the Bloom Box, reduce packaging, and adopt water-saving and emissions-saving technologies such as AirDye where you can.
• Creating benchmarks to reduce your environmental impact each year.
• Establishing incentives to encourage your employees to participate.

If we don’t act today, there may not be much profit in our businesses tomorrow.

photo credit: smoke stack from nixter / flickr

Just a quick post this Friday evening as the Colorep/Transprint team is behind-the-scenes at the fall 2010 ready-to-wear New York Fashion Week with Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra. And just like the SS2010 show, the boys from Brooklyn have maximized the unique design applications AirDye® technology makes possible and put out a stunning eco-friendly fall collection.

Jeffery took his camera underwater to capture the opalescence from the underside of a stingray and that became the  inspiration for this collection. But the pieces are far from feeling cold–the shimmering images of the sea are contrasted with warm, rich tones of deep rose with shimmering copper, gold, and plum. Each piece, be it a jacket, skirt, or dress is dramatically draped and emphasizes the contrasting colors.

Via Twitter, Faith Cummings said, “Color palette at Costello is so warm and perfect. I almost feel heat radiating from the clothes.”

playing up the contrasts

The collection has contrasting color palettes as well as contrasting fabrics. Costello Tagliapietra alternate between a soft jersey and a heavier more structured fabric. Typically for the bolero jackets, they’d need to be double-faced to achieve the contrasting colors, but with AirDye, Jeffery and Robert are able to achieve just the look they want with a single piece of fabric–much more sustainable. As Bonnie Julian, vice president of design for Transprint, puts it, “Using AirDye you can dye one side of the fabric one color and the other side can be completely different. Thus allowing the beauty of the cut, flow, and drape of the fabric to be completely in the hands of the designers. You lose that control when you have to use two pieces of fabric.”

Speaking of sustainability, the average piece in this fall 2010 ready-to-wear collection uses about four and a half yards of fabric. By using AirDye, each item saves between 350 and 450 gallons of water over traditional dye and decoration methods.

Naturally, we’ll have lots more photos and feedback soon. But here’s a quick tour of some other photos posted via Twitter:

photo credit: jezebeljenna – large photo

Oftentimes on this blog, we recommend that companies take steps to conduct themselves more responsibly, and with environmental consideration. While we realize that it is easier to campaign for change, than to actually change, we wouldn’t push for it if we didn’t believe that sensible solutions existed.

Take for instance, the use of banners and display products for trade shows, conferences, and expos. Most banners and display products that are created for a trade show have a limited use, and after the event is over, the product is thrown out.

Although these display products are an important tool for companies, they create an incredible amount of waste, and are environmentally harmful to produce. That’s why companies like Go Green Displays makes bamboo banner stands and Ditto Hangers sells hangers from recycled materials. These companies recognize that displaying your message need not be bad for the environment. For our part, we’ve created a solution we call ecobanner.

the problem with traditional banner products

Over 1.4 billion pounds of vinyl banner materials were consumed in North America in 2007–the majority of which ends up clogging landfills. The printing process includes heavy metals, solvents, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that pollute the air and water. Banner production also requires large amount of energy.

what is ecobanner?

Ecobanner is a display product made from post-consumer recycled materials. It is sustainable because it begins as recycled material, and gets recycled again after use. We start by purchasing recycled material from a manufacturer. Then we use AirDye® technology to create vibrant, high-quality display products for customers. When our customers are finished, they return the banners, which are then recycled, and the process repeats.

We’re thrilled that our high-quality display products happen to be environmentally friendly, and so are customers like Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Bill Manley, the brewing company’s communications coordinator, told us why Sierra Nevada picked ecobanner:

In 2010, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will celebrate its 30^th anniversary as a brewery. During that time, the brewery has grown from a small hand-built microbrewery into one of the most well respected craft breweries in the country. This growth has not come from extensive marketing campaigns or relentless television advertisements, but rather from the generous word-of-mouth recommendations of our fans. The way we represent ourselves is very important; we always want to send the right message. ecobanner helps us to send the right message both visually and philosophically.

Originally, we chose ecobanner because of the sustainable focus of the company. Our two businesses share similar philosophies when it comes to producing a superior product with the smallest possible environmental footprint. We both work toward goals of sustainable business practices and feel that environmental stewardship is necessary for the future.

In the past, the quality of printed material suffered when choosing recycled stock or sustainable methods. Ecobanner has completely changed that perception. Print quality, visibility, and durability have all improved since we switched to their banners and we couldn’t be happier.

On our blog we will continue to encourage companies to make choices with the environment in mind. And within our company, we will continue to create solutions that make the choice an easy one.

President Obama’s recent proclamation that the government must reduce its green house gas (GHG) emissions 28 percent by 2020 was not entirely altruistic. The measure will, by the administration’s figures, save between $8 and $11 billion in energy costs.

President Barack Obama participates in the CEQ Executive Order signing in the Oval Office, Oct. 5, 2009. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) recently told the New York Times, “The best thing about reducing energy use is that it’s not just good for the environment–it saves money, too.”

Federal departments and agencies are measuring their energy and fuel usage, and will submit a reduction plan to the White House Office of Management and Budget by June. Some agencies plan to achieve the reductions by switching to solar, wind, and geothermal energy. Others are using federal stimulus dollars to upgrade their auto fleet to hybrids.

“As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient,” said President Obama in a recent press release.  “Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution, and shift federal energy expenses away from oil and towards local, clean energy.”

ambitious targets

The reduction targets are part of Executive Order 13514, which requires agencies to measure, manage, and reduce GHG emissions to meet predetermined targets. However, the executive order goes further: It also calls for a reduction in water and waste. The following are highlights of the order:

• 30 percent reduction in vehicle fleet petroleum use by 2020;
• 26 percent improvement in water efficiency by 2020;
• 50 percent recycling and waste diversion by 2015;
• 95 percent of all applicable contracts will meet sustainability requirements

wanted: green ideas

To aid the government’s quest for efficiency, officials in November launched a program called the GreenGov challenge. GreenGov created a place where any of federal government’s 1.8 million employees could suggest ways to meet the environmental targets. The top ideas were passed along to the Steering Committee on Federal Sustainability. We liked the following submissions to the water efficiency section:

• “Xeriscaping”–plant native species and drought tolerant plants so that irrigation can be eliminated or reduced on federal properties.
• Capture rain water from building rooftops….
• Install water-saver shower heads in all federal fitness center showers.
• Stop subsidizing companies that produce corn-based ethanol. This has become a huge drain on the limited West Texas water supply. Instead, favor companies that produce ethanol using more complex/higher-energy grains or sugars in non-arid regions.

We want to thank the federal employees who participated in the GreenGov Challenge for contributing their ideas, and helping to shape the “greening” of our government. We are also pleased that the government’s focus is broader than reducing GHG emissions. And as the announcement stated, cutting waste and reducing energy and water usage will save the government some serious green.

We think that’s environmentalism everyone can get behind.