2/13/09

 

The Take Out Green Dilemma

Who *doesn't* enjoy bringing home leftovers from your favorite restaurant?
My favorite take-home food is leftover Bandito's nachos (which you can never possibly consume at one sitting!). There is nothing like waking up the next day, padding into the kitchen, and sinking yer fork into layers of cold, marinated, nacho yumminess for breakfast.

Now that I've made some of you hungry and some of you ill (depending on your view of leftover nachos for breakfast), let's stop for a moment and consider...
(from Iconocast)

"Styrofoam - Alarming Statistics

Did you know that over 25,000,000 styrofoam cups go into landfills every year? Styrofoam makes up 25% of our landfill space and is not recyclable, so any cup you use today will still be around 500 years from now. Incinerating styrofoam is not an acceptable alternative to burying the impervious material, as it gives off over 90 different hazardous chemicals, including styrene vapors and dioxin."

A *lot* of my friends are restaurant owners.
(And yes, please support and eat in your local community restaurants!)
But the biodegradable, environmentally restaurant packaging is not able to compete in price with existing conventional styrofoam / plastic takeout products.

It is something Jocelyn Tice, owner of Green Duck, an environmentally-friendly packaging and materials company, acknowledges and laments. But restaurants also want to do the right thing and are aware their customers expect them to reduce waste.

How to resolve this dilemma?
Well, my little brain might have come up with a challenge for restaurants considering and pondering this:

Restaurant Owners: Here's my challenge:

• Invest $100 in biodegradable takeout containers.
• Train your staff.
• When a table is finished and would like to box up their meal, with a friendly smile offer:
• "Sure! You may choose one of two options: You many have our existing containers for free, OR for 20 cents, you can take home your leftovers in an environmentally-friendly, biodegradable, corn or sugar-cane based container. What will it be?"
• You allow your customers to choose and vote with their dollar power (I bet I can tell ya how they'll respond! : ) ), allowing them to pay for their contribution to greening their favorite restaurant.
• You, as a restaurant, might consider signage proclaiming that depending on this trial period, if the restaurant utilizes all the biodegradeable products within the week, you will continue to order. Make it a friendly challenge to your customers! Encourage them to send their friends to your restaurant to eat and prove to you their appreciation for using earth-friendly take out ware!
• Currently Green Duck is offering 10% off if, when placing your order, you say, "Copeland is cool." (hee hee)
  

...See what other local restaurants and organizations have to say about using earth-friendly products!

Labels: green

2/5/09

 

Richmond's Twestival! Feb 12, Twitter For A Good Cause

Date:	Thursday, February 12, 2009
Time:	5:00pm - 8:00pm
Location:	The Camel
Street:	1621 W. Broad Street

The mission of Twestival.
Right now 1.1 billion people on the planet don't have access to safe, clean drinking water. That's one in six of us. Many communities in developing nations often have a plentiful supply of clean drinking water just below the ground, but no way to get to it. This is where charity: water and their partner organizations come in. Drilling a well can cost from $4,000 - $12,000 USD and many living on less than $1 a day cannot afford one in their community, even if the money is combined.

On 12 February 2009, 180+ international cities will be hosting a Twestival to bring Twitter communities together in an effort to raise money for charity: water. Twestival is organized 100% by volunteers around the world and 100% of the money raised from these events will go directly to support charity: water projects. By rallying together globally, under short timescales, for a single aim on the same day, the Twestival hopes to bring awareness to this global crisis.

Want to attend?

Then please donate here and we'll see ya on February 12th at The Camel!

...So now you know a bit more about Twestival and twitter.

But let's look at how people are contributing, locally!
(If you come across something, please email it to me, I will be happy to share!)

I just received this nice video from Rob Major, a local graphic artist, who, on the fly, created a lovely video last night (below) about Twestival and took it a step further with social: Rob would like more followers.
He currently (as I type) has 275 followers. IF he reaches 1,000 followers, he will give $100 to charity:water, the nonprofit Twestival will benefit.

In my mind he requested 'sponsors' in followers-- Kinda like when your friends ask you to sponsor them in the 10k Charity Race, 'cept on Twitter not only do you sponsor them by becoming followers, now ya have to LISSEN to 'em! Hahaha! Good luck, Rob, and everyone enjoy his video, below!

Labels: Twestival, twitter

2/3/09

 

Are You An Architect? Are You Social?

Our friend Su Butcher has compiled a nice directory of architects on twitter, The Architects Twitter League.

Su Butcher is a practice manager for No-nonsense Architects Barefoot & Gilles. She tweets on the UK Property Industry. London, Suffolk, Essex, UK. You can follow her on twitter at www.twitter.com/subutcher.


...And we've very much enjoyed her blog, Just Practicing.

If you are an architect or in the construction industry, you might enjoy these voices.
...I know I have!

Curious about who in architecture / green industry is on twitter, locally in Richmond, Virginia?
Off the top of my head I would include:
www.twitter.com/greenmodernkits

(Ahem, that would be our sister firm, www.GreenModernKits.com who also speaks for www.GreenCottageKits.com and www.GreenCabinKits.com)

www.twitter.com/fullscale : Scott Kyle of Full Scale Architecture
www.twitter.com/constructionlaw : Chris Hill of Durrette Bradshaw discusses construction law and legal issues arising with green legislation.

Contact us to discuss these case studies or for more information on architecture and green organizations and how the web has benefited them!

If you are in a Richmond architecture or green practice and on twitter, please contact me (www.twitter.com/copelandcasati) and I will add you to the list!

Labels: twitter

 

Balking at Social for B2B? Here's how to overcome hurtles within your organization.

Just stumbled across a good overview on why your inhouse marketing and decision people might be resistant to expanding into new venues on the web and how your organization can implement effectively and understand the potential for opportunity.

In 2009/2010 I believe platforms like FaceBook, twitter, YouTube, etc. are where your professional and personal identity merge even for non-tech businesses (which it did for our firm awhile ago).

Don't be afraid; yes you need to tailor / edit yourself (which I do rarely ; ) ), but instead see it as opportunity to get your message in front of new enthusiasts.

This article gives a simple overview, read it here: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/SMC/70496

But before you start encouraging your employees to air their voices with swagger, I encourage you to read about encouraging a Company Team vs. individualizing the voice: (via Livingston Communications:)
http://www.livingstonbuzz.com/2009/02/03/team-social-media/

Labels: social media