Complying with the Environmental Marketing Guides

To read the entire guide on the FTC Website Click Here

This publication provides the FTC Staff's view of the law's requirements.
It is not binding on the Commission.

Introduction

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks to prevent deception and unfairness in the marketplace. The FTC Act gives the Commission the power to bring law enforcement actions against false or misleading marketing claims, including environmental or "green" marketing claims. The FTC issued its Environmental Guides, often referred to as the "Green Guides," in 1992, and revised them most recently in 1998. The Guides indicate how the Commission will apply Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices, to environmental marketing claims.

Like other industry guides issued by the FTC, the Environmental Guides "are administrative interpretations of laws administered by the Commission for the guidance of the public in conducting its affairs in conformity with legal requirements." Conduct that is inconsistent with the positions in the Environmental Guides may result in corrective action by the Commission, if after investigation, the Commission has reason to believe that the conduct violates prohibitions against unfair or deceptive acts or practices.

The Environmental Guides apply to all forms of marketing for products and services: advertisements, labels, package inserts, promotional materials, words, symbols, logos, product brand names, and marketing through digital or electronic media, such as the Internet or email. They apply to any claim, express or implied, about the environmental attributes of a product, package or service in connection with the sale, offering for sale or marketing of the product, package or service for personal, family or household use, or for commercial, institutional or industrial use. See the complete text of the Environmental Guides.

This booklet provides the FTC staff's view of the law's requirements. It is not binding on the Commission.

Environmental Marketing Claims

The FTC looks at all advertising from the consumer's perspective: what message does the advertising actually convey to consumers? The Environmental Guides explain how consumers are likely to interpret environmental marketing claims so that marketers can avoid making false or misleading claims. The Guides give environmental claims the meaning that consumers give them, not necessarily the technical or scientific definition of terms. Also, they do not establish standards for environmental performance or prescribe testing protocols.

For environmental claims that the Guides do not address specifically, FTC law requires substantiation for all reasonable interpretations of an ad. Sometimes, it may be necessary to do research to determine how consumers interpret an ad.

Clysar Goes Green With New PLAnet™ Shrink Film Packaging

11/4/2008
Source : Deb Fiebig: SPARK Advertising

First balanced, biodegradable film for the display market made from 100 percent corn.

OSHKOSH, WI - Nov. 4, 2008 — Clysar responds to the global green initiative with the introduction of a new, biodegradable shrink film called PLAnet™. Created to meet the sustainable demands continuing to grow in the packaging industry, this proprietary PLA (polylactic acid) film offers significant marketing clout to customers who want to boost their environmental image.

The need to find viable alternatives to oil-based raw materials has never been stronger. That's why Clysar utilized its considerable knowledge and resources to develop viable, sustainable PLA technology. PLAnet is made from renewable cornstarch, which requires up to 50 percent less fossil fuels than traditional hydrocarbon resins. This corn-based film reduces the output of greenhouse gases during production, and it doesn't emit toxic fumes when incinerated.

"With PLAnet, we took a comprehensive look at the environmental impact the packaging would have during its entire life cycle," said William M. Hare, Clysar's vice president of sales & marketing. "PLAnet requires less water usage than other polymers, reduces oil consumption by half and can be composted, making it a wholly renewable packaging option that sits very well with consumers and brand managers." PLAnet™ has some of the same attributes found in many top-quality, polyolefin lines, such as Clysar® LE Gold and ShrinkBox®. It offers eye-catching, high-gloss printing and on-package sparkle as well as amazing clarity. Best of all, PLAnet performs under the same conditions as polyolefin packaging and can be run on standard shrink packaging equipment with minimal modifications.

"We're always looking for efficient, cost-effective ways to help build relationships on every level. From an OEM to a distributor, and from retailers to end users, packaging can and should build positive associations from the ground up," said Hare.

While PLAnet is not a broad-based solution for every product or company, it continues to support Clysar's position as the leading innovator in packaging, providing total packaging solutions for a wide variety of markets.

For more information on Clysar PLAnet and recommended applications, call 1-888-4CLYSAR (1-888-425-9727) or email clysar@bemis.com. Check out PLAnet at Pack Expo, Booth S-2505.

To Lear More Please Click Here...

What is Greenwashing?

It’s Whitewashing, But With a Green Brush.

To Lear More Click On This Link

Everyone’s heard the expression “whitewashing” — it’s defined as “a coordinated attempt to hide unpleasant facts, especially in a political context.”

“Greenwashing” is the same premise, but in an environmental context.

It’s greenwashing when a company or organization spends more time and money claiming to be “green” through advertising and marketing than actually implementing business practices that minimize environmental impact. It’s whitewashing, but with a green brush.

A classic example might be an energy company that runs an advertising campaign touting a “green” technology they’re working on — but that “green” technology represents only a sliver of the company’s otherwise not-so-green business, or may be marketed on the heels of an oil spill or plant explosion.

Or a hotel chain that calls itself “green” because it allows guests to choose to sleep on the same sheets and reuse towels, but actually does very little to save water and energy where it counts — on its grounds, with its appliances and lighting, in its kitchens and with its vehicle fleet.

Or a bank that’s suddenly “green” because you can conduct your finances online, or a grocery store that’s “green” because they’ll take back your plastic grocery bags, or …

You get the picture.

Ecoflex® Biodegradable Plastic

Ecoflex® Biodegradable Plastic Ecoflex® is BASF's completely biodegradable and compostable plastic. It is ideal for trash bags or disposable packaging as it decomposes in compost within a few weeks or in soil without leaving any residues. Ecoflex is designed to process like Low Density Polyethylene into films, bags or coatings. It does not require drying and is shelf and warehouse stable for one year. Global Certification Ecoflex® biodegradable plastic is certified by the Biodegradable Products Institute in North American via ASTM D6400, and has biodegradable certifications with the European Standard EN 13432 on compostability as well as the Japanese standard GreenPla. Certification is very important for biodegradable materials, as they ensure materials will swiftly and safely biodegrade in the environment. Ecoflex® grades are part of PlasticsPlus™, BASF's name for a specialty plastics line that includes high-performance styrenics, biodegradable materials, and foams. Wherever exacting requirements have to be met, the experts and products from PlasticsPlus™ supply a particularly high level of diversity, reliability, partnership, and innovation. Back

. . . . : : : : Ecoflex® Grades : : : : . . . .

Ecoflex F BX 7011 A flexible plastic designed for film extrusion and extrusion coating. Ecoflex® F BX 7011 comes closer than any other biodegradable plastic to the processing properties of LDPE and LLDPE. Blown film extrusion is a particular area where Ecoflex® F shows well-balanced processing properties, and the resin can also be used in extrusion coating applications. Ecoflex F requires no predrying prior to extrusion. Antiblock and Slip additives are recommended and are available from BASF.

For more information contact:
Keith A. Edwards
Ecoflex® Product Manager
Ph: 973-245-7063
keith.edwards@basf.com

Recyclable Packaging Ranks Highest With Consumers

Feb 24, 2009

-By Becky Ebenkamp

Here’s the tricky thing about sustainable packaging: While it’s not a primary purchase motivator for most people, a blatant disregard for it may turn off consumers, who have increasing expectations for brands to incorporate green business practices.

In The Hartman Group’s Sustainability Outlook: The Rise of Consumer Responsibility, the Bellevue, Wash.-based firm interviewed 1,600 people and identified 88% of the population as members of the "world of sustainability." (Interestingly, while the majority of Americans identify with the term, only half can define it.)

The study found that the ability to have some kind of afterlife is the packaging feature that matters to them most—being recyclable reigned supreme. Three in four consumers (75 percent) ranked the ability to return a product’s vessel to the consumer marketplace via curbside bins as either “very important” or “important.” The feature that ranked next in packaging preference was biodegradability (71 percent). Oddly, both these choices outranked minimal packaging (62 percent), which one would think would require less recycling and biodegrading—or exertion to create—in the first place.

These choices were followed by containers composed of recycled content (67 percent), refillable containers (63 percent), containers that are reusable for other purposes (60 percent) and compostables (51 percent).

“Consumers are increasingly aware of the back-end—where it goes when it enters their home and after they touch it,” said Alison Worthington, The Hartman Group’s managing director of sustainability. “Packaging is also a great way to communicate your sustainability message. The No. 1 thing people will respond to is how it's disposed of—the three Rs [Reduce, Reuse, Recycle].”

Despite greenwashing concerns, Worthington said that environmentally friendly claims on packages aren’t met with a sarcastic eye roll most of the time. According to her study, 82% of consumers said they think brands’ green claims are mostly true and 42% said they view a certification from a third party on a package as an important factor in their decision-making process about which sustainable benefits are believable.

To view entire article or more at Brand Week click here

Kentucky Basketball Goes Green

Web Produced: Jessica Noll Email: Jessica.Noll@kypost.com Last Update: 2/18 6:09 pm

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Most will be wearing Kentucky blue, some will don Tennessee orange, but everyone will be going green when the Wildcats take on the Volunteers at Rupp Arena Feb. 21. The University of Kentucky (UK) vs. the University of Tennessee (UT) basketball game is going green. Big Blue Sports Marketing, which is managed by IMG College, and AT&T Real Yellow Pages are partnering to sponsor their first phone book recycling program at the Feb 21 game. All fans who bring an outdated directory to Rupp arena will receive an AT&T Real Yellow Pages prize pack. Tip off is scheduled at 1 p.m. Eastern time, and the game will be televised by CBS. “Big Blue Sports Marketing is proud to be working with AT&T Real Yellow Pages to recycle directories”, said Angela Haar, General Manager of Big Blue Sports Marketing/IMG College. “This is an effective way to bring awareness and help support environmental initiatives in Kentucky.” “This recycling program adds to AT&T’s numerous local recycling efforts across the southeast, and we’re happy to be part of Big Blue Sports Marketing’s first recycling program, “said Amy Friskney, AT&T Advertising Solutions area marketing manager. Sponsors of the event are AT&T Real Yellow Pages, LFUCG’s Waste Management and Big Blue Sports Marketing. The University of Kentucky has a long, proud history, and participating in this recycling effort adds another important chapter. Kentucky basketball has won seven national championships and the football team has three straight bowl wins. It also boasts perennial national powerhouse rifle and swim teams, and offers students the opportunity to participate in 22 intercollegiate sports. The university offers fans the opportunity to see intercollegiate sports at the highest level in the best conference in America – the Southeastern Conference. Wildcat teams boast more than 30 NCAA Championships, and 270 conference titles along with countless individual awards and honors.

Kentucky Post

10 Ways to Reduce Costs, Save Your Company and Look Like a Superstar!

Published in Catalog Success Magazine: http://www.catalogsuccess.com/blog/10-ways-reduce-costs-save-your-company-look-like-superstar-176209.html

Oct 14, 2008

I haven’t seen this much fear in the eyes of catalog marketers since right after Sept. 11 and the anthrax scare.
But all isn’t bad. I swear!
There’s an amazing opportunity in all of this chaos to streamline your business, strip away the dead wood in your budgets (like our presidential candidates promise they’ll do) and be a rock star in your company.

By Jim Gilbert

View More Posts

By now, we’re all feeling the pain caused by our faltering economy. Between Wall Street, Main Street and the seemingly never-ending election process, most people I know are freaked out; totally stressed; and terrified of losing their jobs, homes and more.

I haven’t seen this much fear in the eyes of catalog marketers since right after Sept. 11 and the anthrax scare.

But all isn’t bad. I swear!

There’s an amazing opportunity in all of this chaos to streamline your business, strip away the dead wood in your budgets (like our presidential candidates promise they’ll do) and be a rock star in your company.

Here are 10 steps to help you get started:

1. It’s time to renegotiate everything. Start with your key area’s of business — printing, mailing, lists, creative, prepress (oops, I meant premedia).

2. Do a print review. Have your printer bid against other printers. I did this for a turnaround I worked on and was able to reduce printing costs by 20 percent. (Seems my predecessor was asleep at the wheel.)

3. Tweak your catalog’s trim size or basis weight. You may find some cost savings there.

4. Co-mail! This can reduce your postage costs.

5. Take advantage of destination-entry discounts. (Ask your printer about what this and co-mailing entail, and what you can save. Or e-mail me and I’ll explain.)

6. List brokers are offering discounts and test pricing for mail files. Ask and you shall receive.

7. Look for more list exchanges. These can be had for run charges, a fraction of the rental fee.

8. Use the co-op databases, such as I-Behavior, Abacus and NextAction. They’ll model your customers and rent you prospect names for less than list rentals.

9. Do your matchbacks. Make sure you’re analyzing your mailings the best and most accurate way possible.

10. Run NCOALink, merge/purge and other list hygiene products before each mailing. I had a client who had the same name on his database six times. Waste of money! You only need one instance of a name to mail it. Find yourself a great service bureau to steer you to savings.

In two weeks I’ll give you 10 more ways to save money and reach superstar status. In the meantime, if you need any clarifications on these or any other ways to save money, let me know and I’ll work your answer into my next column.

Hang in there!

Jim Gilbert is president of Gilbert Direct Marketing, a full-service catalog and direct marketing agency. His LinkedIn profile can be viewed at www.linkedin.com/in/jimwgilbert or you can post a comment here or e-mail him at jimdirect@aol.com.

Sustainable Design Checklist from Design Can Change

By Gail Nickel-Kailing on February 16th, 2009

Design Can Change is an initiative encouraging graphic designers not only to consider the environment when they design projects but to think strategically about sustainability. Attached is a Sustainable Design Checklist to help you focus your decisions through the design process.

And below are some additional ideas from Design Can Change that will supplement the Checklist and which should get the ball rolling toward change:

Design and strategy:

• Design for re-use
• Maximize the shelf-life of your design
• Scrutinize the efficiency of your selected method
• Compare the impacts of each concept you develop
• Employ targeted efforts instead of mass mailings
• Do your proofing on-screen
• Encourage rich PDFs for annual reports
• Eliminate blank pages in your booklets and brochures
• Use office scrap paper or a tablet for sketching and brainstorming
• Learn about greenwashing, promise never to engage in it, and call out any product guilty of it

Production:

• Use local vendors who are committed to the environment
• Print on PCW (Post Consumer Waste) stock
• Try running your next project on cotton or kenaf fiber if it’s available to you
• Maximize use of the entire press sheet
• Minimize ink coverage
• Learn the words chlorine-free and vegetable-based and insist upon them
• Choose products that are manufactured with renewable energy
• Keep tabs on the latest printing and production technologies
• Avoid transporting printed proofs by using printers with synched and calibrated monitors for review

Your Business:

• Make best use of your website and limit your reliance on printed promotions
• Provide preferential pricing to organizations who embrace sustainability
• Treat your commitment as a competitive advantage in marketing efforts and when bidding on projects
• Become an expert, and counsel your clients on how to become more sustainable in their practices
• Get connected with local environmental groups and pool resources
• Go paperless: invoice digitally or sign-up for online bill notification

Around the Studio:

• Use your knowledge of green design in revamping your workspace
• Recycle all of your computer equipment and ink cartridges
• Use rewritable formats and web services instead of disposable media
• Turn off the lights on a sunny day
• Go vegetarian at lunch
• Get a filter and drink water from your tap
• Walk to meetings, ride a bike or take transit
• Limit use of motorized couriers
• Consider buying energy credits
• Embrace a green lifestyle when you leave the studio

As we all approach sustainability from a different perspective, the best advice is take what you want from this list and leave the rest.

Greening Print Marketing: FTP = Green Alternative?

Written by Heidi Tolliver-Nigro

Published on February 16th, 2009

Posted in Sustainable Business

It’s a quick way to green your business and save money — switch to FTP for submitting files to your printer, your design firm, your distributor, or anyone else handling your graphics, audio, or video files. Manual shipping often uses non-recyclable containers and packaging materials, as well as requires fuel-consuming ground and air transportation.

How much impact can this really have? FileTransferIsGreen.org did the following calculation:

First, let’s say we’re going to send a printed document weighing about two pounds (representing approximately 150 pages of 20# bond paper with a plastic cover) overnight from Atlanta, GA to Salt Lake City, UT.

. . . With roughly 50 customers per server, each customer’s portion would be about 2.88 kWh per month. Using the same CO2 calculator from above we can estimate that each customer is responsible for 8.6 lbs. of CO2 per MONTH.

So, we can see that sending ONE overnight package would be the equivalent carbon footprint of operating an online file transfer solution for over seven months. Clearly, online file transfer solutions are far greener than sending overnight packages.

(For details on how this was calculated, see the full article.)

Here are two examples of real companies that saved money and greened their businesses using FTP:

• » Read more on Sustainable Business

A construction management firm cut expenses more than $23,000 over the previous eight months exclusively due to file transfer. This was not a large firm, this was a big savings. The reduction came from their overnight and two-day delivery service and their reprographic costs for printing large-format plan sets.

An architectural firm was commissioned to redesign the exteriors of the convenience store outlets. The firm needed to get plans out to 24 different corporate and branch office locations of the client. In the past, this would have meant outputting 24 sets of D-size plots, packaging them in shipping tubes made of corrugate, plastic, and metal, and then shipping them via truck and air transportation to 24 different locations. This time, however, they uploaded one digital file containing all of the plans to an FTP site and notified recipients that they could download the plans and view them offline. The firm saved over $100 per location in overnight shipping and reprographic charges and earned significant carbon offsets.

While many companies do use FTP, others complain that the systems are too difficult to use. But new solutions are designed to be fast, easy, and very intuitive. It’s not your father’s FTP system. Look into SaaS solutions that require no training, no IT, and even that can be privately labeled to your own company. Many even offer enterprise-level security.

There’s no reason not to green this aspect of your company.

Examples provided by FileTransferIsGreen.org.

> Domtar Earth Choice Presentation - Reducing your enviromental footprint with responsible print and paper

> “Green” - The performance of sustainability-focused companies during the financial crisis

Companies With a Commitment to Sustainability Tend to Outperform Their Peers During the Financial Crisis

CHICAGO and WASHINGTON, DC, February 9, 2009 — While President Obama’s green policies will certainly boost innovation in certain areas, many in industry still believe that there is a fundamental conflict between “sustainable” and “affordable.” But companies looking for ways to survive in the current economic climate should think twice before cutting back on sustainable initiatives. In 16 out of 18 industries companies with a commitment to sustainability were the clear leaders in the financial markets.

These findings are the result of a study released today by A.T. Kearney, Inc, titled Green Winners: The Performance of Sustainability-focused Companies in the Financial Crisis, which looked at 99 companies identified as having a strong commitment to sustainability and compared their performance with industry averages. The 99 companies were defined by the Sustainability Index and the Goldman Sachs Sustain Focus List.

The analysis found that in 16 of the 18 industries studied, companies committed to sustainability outperformed industry averages by 15% over the six months from May through November 2008. From a market capitalization perspective, this superior performance averages out to $650 million in protected market capitalization per company.

“Our study indicates that the market rewards specific companies,” said Dr. Daniel Mahler, author of the study. “We find common characteristics among the leading companies that show that sustainability goes far beyond the narrow definition of being environmentally friendly.”

These characteristics include:

• A focus on long-term strategy, not just short-term gains
• Strong corporate governance
• Sound risk-management practices
• A history of investment in green innovations

The study contains discussions of each of the 18 industries studied, as well as examples of best practices from a variety of industries. Together with the macro analysis, these case studies provide a map for companies looking to be proactive in terms of protecting their market capitalization.

While green measures that produce immediate cost-savings such as reducing packaging material and decreasing fuel use will become increasingly common in a cash-strapped economy, Sustainability and the Financial Crisis suggests that investing in sustainability for the long term may be the best way to protect a company’s value through the months — and years — ahead.

Methodology
The study covered all 10 industries, and 18 out of 19 supersectors (excluding real estate) as defined by Industry Classification Benchmarks. These were:

• Utilities
• Telecommunications
• Technology
• Oil & Gas
• Industrial Goods and Services
• Construction & Materials
• Health Care
• Insurance
• Financial Services
• Banks
• Travel & Leisure
• Retail
• Media
• Personal & Household Goods
• Food & Beverage
• Automobiles & Parts
• Chemicals
• Basic Resources

The Study analyzed 99 of the largest companies recognized as “sustainable” by the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and/or the Goldman Sachs Sustain Focus List. The stock price for each of these was indexed to 100 for the time period analyzed, and were averaged within each supersector to create a combined Sustainable Company index for the industry. These indices were then compared with Dow Jones World and STOXX global indices for these sectors to determine the performance differential.

About A.T. Kearney
A.T. Kearney (www.atkearney.com) is a global strategic management consulting firm known for helping clients gain lasting results through a unique combination of strategic insight and collaborative working style. The firm was established in 1926 to provide management advice concerning issues on the CEO’s agenda. Today, we serve the largest global clients in all major industries.

Click to read the full article published by A.T. Kearney.

> FORBES.COM WHY ARENT WE GOING GREEN YET?

> Green Marketing Resources Form - Help Us Build a Resource for Lean and Green Marketing

> Muller stitching wire meets or exceeds lead content requirements

Muller stitching wire meets or exceeds lead content requirements Rest assured...by using PerformancePlus wire, you’re in compliance
- Green insights on recycling printed products and their impact on the environment.


As you may know, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has established new requirements regarding lead content in children’s products. Beginning February 10, 2009, producers of certain products such as saddle stitched children’s books must adhere to new Congressionally-mandated laws.

Muller Martini PerformancePlus stitching wire meets or exceeds the CPSC’s latest lead content requirements.

Of course, there are a lot of different brands of stitching wire out there. With PerformancePlus wire, you and your customers can be confident knowing you’re producing books in keeping with the most recent guidelines. And even if children’s books are a small percentage of your business, PerformancePlus is the right choice...not only because of lead compliance, but also because it’s the finest wire on the market today.

Due to the excellent tensile strength of PerformancePlus wire, you can use lower-gauge wire to reduce per-stitch costs and lower postal expenses. Maintenance is also minimized because stitching heads remain virtually clog-free due to a special molecular surface on the wire that prevents burrs, cracking and flaking. Other key benefits include:
• Versatile and flawless performance in both regular and loop stitching applications.

• Resistance to breaking.
• Better bending and forming.
• Clean, bright finish free of excess oil and dirt for trouble-free de-spooling.
• Consistent wire size, uniform coating.

> What is Green Power?

http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/


What is Green Power?
The term "green power" generally refers to electricity supplied in whole or in part from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower, and various forms of biomass. Increasingly, electricity customers are being given electricity supply options, either as retail power markets open to competition or when their regulated utilities develop green pricing programs. More than 50% of retail customers in the United States now have an option of purchasing a green power product directly from their electricity supplier. In addition, consumers can support renewable energy development through the purchase of green energy certificates.

Why Buy Green Power?
By choosing to purchase a green power product, you can support increased development of renewable energy sources, which can reduce the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Greater reliance on renewable sources also provides economic benefits and can improve our national energy security.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's web site provides an additional discussion of the benefits of renewable energy.

How Do I Buy Green Power?
If retail electricity competition is allowed in your state, you may be able to purchase a green power product from an alternative electricity supplier. Some states have already implemented electricity competition. Check the Status of State Electric Industry Restructuring Activity (PDF 2.1 MB) map, prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, to see if your state has passed an electricity competition law.

Even if your state is not implementing electricity market competition, you may still be able to purchase green power through your regulated utility. More than 600 regulated utilities spanning more than 30 states offer "green pricing" programs (see our map of green pricing programs). The term green pricing refers to an optional utility service that allows customers to support a greater level of utility investment in renewable energy by paying a premium on their electric bill to cover any above-market costs of acquiring renewable energy resources.

Finally, whether or not you have access to green power through your utility or a competitive electricity marketer, you can purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs). RECs (also known as green tags, green energy certificates, or tradable renewable certificates) represent the environmental attributes of power generated from renewable electric plants. A variety of organizations offer RECs separate from electricity service, that is, you need not switch from your current electricity supplier in order to purchase these certificates.

To find out what green power options are available in your state, please visit our Can I Buy Green Power in My State? page, where you can click on your state to view available green power products.

For more information on buying green power, see: Guide to Purchasing Green Power (PDF 1 MB). Download Adobe Reader

Green Power Evaluation and Certification
How can you be sure that your green power purchase will benefit the environment? For more information, see our Consumer Protection page.

Green-e is a voluntary certification and verification program for wholesale, retail, and commercial electricity products, tradable renewable certificates (TRCs) and utility green pricing programs in the U.S. Green-e certifies about 100 retail and wholesale green power marketers across the country.

The Environmental Resources Trust certifies renewable energy certificates (RECs) through its EcoPower certification program. Under EcoPower certification, RECs convey only the renewable energy attributes of renewable electricity and do not convey environmental benefits.

The Power Scorecard is a web-based information tool created by a coalition of environmental groups that lets consumers compare the environmental impacts of green power and conventional power products.

Selected Green Power Customers
Businesses and other non-residential customers such as municipalities and government agencies are increasingly recognizing that green power purchasing can help meet corporate or institutional goals related to environmental improvement and sustainability. Follow the link for a list of selected non-residential green power purchasers. The U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership has additional information on organizations purchasing green power.

> P&G: Value Messaging Will Drive Growth - Lean Marketing Ideas

P&G: Value Messaging Will Drive Growth

Jan 30, 2009

-By Elaine Wong

In an earnings call with analysts today, P&G chief financial officer Jon Moeller said the packaged goods giant would continue focusing its advertising on the value message, while cutting costs internally to deal with current economic pressures.

“We have strong plans at discount channels to win, [which includes] performance-based value messaging across all touch points, [such as] on air, on packaging and in-store,” as well as coupon offers, Moeller said.

P&G has also implemented a cost-cutting strategy that involves eliminating senior management staff and reducing the coloring used in packaging to help the company save up to $50 million a year, said Moeller.

For the second quarter ending Dec. 2008, the company saw net sales dip 3 percent to $20.4 billion, compared to the year-ago period. While organic sales grew 2 percent due to price increases, the figure is still smaller than that posted by household goods rival Kimberly-Clark, which earlier this week reported an organic sales growth of about 5 percent.

But while P&G is growing slower than rivals, it also has a larger portfolio to manage, said J.P. Morgan analyst John Faucher. “They need to figure out how to get some of their brand momentum back. In certain categories, they are doing well, but in general, they are growing at a slower rate,” Faucher said.

Nielsen Monitor-Plus shows P&G’s ad spending is down 8 percent to $2.99 billion from January to November 2008, versus the same period in 2007. (This excludes online spend.)

CEO A.G. Lafley said going forward the company would focus on maintaining its “share of voice.” The strategy involves purchasing more advertising at a lesser cost. “What matters is share of spending, but more importantly, share of delivery to consumers in the marketplace,” he said.

On the retail front, P&G saw consumers trading down among brands within their portfolio: from Tide to Gain, from Pampers to Luvs, and from higher-priced Charmin and Bounty to basic versions of the products.

“There is no doubt that in this environment, consumers are looking for value. In many cases, value comes with innovation and higher price points,” Lafley said. One example of innovation that consumers are willing to trade up to is Always Infinity, which has been on the market since October. The product gained a six percent value share, despite being priced at about 60 percent above premium.

Private label continues to be a threat, but its penetration really depends on the category, said Loran Braverman, an equity analyst at Standard & Poor’s New York office. In segments like toothpaste, for instance, “it’s relatively low. In batteries, it’s very high,” she said. “As long as [consumers] believe [a product] is really doing something important for them, they’ll buy it."

> Video on FSC - Click on Link Below to Go To FSC Web Site

Click Here to View a Very Interesting Video Presented By FSC.ORG

About the Forest Stewardship Council - FSC

FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.

Top 10 questions about FSC

Show all / Hide all

There are so many labels. Why should I buy FSC?

Trying to do the right thing and buying responsibly produced products can be confusing. The FSC label makes it easy to make the right choice when buying timber or paper products. Here is why choosing FSC makes a difference:

Only FSC

• prohibits conversion of natural forests or other habitat around the world
• prohibits the use of highly hazardous pesticides around the world
• prohibits the cultivation of genetically modified trees (GMOs)
• respects the right of indigenous peoples around the world
• controls each certified operation at least once a year – and if they are found not to comply, the certificate is withdrawn

Check out the FSC Principles and Criteria for more detail about FSC's requirements.

This is why FSC is the only forest certification system that is supported by all major environmental groups. And a number of certification assessments, such as the US and the Australian green building council only accept FSC as proof of sustainability.

The range of FSC products grows every day. Today, almost every product is available in FSC quality and generally they are not more expensive than non-certified products, but often better quality. To find FSC products, check out the FSC Certificate Search or contact the FSC office near you.

• Find FSC products
• Independent research and other voices confirm FSC as leading forest certification system (English/Spanish)
• What others say - why FSC; WWF; Greenpeace

What is the Forest Stewardship Council?

FSC is an independent, non-governmental, not for profit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests.
It provides standard setting, trademark assurance and accreditation services for companies and organizations interested in responsible forestry.
Products carrying the FSC label are independently certified to assure consumers that they come from forests that are managed to meet the social, economic and ecological needs of present and future generations.
FSC has offices in more than 45 countries.

More information on FSC governance

What is the problem and what solutions does FSC offer?

Forests provide us with clean water, fresh air and they even help combat global warming. They also provide food, medicine and important natural resources, such as timber and paper. If managed responsibly, forests and plantations benefit forest people and the global community. However, in some countries as much as 80% of the timber is harvested illegally. This often involves violation of human rights and destruction of protected forests.

FSC certification offers forest managers rewards for managing their forests the FSC way – following the highest social and environmental criteria there are. In some instances rewards can be in the form of price premiums. But increasingly, FSC certification is rewarded with improved access to environmentally sensitive markets. Also, more and more governments and leading businesses specify FSC certified materials in their purchasing programs.

How does FSC certification make a difference in the world’s forests?

All FSC certified forests must comply with FSC’s rules about how the forests should and should not be managed. When a forester decides to become FSC certified, he or she will make changes to comply with the relevant FSC requirements and become FSC certified. This is how FSC has a direct and permanent positive impact on the world’s forests and the people living from, in and around the forest.

Why should I become FSC certified?

Being FSC certified shows that you comply with the highest social and environmental standards on the market. As public concern about the state of the world’s forests and timber resources increases, FSC provides you with a simple solution to complex environmental and social issues. The FSC label is an effective way to get public and consumer recognition of your responsible practices. This gives you credibility with customers and business partners as well as financial institutions and watchdog organizations.

FSC certification helps to protect your brand and reputation and it allows you to access highly environmentally sensitive markets. Increasingly, governments and other organizations specify FSC certified products in their purchasing programs.

Because FSC is the only globally valid standard it is also the only standard that is no barrier to trade under the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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Related entries:

• Who makes the FSC rules?

Who makes the FSC rules?

The overarching FSC Principles and Criteria were adopted by the FSC membership and can only be changed or amended by a vote of the FSC membership. Everybody interested in the fate of the world’s forests can become an FSC member. FSC members meet at least every three years to a General Assembly. The FSC General Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the FSC.

At the FSC International Secretariat, a group of international specialists develop the FSC policies and standards. All policies and standards are derived from the FSC Principles and Criteria. And again, it is the members who ultimately define what rules need to be further developed or reviewed and through their representatives on the FSC Board of Directors have final say in what rules are adopted. All policies and standards go through at least two rounds of public consultations. In these consultations everybody interested in the fate of the world’s forests can comment.

The FSC Board of Directors unanimously adopts FSC rules and procedures. The FSC Directors are appointed by vote of the FSC members.

In a number of countries, FSC has national representations. They can initiate and facilitate a national standard setting process – again, involving all members and members and interested public. National FSC standards are adaptations of the international FSC rules to more specifically address the national situation.

How FSC standard setting works

More about FSC governance

What changes do FSC rules require foresters to make?

The FSC Principles and Criteria describe how the forests have to be managed to meet the social, economic, ecological, cultural and spiritual needs of present and future generations. They include managerial aspects as well as environmental and social requirements. In fact FSC rules are the strictest and FSC’s social and environmental requirements the highest.

The 10 principles and 56 criteria form the basis for all FSC forest management standards. Based on these 10 principles, the FSC has developed further rules (called policies or standards) that further define and explain certain requirements stipulated in the 10 principles.

Here is a summary of some of the points the FSC Principles and Criteria require. Many of the points listed below will appear almost basic – but in many places, even these basic requirements are not fulfilled. This is where FSC can have the biggest positive impact.

• Prohibit conversion of forests or any other natural habitat
• Respect of international workers rights
• Prohibition of use of hazardous chemicals
• Respect of Human Rights with particular attention to indigenous peoples
• No corruption – follow all applicable laws
• Identification and appropriate management of areas that need special protection (e.g. cultural or sacred sites, habitat of endangered animals or plants)

More info about the FSC Principles and Criteria

Who can become an FSC Member?

Everybody who supports the idea of improved forest management around the world can become an FSC member. FSC members are divided into Social, Environmental and Economic chambers. Each of these chambers is divided in Economic North (industrialized countries) and Economic South (developing countries). Each chamber carries the same vote. This guarantees that no one interest can dominate.

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FSC governance

Why was FSC created?

FSC certification is widely regarded as one of the most important initiatives of the last decade to promote responsible forest management worldwide. Why is this and what prior efforts have been made?

Concerns and large-scale public debates about the state of world’s forests escalated globally in the 1980’s and led to a gridlock between different stakeholders fighting about environmental, social and economic interests. Initiatives from governments and international organizations did not manage to reduce forest destruction worldwide and the need to substantially improve forest management practices persisted.

In the late 1980’s, tropical timber boycotts proclaiming to save the last tropical forests, not only failed, but worse, caused opposite effects in many cases. Conversion of forests to more economical land uses continued and in some cases accelerated.

The clear need for an effective mechanism to improve forest management and conservation worldwide was further emphasized in 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The World Summit in Rio de Janeiro agreed that progress towards sustainable development is the shared responsibility of social, environmental and economic interests although no legally binding commitments were agreed.

Disillusioned by the continuous failure of international negotiations progressive forest industries, social groups and environmental organizations came together to develop an alternative solution. Rather than boycotting poor practices, they wanted to use market forces to promote socially beneficial, environmentally appropriate and economically viable forest management.

For the first time, leading social, environmental and economic players from the Global South and Global North joined in an international process with equal and equitable voices, decision-making powers and responsibilities and founded FSC. To this day, FSC provides a platform for these different interest groups to work together in a dynamic environment where each interest group has a voice and an equal say.

Since its inception countless stakeholders around the world have worked with the FSC in its equitable participatory processes in support of responsible forest management. However, also since its early days, FSC was often criticized by conservative industries which did not believe in sharing decision-making with social and environmental stakeholders. Much like conservative industries, some environmental stakeholders believe that confrontational campaigns are a more appropriate conservation tool than equitable participatory solutions-oriented approaches. FSC will continue to try to engage conservative industries as well as confrontational NGOs in its approach.

FSC believes that it is part of the solution for the conservation of natural forests and that a full set of different complementary conservation strategies are necessary to protect and maintain the world’s forests.

A short history

How is FSC funded?

Currently about 60% of FSC (International) funds comes from the support of charitable foundations, government donors and business contributions. The other 40% are collected from fees (membership, accreditation and others) and services rendered.

Over the next few years, FSC will reverse the ratio between donor funds and commercial funds to 60% income from commercial activities and fees and 40% from donations.

FSC National offices are financially independent of FSC International.

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