Have you ever felt guilty about watching your favorite sporting event or drama instead of the documentary that you should be watching?

CNBC has created two environmentally relevant docu-reports covering the worldwide water shortage and trash/landfill problems that are so good you won't mind missing the other stuff. Liquid Assets: The Big Business of Water and Trash Inc: The Secret Life of Garbage are in-depth original shows developed in-house at CNBC that will reward you with insights, interviews and data. Both shows move quickly and will leave you wanting more.

The water piece is downright scary, articulating what we all know deep inside: the Western U.S. is so beholden to the Colorado River that if anything goes wrong with it, and/or, we don't as a nation learn how to truly conserve water, a crisis will be upon us and before we know it. Did you know it takes 3 gallons of water to make one piece of paper? Or that 118.8 gallons of water are used to process one six-pack of beer? How about 12.69 cups of water to produce one plastic water bottle?

A little-known but relevant case history is Chile. Reporter Michelle Caruso-Carbrera takes us there to see the driest place on earth, where not surprisingly, an old small town is dying by the day. Contrasted with, a truly free market for water which Chile claims is a big success for landowners, holders of water rights, business and consumers. CNBC raises the idea that markets not governments should control the flow of water, a provocative idea indeed.

   
    Photo By: Tomas Munita as seen in the New York Times

The trash expose isn't just trash talk, either. We see the largest trash removal operation in America, Manhattan, and how it disposes of 12,000 tons of trash per day. A lot of which is actually taken to landfills in other states by truck or train. Apparently Manhattan does a good job with its $1.3 billion annual budget, there just isn't any place else to put the waste...

   
    Pelham Bay Landfill, New York

A genuinely disturbing investigation of trash accumulating unabated and unregulated in and around Beijing, China shows us one of the unfortunate byproducts of hypergrowth in a booming new economy. In general, a lack of adequate landfills and the difficulty in preventing seepage of trash and methane gas into the water table is explained clearly and succinctly by CNBC reporter Carl Quintanilla, who traveled to Beijing for the story. It makes you wonder how they managed to get this report past the Chinese government, which usually does not concern itself with "first amendment" rights when the publicity is negative?

There is hope, as evidenced by some of the scientists, students and entrepreneurs who are hard at work developing solutions for these problem areas. A surprise is former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt, who served the Clinton administration, when he says we have plenty of water to sustain us indefinitely. I was aghast at this, although he does redeem himself somewhat by saying that farmers in particular need to be much more efficient in how they irrigate, as they are wasting almost 50 percent of the water used at present. Babbitt also favors free market pricing of water, which he thinks will eliminate water waste in a big hurry. Another surprise is the favorable treatment given to trash removal behemoth Waste Management, Inc. that is portrayed as a company spending major research dollars to make landfills better. Also featured is BMW's Spartanburg, S.C. plant that devised an ingenious way to provide power from methane gas, which runs through a 10-mile-long pipeline, from beneath a landfill all the way to the plant's generator.

So what can you do to help remedy these critical environmental problem areas? The answers come clear in both shows: conserve water, and recycle every bit of waste material possible. Recycling of plastic water bottles in particular is absolutely critical as only five percent of bottles consumed are currently recycled. There are a number of new companies that have made a business out of transforming used water bottles into tiny plastic chips that ultimately become fabric and other materials -- plastic water bottles, for instance. And don't forget home composting, which is not mentioned but is also critical in our waste reduction efforts.

CNBC typically airs these special shows a number of times so check your local cable company and/or the CNBC website for broadcast times. And again, kudos to CNBC for putting material like this on the air when unfortunately, middle America seems to prefer "Housewives of Orange County" and "Celebrity Rehab" to this type of programming.

After almost three years of consultation and planning, and following a great deal of anticipation in recent months, the Federal Trade Commission has finally published “Proposed, Revised Green Guides.”  This latest version of the Green Guides will be open for public comment until December 10, 2010.  After that, according to an FTC press release, the agency will issue a final, official version of the Guides. 

It’s a sad truth, but consumers and regulators view environmental marketing claims with increasing skepticism.  While many companies make fair claims about the environmental attributes of their products, others are exploiting consumer demand for sustainable products with false or unsubstantiated marketing claims.  Thanks to such tactics, the term “greenwashing” has entered the marketing lexicon.  The environmental marketing firm TerraChoice brilliantly describes and defines greenwashing in its 2009 Greenwashing Report, and concludes that many, if not most, environmental marketing claims are unfounded. 

In this climate, it’s no surprise that the FTC is stepping up efforts to combat greenwashing.  A key step in this new enforcement effort is to provide more guidance on environmental marketing claims through the Green Guides.  The Guides (last updated in 1998) provide non-binding “interpretations” of federal consumer protection regulations, namely Section 5 of the FTC Act (15 U.S.C. § 45), which is the law that empowers the agency to punish deceptive practices. 

The Green Guides provide common-sense instruction on green marketing strategy, and more specific guidance on particular marketing terms that were popular in 1998, including “biodegradable,” “compostable,” “recyclable,” “refillable,” and “ozone safe.”  The new proposed Green Guides address those terms, but also provide guidance on new terms and concepts found in present-day green marketing, such as:

• environmental seals of approval,
• “free-of” and “non-toxic” claims,
• carbon offsets,
• claims concerning renewable energy, and 
• claims concerning renewable materials. 

Given the explosion of environmental marketing claims in recent years, revised Green Guides are well overdue.  But what kind of impact will they have?  The new Guides do not really change the rules; the FTC has always identified the Green Guides as “guides” useful in applying consumer protection law.  Ultimately, product claims for clean technologies will be evaluated under the FTC Act itself, for their potential to deceive consumers.  If claims are vague and unqualified, or cannot be substantiated by scientifically proven facts, they are going to be suspect. 

The FTC provides a brief summary of the proposed Green Guides here, provides the complete Guides with analysis and comment here; public comments on the proposed Guides may be submitted here.  Read more insightful commentary on the new Green Guides here, and here.

Guest Blogger Joseph ("Jay") Eckhardt is an attorney at Stoel Rives LLP, based in Portland, Oregon.
 

While companies have always engaged in philanthropy, when American Express began raising money for the Statue of Liberty restoration 25 years ago, engaging consumers directly in the fundraising process through a transactional connection was unique. Since then, cause branding has become increasingly prevalent though the benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are sometimes difficult to quantify. One way companies derive Calculated Intangible Value (CIV) is by comparing their three year profits to that of competitors with similar tangible assets.

For Paul Herman of HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor, there are more precise measures, and many examples of companies that solve problems and serve human needs experiencing better revenue and tax positions, and lower costs of operation, raising capital and issuing stock. Examples include Toyota’s assent to number one automaker by capitalizing on a new market with the highly profitable Prius, Liberty Property Trust spending 2% more on LEED conpliance reaping 30 – 40% operating cost decreases, Walgreens tax breaks and lower operating costs from installing solar panels on 100 stores, and Burt’s Bees acquisition by Clorox for almost $1 billion. Finally, Herman points to Interface Flor’s re-branding around sustainability resulting in a billion dollar market cap and higher PE ratio than competitors.

Concurrently, companies like Mattel, once profitable based on what Herman calls “the China price”, are seeing their sales and stock plummet while “HIP price” products are increasingly popular and profitable. The furniture company Herman Miller, for example, charges premium prices while investing in sourcing sustainable materials, leading to enviable profit margins.

Nike views corporate responsibility as a catalyst for growth and innovation, concentrating efforts on improving conditions in factories, designing for a better world, achieving climate neutrality and unleashing potential through sports. They call the return on these integrated CSR programs “ROI2”. Youth focused community efforts using sports to inspire social change have obvious benefits for Nike by creating future loyal consumers. Nike has also reduced manufacturing waste by 45% since 1998, in part through closed-loop systems, with vendors receiving back waste materials from the shoe-making process to recycle into new materials for Nike.

PR Week and the marketing firm Barkley released a survey quantifying the positive effects of corporate philanthropic activities. According to their results, 72% of consumers have purchased a brand because it supports a cause they believe in. Corporations report positive PR (65.3%), an increase in sales (26.7%) and an enhanced relationship with target demographics (52%) as a result of cause marketing. 56% of companies also report heightened staff morale and retention and 14.7% cite improved recruitment of quality candidates.

According to Barkley CEO, Mike Swenson, program effectiveness is measurable through cause marketing sales (events with product sales involved), cause event visibility (runs, walks, etc.), and cause branding traction (programs that define the company). In 1995, Barkley’s own client Lee jeans, looking to take advantage of trends toward casual Fridays and more casual workplace dress codes, and improve perception of the Lee brand among 24- 49 year-old women, started Lee National Denim Day benefiting breast cancer research. Brand tracking studies report 60% of women have a more favorable impression of Lee and 33% are more likely to purchase the brand based on its sponsorship of Lee National Denim Day. Further, women aware of the sponsorship are more likely to view Lee as a fashionable brand. Swenson also points to the Dove Self Esteem campaign repositioning a commodity product into a brand with a clear point of differentiation.

Other companies, World of Good for example, successfully established entire brands around CSR practices. The 3 ½ year-old company sells international, fair-trade style sourced hand crafts online and through strong partnerships with retailers like Whole Foods. With 300% annual growth, World of Good appeals to traditional venture capitalists and serves as an example of marrying positive impact with bottom line profitability.

According to another Barkely survey, growing evidence shows that cause branding also positively effects Generation X and Y stock purchases. For companies courting consumers and investors in their 20’s and 30’s, CSR is now an important decision point. At the same time, employees looking to find more meaning in their work are demanding that companies get more involved in problem solving and have a positive social, environmental or health impact.

No longer just something a company has to do for PR purposes, corporate social responsibility has become a significant differentiator for consumers, employees, investors and shareholders. CSR companies are simultaneously investing in the greater good and their own good, resulting in an increase in multiple bottom lines.
 

Increasing Antioxidant Levels through Organic Farming and Food Processing

By Charles M. Benbrook, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, The Organic Center

Science is digging deeper into the roots of food quality.  Thousands of scientists worldwide are probing the secrets of antioxidants in food.  Why do plants produce them? What factors govern their levels?  How do they promote human health?  These natural plant chemicals help prevent or reduce tissue damage in cells caused by free radicals.  Free radicals are oxygen and nitrogen-based molecules with unpaired electrons that are generated by several of the body’s metabolic processes.  Antioxidants inhibit damaging reactions within human cells by providing the positively charged atoms needed to neutralize free radicals.  They bring stability to cells in the throes of inner chaos.

Plants produce more than 50,000 “secondary plant metabolites” (SPMs) in response to stresses in the environment.  Some 4,000 of these SPMs are polyphenol flavonoids and many of these are antioxidants.  Plants provide essentially all dietary sources of antioxidants.  Antioxidants in milk and meat are initially from the plant-based feed consumed by farm animals.

By lessening free radical damage in human tissues, antioxidants reduce inflammation and can lessen joint and muscle pain. Through this mechanism, antioxidants can play a role in promoting cardiovascular health, lessen the risk and severity of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzhiemer’s and Parkinston’s disease, and in general, help slow the aging process. 

 A wide range of studies has shown that plant antioxidants are also anti-proliferative (i.e., they slow the proliferation of cells). In this way, antioxidants can prevent or slow the growth of some cancerous tumors. And recent research suggests that some plant polyphenols can increase the sensitivity of the body to insulin, thereby delaying the onset of type II diabetes or slowing the progression of this increasingly common disease.
The many health benefits associated with antioxidant consumption is why the U.S. government has recently recommended as part of the new dietary guidelines – see “My Pyramid” on the web -- that the average American double consumption of fruits and vegetables.  The uniquely broad array health benefits associated with antioxidants also explains the enormous investment in science searching for the magic ingredient in blueberries, or cucumbers, or tomatoes that will help prevent disease or promote graceful aging.

The Organic Center carried out a State of Science Review (SSR) on the impact of organic farming methods, and organically acceptable food processing techniques, on average antioxidant levels in food.  Their full reports are freely available on the Center’s website.  We found that a shift to organic farming methods can increase average antioxidant levels from a few percent to over 200 percent, with the average increase being about 30 percent.  We also document that organically acceptable food-processing methods can lessen the percent of antioxidants lost when fruits and vegetables or grains are processed and cooked, sometimes dramatically.
Antioxidant Levels Vary Widely

The ten foods richest in antioxidants include blueberries, plums, broccoli, strawberries, and red cabbage.  These antioxidant-dense foods provide, on average, 35 times more antioxidant capacity per calorie than the ten foods that rank lowest on the scale of antioxidant capacity per calorie.  Low-antioxidant foods include cucumbers, granola, cereal, canned corn, and lima beans.  So why not simply add antioxidant supplements to the diet?  Dietary supplements do not appear to deliver the full range of health-promoting benefits that stem from consumption of whole foods that are rich in antioxidants. In addition, plant antioxidants modulate a number of biosynthetic processes in the human body.  To optimally promote health though, they must be present in the right proportions relative to a variety of other vitamins, minerals, fats and proteins.

USDA scientists have discovered that organically grown tomatoes produce catsup with higher levels of lycopene and other antioxidants.  The bright red color and rich taste of organic catsup, compared to conventional brands, is linked to the higher antioxidant capacity.

Because antioxidants cannot substitute for each other and some do not last long once ingested, people need to consume antioxidants in plant-based foods with most meals in order to sustain optimal levels in the body.  A variety of strategies should be pursued to increase average antioxidant intakes including, first and foremost, eating additional servings of a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables.  Buying locally grown and fresh produce that has been harvested relatively ripe is another proven strategy to increase antioxidant intakes. 

Many mysteries about antioxidants remain buried in the root system of food quality.  The Organic Center is monitoring ongoing studies to map this new territory because we are confident that new tools and techniques will emerge to help organic farmers and food companies deliver more nutritional value per serving of a wide range of foods.  Stay tuned for progress reports and new insights.
 

LOHAS (acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability) provided three days of insightful panels and networking opportunities attended by thought leaders across industries, government, non-profit organizations, research organizations and academic institutions including Faith Popcorn, Joel Makower, Dr. Alan Greene, Philippe Cousteau, U.S. EPA’s Stephanie Owens, Coca-Cola’s Tom LaForge, eBay’s Elisabeth Charles, Edelman’s Henk Campher, Alex Bogusky, Dr. Larry Dossey, 1% for the Planet’s Terry Kellogg, Mother Jones’ Madeleine Buckingham, Malika Chopra, Ode Magazine’s Jurriaan Kamp, among others.

 

Key insights from the LOHAS 2010 Forum include:

“Learning from the Past to Shape the Future”
• “We are in the midst of an evolution of our Cultural mindset from a ‘me’ mentality to a ‘we’ point of view.  This transition is a response to a society where economics, ethics and environment are collapsing simultaneously,” said Faith Popcorn, founder of BrainReserve and best-selling author of EVEolution, Clicking, The Popcorn Report, and most recently Dictionary of the Future.

“LOHAS and LOHOE: How Health & Sustainability are Complemented by Hedonics or Economics”
• The mainstream is more often motivated to act upon hedonic reasoning (i.e. seeking pleasure and avoiding pain) and their choices are constrained by economic realities. 42 percent of the population considers buying eco-friendly or ‘green’ versions of big-ticket items if the price is about the same as conventional versions.
• “Frankly, there is a little HOE [hedonics or economics] in everyone.  It is natural human instinct to gravitate toward those things that bring us both temporal pleasure and long-term satisfaction.  We are all able to act upon our desires within the constraints of our personal economic situations,” said Wendy Cobdra, president of Earthsense.

“The Situation in the Gulf”
• “We spend 1,000 times more money every year in our federal budget for space exploration than we do to understand our oceans,” said Philippe Cousteau, environmentalist and founder of EarthEcho International.  “Knowing whether there was ever water on Mars – not critical to surviving on this planet.  The oceans are.”
• “There’s a lot of talk about boycotting BP while a lot of [BP] gas stations are owned by small business owners…it hurts those people.  What we need to be boycotting is our dependence on oil, single use plastic bags, plastic bottles, coal; shutting off the power; and living in more reasonable houses,” said Philippe Cousteau.
• “The type of dispersant that was chosen, Corexit, was only proved 56 percent effective in a lab.  There were 12 other EPA-approved dispersants, and two were 100 percent effective and they were not chosen.  That was an inside oil industry thing because Corexit is produced as a by-product from the refining process,” said Charles Hambleton, producer of Oscar-winning documentary The Cove.

“Where are the Green Jobs?”
• The Obama administration has made it a priority to connect low-income communities to green jobs based on the billions of dollars placed into the Stimulus Bill.  For example, the U.S. Department of Labor put out $148 million of green job training grants through its Pathways Out of Poverty grants. 
• “The economic business case for sustainability is being made every day by companies as diverse as Patagonia and Walmart. Their effort to green their supply chains is driving the economy and creating new business opportunities, innovations and jobs in support of sustainable business practices,” said Andre Pettigrew, executive director of Denver’s Office of Economic Development.

“Phood and Kids”
• The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has stated that children born in the year 2000 in the U.S. will be the first generation in our country’s history to have a lower life expectancy than their parents due to a projected 33 percent of Caucasians and 66 percent of African Americans and Hispanics contracting diabetes in their lifetime as a result of poor diet.  “We are actually killing our kids with food and this must stop,” said Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, chef and educator.
• One in three American children now have autism, allergies, ADHD or asthma.  “As we work together, to inform and inspire each other about ways in which we can protect our children from toxins like growth hormones, pesticides, synthetic dyes and genetically altered ingredients in food, we realize that there is so much that we can do together to create the change that we want to see in our food supply,” said Robyn O’Brien -- author of The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It and founder of Allergy Kids.

“Understanding the Carbon Economy”
• The US represents five percent of the population yet emits 25 percent of the world’s carbon.  “We need to reduce our energy use now and promote renewable energy to offset the remaining energy we consume.  If we all do our part today, we can create a bountiful, healthy future together,” said Margi Gardner, CEO of Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

“Spirituality and Health: What the Fuss Is All About?”
• In 1993, three of the 125 medical schools in the U.S. taught courses in spirituality and health and now 90 schools have such courses.
• In 1997, the Joint Commission on Accreditation strongly recommended that every healthcare institution have a vehicle in place to assess the spiritual history of incoming patients, which is now a requirement.

“Global LOHAS”
• Mobium Group data shows that the Australian consumer market for LOHAS products and services has grown from $12 billion in 2007 to $19 billion in 2009 with 2011 projected at $27 billion.  (Source: Mobium Group)
• “LOHAS in Asia is a brand rather than a movement and, as such, offers a great opportunity for LOHAS companies trying to enter the markets.  By using LOHAS on their marketing material, they are appealing immediately to their target audiences in Asia,” said Adam Horler, founder of LOHAS Asia.

“Convincing Mainstream Consumers to Go Green: What really motivates them to make sustainable choices?”
• Conversations matter – when kids talk to their parents about green issues, it results in behavior change 68 percent of the time.  Those conversations with neighbors and co-workers result in behavior change 56 percent of the time. (Source: Shelton Group)

 

“New Paradigms in Health & Sustainability: What's Working and What's Not”
• Mainstream consumers comprise the majority of users for many LOHAS products such as compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), organic food, natural personal care and natural household cleaning products. There has been an increase in usage of many LOHAS products despite the recession, such as organic foods.  (Source: Natural Marketing Institute)

“The Social Currency of Social Media”
• If Facebook were a nation, it would be the third largest in the world with 50 percent of users logging in daily and over 70 percent of users outside the U.S.  “Measuring ROI with social media marketing is tricky, but the consensus is that more engagement correlates to achieving more marketing objectives.  So your goal should be to cultivate customer communities,” said Joey Shepp, founder of Earthsite.

“The Storytelling Value of Location-based Services”
• “Location-based social media is rapidly increasing in value, popularity and relevance.  LOHAS businesses will benefit from experimenting with tools like Foursquare, Gowalla and Twitter Places to get a feel for how these applications can help engage consumers and grow business,” said Nathan Rice, interactive director for Haberman Group.

Promoting lifestyles of health and sustainability, the annual LOHAS Forum brings together entrepreneurs, government heads, Fortune 1000 executives, investors, research institutions, academics and media for a program designed to inspire innovation and further expand the LOHAS market share.  The 2010 Forum was held from June 23rd to 25th at the St. Julien Hotel in Boulder, Colorado. 

Businesses the world over are leveraging LOHAS as a way to understand the consumption preferences of a growing number of people who care deeply about personal, community and planetary health and well-being, and are willing to spend accordingly.

While this theme acts as a backbone for LOHAS globally, significant differences exist in the interpretation of LOHAS from one geography to another. Not surprisingly, these differences tend to be largely driven by local cultural, environmental and social nuances.

For example, according to Peter Salmon from Moxie Design Group, LOHASians in New Zealand express their LOHAS values through outdoor experiences, seeking a connection with the landscape and concern about social issues.  This differs from U.S.-based LOHAS consumers, who typically have a stronger focus on personal well-being.  In Australia, the situation is different again, with environmental issues of drought and climate change hitting many Australians hard in their own backyard. Severe water restrictions are forcing Aussies to change how they think about their much-loved gardens and lawns.

CERTIFICATION KEY TO MARKET ACCEPTANCE
A key theme emerging from European and Australian studies is consumers’ desire for certification marks or “trust” marks from credible certification bodies, providing independent verification that the product lives up to its LOHAS claims. Supporting this claim are the findings of a  recent Porter Novelli report, which revealed that Europeans were 32 percent more likely than American consumers to buy products with such marks, and Mobium Group’s Living LOHAS report, which found similar conclusions among the Australian population.

LOHAS IN ASIA
Despite many similarities, key differences have emerged in the use of LOHAS between Western countries and the countries of East Asia—including Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, where LOHAS is a booming consumer term. The emergence of LOHAS-branded foods and beverages, fashion labels and even LOHAS department stores heralds a new use of the LOHAS term as it crosses from business-speak into the consumer vocabulary.
While most Western consumers would draw a blank if asked for a definition of LOHAS, approximately 70 percent of Japanese adults at least recognize the term while up to 40 percent can articulate its meaning, according to Toshi Ide of the Japan-based LOHAS Business Alliance.

But how is LOHAS really interpreted in Asia? In China, LOHAS has been roughly translated to mean “good life” and has even been picked up by Chinese state radio. And English-language website Chinadaily.com.cn has published several articles referring to “escaping city life” and enjoying LOHAS experiences on the weekends in the countryside surrounding Beijing.

In Singapore, the city state’s Tourism Board markets the country to its Asian visitors as the LOHAS city—focusing on its spa resorts, authentic Nyonya-style cooking and its water recycling efforts (a necessity in such a small island nation, as the key to its LOHAS claims).

The emergence of LOHAS as a consumer brand has brought with it a range of organizations seeking to capitalize on the term, with varying levels of commitment to the values of core LOHAS consumers offered through a wide a range of products and services.

INNOVATION
Small and medium-size enterprises comprise one sector where serious efforts have been made to address the needs and desires of LOHAS consumers on platforms of personal and planetary health and wellness. In many cases, these businesses have been the keys to LOHAS innovation.

One example of this sort of innovation is U.S.-based Terracycle.net, a company achieving mainstream distribution and significant success turning waste streams into value through a range of innovative products and services, including a novel approach to garden fertilizer.  With major distribution agreements across North America and licensing interest from across the globe, Terracycle has demonstrated that LOHAS innovation can deliver clear business value.

Another example is Australia-based professional garment cleaners, Daisy (www.daisy.net.au). Daisy has managed to eliminate the harmful chemical, perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene) from its dry cleaning process, using a water-based alternative to deliver an odorless dry cleaning solution free from harmful toxins. Such is the popularity of the Daisy service, excess demand currently means a wait of three days to have your suit cleaned! But based on the volume of customers prepared to wait, the LOHAS approach to dry cleaning has again demonstrated a commercial payoff.

Similarly, this year saw the launch in France of Velib (www.velib.paris.fr), a Paris-based commercial bicycle sharing operation that provides bicycles for commuters for a nominal fee. With over 10,000 bikes in circulation across 750 self-service docking stations throughout the city, this model is providing inspiration for cities the world over.
It seems that everywhere you look, there are examples of innovations, often by small and medium enterprises that are working toward more sustainable and healthier outcomes for people and the planet.

CONNECTIVITY
One of the difficulties faced by LOHAS consumers and the businesses that supply their needs is seeking out and finding each other—and connecting.
This key theme is driving the emergence of media platforms that respond to LOHAS consumers’ desire for greater connectivity—to other LOHASians and the organizations that manufacture and retail products and services that meet their values criteria.

Examples of recent activity in this space include Gaiam’s acquisition of Lime.com and zaadz.com, two strongly LOHAS-oriented information and social networking sites. Businesses, including U.S.-based Sustainlane, New Zealand-based Celsias, and a range of other sites across Europe, are springing up across the globe to fill this gap for information, referrals and advice. Discovery Channel recently purchased website Treehugger.com as the online property for its soon-to-be-launched Planet Green program.

Across the globe, mainstream consumer and investor interest in opportunities related to renewable energy, organic food, complementary medicine, low-impact transportation and other LOHAS products and services clearly demonstrates that LOHAS businesses have moved out of the fringes and are now attracting significant investor capital and expertise. Companies and investors that embrace the opportunity that LOHAS presents have the opportunity to take a leading position in the industries that will define the 21st century.

Key Facts: LOHAS in Australia
• Nearly 4 million adult Australians (26 percent of adult population) are LOHAS aligned. 
• Individuals with a LOHAS outlook are drawn from all parts of society; their values and world view are not strongly tied to income, geography or gender.
• Australian consumers currently spend $12 billion on goods and services in the LOHAS market segments, with an overall growth rate of 20 percent expected to continue. The market is expected to reach $21 billion by 2010.
• While 8 percent of the population are LOHAS “Leaders” who are highly committed and active participants in fully integrated healthier, more sustainable lives, the LOHAS “Learners” are the largest of the four segments, identified at 46 percent and standing as a largely untapped opportunity. 
• Learners would like to do the “right thing” but are not sure where to start. Solving for their key barriers, which include price and availability, are paramount to unlocking this market.
Source: Mobium Group, www.mobium.com.au, Living LOHAS Report, 2007.

Key Facts: LOHAS, New Zealand
• 32 percent of population Solution Seekers (NZ Equivalent of LOHAS)
• 57 percent female
• Greatest concentration (29 percent) are in the 45-54 year age bracket
• Slight skew toward rural rather than metropolitan locations
• Income profile of NZ LOHAS is growing over time
Source: Peter Salmon, Moxie Design Group, www.moxie.co.nz
Examples:
1. Media/online:
2. Lime – online portal to information, help and advice on LOHAS lifestyle
3. Zaadz and Riverwired – online LOHAS-oriented social networking sites
4. treehugger.com, Celsias.com – innovative online information sources for LOHAS-related themes and online collaboration
5. lohasguide.de (Germany), Sustainlane.com – LOHAS-related product and service listings and market information
6. Mobium Group – Australian research and strategy business focusing on sustainability and well-being; conducted the first research into Australian LOHAS consumers
7. Macro Wholefoods (Australia) – organic and natural foods retail store chain
8. Eco Age (eco-age.com) – a new store in London claiming to provide “a store, showroom, consultancy and destination that will offer inspiration, ideas and specific domestic solutions for all those who want to lead a greener and more energy efficient life”
9. Terracycle – Innovative company that re-uses waste streams and turns them into value-added products
10. Velib – Paris-based bicycle-share company
11. Flexicar.com.au – Australian car-share business winning support from local governments for their eco-friendly and cost-effective car-sharing program
 

Wall Street evaluates companies by dollar figures. LOHAS consumers judge by a different bottom line; whether corporate practices align with consumer values. Is it possible the socially responsible practices LOHAS consumers expect and brand building, revenue enhancement practices investors expect can be one and the same? Some analysts think so.

While companies have always engaged in philanthropy, when American Express began raising money for the Statue of Liberty restoration 25 years ago, engaging consumers directly in the fundraising process through a transactional connection was unique. Since then, cause branding has become increasingly prevalent though the benefits of corporate social responsibility (CSR) are sometimes difficult to quantify. One way companies derive Calculated Intangible Value (CIV) is by comparing their three year profits to that of competitors with similar tangible assets.

For Paul Herman of HIP (Human Impact + Profit) Investor, there are more precise measures, and many examples of companies that solve problems and serve human needs experiencing better revenue and tax positions, and lower costs of operation, raising capital and issuing stock. Examples include Toyota’s assent to number one automaker by capitalizing on a new market with the highly profitable Prius, Liberty Property Trust spending 2% more on LEED conpliance reaping 30 – 40% operating cost decreases, Walgreens tax breaks and lower operating costs from installing solar panels on 100 stores, and Burt’s Bees acquisition by Clorox for almost $1 billion. Finally, Herman points to Interface Flor’s re-branding around sustainability resulting in a billion dollar market cap and higher PE ratio than competitors.

Concurrently, companies like Mattel, once profitable based on what Herman calls “the China price”, are seeing their sales and stock plummet while “HIP price” products are increasingly popular and profitable. The furniture company Herman Miller, for example, charges premium prices while investing in sourcing sustainable materials, leading to enviable profit margins.

Nike views corporate responsibility as a catalyst for growth and innovation, concentrating efforts on improving conditions in factories, designing for a better world, achieving climate neutrality and unleashing potential through sports. They call the return on these integrated CSR programs “ROI2”. Youth focused community efforts using sports to inspire social change have obvious benefits for Nike by creating future loyal consumers. Nike has also reduced manufacturing waste by 45% since 1998, in part through closed-loop systems, with vendors receiving back waste materials from the shoe-making process to recycle into new materials for Nike.

In 2008, PR Week and the marketing firm Barkley released a survey quantifying the positive effects of corporate philanthropic activities. According to their results, 72% of consumers have purchased a brand because it supports a cause they believe in. Corporations report positive PR (65.3%), an increase in sales (26.7%) and an enhanced relationship with target demographics (52%) as a result of cause marketing. 56% of companies also report heightened staff morale and retention and 14.7% cite improved recruitment of quality candidates.

According to Barkley CEO, Mike Swenson, program effectiveness is measurable through cause marketing sales (events with product sales involved), cause event visibility (runs, walks, etc.), and cause branding traction (programs that define the company). In 1995, Barkley’s own client Lee jeans, looking to take advantage of trends toward casual Fridays and more casual workplace dress codes, and improve perception of the Lee brand among 24- 49 year-old women, started Lee National Denim Day benefiting breast cancer research. Brand tracking studies report 60% of women have a more favorable impression of Lee and 33% are more likely to purchase the brand based on its sponsorship of Lee National Denim Day. Further, women aware of the sponsorship are more likely to view Lee as a fashionable brand. Swenson also points to the Dove Self Esteem campaign repositioning a commodity product into a brand with a clear point of differentiation.

Other companies, World of Good for example, successfully established entire brands around CSR practices. The 3 ½ year-old company sells international, fair-trade style sourced hand crafts online and through strong partnerships with retailers like Whole Foods. With 300% annual growth, World of Good appeals to traditional venture capitalists and serves as an example of marrying positive impact with bottom line profitability.

According to another Barkely survey, growing evidence shows that cause branding also positively effects Generation X and Y stock purchases. For companies courting consumers and investors in their 20’s and 30’s, CSR is now an important decision point. At the same time, employees looking to find more meaning in their work are demanding that companies get more involved in problem solving and have a positive social, environmental or health impact.

The Green Hero Project (redux) - revisiting a cultural lens study by The SOAP Group

HEROES

Hero fetishism is alive and well in American Pop Culture and LOHAS.   Hollywood has grasped the formulaic tale of the hero and won’t let go.  The party started in 1978 with Superman.  And more recently, Hollywood has had to go deep into fringe heroes like The Watchmen and Kick-Ass (due out April 16) to satisfy our large appetite.

Even our political system has adopted the mythologies, visuals and narratives of the hero’s tale. Obama was portrayed as an everyman, turned champion.  And even the graffiti artists picked up on it the narrative.  

Look at Al Gore’s personal narrative as it follows the classic hero’s journey (the monomyth) as defined by Joseph Campbell and others.  Here's an over-simplified version:

1.  An everyman is born: the robotic vice president.

2.  The hero goes on a journey: Gore disappears into the forest (of Deep Sustainability) (and returns with a beard no less).

3.  The hero battles evil:  Gore and Bush43 lock horns to battle for the kingdom.

4.  The hero returns to his community and is bestowed with treasure:  Nobel and Oscar.

This narrative pattern, to more rich and complex degrees than I can go into here, is equally prevalent in Star Wars as it is in Harry Potter.  Once you see it, it is everywhere.

Culturally, we love heroes.  Can’t get enough of them in fact.  And LOHAS is no different.  From Hirshberg and Hollander, we look to these heroes for leadership and, perhaps even, salvation.

As has been the case for centuries, heroic icons remain potent social influencers. Often motivated by duty, heroes not only bring positive change to the society in which they reside, but they provide a physical manifestation of hope (sound familiar?) for what is to come.  

THE GREEN HERO PROJECT

In late 2008 SOAP launched the Green Hero Project.  Using the lens of the hero, to better understand and track changes in the perception of sustainability, we set up www.mygreenhero.com to survey self-defined “green consumers.”  Specifically, we wanted to look at five key features of modern green heroes:

1. Authenticity (does a green hero’s authenticity matter?)
2. Influence (do they influence our purchasing patterns?)
3. Trustworthiness (do we trust them?)
4. Aspiration (do we want to be like them?)
5. Impact (are the saving the planet?)

To get to some answers we chose nine influential archetypes and asked site visitors to rank them according to our 5 key features.  Those archetypes where:

1. The Politician 
2. The Celebrity 
3. The Scientist 
4. The Treehugger
5. The Soccer Mom/Dad
6. The Eco-Entrepreneur
7. The Green Socialite
8. The Business Person 
9. The Vegetarian

RESULTS

Here are the “Cliffs Notes” of the results showing the top 3 heroes for each category. (Link to free full report at the end of this post)

Authenticity: Do you think they are authentically green?

1. Treehugger 

2. Scientist 

3. Eco-Entrepreneur 

Influence: How much influence do they have on the issues? 

1. Business Person 

2. Scientist 

3. Politician

Trustworthiness: When they speak do you listen? 

1. Scientist 

2. Eco-Entrepreneur 

3. Business Person

Aspiration: Do you aspire to be like them? 

1. Scientist 

2. Eco-Entrepreneur 

3. Treehugger

Impact: Are they saving the planet? 

1. Scientist 

2. Eco-Entrepreneur 

3. Business Person

We also asked participants to vote for their real-life (in most cases) Green Heroes. Seven different genres were evaluated, providing five names to vote on, as well as a write-in option.   Here’s who people on the brink of 2009 saw as their green heroes.

Businessperson Green Hero 

1. Gary Hirschberg, Stonyfield 35%

2. John Mackey, Whole Foods 16%

3. T. Boone Pickens, Oil/Wind Tycoon 12%

Scientist Green Hero 

1. David Suzuki 23%

2. Bill McKibbin 17%

3. William McDonough 16%

Celebrity Green Hero 

1. Bono 25%

2. Leonardo DiCaprio 19%

3. Woody Harrelson 16%

Political Green Hero 

1. Al Gore 67%

2. Barack Obama 15%

3. Arnold Schwarzenegger 3%

Activist Green Hero 

1. Rachel Carson 31% 

2. Van Jones 11% 

3. Julia Butterfly Hill 7% 

Corporation Green Hero 

1. Patagonia 27% 

2. Whole Foods 21% 

3. My Local Farm 16% 

Media Green Hero 

1. Mother Jones 17% 

2. Grist 13% 

3. The Daily Green 11% 

VILLAINS

Of course Batman is just Bruce Wayne without the Joker and Spiderman is just Peter Parker without Venom.  You can’t look at Heroes without also looking at Villains.  So we launched a companion survey at www.mygreenvillain.com
 

Note:  The full Green Hero Project Report contains a special bonus section on “My Green Villain.”

WHAT’S NEXT

We’re hoping to continue this lens study so that we can track Heroic LOHAS trends over time.  If you have a few minutes, visit the sites at www.mygreenhero.com and  www.mygreenvillain.com to take the surveys.

A copy of the full 2008 report is available for free here.

Up Up and Away, 

Johnny Monomyth

 
John Rooks is the President of The SOAP Group, a consulting firm activating sustainability and social justice through communication projects that create positive cultural dialogue.  www.thesoapgroup.com.

It may be controversial, but it’s the best we’ve got. The Environmental Performance Index provides a way to numerically rate each of the globe’s countries by their overall greenness, or lack thereof. Not surprisingly, Switzerland is first, the U.S. is 39^th, while China is down at #105 and India comes in at 120^th.

The EPI rates everything from air, water, health of its citizens, agriculture, impact on climate change, ecosystem vitality, among others. This type of sustainability reporting was produced by a group of top environmental scientists with grants from major foundations.

EPI’s findings quantify a situation we all know exists: how can the less populated, wealthy, developed countries demand that the other less developed countries follow suit in drastically reducing carbon emissions to save the planet and become a green economy? Especially those like China and India who are giving birth to a middle class numbering in the hundreds of millions. Many countries that did poorly on the EPI are producing consumer goods for U.S. shelves that are exported since we don’t want to build them here and it is dramatcally cheaper. The classic NIMBY (not in my backyard) scenario, indeed.

The time is now for ALL countries to accept that their economies must take a bit of a haircut in the name of ecological living. How much value will the super stringent vehicle emissions regulations in California have when on the other side of our world, millions of new drivers will be putting cars and trucks on the road that have antiquated pollution control systems? We need to bear in mind that our relatively small population of around 330 million is absolutely dwarfed by India and China’s billions. Soon enough, these countries carbon emissions will make the Western world appear miniscule. Without comparable cleanup standards and subsidies in the Chinas, Indonesias, and Indias, what’s the point for the rest of us to drive hybrids and acquire solar panels?

This clearly needs to be a worldwide effort, with everybody putting aside their own immediate priorities for the greater good. This is not strictly magnanimous, nor is it the naive rantings of a tree hugger. If we don’t ALL clean it up, and soon, it will be a moot point – by the year 2050 or even sooner in my opinion.

Two key confabs – the G20 conference in Pittsburgh, which is happening as we speak, and the revisiting of the Kyoto accord (let’s hope the U.S. signs this time) which is slated for Copenhagen in December – will hopefully be the first major steps in a global initiative to this end. While economic concerns need to be balanced with environmental policy, we may not have the luxury of arguing about it for 10 or 15 years for it will be too late.

Organic farming and Fair Trade practices have obvious benefits for people and the planet.
are guaranteed quality products grown with sustainable methods and assured that the producers are treated fairly.

How does it work? Traditionally, small farmers in developing countries barely eke out a living on a few acres of land. These impoverished growers are subject to declining world market prices, environmental degradation, and hazardous working conditions.

TransFair USA, a non-profit third party certifier, organizes farmers across Latin America, Asia, and Africa and connects them with major brands and retailers in the U.S. As a result, farmers receive up to 3 times the price for their products. And that is only the beginning. In addition to a fair price, buyers pay quarterly premiums. The premiums stay in the co-ops and are invested in clinics, schools, equipment, education, communication systems and water wells.

TransFair’s rigorous audit system tracks products from farm to finished product and verifies compliance with Fair Trade criteria. U.S. companies that meet strict Fair Trade standards are permitted to display the Fair Trade Certified label on their products.

Nigel Willerton was raised in England's sugar trade. When he became Wholesome Sweeteners CEO in 2002 he was determined to improve conditions in the sugar business for people and for the planet. He believed that Wholesome could make a significant difference in the everyday lives and futures of cane farmers and their communities.

Inspired by the emerging Fair Trade movement, which until then had been primarily coffee and cocoa, Nigel began working to establish Fair Trade standards for sugar cane cooperatives and mills. After three years of negotiation and hard work, Wholesome Sweeteners launched the first line of Organic and Fair Trade Certified sugars and molasses in the U.S.
 Nigel was pleased to report, “Just months after the first agreement was signed, money began flowing back into the co-ops.”

Fair Trade agreements set trade prices, remove the unnecessary middlemen, who once took a significant percentage of farmers' income, and provide access to pre-harvest lines of credit. Recently the distance to the mill challenged a cooperative partner in Paraguay, as they had no truck. Once cut, the cane is hurried to the mill, where it must be processed within 24 hours or the cane will begin to spoil. Wholesome made a pre-harvest loan to buy the trucks necessary to get the cane to the mill on time.

Consumer support of organic sugar products has had a significant impact on the way farmers grow their cane: Between 2001 and 2007, there was a 10-fold increase in land dedicated to organic cane cultivation in Paraguay alone, from 10,000 acres to nearly 100,000 acres. Wholesome Sweeteners' Fair Trade programs help small sugar farmers earn more so they can pay for organic certification and training in sustainable agriculture techniques as well as converting land to organic cultivation. Paraguay and Costa Rica grow organic Fair Trade Certified sugar cane.

Vote with your purchases. Support Organic Fair Trade Certified Sugar

http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com

From their ranks came the leaders of Ben & Jerry’s, Whole Foods, Starbucks, Silk Milk and Celestial Seasonings.

Their vision for prosperous businesses sprang from idealism they had embraced in the 1960s and 1970s. Their names are synonymous with Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, long before LOHAS had a name.

Cohen. Greenfield. Mackey. Schultz. Demos. Siegel.

They tapped into an anti-plastic food zeitgeist that would shatter complacency and move markets toward healthy, natural, organic, ecofriendly and socially responsible products. They were the visionaries who first grasped and then capitalized on the changing moods of a generation.

They are Baby Boomers. They are men. And they launched an industry.

That’s why farsighted LOHAS marketers are taking another look at these men, both the innovators and the legions who buy their products. Millions of men, infused with idealism and health-seeking values, constitute an enormous segment that’s only going to become more lucrative in its aging.

Steve Demos, founder of WhiteWave and NextFood, already foresees the next giant marketing opportunities to target a generation. Simplistically, they are still Boomers, and they are aging, and they are changing aging.

They’re in play for new products that deliver substantive health and chronic disease mitigation benefits. So Demos has launched GoodBelly, a line of stomach-soothing probiotic juice products developed for Boomers. He’s made a good decision, even if it’s daring.

The market rewards daring. The market rewards clarity about the market.

Why This Generation, Why Men?

Never before in the history of this nation have so many men entered the 50+ lifestage. Nearly six thousand Baby Boomer men turn 50 every day, and a Boomer male turns 60 about every 15 seconds. This generational march to 60+ will continue for the next seventeen years.

Demography by itself does not predict the future course for this generation. The idiosyncratic Boomer value set, inspired by the social and cultural revolutions of the 1960’s and 1970’s, adds dimension to future scenarios. How so for Boomer men?

First, this generation of men has experienced the consumer power that came with being at the top of the nation’s traditional social hierarchy. When they were young adults, Boomer men were favored with jobs, wage and salary advantages, and access. Social status influenced them to resonate with heroic marketing archetypes such as the Marlboro Man and the Shelby Ford Mustang. They like mythologies around conquering individualists such as Ben & Jerry.

Second, they remember standing side-by-side with female peers during long months of struggle to achieve greater economic and social equality for women. Many protested for greater racial inclusiveness. A man coming of age in the sixties and seventies learned to empathize with the underdog and challenge authority. An iconic magazine ad campaign for the Volkswagen Beetle – “Think Small” – embodied the underdog achieving celebrity status. The movement toward local growers of organic foods is thinking small but with big implications.

Third, Boomer men have a feisty history, and they’ve transformed every lifestage they’ve occupied. For example, they ushered in the yuppie and gravitated to products such as the BMW sports car and Mont Blanc pen, reflecting their well-honed sense of technology, design and luxury. Starbuck’s and Whole Foods executives understand how to create the “being places” that cause Boomer men to linger…and buy: holistic, healing, eco-green places, down to earth.
 

Powerful Influences of Gender on Attitude

Natural Marketing Institute (NMI), based in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, has been conducting consumer research into the Boomer generation mindset since the beginning of this decade. Boomer men and women share many core values. For example, based on NMI’s Healthy Aging/Boomer Database, 81 percent of Boomer women and 78 percent of Boomer men strongly or somewhat agree with taking responsibility for health matters:  I’m very concerned about my personal health and am actively managing it.
 
Both sexes strongly or somewhat agree that exercise is a primary way to promote healthy aging (94% of women and 92% of men). Both sexes strongly or somewhat believe vitamins and nutritional supplements promote healthy aging (75% for both genders). Both sexes believe that maintaining independence as they age is of highest priority (98% of women and 96% of men).

However, upon closer study of NMI data, noteworthy gender differences emerge. Steve French, managing partner of NMI, believes many attitudes have distinct gender influences that marketers can use to construct and target commercial messages.

“NMI research follows the opinions of 10,000+ Boomer men and women, and our survey data is revealing surprising gender insights,” said NMI’s French. “For example, Boomer men are more likely to aspire to live very long lives, but they are less likely to embrace the behaviors that correlate with longevity, such as prioritizing a healthy diet and pursuing supportive social networks. Differences between men’s aspirations and reported behaviors create opportunities.”

When asked if they would like to live to 100-plus years old, 61 percent of Boomer men strongly or somewhat agree, while 53 percent of Boomer women hope for such advanced old age. Concerning a belief that the best years of life are still ahead of me, 77 percent of women strongly or somewhat agree while 68 percent of men share this degree of confidence in the future.

A large percentage of Boomer men aspire to long lives; yet, many do not have faith that bonus years will be so golden. A gap between ambition and outlook is an underdeveloped opportunity for marketers promoting products that empower Boomer men in their quest for self-directed health care and healthy living.

Organic products. Natural products. Nutriceuticals. LOHAS products.  

Boomer men are more prone to spend discretionary dollars during the economic crisis. They are more likely to make impulse purchases than women (25% men versus 9% women). They are more apt to spend than save (37% versus 28%). They are more self-directed on investment decisions (70% versus 46%). At the grocery store, they are more willing to buy national brands over generic store labels (46% men vs. 26% women).

Research and market observations point toward a new sociological construct for maleness after 50. It's a construct that includes awareness of natural and organic products, ecological living, holistic health modalities, social accountability, and integrative alternative medicine.

Boomer men are changing the meaning of aging and masculine identity and will expect more, acquire more, challenge more, and give more than their predecessors. 

Founders of the LOHAS movement, many of them Boomer men, already know this, and they’re acting on it.  

It think it is a good rule of thumb to adopt Colorado’s love/hate approach to weather when it comes to understanding the LOHAS market. If you don’t like it now just wait five minutes.  These past few months have been an extreme eye opener for many in various ways. We have seen jobs and homes disintegrate in front of our eyes. The encouraged spend, spend, spend attitude that has been speaking  to us through media has now been muzzled by our inability to do so. The rat race that had many never seeing the light of day as they left for work in the early hours and returning home after nightfall has slowed.

I find that this has many people reevaluating what they hell they are doing all this for. We say we do it for our families and financial security.  But I think it is all a matter of perception of where we are at. After all we are the richest country on earth and yet we cry poverty all the time. We easily forget where we are at presently when we are so caught up in the ‘what if’s’ of the future.  And in doing this we never get to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Many people ask me where we are all headed – especially in the LOHAS market or green business development. I see that there is a shift in attitude for many with regards to purchases. The last few years saw a proliferation of green and semi green products and services. The green wave hit big which was what many rejoicing. Yet it really did not change behavior in people’s relationship to spending. Instead of buying a Hummer you bought a Prius. Both are cars but one is just more green. The eco bamboo dress or socks are still another piece of clothing to add to the clutter in our closets.

But now people are thinking more about what they are spending on because they don’t have jobs or homes with closets to hang their eco dress. I see that there is a stronger emphasis on relationships rather than spending. This is true with business as well. Look at commercials and ads and you will see that companies LOHAS and non LOHAS alike still want to make their case as being relevant in the relationship setting and are emphasizing their value as a relationship builder.  They are also wanting to portray themselves and the nice guys willing to help out someone in need. This search for relevancy goes beyond the former sustainable reporting and compliance model of old. Google Wave with free applications, Wal Mart with low prices, grocery stores offering giveaways. If you are a business who is not stressing relationship relevance you are missing the boat. Will this last? Who knows.  If the economic recovery is slow then perhaps it will. If it is rapid it will not. People are not elephants when it comes to memory.  I can’t event remember what I had for breakfast for Pete sake.

This is a great opportunity for businesses and individuals to rethink relationships and explore new approaches to collaboration rather than competition. Dollars are scarce and people still want to be a part of something. As I write I am on the way to a collaborative think tank between two former competitive green mobile applications 3rd Wale.com and GenGreen.com. They have created a forum in San Francisco that brings together 200 thought leaders to share ideas on collaboration in the LOHAS space. The met at the  LOHAS Forum and came away with an innovative way to cooperate and share resources thus enhancing both of their products.  Why not use this time to make lemonade out of lemons.
 

Polystyrene is all around us, in coffee cups and egg cartons, meat and produce trays, soup and salad bowls, in CD jewel boxes, and the packing "peanuts" and molded foam that protect new appliances and electronics. It is the lightweight packaging and insulating material that helps prevent damage to products in transit. Polystyrene is also used in building materials, electrical appliances, in light switches and plates, and many other household items.

Dow Chemical Company introduced and trademarked StyrofoamÒ, a form of polystyrene foam insulation, in the U.S. in 1954. The scientific name for Styrofoam is polystyrene foam. According to the industry, that coffee you drank from a foam cup this morning was not Styrofoam; it was polystyrene foam.

Like all traditional plastics, polystyrene is made from petroleum, which is a non-sustainable source of major environmental pollution. Additionally, Ethylene and Benzene are chemical precursors in the manufacture of polystyrene and large amounts of hazardous waste are generated in the manufacturing process. Solid at room temperature, polystyrene is a thermoplastic substance; a plastic that melts when heated and becomes solid again when cooled. There are many kinds of polystyrene foams in use, one of which is used for food packaging.

The styrene in polystyrene cups has been shown to migrate into beverages. One single use may leach as much as .025 percent. If that doesn’t seem like much, consider that if you drink from polystyrene cups 4 times a day over 3 years, you may have consumed a foam cup's worth of styrene. That’s just a few cups of coffee or tea a day. The Environmental Justice Network reports that styrene is absorbed through the skin, lungs and intestines and is known to indiscriminately attack the body’s tissue and nervous system.

The migration of styrene is also influenced by the fat content of the food or beverage in the polystyrene container.  Foods with a higher fat content will draw a higher degree of styrene into the food.[1] Some beverages, such as alcohol or the acids in "tea with lemon," may also raise the rate of styrene migration. Styrene also appears to migrate more quickly when the food or beverages are hot.

Plastics that get into our food are now referred to as, "Food Contact Substances" by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), however before April 2002, they were called "Indirect Food Additives." The FDA changed the name with the intention of removing the implication that plastic was indeed migrating into the food. [2]

To complicate matters, mountains of polystyrene packaging from food service, is piling up in landfills.  Not only do the puffed up foam containers take up more space than paper, they are not presently recycled because it is not economically sustainable. Non-food service packaging is not contaminated with food and other wastes like the clamshells and beverage cups from fast food restaurants.

It would be pretty difficult to avoid polystyrene altogether, however as consumers we do have many choices. We can choose to avoid fast food takeout and eat unprocessed whole foods as much as possible. We can keep non-disposable cups and flatware at our desk. At the very least, disposable paper cups and plates are a better choice; they are biodegradable and not damaging to your health.