Combine this with new flat-screen technology rendering obsolete millions of lead-loaded CRT monitors and televisions and we have yet another eco-mess in the making. So it comes as good news that as of August 1, 2007 consumers and businesses throughout British Columbia will be able to drop off their end-of-life electronics to designated collection locations province-wide at no charge so they can be recycled responsibly. Introduced by the Electronics Stewardship Association of British Columbia (ESABC) and managed by Encorp Pacific, the Return-It Electronics Program will “…divert end-of-life electronics from landfills and keep them from being shipped to developing nations where they could be processed unsafely.”
That last point is a critical one, as an estimated 75 to 80 percent of older machines from the United States wind up in Asian countries such as India and China.
Most e-waste in India is dumped in landfills or incinerated, releasing toxins into the air and soil that can cause cancer, birth deformities and arrested brain development, health experts say.
From the ‘what happens to recycled products’ link on Encorp’s web site, we are led to the Electronics Product Stewardship Canada web site (http://www.encorp.ca/electronics/) which assures us that “The Electronics Recycling Standard defines the minimum requirements for managing end-of-life electronics. This Standard is intended to assist in determining if these products are managed in an environmentally sound manner that safeguards worker health and safety and the environment from the point of primary processing to final disposition.” Let us hope.
To find out more about recycling your obsolete electronics, visit http://www.encorp.ca/electronics/
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The one-wheeled green marketing philosophy machine is about to hit the road. On October 24th & 25th, 2007, Lorne Craig will be presenting at the OpenDialogue Green Marketing & Product Strategies Conference in Toronto, with a talk called ‘Moving “Green-ness” from a Brand Differentiator to a Brand Motivator’. As the hopefully intriguing description reads: “Now that companies are swarming the eco-friendly bandwagon, it is no longer enough just to say you’re ‘green’. Marketers have to dig deeper. From a creative perspective, (read: more fun pictures, fewer complicated charts) this presentation will examine some of the sub-groups emerging within this ever-broadening consumer category and explore ways to appeal to the complex emotions and motivations behind their need to go green.” Unicycle will be in good company, with speakers from organizations such as The World Wildlife Fund, Bullfrog Power, Toyota Canada, and The Home Depot. For more on the conference, and to book on-line, visit www.opendialogueinc.com. Watch this site in November for the recap and highlights. |
So what do you think? Which campaigns or creative green marketing messages resonate with you? Is there a campaign out there that makes you want to go green? If you have a moment, please send me an e-mail. |
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Building a Green Design Communication Framework for Townline Homes
Green Building pre-dates today’s ‘eco-everything’ hype by a number of years, so it’s no wonder that a solid developer like Townline Homes has been increasingly incorporating Green Building criteria into their projects. Now, as more and more buyers become eco-aware, Townline asked Unicycle Creative to help free their eco-initiatives from the realm of the architects and engineers and present them for all the world to see.
One big challenge here is that a modern building is a complex combination of systems and components all working together within our ecosystem. So how best to explain the numerous green initiatives in a way that can apply across the range of Townline developments?
Our answer was to develop a system of categories under which Green Building initiatives are grouped. These categories were then represented by bold, simple icons designed to integrate with Townline’s logo and graphic brand standards.This icon system can now be used through a range of applications, from development approval to project marketing.
The first project to use this system is The Hudson, a residential/retail development in Victoria. Unicycle created a ‘Green Design’ board showing expanded architectural views of the building, with the proposed Green Building details categorized and described. (Unicycle helped here too, translating engineer-speak into actual English)
From the ground up, The Hudson is an excellent representation of Green Building standards, as it re-uses an existing heritage building and site, avoiding sending some 1400 dump trucks of waste to landfill.
For more information on The Hudson and Townline Homes, please visit http://www.townline.ca. If your company has complex eco-initiatives to communicate, e-mail Unicycle. We’ll custom build a solution for you.
5 - Responsible Investing