I read this New York Times op-ed recently and decided this was a must re-blog.

In it, Thomas Friedman shares a letter to the editor written by his friend, Mark Mykleby. Here’s a quick blurb from the letter. The whole article is available here.

“This isn’t BP’s or Transocean’s fault. It’s not the government’s fault. It’s my fault. I’m the one to blame and I’m sorry. It’s my fault because I haven’t digested the world’s in-your-face hints that maybe I ought to think about the future and change the unsustainable way I live my life”… “If we want to end our oil addiction, we, as citizens, need to pony up: bike to work, plant a garden, do something. So again, the oil spill is my fault. I’m sorry. I haven’t done my part. Now I have to convince my wife to give up her S.U.V. Mark Mykleby.”

Well said, and a big cheers to all our members who’ve decided that they’re going to start taking small sustainable steps forward – thanks for doing your part.

Viv was founded with a pre-existing passion for being eco-friendly and saving the environment (one compostable cup at a time!). But we certainly have made our own lifestyle changes. We believe that with great knowledge comes great responsibility (social responsibility that is…) and in turn have changed the way we operate on a daily basis. These are quick and easy steps we have taken and that can be implemented into any office or home:

1. Reuse everything! From boxes, to jars, to office paper! I think it is pretty common to re-use paper and boxes, but we are innovative with our jar use. At home, we like to use glass jars to store pens, markers, and scissors. They even serve as a home for our budding avocado plant! Recently at a restaurant in SF, I discovered another use for these jars—they can be used as glasses. You can even decorate them to add your own personal touch (our decorations involve Viv stickers, of course). Check out this website for ideas on how to effectively recycle unusual materials ranging from clock parts to meat packaging!

2. Set up a composting system. It doesn’t smell any worse than your trash can, I promise. The only downfall: you may catch an unprecedented “composting” cold/flu (if you can’t tell, this happened to me once while taking out a pretty gnarly batch of compost….but I can’t say that it’s a common occurrence).

There are a couple different options for composting systems at home:

(a)   Vokashi’s Bokashi. We recently featured an article on this easy and alternative way of composting. Vokashi is based on the process of food recycling known as Bokashi. Bokashi in Japanese refers to the process of fermenting organic matter. The method uses anaerobic fermentation to ‘pickle’ organic matter in an airtight container with a bran that is inoculated with effective microorganisms. Read our article here.

(b)  Vermicomposting. a.k.a worm composting. Vermicomposting uses earthworms to turn organic wastes into very high quality compost. This is probably the best way of composting kitchen wastes. Adding small amounts of wet kitchen scraps to a large compost pile in the garden day by day can disrupt any decomposition process so that the compost is never really done. But it works just fine with vermicomposting. Take a look at this video for a demonstration on how to set up your very own home or office vermicomposting system: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cixwGZg2YV8.

(c)   KinetiCompost. It’s the fastest, simplest, most eco-friendly way to create nutrient-rich compost for your home or business. Just put your compostable materials in KinetiCompost’s rotomolded barrel, pop on the lid, and let mother nature do what she would normally do—at ten times the speed! KinetiCompost is made of durable, 100% recycled plastic and steel and is eco-friendly itself. The technology behind the KinetiCompost is very simple–a gearbox (such as the one found in a power drill) is located behind the rotating windmill, creating a 200:1 gear ratio so that for every 200 rotations of the windmill, the compost barrel completes one full rotation. Now rather than turning your compost every few days, you can let the already existing breeze keep your compost in constant rotation, which translates to faster compost production and a healthier garden. Being a new development, prices and more information about this product are not available yet. Stay tuned for more information as we discover it!

3. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle. I would say we go to pretty extreme measures to recycle things here at Viv. Sometimes I even find myself rummaging through the trash to recycle things that others simply throw away. We also recycle old ink cartridges, light bulbs, and electronics. We could probably be more efficient with this though…usually one of us leaves these items in highly visible locations around the house or office, hoping that the other will take initiative and recycle it at the nearest possible location! For more information on how to properly recycle items, stay tuned for Viv’s Recycling FAQ which will be posted shortly.

4. Paper Towels without the Paper. We have eliminated the use of paper towels completely from our office and home. This has reduced the amount of waste we produce significantly! Try it and see how it works for you.

5. Power. We have begun turning off all the lights behind us as well as unplugging any chargers or appliances when we aren’t using them—our energy bill has gotten a lot smaller! We are currently testing the “Smart Strip” out in our home. The power strip features advanced circuitry that not only offers excellent power surge protection and line noise filtering, but is actually able to ‘sense’ the flow of electrical current through the strip’s control outlet. Because of this unique ability, the Smart Strip can turn off selected equipment when it’s not in use, creating benefits that no other power strip on the market today can offer. Find more information here.

6. Take-Out Savvy. When we take our food to go, we make sure to return any items we may not need such as brown paper bags, plastic bags, forks, and napkins. We like to think we make a small influence on people through leading by action. We recently wrote about a campaign called TakeOutWithOut–read more here.

7. Walk the Talk. We don’t own a car; to get around, we use a zipcar, walk, or ride our bikes! Here are ten reasons why you should give up your car—and they don’t include just saving the environment: http://hubpages.com/hub/10-Reasons-to-Give-Up-Owning-a-Car.

8. Green Cleaning. We use eco-friendly cleaning products (ie dish soap, method dishwasher tablets, and hand soap). Look here for more information on how to make your own non-toxic cleaning kit for the home.

9. Green Games. Arul was recently shopping for a new basketball–he found the perfect one. Not only is it the color green, but it is made up of recycled materials as well! Read more about Wilson’s Rebound “Green” Recycled Rubber Basketball here.

Those are some of the small changes we have made around the house and office but any and all suggestions are welcome! We would love to hear some of the things you do at home or at work to make your footprint smaller so tweet us @doyouviv or leave us a comment here!

With the “locavore” trend rising in its founding city of San Francisco and around the world, we ask ourselves: Is eating within a hundred mile radius of the city you live in viable? In San Francisco, yes. In Oklahoma, probably not.

So what are your options? With your eco-friendly hearts in mind, Viv explored ways in which you can make your global footprints smaller:

Rooftop Gardens! They are easy, affordable, and most importantly one step closer to reducing your “food mile.” You may be asking yourself, what are some of the perks of a rooftop garden besides being eco-friendly? Are they really worth it? Here is a list of alternative uses of a rooftop garden that you may have never thought of!

• Increases energy conservation. The rooftop plants provide natural insulation to rooftops by reflecting light and heat. The extra insulation can reduce the need for heating or cooling mechanisms, which cuts down on energy use and home utility costs.
• Reduces “Heat Island Effect.” Many large cities experience increased daytime temperatures caused by numerous rooftops. Since urban areas tend to have more buildings, the rooftops absorb heat and light and then radiate it back into the area. Rooftop gardens can aid in reducing this effect, partially by absorbing some of the sunlight and providing shade for the buildings.
• Rain Regulation. Rooftop gardens may be beneficial in areas which accumulate a great deal of rain; storm runoff water can especially overflow sewer systems. The plants can absorb some of the rainwater and limit the runoff from excess water. Rooftop gardening, in turn, has the potential to reduce the occurrences of flooding.
• Space Saver. Rooftop gardens can free up any ground space you may have as well as reduce the distance you have to travel to get freshly grown produce!

Sound like a good idea? Here are 6 easy steps to starting your rooftop garden:

1. You do not need a penthouse apartment or a large house in the country to make a rooftop garden—a rooftop garden can be proudly harvested on any roof in any setting! But do find out if it fits in with your building’s regulation code.

2. After identifying a spot on your roof, choose plants/vegetables/herbs. Here’s a helpful video to guide you through this process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z38VnZk5xOw&feature=related

3. Get containers. Their size depends on the size and type of the plants you choose. They should be lightweight but stable + provide good drainage! See how its done: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8Q9Rw6sRVA&feature=fvw

4. Decide how you will water the garden. Watering the garden can be as easy as carrying the water up by hand or installing an automatic watering system. Helpful hint: To check if your plants need watering, poke your finger one inch deep into the soil. If it is barely moist, it is time to water. Water the plant until the excess runs out of the bottom of the container.

5. Protect your plants! Use windbreaks to ensure you don’t lose your newly grown food. Large pots can serve as a great windbreaker.

6. Don’t be discouraged if that first set of tomatoes doesn’t come out right—unfortunately, you can’t buy a green thumb! Maybe that will be Viv’s next development?

Check out this site to learn more about sustainable rooftop farming: http://skyvegetables.wordpress.com/category/sustainable-farming/

Going green isn’t easy. That’s why Viv keeps up with the latest and greatest of eco-friendly products to make things easier. Although we don’t currently offer the product featured below, we thought it could be useful in changing up that conventional cleaning cycle of yours. Check out the Bissell Steam Mop:

Via NPR “Eco-Friendly Inventions”: The Bissell Steam Mop does a great job on all floor types—the thick green mopping pad is well-suited for vinyl, ceramic tile, hardwood, and laminate flooring. It uses water and turns it into superheated steam to clean surfaces. It is capable of removing tough and sticky messes from hard surface floors. It is easy to put together, and even easier to operate.

So, what’s the big deal? At an average price of $79.99, slightly steeper than your common Swiffer Wet Jet, the Bissell Steam Mop offers an eco-friendly, chemical free solution for cleaning up after any mess.

Another Bissell Steam Mop review says: “no waste, nothing going to the landfill, no chemicals to wash down the sink, it’s a super eco-friendly way to clean your floors. The Bissell Steam Mop takes the work out of mopping.”

This may be an investment with a lot of returns for both your office and home!

*Disclaimer: We were not asked by Bissell to promote this product—we found out about it all on our own! Enjoy!

Take a look at the Bissell bio below:

Boxers. They’re quick & punchy. So is our Viv newsletter. Check out our May edition online.

Wait, you didn’t receive it? Sign up for our newsletter here. Share the link with a friend if you like. Don’t be bashful. Boxers aren’t.

A shout-out to boxers everywhere. And an old-school video game. Nintendo’s Punch-Out. The little guy wins with a KO punch.

We like the green mat. Very eco-friendly.

If you didn’t already know, we like the color green. Oh yeah.

This post is actually inspired by my mom. She rang me up the other day and told me about a whole slew of eco-friendly changes she’s started making in her life.

Some of them are incredibly simple and almost all of them can be applied to both your home & office. As such, I thought we should do some sharing. Here it is – straight from a Viv Mama:

1. “We haven’t used paper towels since Christmas”
2. “I’m not buying paper napkins anymore; we’re using cloth napkins and I just throw them in the laundry”
3. “We’re using recycled toilet paper; I really don’t mind it at all”
4. “I’m actually noticing that we’re recycling a lot more too; I’ve even been rinsing out tin foil and those plastic containers that lettuce and spinach come in and putting them in recycling. Raleigh actually takes a lot of stuff”
5. “I’m even breaking down my Cheez-It boxes!”
6. “I’m trying to cut back on tissues, but that’s gonna be hard…”
7. “I almost always bring re-usable bags to the grocery store (even the Indian Grocer!). I try to keep them on the front seat of the car so that I remember them”
8. “We’re also buying more organic… and cage free for eggs. I was watching this clip from this movie that showed some of the chicken farms. It starts out with these baby chicks on a conveyor belt… and they’re going along… going along… and then they get to the end of this conveyor belt and then there’s this shoot and they slide down it… except they’re all tumbling over each other and everything down this shoot – i really was not ok with it”
   • “Also, they were talking about chickens and how they can take a chicken from birth to slaughter in 7 months now. And how everyone prefers white meat, so they’re breeding these chickens that have such enormous breasts and such weak bones, that they can only take a few steps before they topple over. It’s really pretty sad.”

Increasingly products are being made with “compostable” and “biodegradable” on their labels (we should know ;-)).

But here’s the little known fact – the word “compostable” actually means something, and it’s definition is tightly controlled by International Standards… whereas the word “biodegradable” has a very loose, almost meaningless definition.

UPDATE (8/3/2010): Viv Video | “Biodegradable Packaging vs Compostable Packaging – DON’T get Greenwashed”

Let’s talk about it in the context of the new generation of eco-friendly plastics.

So, what is the difference between compostable and biodegradable plastic?

Well, the simplest way to identify a truly compostable product is to just look it up at the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI) (the leading authority on compostable products).

As mentioned in our post on compostable cutlery that isn’t actually compostable, the long definition goes as follows:

Compostable Plastic“is capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site as part of an available program, such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostable materials (e.g. cellulose), and leaves no toxic residue.” – as defined by the American Society for Testing and Measurement (ASTM-D6400 & ASTM-D6868).

According to ASTM D6400 and D6868 (and the European equivalent EN13432), compostable plastics must meet the following three criteria:

1. Biodegradability – Determined by measuring the amount of CO2 produced over a certain time period by the biodegrading plastic. The standards require 60% (90% in Europe) conversion of carbon into carbon dioxide within 180 days for resins made from single polymer and 90% conversion of carbon into carbon dioxide for co-polymers or polymer mixes.
2. Disintegration – Measured by sieving the material to determine the biodegraded size and that less than 10% remains on a 2mm screen within 120 days.
3. Eco-Toxicity – Measured by testing the concentrations of heavy metals to ensure that they are below the limits set by the standards and by testing plant growth by mixing the compost with soil in different concentrations and comparing plant growth in test and controlled compost samples.

So that’s the standard for “compostable plastics”.

Biodegradable Plastic, on the other hand, is plastic which will degrade from the action of naturally occurring microorganisms (e.g., bacteria, fungi) over a period of time. Note, however that there is no requirement for “eco-toxicity” and no time requirement for the biodegradation of biodegradable plastic.

The ASTM standard for compostability is applied to a range of products, but most typically is found on bags and food service ware, including: cups, cutlery, plastic coated paper items, and even bagasse and sugar cane products.

The rate of biodegradation for compostable products varies based on composition of the product, thickness, as well as composting conditions. Commercial composting systems, where compost piles are turned and typically reach high temperatures, often result in a much faster rate of biodegradation. (World Centric, a compostable food packaging manufacturer, actually has a fantastic chart showing high level estimates of biodegradation of their products in home composting vs commercial composting systems.)

In short, the term “biodegradable” is typically a term used to green wash products and make them seem good for the environment.

So, have you ever purchased “biodegradable” supplies and wondered if they actually break down? Tell us about an experience you’ve had.

And next time you’re making a purchase, make sure to purchase products that are certified compostable.

For more information, we suggest the following resources:
Biodegradable Products Institute
US Composting Council
ASTM
World Centric’s FAQ

You may (or may not) know that we just launched VivBizClub.com a few days ago. There are still a few kinks to be worked out, so if you don’t mind, please bear with us on those; and if you would like to share any thoughts or feedback, we’d love to hear from you – please email us at partners@vivbizclub.com.

As such though, we want to introduce you to the site, the Viv Business Club, and how to get the most out of your experience through a series of posts regarding “How to Best Use VivBizClub.com.”

#1 – The Savings Calculator:

You’ll notice on both our home and products pages a widget called the Savings Calculator. This widget is designed to help you estimate your annual savings when you switch over to purchasing your green products from Viv suppliers.

For the time being, we’ve listed about 20 of the most popular products carried by World Centric, Office Depot, and Green11. Simply:

1. Select a product from the drop down
2. Punch in your cost today (per case)
3. Enter the number of units in the case you currently buy
4. Enter the number of cases you use each month, and
5. Hit Calculate

The calculator displays the Viv price per case and then calculates your estimated annual savings. (it will also automatically adjust for any differences in the number of units in your case v. a case from a Viv supplier).

A few quick notes:

– Just enter numbers; no need for any commas or dollar signs
– We’re going to build our full product list into the calculator soon; please be patient with us as we get that up

Let’s run an example:
Say you’re a local restaurant owner with 3 stores; each store uses biodegradable trash bags in the kitchen. Those bags can be a bit pricey and you’re currently paying $95.79 for 90 garbage bags (the big ones – 39 gallons). Note: this is a real price based off the top result on google when you search for 39 gallon biodegradable trash bag. Lastly, you go through about 3 bags each day per restaurant, so 9 total per day for your 3 restaurants; that’s 270 bags across all your entire business each month.

Product = 39 Gallon Trash Bag
Cost Today (per case) = 95.79 (remember, no $ needed)
Units per case = 90
Cases Used = 2.7
**Calculate**
Viv Price (per case) = $112.2
Yearly Savings with Viv = $1,467.72

(if this math looks a little funny, that’s because cases of 39 gallon biodegradable trash bags from World Centric contain 200 bags each; don’t worry though, the Yearly Savings number has already accounted for this case unit difference).

So as you can see, we believe you’re going save big on your eco-friendly supplies when you start buying with Viv. We’ve gotten some large discounts on a wide variety of green products from our suppliers and we hope you’ll run a few numbers with our Savings Calculator and see the savings first hand!

We recently received a note from our sticker manufacturer Lightning Labels stating that they would be switching their eco-friendy Earthfirst PLA label material over to a new material called Natureflex – a wood pulp based substance manufactured from sustainably farmed trees. As a side note, cheers to Lightning Labels – these guys have great customer service and noting that we are an environmentally friendly (understatement ;-) ) company made sure to send us a specific note on the switch.

Most importantly though, it sounds like the right move from an environmental perspective. Lightning labels cites 3 main reasons for the switch, and I’ll add a 4th:

1. PLA is made from corn which takes away from the food supply for humans and farm animals, and has contributed to an increase in food prices for products with a corn component.
2. There are problems with the recycling of plastic containers with a PLA label – which means many such containers actually end up in landfills rather than being recycled.
3. Whole Foods is actively discouraging its suppliers from using PLA.
4. Many forms of PLA are only compostable in a commercial composting facility (not in your backyard).
   

You can read more at lightning labels blog about their reasons for switching, and you can also check out an article from Oregon Live regarding composting & recycling concerns with PLA.

For now, we have quite a few PLA-based stickers already eagerly waiting to be stuck. We did however want to share what feels like a smart move on the part of one of our suppliers and let ya’ll know that we’ll be keeping a close eye on the most environmentally responsible way to manufacture Viv stickers.