| Eco-Trivia |
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Answers to trivia questions can be found below.
1. In the United States, __% of trash is produced
from private residences while __% comes from commercial locations.
2. Every ton of recycled office paper saves how many gallons of production oil?
3. Employing automatic power management features on your computer and shutting it down after work hours can cut energy use by what percentage?
4. How much does "standby mode" for electronics end up costing Americans each year?
5. The world's energy needs will go up what percentage by 2030?
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| Trivia Answers |
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1. 35%/65%
2. 380 gallons
3. 80%
4. $4 million
5. 60%
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| Greetings!
In this "greener side" of the Vollrath Vibe, we'd like to introduce our new green practice group, "EcoVAntage!" |
Vollrath Associates Announces New Eco-Friendly Communication Services
 Recently, Vollrath Associates announced it has "gone green!" We have formed a new practice, "EcoVAntage," to assists clients in communicating their environmental programs and services to their target audiences.
"We believe it is important that companies and organizations offering innovative cleantech and environmental/energy products and services communicate and promote these services to their target audiences to differentiate themselves in today's competitive marketplace," said Jessica Vollrath, account supervisor at the firm.
"Many companies are practicing environmental responsibility but are not communicating their messages and capabilities. Our EcoVAntage practice will work with company leaders to develop a 'green' strategy and communication plan to generate awareness of these important elements to shareholders, employees, customers and businesses. Companies that establish and maintain a reputation for sustainability have a competitive advantage, and we look forward to working with them to help them to effectively tell their story."
Vollrath Associates' "EcoVAntage" services include thought- leadership development and strategy; brand identity and positioning; key message development with an environmental edge; sustainability marketing and communications vehicles, annual reports and environmental media relations services. Other services include white paper development, speaking engagements and event planning. For a complete listing of EcoVAntage capabilities, please visit the EcoVAntage link on our website.
Many of our clients are already taking advantage of EcoVAntage in their public relations and investor relations campaigns. If you would like more information on the green communications services Vollrath Associates can offer your organization, call us at (414) 221-0210 or email info@vollrathpr.com. |
The Greenest Big Companies in America
Over the past several years, corporate culture's drive to "go green" has, at times, outpaced the methods of defining what exactly "green status" entails. LEED certified facilities, Energy Star ratings, "carbon footprints" and "eco-ethics" have often been used to measure organizations' sustainability practices, but a recent issue of Newsweek took these ratings to a new level.
After a year-long collaborative study with independent environmental researchers, Newsweek released its environmental rankings of the "Top 500 Greenest Companies in America." Newsweek's goal in the rankings was to evaluate the 500 largest companies based on their environmental impact as well as their green policies and reputation among peers and environmental experts. Companies were ranked on a weighted average using these three components: 45% for environmental impact, 45% for green policies and 10% from a reputation survey score.
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the greenest of them all? Coming in at number one was Hewlett-Packard with a green score of 100 thanks to its green-house gas emissions reduction program and its efforts to use renewable energy. Hewlett-Packard's PC-recycling program has also been an impressive initiative for the company: not only has it saved 1.7 billion pounds of e-waste from landfills in the past decade, but the reselling of reclaimed gold and copper helped the company's bottom line.
Second place belonged to Dell, a company that is engineering its computers to use 25% less energy by 2010. Johnson & Johnson came in third boasting the largest fleet of hybrid vehicles on the list.
The list of Newsweek's top 10 Greenest Companies in America then included:
1. Hewlett-Packard
2. Dell
3. Johnson & Johnson
4. Intel
5. IBM
6. State Street
7. Nike
8. Bristol-Myers Squibb
9. Applied Materials
10. Starbucks
To view more information on Newsweek's rankings, visit www.newsweek.com/green.
Adapted from the article "The Grenest Big Companies in America" by Daniel McGinn in the September 28, 2009 edition of Newsweek.
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Quote of the Month 
"Some argue that, amid demanding economic conditions, our resolve to meet environmental commitments should weaken, that the costs are too high. In fact, the opposite is true. The economies that embrace the green revolution earliest will reap the greatest rewards."
~Gordon Brown, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
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