by Victoria Denkus

Since we are in the business of educating our students, I thought it would be a good idea to pass along some useful recycling information and some simple recycling tips that students can do in school, in their community, and at home. There are many more ideas out there…let us know what you’re doing to help the environment, www.pearsonlongmanusa.com/green

 

Did you know that …

 

• Planting a tree, in front of the school or in the school yard, not only beautifies the area, but it also provides a home for wildlife and absorbs carbon dioxide, a major cause of global warming.

 

• The American Birding Association accepts donations of backpacks, which its scientists use in tracking neotropical birds?

 

• Old and broken crayons can be sent to the National Crayon Recycling program? They are melted down and reformed into new ones!

 

• Used Crocs can be recycled into new shoes, and donated to underprivileged families? (Mail to: Crocs Recycling West, 3375 Enterprise Ave., Bloomington, CA 92316)

 

• Old prom dresses can be donated to local High Schools for girls who can’t afford them.

 

• Empty containers of Elmer’s glue and glue sticks can be sent to Wal-Mart for recycling (Don’t forget to rinse out the bottles first!) To find out more visit www.elmersgluecrew.com

 

• Juice packs like Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid Drink pouches cannot be recycled, but a company called TerraCycle will donate 2 cents for each pouch received and 1 cent for any other brand you collect. They turn these pouches into purses, totes and pencil cases! To get started, go to: www.terracycle.net/brigades.

 

• If you’ve outgrown your old sneakers (and if they are still in good shape) you can donate them to needy athletes in the U.S. and around the world, through a site called http://www.oneworldrunning.com/

 

• You can donate usable pens, pencils and markers to schools that are short on these supplies? At www.iloveschools.com teachers from around the U.S. specify their wish lists.

 

 

 

 

Some Green Marketing Tips

Because direct mail is often seen as unfriendly to the environment, as a publisher we need decide how to produce greener marketing materials to make less of an environmental impact. By taking some very simple steps we can ensure that our direct mail is both effective and eco-friendly.

1. Investigate printing on environmentally friendly paper stocks.

• Look for paper containing post-consumer waste.
• Print on the lightest weight paper stocks without reducing quality.
• Experiment with different paper folds and formats to reduce paper use.
• Test different packaging options to reduce weight and waste.
• Print on both sides of the paper to maximize the customer message and reduce paper usage.
• Consider digital printing, on-demand, instead of printing large quantities that take up warehouse space until needed.

2. Discuss different printing methods and inks with the printers.

• Opt for less ink usage and/or fewer colors.
• Research different coatings and varnish before using them.
• Find out what their press sizes are, so that more pieces can be produced from each sheet of paper.

3. Take steps to use clean, up-to-date mailing lists to reduce undeliverable mail.

• Remove invalid names and addresses.
• Provide customers the opportunity to opt-in or opt-out of mailings.
• Ask for preferred method of contact, it may not always be mail!

4. Remind customers to route or recycle their direct mail pieces to others in their department.

In the world of direct marketing there are many shades of green. By taking some greener steps in how we produce and mail our direct mail marketing pieces, we can have less impact on the earth and a greater impact on our customers.

Victoria Denkus

As the Promotions Manager for Pearson Longman, I find myself in a precarious position trying to balance my daily tasks with the going green evolution. As I sit at my desk proofreading copy and checking the color on pages, I feel a bit guilty leaving on ALL my lights (plus my desk lamp) while to my left, a printer is furiously printing out copies of corrections that have to be made, while knowing that they will ultimately be tossed out once I’m done. I find myself wondering – will I ever be a good green citizen?

I have finally come to decision that “going green” is a lot like going on a diet. You know it’s good for you in the long run, but getting started and staying on track can be a lonely and somewhat difficult road to follow. You become aware that everything you do will have an impact on your environment, just like eating that extra cookie will have an impact on your body. Suddenly you have to start making difficult choices about how you will live the rest of your life.

Going green is definitely a change in the right direction, if we are going to leave a cleaner, greener world for the next generation. But, I think that for most of us, it seems like a daunting task that is difficult to measure. It is mind-boggling for me to try to decide whether it’s better to buy food transported from California on a tractor-trailer or from South America on a boat! The truth is, that in order for me to bring about any meaningful change, it has to be about doing little things that I can control instead of panicking about the larger issues that I may not be able to influence.

At home, I have recently purchased a new energy-saving refrigerator which is better for the environment, and saving money on my electric bill! I have also put a filter on my water tap, and even changed over to energy efficient light bulbs. I keep the lights off in rooms that I am not in, and recycle my paper and plastic. At work, I now view corrections online, rather than printing out reams of paper, and drink from a water bottle, rather than a paper cup. I also find that working with a group, and discussing these ideas has brought about a change in my philosophy and makes the whole idea seem more achievable.

So just like losing that extra pound, if we each resolve do one good “green” thing a day, we will be able to make a difference that we will be able to count.

What will you do today?