If the world was a cube

Have you checked out the new milk jug at Costco yet? It's a brick. A great example of sustainable packaging. The container is optimized to eliminate shipping dead space from the dairy to the dairy case and it can be stacked without having to put it in a box first. By optimizing the container to fill the space, standardizing the shape to fit on a normal palette, it also eliminates the need for the odd sized milk crates that need to be sent back to the dairy to be sterilized and reused. Here's another example of something so simple, as the redesign of a container to make it more like a space saving cube, that it is revolutionary. And so sustainable, saving space, water (for cleaning the milk crates), and energy (fuel and space conditioning). Oh, and did I mention, it is cheaper than the traditional gallon milk jug.

What else can we make into a cube that can be easily fit on a standard pallet for efficient shipping? Those two liter soda bottles come to mind. Let's face it, they are tough to pour as is, why can't Coke and Pepsi follow the lead of the dairy with their 'cubic' milk jug? Just think about how much more product could be put on the shelf along with the reduced footprint this would net! No doubt the cost would also be reduced.

Sustainability can be as simple as a cubic jug of milk.

Rosemarie

Can you say "DUH"!

Kudos to McDonald's. They figured out that if they simply reduced their energy use by 14% they could save $1.5B (yes "B" as in BILLION DOLLARS) per year. So what Herculean efforts did they have to do? Tap the energy content of their french fry grease?Install a microturbine on every golden arch? Tap the kinetic energy of the kids playing with Ronald McDonald? Nope, nope, and heck nope. They're turning out the lights and turning down the temperature when they are closed. It's elegence in its simplicity and it is what my mom has always told me "Dear, please turn off the lights!" Who'd a thought...

Of course they won't be having my mom standing at the door of each Micky D's. They are taking a slightly higher tech option. They are using sensors and monitors to track this stuff. This takes the human (error) element out of the loop. The cost of installing these gizmo's will be paid back quickly with the energy costs avoided.

Only 14% decrease in energy use, $1.5BILLION! Imagine all restaurants, offices, and businesses simply installing gizmo's to be energy smart (like my mom). Think about the number of people that won't need to be laid off to control a company's cost. That would be good for the environment as well as for the economy. Wouldn't it?

Sustainability is not rocket science!

Welcome to the dirty footprint blog

The objective of this blog is to opine on sustainability issues and practices. Join me as I explore this important environmental area.

What is sustainability? Let us look at a definition:
Free Dictionary definition:
Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment.

OK that sounds good but you know, that could be rather draconian to our way of life. Seriously, are we going to give up our lifestyle? I think not.

So my definition of sustainability is: the ability to continue improving our way of life without long term effect on the environment.

What I'd like to do in the days, weeks, months, years ahead is to explore this definition and really see if we can keep improving our lifestyles while minimizing our environmental impact. Are there methods we can apply to achieve our goals? Are there behavior changes that are necessary?

Let's explore this together.

Rosemarie