Whole Planet Foundation and Be Green Packaging Visit Microfinance NGO’s in Brazil

whole planet foundation micro loan recipient

The Whole Planet Foundation is a non-profit organization founded by Whole Foods Market that works to alleviate poverty via microcredit lending in communities worldwide that supply their stores with products.  By collaborating with existing microfinance infrastructure in various locations around the world, the foundation has a massive reach with programs now running in over 50 countries.  As of March 2012, the Whole Planet Foundation disbursed nearly $135 Million dollars in microfinance loans, positively impacting the lives of thousands of individuals and families.  The Whole Planet Foundation is a powerful way for Whole Foods Market and its suppliers to affect meaningful change in the communities that make their businesses possible.

impoverished neighborhood in Sao Paulo, Brazil

When Be Green Packaging CEO Ron Blitzer was invited to join the supplier alliance on the recent Whole Planet Foundation International Field Visit to Brazil, he jumped at the opportunity.  As a founding member of the Whole Planet Foundation’s ‘Change for Change’ fund, Be Green Packaging has been involved with the organization for many years. As a long-term supporter, Blitzer was interested in seeing just what kind of impact the company’s donations were having on people’s lives.

Both a founder and board member, Ron has banking experience due to his involvement with the Bank of Santa Barbara.  During the trip to Brazil, he experienced the banking process on a much smaller scale, as the amounts typically offered in microfinance loans are in the range of $150 – $250.  Although small by American standards, these sums allowed program participants to start businesses and help raise themselves and their families out of poverty.

loan being finalized at the Banco de Povo

While in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the group met with the leadership at the Banco Do Povo (a non-profit NGO that works with the Whole Planet Foundation), where donors experienced first hand the effects that the microloans had on the lives of the Brazilian entrepreneurs.

“What was amazing to me was to be able to see a family signing the documents and receiving a check to start a business. While the amount was only $150 dollars, the expression, excitement and amazement on the faces of the borrowers was exactly the same as it was at the Bank of Santa Barbara.  The amounts really do not matter when a banker lends you money it is always transformative.” stated Blitzer of the experience.

Whole Planet Foundation supplier group

He went on to comment, “As a triple bottom line company, Be Green’s business model and focus on sustainability maintains that supporting people and the planet are as important to us as sales and profits.  Contributing and aligning ourselves with micro finance helps us meet our organizational and personal missions. It’s not just about biodegradable packaging, its about building a sustainable business model and making a positive impact on people and the planet as a whole.  Working with the Whole Planet Foundation is one of the ways in which we can have a direct, meaningful impact by helping to alleviate poverty worldwide.”

Be Green Packaging has a long-standing relationship with Whole Foods Market as the supplier of the compostable and recyclable bulrush food containers used in the Prepared Foods, Meat and Seafood, and Produce departments.

About Whole Planet Foundation

Founded in 2005, Whole Planet Foundation is a Whole Foods Market foundation that funds poverty alleviation worldwide where the company sources products. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower the poor living in developing-world communities with microcredit and the chance to create or expand a home-based business and lift themselves and their families out of poverty. As of December 2011, Whole Planet Foundation is funding microlending programs through microfinance institutionpartners in 50 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the U.S., supporting over one million people with a chance for a better life. To date, the nonprofit has authorized more than $26.5 million and disbursed more than $16.5 million through microlending partners worldwide. Learn more and donate online at wholeplanetfoundation.org.

About Be Green Packaging

Be Green Packaging LLC, based in Santa Barbara, Calif., manufactures and distributes Cradle to Cradle^cm certified, tree-free, compostable and recyclable packaging for the food and consumer packaging industries. The company’s products are made from annually renewable plant fibers that are safe for people and healthy for the planet. For more information about the company, please visit Be Green Packaging.  To order Be Green products visit the Be Green Packaging Store here Biodegradable Packaging

Genji Sushi and Be Green Packaging Collaborate on ‘Composting is Cool’ Day at Y.A.L.E. School Cherry Hill

Children at the Y.A.L.E. School in Cherry Hill New Jersey were treated to a hands on day of sushi making along with lessons from a master sushi chef last month as part of Genji Sushi’s ‘Composting is Cool’ series.  Genji and Be Green Packaging collaborated on the event which featured composting education and a presentation on the problems associated with overfishing.  The entire event was a resounding success and helped to establish foundational environmental awareness with all of the children present that day.

Be Green supported the event with a donation of its award-winning sushi trays, which were developed in tandem with Genji, and was represented by Bob Rodriguez, who manages sales and accounts for the company in the region.

Be Green Packaging to Participate in Experience Green’s Hilton Head Island Zero Waste Earth Day Event

Experience Green, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to build sustainable communities through experiential educational, engaging citizens and businesses, and working with public institutions, will be present at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina’s first ever ‘Zero Waste’ event this coming Earth Day weekend.  The ‘Get in the Loop’ 2nd Annual Earth Day Celebration seeks to raise awareness on environmental issues that now face our society while also providing real-world solutions that encourage meaningful change on a community-wide level.

Zero Waste can be defined as the proactive approach to waste – the idea that we can design, use, and dispose of products in ways that don’t need landfill space.  The Zero Waste movement has been rapidly gaining traction throughout the country and world in recent years as environmental awareness increases due to educational outreach and major issues such as climate change.  Although the movement is driven largely by consumer demand, it is up to businesses to implement the changes needed to move away from packaging and products that are destined for the landfill.

“The Zero Waste approach addresses a product’s full lifecycle,” Experience Green Executive Director, Teresa Wade, said. “Packaging and waste are key first considerations for practices that are healthier for the planet and its people, and improves profit – the trifecta of sustainability.  Innovation for sustainability aims for material use and design that results in recyclable, reusable, and compostable products for reduced waste. Consumers can drive this effort by asking for and purchasing less wasteful products and packaging.”

Be Green Packaging realized the need for truly sustainable, Zero Waste packaging back in 2007 and hasn’t looked back.  The company designs and manufactures compostable and recyclable food service and consumer packaging from annually renewable plant fibers such as bulrush, bamboo, and bagasse (sugar cane pulp), among others.  Be Green is currently developing the first US-based plant fiber packaging manufacturing plant right in Hilton Head’s backyard– Jasper County, South Carolina.

Be Green’s products are a textbook fit to the ‘cradle-to-cradle’ closed loop model that is central to the Zero Waste movement.  The company uses the aforementioned non-food plants as feedstock for its packaging.  The result is a durable, natural product that is the perfect solution for single-use food service packaging and various consumer packaging applications.  Furthermore, when the packaging is ready to be disposed of, users can either recycle or compost the product, closing the loop and avoiding the landfill altogether.

“Teaming up with Experience Green for their Zero Waste Earth Day event was a natural fit for us.”  Stated Ron Blitzer, CEO and President of Be Green. “As a triple bottom line company, we are concerned not just with profitability, but the bigger picture of what it means to be truly sustainable.  That entails embracing the local communities in which we operate, which we are committed to doing whole heartedly.  We support Experience Green’s mission and are proud to be a sponsor at this years event.”

Be Green will be sponsoring the ‘Slow Food District’ at this years event, where local restaurants will serve food to attendees on the company’s compostable dinning ware.  When diners are finished eating, any left over waste will be “fed” (along with Be Green’s plates and trays) into Wilbur the Waste Eater, a commercial compost unit, as part of a collaborative pilot program effort of the Sea Pines Resort, i2Recycle, and Experience Green.

The event will be held on April 21^st, from 11 am to 5 pm, at Shelter Cove Community Park, Hilton Head Island. Admission is $5 for adults and free for kids 12 and under.

To order Be Green products visit the Be Green Packaging Store at: http://www.begreenpackagingstore.com

Be Green Partners With San Francisco State University in Support of Sustainability

Every year, San Francisco State University hosts its annual Farm to Fork event celebrating the growing local food movement.  All produce used at the event must be grown by local farmers within 250 miles of the campus.  All proceeds from the event will be used to support sustainable food initiatives on campus.  Campus-based sustainable food programs are capable of reaching large numbers of students and having a permanent impact on their lives.  A university that sources its food from local communities can support several large farms and have a major impact on the viability of sustainable agriculture.  Be Green Packaging is proud to support SFSU sustainable food programs and initiatives.

Be Green Supplies Packaging to the 84th Annual Academy Awards

The Academy Awards has been taking major steps recently to reduce its carbon footprint and embrace sustainable products.  This year, Be Green teamed up with the Academy by supplying compostable and recyclable plates and clamshells in support of their mission to reduce the environmental impact of the awards.  The collaboration also served to raise awareness of existing green technologies that attendees may not have otherwise been aware.

Be Green wholeheartedly supports the efforts of the Academy and applauds the organization for embracing the principles of sustainability by adopting plant fiber packaging at this years awards.

Be Green Supports the Organic Center’s Mission to Educate Society on the Benefits of Organic Agriculture

As a major source of evidence-based science supporting organic agriculture, the Organic Center is a crucial part of the movement to rehabilitate our food systems.  The non-profit organization publishes reports throughout the year on various topics related to organic agriculture ranging from healthy eating choices and the benefits of organic food, to in-depth studies on the effects of reduced pesticide usage on soils.  The Center consistently produces groundbreaking research on relevant issues and maintains an extensive archive on its website, making it a major resource for anyone interested in the burgeoning organic food movement.

The Organic Center is an incredible resource for anyone interested in the hard science behind why organic agriculture matters to us as a society.  Be Green is proud to support the organization with annual donations in recognition of its ongoing research and active role in the organic food movement.

Proctor & Gamble Report Documents Substantial Improvements in Packaging Using Be Green’s Plant Fiber Trays

When Gillette decided to adopt Be Green’s plant fiber technology for use on the new Fusion ProGlide Razor, neither company could have foreseen the overwhelmingly positive response that the tray would receive both from P&G and the packaging community at large.  The latest highlight in a long string of achievements for the tray (which included the receipt of DuPont’s Diamond Award for Packaging Innovation in June of last year) is a recently released report by Gillette’s parent company, Proctor & Gamble, highlighting the substantial improvements made by switching to plant fiber from traditional plastic packaging.  The report details how the new packaging has helped P&G to meet it’s sustainability targets and make substantial reductions in packaging materials usage while still maintaining Gillette’s distinctive branding.

The PDF document can be downloaded on P&G’s Innovations page here: P&G Innovations Gillette Fusion Proglide & Proglide Power

Whole Planet Foundation 2012 Annual Prosperity Campaign

Article originally appears at: http://www.wholeplanetfoundation.org/blog/2012/02/whole-planet-foundation-2012-annual-prosperity-campaign/

By Lauren Evans

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Lauren Evans

Do you believe that small change can bring big change? We do! Read on to find out how you can share your story in our Facebook essay contest for a chance to win a trip for two to India, courtesy of Intrepid Travel.

So far, we’ve supported more than a million people in 50 countries in changing their own lives. Did you know that we fund projects right here in the United States? Watch how Whole Planet Foundation’s partner Grameen Americaputs microcredit into action. Grameen America, a nonprofit microfinance organization, follows the successful model of Nobel  Laureate  Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank.  To date, they have reached over 8,500 low-income borrowers across New York City, Omaha NE and Indianapolis, IN.  We can’t wait to watch them grow!

With your help during our Annual Prosperity Campaign this year, we can empower a millionmore people to lift themselves out of poverty! Now through March 31st, we hope that you will join fellow Whole Foods Market® shoppers, team members, Supplier Alliance for Microcredit partners and online donors in raising $4.1 million to help impoverished people living in communities around the globe where Whole Foods Market sources products.

With your help, we empower the very poor with microcredit loans to create or expand home-based businesses, such as small-scale farming, food carts and raising livestock, providing an opportunity to lift themselves and their family out of poverty in a sustainable way. Microcredit loans are small, usually $300 or less, and require no collateral or contract. Providing impoverished women access to this type of credit enables them to escape the vicious cycle of poverty by using their own energy and creativity to help themselves.

What makes microcredit so amazing is the fact that the loans are repaid and reloaned again and again, and when you make a donation, 100% of your contribution benefits microcredit clients because Whole Foods Market covers all operating expenses for Whole Planet Foundation. If you’re not near one of our stores, you can donate online or start your own campaign on Whole Planet Foundation’s website and spread awareness to your friends and family about how together we can help people change their own lives.  Read the stories of women who have benefitted from this support.

Click here to read the rest of the article and find out how to enter to win a 7-day trip for two to India: http://www.wholeplanetfoundation.org/blog/2012/02/whole-planet-foundation-2012-annual-prosperity-campaign/

Be Green Packaging Sponsors 2012 Sustainable Packaging Coalition Spring Meeting

Every year, the Sustainable Packaging Coalition hosts its annual Spring Meeting, bringing together researchers, heads of business, innovators, and thought-leaders in the field of sustainable packaging for a three-day conference on the future of the industry.  This year, Be Green Packaging has announced that it will be one of the events primary sponsors.  As a long-standing member of the SPC, Be Green is proud to partner with the organization in support of their efforts and mission to further the ideals of sustainability in the packaging world.

This years event will be held in Toronto, Canada and will feature over 20 speakers from the sustainable packaging and related industries.  More info on the event including workshops, tours, and registration can be found on the SPC website here.

Be Green Partners With Whole Planet Foundation for Free Stuff Friday

TGIF, right? Well, if you had a busy week, you’re in for a treat. Be Green Packaging is offering, what I think, is one of the coolest prizes yet! 5 people will win a sampling of their product line of compostable plates, cups, bowls and more - perfect for a family picnic in the park (or wherever life takes you).

Be Green Packaging designs, manufactures, and distributes Cradle to Cradle™ certified, tree-free, compostable packaging for the food and industrial packaging industries. You know those containers at the Whole Foods Market food bar? Exactly.

Be Green Packaging’s business model has been created to address the international concern of teeming landfills and poor waste management. As a progressive, socially conscious, and for-profit company, they are driven to create and offer alternatives to traditional packaging, and to educate people about their impact on the environment. They make it easy for everyone to do their part for Mother Earth. Be Green is committed to offering the world a simple way to participate through the responsible use and disposal of packaging in their everyday lives!

In addition to being nominated for awards in social business innovation, their commitment to their corporate social responsibility, Be Green is a part of Whole Planet Foundation’s Ten Thousand Dollar Fund, donating $10,000 and changing the lives of 50 impoverished families for generations.

To enter the competition and read the rest of the article, follow this link: https://www.wholeplanetfoundation.org/blog/2012/02/free-stuff-friday-be-green-packaging/