What will it take for people to reuse and repurpose as a daily habit? I am constantly racking my brain trying to figure out why people seem to be inherently lazy and care so little about our planet's sustainability, and, what can we to change this behavior?

I just finished reading two very good, very different posts about this issue. One was written by Nicki Lisa Cole in today's  Conducive Chronicle entitled Beyond Disposable, A Paradigm Shift in Consumer Living. She raises the question: "What if nothing was disposable?" What if we didn't manufacture single-use disposable products? Wouldn't it be easy and automatic to reuse and repurpose if products were made with quality sustainable materials, built to last? No one would consider throwing away a stainless steel cookie sheet after one use. The second post was in Grist, with the caption: "Too Lazy to Go Green? Hire an Eco-Concierge." Are they kidding? Is that how lazy we've really become? They say that people who have a slight environmental conscience and the money can go greener and still be just as lazy. How does that work? What happens when one of these entitled people is out and about and polishes off a diet coke in a can? Does that person throw it in the recycling bin? The trash? Or care enough to bring it home to the Eco-Concierge? But that would involve some effort.

I'm hoping for a more sustainable solution. I'd love your ideas on how to get people to choose to reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle as a good everyday habit.

Launching a crowdfunding campaign is exhilarating and, as it turns out, a 24/7 job. When I made the decision to launch the Good News Reuse™ Pi Pan campaign on IndieGoGo I found so many bloggers via Google, who gave amazing tips to guide us through the process. I am grateful to everyone who shared their experiences and vowed to do the same for others, after the ride. I hope you can benefit from the things I did right and the things I could have done better.

Other than the obvious – deciding which crowdfunding site is best for your project, video, written campaign/project content, perks/rewards - here is the Checklist my Intern Darya & I set up on Google Docs to run our campaign. We use IndieGoGo lingo like campaign and perks. In parentheses are post-campaign comments.

Pre-launch:

1. Organize email addresses into groups for mailings. Add potential customers, influencers. Determine which friends and family will be “evangelists”.
        (Groups were categorized by best friends & family, including evangelists and friends, which included potential customers. Double check so you don’t include contacts in more than one group.)

2. Set up Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other Social Media accounts.
        (6 months+ or as much in advance as possible.)

3. Twitter – attract followers who will love the concept.

4. Facebook – campaign to get LIKEs.
        (6 months+ or as much in advance as possible.)

5. Continue to Like/Support projects on IndieGoGo. Become familiar with the way the process works.

6. Engage with followers via Social Media.

7. Sign up for a Social Media management site like SproutSocial.  
        (You can manage all of your social media accounts from one spot, schedule posts and track those who are mentioning you. I’m loving SproutSocial.)

8. Create an email signature with links to social networks.
        (Links to your campaign to be added later.)

9. Start a blog and back date if necessary.
(Be the expert on your topic/concept.)

10. Identify and develop a list of relevant targeted media outlets for press releases – local and other newspapers, online publications, blogs.
        (Find out what their lead times are and any special requirements and plan accordingly.)

11. Contact high school and college alumnae, town newspapers, gyms.
        (And anyone else who cares about you.)

12. Create a spreadsheet with all media info – name of publication, contact, email, tel, lead time.

13. Make business cards and include campaign web address.
        (I like Mini Moos with customized photos, although we like to go paperless and did not do this.)

14. Write a Press Release and submit to media according to their timelines for publication. 
        (Follow up via calls and/or email. It’s amazing how much buzz you can get from even one publication. For samples, our press releases are posted on our company blog and you can see the list of who published it under the Good News section of our site.)

15. Identify bloggers, germane to the topic, who might write about the campaign and help spread the word. Write comments on their existing posts to build rapport.

16. Identify and follow celebrities using social media who might take an interest in the campaign.

A few days prior & up to the day of launch:

1.   At least 3 working days before launch, submit Press Release to PRweb ($80). Best days to send out are Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
        (PR Web will critique your Press Release, which was very helpful.)

2.   Draft posting for blog and as an Update on campaign website. Have it ready for day #1.

3.   Post campaign video on YouTube.

4.   Create a Facebook event.

5.   Draft a personalized email about the launch to be sent morning of launch.

6.   Draft a second personalized email specifically for evangelists.
      (A version of the above, but more specifics on how to help with the campaign – via social media, emails.

7.   Send email to all groups announcing the upcoming campaign. Include links to campaign and all social media.
      (BCC (blind carbon copy) for privacy reasons.)

Day of launch:

1. Add a campaign link to email signature - as soon as have link.

2. Update all Social Media sites to include campaign info.

3. Post launch blog on website.

4. Add IndieGoGo campaign widget to website.

5. Add campaign link to Google chat, Skype, Instant Messaging.

6. Email all groups - remember to BCC.
        (Make it easy for them to share – give them a bullet point list with your campaign url and all social media urls.)

On-going

1. Post on Facebook and Twitter every day, all day!
        (Much easier to do with SproutSocial. Post about anything you’re interested in, not only about the campaign. Mix it up with articles related to your topic and personal.)

2. Email blast updates about the campaign once a week.
        (I would have liked to do twice a week but felt my audience would appreciate fewer emails.)

3. LIKE and support other projects on IndieGoGo.

4. Re-tweet Tweets.

5. Blog regularly.

6. Reply to all emails, comments, postings and Social Media DMs. 
       (There will be a lot!)

7. Stay current on relevant blogs and news. Post comments to engage.
     (Bonus...you make new friends.) 

8. Post updates on your campaign at least once a week. 
    (Can add new videos, photos, etc.)

As you can see, it's a ton of work but a lot of fun, especially if you love social media. I do even more than I did before. One of my environmentalist activist idols, Laurie David, found our campaign via a Tweet by TakeOutWithout.org about an article in  Treehugger. Laurie David contacted me, matched the funds we had raised so far on our campaign, and asked me to challenge others to do the same. It was a dream come true. Truly amazing to have support from someone I admire so much!

Our campaign ended up all over the world via Google news. I saw Tweets in Italian, Bulgarian and Slovenian linking to online articles about Good News Reuse™. We've received product inquiries from hotel chains to individuals. We've received press from some of my favorite blogs: Treehugger, EcoFabulous, Earth911 and more. I've made many new friends who share our vision. 

We didn't end up raising all of the funds we need to manufacture the Pi Pan...yet...but I'm optimistic that we will attract investors with all of the positive energy surrounding our campaign. There is so much buzz right now about our reusable pizza box...it just has to happen!

Hi Everyone,
This is the last day of our campaign on IndieGoGo...we're in the final countdown. It ends tonight at 11:59 pm pst. We can't even begin to tell you how appreciative we are for your support of Good News Reuse™ and the Pi Pan! 

5,000 people have viewed our story and it has been posted via Google news in Italy, Australia, England, Bulgaria, Hungary and China. We presume the viral link has touched tens of thousands.

We would like to extend a Big Thanks to Laurie David who ramped up the campaign last week by matching the funds we'd received and for challenging others to do the same. Thank you so much to all of you who have given, and we would be grateful if you could forward this message today and ask your friends to please join you in supporting the launch of Good News Reuse™.

With heartfelt thanks,
Susan

IndieGoGo Campaign: http://www.indiegogo.com/GoodNewsReuse
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodNewsReuse
Twitter: @goodnewsreuse, @sslopes

This is your new blog post. Click here and start typing, or drag in elements from the top bar.

Neil Patel is one of my favorite people to follow on twitter and on his Quick Sprout site.
He wrote this inspiring piece about one of the most inspirational innovators of our time...
*******************************************************************************************
As you’ve probably already heard, Steve Jobs passed away yesterday. He will be remembered as one of the greatest visionaries ever. What he did for the technological as well as entrepreneurial world, will never be forgotten.

Although I’m young and haven’t been following Steve Jobs’ career as intently as others, he has taught me a lot about business in the last 5 years. Here are 11 things I’ll never forget that Steve Jobs taught me:

People Matter, Not Features. Everything Jobs built made life easier for you. It was rare to ever hear him babbling about features he created, instead he focused on how these products made life easier for others.

For example, the iPhone enabled you to talk on your phone, watch movies, record movies, and listen to music. As simple as that may sound, without an iPhone you may have to had to carry around a cell phone, mp3 player, and a video recorder. Because of him your pockets are much lighter.

He taught myself, along with many others to not focus on just adding features or creating products. First and foremost, you need to focus on solving problems that people are experiencing. If you can do that, you’ll stay ahead of the curve.

There’s Nothing Wrong With Pre-Selling. Most companies launch products and then sell them. Jobs didn’t do that with Apple. He let the public know what he was going to sell them, how it solved their problems, and that they could pre-order the product online.

You can do the same thing. Don’t wait for your product or service to be released. Start selling it now! The money you earn today will help cover your costs and it will help solve any cash flow issues you may encounter during distribution.

Keep it Simple, Silly. I switched from a PC to a Mac because Macs are much easier to use. Or at least they are for my dad and 1-year-old nephew. Every Apple product I bought during Steve’s tenure was simple to use.

He also created cool looking devices, but above all else his products were simple to use. For example, the iPad was the first device I was ever able to give my dad that required little to no instruction. There are no shut down or start options, you just click on applications and start using them.

If you want more applications, you just go to the App Store and download them.

Don’t try to make your solutions complicated. Keep it simple… even if that means you have to strip off the bells and whistles. If you aren’t creating usable solutions, it will be harder to gain traction.

Think BIG! If you are in business, you are there to make money. If not, you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur. If you are going to create a business, create one that changes the world.

Apple isn’t just a technology company, Steve Jobs changed the world! His products are used all around the world and by everyone. This is why Apple is the largest company in the world.

You won’t be able to create a big company unless you solve big problems. Although you can make a nice living off of conquering a small niche, you won't make billions doing it.

Focus, Focus and Focus Some More. When you look at Apple’s website, it seems like they have a lot of products, right? Well, for being a hundred billion dollar company, they actually don’t.

Jobs was smart, he always focused his energy on a few big products instead of trying to create thousands of small ones. In other words, he went for big wins instead of looking to hit singles and doubles.

With your business you shouldn’t try to do multiple things. Just focus your time and energy on one product or service. As long as your core business continues to grow, you shouldn’t do anything else. The moment your growth slows down and flattens, that’s when you should expand.

Create an Ecosystem. I never really understood the power of creating a platform until the iPhone was released. When the phenomenon hit the market and companies started to create applications, Apple grew to have a huge ecosystem.

Not only were they selling their products, other companies started to build products on the Apple platform and their customers were encouraged to buy and use Apple products.

By this point Apple didn’t have to sell their products, other companies were doing it for them.

Steve Jobs created an ecosystem and he was able to do it around Apple products. If you want to grow a brilliant idea, you have to create an ecosystem for that idea to flourish.

There’s Always Room for Innovation. The iPod wasn’t the first mp3 player. There were 100s of others that were already out before Apple released the iPod. That didn’t discourage Jobs from entering the space…he just one upped everyone by creating a better product.

These days if you are looking to buy a music player, the first thing comes to your mind is the iPod, right? And what’s the second brand that comes to your mind?

Ummmmm…

That’s right, they demolished all of their competitors. The only other device that I can think of is the Zune, which kind of sucks.

Don’t be afraid to enter a saturated market… you just have to be willing to stir things up. If you can innovate, you will win. If you decide to create another me too company, expect to be crushed.

Be Passionate. Did you know that Steve Jobs had a salary of $1 a year? That’s right, he didn’t care for money and he stated it publicly. He cared about the company, their products, and changing peoples’ lives.

If you love what you are doing, you are going to work harder and be more likely to succeed. Heck, Jobs even worked hard when he was sick…that’s how much he loved what he was doing.

Don’t just do things for the money, do things because you love what you are doing. You aren’t going to live forever, so enjoy your life while you can.

Never Lose Your Investors Money. Although Steve Jobs wasn’t the CEO throughout all of Apple’s history, he always took care of the company. He came back, and turned the company around. In other words, he grew shareholder money and took care of his investors.

As I stated earlier, Apple is the biggest company in the world! It’s very difficult to create a decent size company without taking money from investors… so make sure you take care of them. And if you do so, they’ll always take care of you.

Another great leader who also has a very similar rule is Warren Buffett. If you can take care of the people who are feeding you, they’ll constantly be willing to reciprocate.

You’re Nothing Without Your Team. Apple has a ton of benefits: from on-site fitness centers to tuition assistance, they even have cafeterias with organic food. Why did they do all of this? To take care of their employees.

A big part of being a good leader is realizing that you have to have a good team. It’s impossible to do everything yourself. If you don’t take care of your employees and show your appreciation, you’ll quickly lose them.

If you take care of your employees they’ll put their blood, sweat and tears into your company.

Don’t Forget About Your Friends and Family. As an entrepreneur when you work so hard for so many years, you tend to forget about your friends and family. All you do is live, sleep and breathe business.

At the end of the day, there is nothing wrong with that, but you also have to spend time with your friends and family. Money will always be there, but your friends and family won’t.

When Steve Jobs got sick, he left Apple to spend his final moments with his friends and family. He knew what was important to him. You too need to figure out what’s important to you no matter how much time your business or job takes from your life, don’t forget about what’s important.

Conclusion. It’s tragic that Steve Jobs passed away during his prime. He was a great entrepreneur and leader. We’ll never forget what he did for this world.

My condolences go out to his family and friends and may he rest in peace.

Feel free to share any lessons you’ve learned from Steve Jobs.


Via Neil Patel on October 6, 2011

I was looking at my tweet mentions and came across this:
È Pi Pan In Acciaio E Riciclabile
DISCO D'ACCIAIO PER QUATTRO STAGIONI - Il network statunitense Good news reuse, che produce oggetti sostenibil per il mercato del food and beverage, ha lanciato una proposta: Pi Pan, disco realizzato in acciaio… Read More »Discovered on Google News about 1 Day agoI 

Our press release made it to Europe and below is the one posted on a Sicilian site. Here's the link:http://www.corriere.it/ambiente/11_ottobre_06/pizza-riciclo-acciaio-serafini_3364862e-f022-11e0-afdf-a2af759d2c3b.shtml

All of a sudden I'm getting contributions on our campaign and a slew of emails from Italians who want the Pi Pan, want to manufacture the Pi Pan, partner on the Pi Pan and represent the Pi Pan in Europe. I even received an inquiry from a hotel chain in Hungary.

Too bad I can't read Italian! 

CARTONI SPORCHI NON POSSONO ESSERE SMALTITI NEI BIDONI PER IL RICICLO DELLA CARTAIl vero contenitore eco per la pizza?
È Pi Pan in acciaio e riciclabileSi può impegare più di mille volte e il suo costo è ammortizzato già dopo una trentina di utilizzi

Il contenitore Pi PanMILANO - Solo negli Usa sono tre i miliardi di cartoni per la pizza in circolazione. E molti di essi non possono essere riciclati a causa degli avanzi rimasti attaccati al contenitore. Da noi, poi, le cose non vanno certo meglio. Secondo un sondaggio, solo un italiano su sei butta il contenitore nel sacco nero, con il 70,6 per cento che insiste a lasciarlo cadere nel bidone bianco, inconsapevole di compiere un gesto inutile se la carta è stata a contatto con cibo e condimenti.

DISCO D’ACCIAIO PER QUATTRO STAGIONI - Il network statunitense Good news reuse, che produce oggetti sostenibil per il mercato del food and beverage, ha lanciato una proposta: Pi Pan, disco realizzato in acciaio inossidabile con materiali riciclati e certificati, proprio come si fa per il riutilizzo delle bottiglie di plastica. Il contenitore si presta a essere impiegato per più di mille volte e il suo costo è ammortizzato in una trentina di usi. Inoltre il design è pensato per una consegna a domicilio comoda e per conservare il calore della pizza, se il consumatore decide di lasciarla a metà. Con un beneficio di educazione ambientale e una riduzione dei rifiuti che si va ad aggiungere al comfort. Niente più scene nei film, dunque, in cui il bello e dannato (o la bella e dannata) di turno fanno colazione con la fetta unta rimasta lì nel cartone, dopo una notte di bagordi? In realtà Pi Pan non è ancora su mercato. È piuttosto una startup. E i suoi creatori hanno deciso di raccogliere i fondi necessari alla commercializzazione per mezzo di Idiegogo, network e piattaforma globale di fundrising in rete.

LE REGOLE ITALIANE - Anche in Italia e a Napoli, entrambe patria della pizza, si è pensato a soluzioni simili. L’anno scorso Comieco ha lanciato proprio nel capoluogo partenopeo un cartone più ecologico il cui coperchio poteva essere facilmente strappato garantendo una comoda differenziazione dalla carta «contaminata». E se l’idea di Comieco era piaciuta ai napoletani anche per la sua garanzia di materiali a norma, le associazioni dei consumatori periodicamente segnalano i rischi di contenitori da cibo fuori legge. Secondo l’Unione nazionale dei consumatori, la scatola deve essere fabbricata rispettando il decreto ministeriale del 21 marzo 1973, secondo cui i contenitori per alimenti umidi e grassi (la pizza per l’appunto) devono essere prodotti esclusivamente con carte di pura cellulosa e senza contenuti di macero. Peccato che in passato nei cartoni da pizza sia stato ritrovato di tutto: dal piombo, ai materiali ottenuti riciclando rifiuti cartacei di telefax e fotocopiatrici, ad alte quantità di diisobutilftalato, un solvente usato nel processo di riciclaggio della carta per togliere inchiostri e coloranti. Inoltre, sempre secondo l’Unione dei consumatori, pur essendo richiesto l’uso di pura cellulosa e vietato l’impiego di materiali da macero, «non esiste l’obbligo di apporre sulle scatole da pizza alcuna dichiarazione che attesti l’adeguamento a questa norma da parte dell’azienda produttrice». Così il consumatore non sa di che cosa è fatta la carta che contiene la sua margherita.

IL RAGAZZO DELLE PIZZE DEL FUTURO - In realtà esistono norme europee che stanno andando verso un maggior controllo anche in questo ambito. Ma non tutti sono coscienziosi allo stesso modo ed è un attimo trovare chi sgarra. Insomma, i problemi sono tanti. E potrebbero essere risolti da soluzioni intelligenti come quella dello studio di design americano. Packaging simili stanno prendendo piede anche in Italia, con aziende che hanno scelto di intraprendere questa strada. Abbandonando definitivamente la filosofia dell’usa e getta. Starà però ai consumatori stabilire se preferiscono ancora il vecchio cartone o se accettano di vedersi recapitare a casa una pizza in un disco che viene riportato indietro dal fattorino.

Marta Serafini
06 ottobre 2011(ultima modifica: 07 ottobre 2011 16:41)

It's a sad day...Steve Jobs has died. Not only was he an iconic innovator and entrepreneur, but he shared so many words of wisdom. He lived by those words. Here are my picks for his top 7 quotes, words that I'd like to live by in his memory:

"I want to put a ding in the universe."

 "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

"innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower."

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

"I have looked myself in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today? And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

RIP Steve Jobs

Good News Reuse™ has only two weeks to go on IndieGoGo. To each of you who have donated, posted a link on Facebook, tweeted, sent an email to your friends: THANK YOU!!!

There’s good news: close to 1,500 people have viewed our crowdfunding campaign and are now aware that cardboard pizza boxes are causing a negative impact on our environment. We’re excited about that! We know this is just one of many waste issues in the food and beverage industry, one of many that Good News Reuse™ would like to tackle. Great news: one of our key customers, who’s waiting for the Pi Pan for school deliveries, contributed to our campaign this week.

While the number of viewers increased, we lost some momentum in the number of funders. We’d greatly appreciate your help so we can catch up this week, move closer to our goal, and return to the top of the home page on the IndieGoGo website. Please comment, contribute anything you can, and tell your friends about our campaign. It’s quick and easy.

(Bonus: Eligible contributions will go towards the MiiR one4one initiative – providing clean water to those in need for an entire year.)


Campaign on IndieGoGo: http://www.indiegogo.com/GoodNewsReuse
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GoodNewsReuse
Twitter: @goodnewsreuse, @sslopes