PepsiCo this week opened its first overseas “green” plant in China in the western city of Chongqing, part of the beverage giant’s continuing efforts to expand its reach in emerging markets, broaden its portfolio of locally relevant products and achieve a range of ambitious sustainability goals.

The Chongqing plant is the first “green” beverage plant ever built in China - and the first plant of any kind in the industrial center of Chongqing- to comply with rigorous LEED standards. The plant uses over 35 water and energy saving designs and utilizes the world’s most advanced technology, including an environmental management system that monitors water and energy use on every production line and every piece of individual equipment in real time.

The facility is designed to use 22% less water and 23% less energy than the average PepsiCo plant in China. To save water, the plant utilizes a high-pressure cleaning system, water-free conveyor belt lubricant and water-saving fixtures. Plant associates re-use water for landscaping and general cleaning instead of using potable water. To save energy, 75% of the plant’s indoor areas feature natural lighting, including a skylight in the packing area and warehouse. A roof garden insulates the office building and saves energy for cooling and heating.

The new plant is expected to help PepsiCo annually reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3,100 tons; water usage by 100,000 tons; and overall energy use by four million kilowatt hours compared to the former Chongqing plant. It also will serve as an educational center to raise awareness of good environmental practices among students in the local community.

“This plant reflects our deep and long-term commitment to China,” said Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and chief executive officer. “It is also an important milestone in our green journey, on which we are partnering with the Chinese government, industry and others to continue to promote the health and longevity of our planet.”

[sources: PepsiCo, PR Newswire]

I’m still mulling over Jennifer Boulden’s piece in the Huffington Post, considering that balance between advocating “green tweaks” or “green leaps.” As I mentioned in the last piece, Boulden is the co-founder of Ideal Bite. For those of you who haven’t read Ideal Bite- what’s wrong with you?- it’s a site that provides daily tips for living green, promoting the positive and empowering value of “incremental environmentalism.” In her piece for the HuffPo, though, Boulden reveals a more ambitious philosophy emerging, a call for bolder action and bigger leaps forward. Will baby steps get us to where we need to be?

At LTT, we think about this a lot. Are “greener products” only “less bad,” rather than actually “good?” Should we be moving with a greater sense of urgency towards a “sustainable future?” To a point, and yes. But while we don’t believe in half measures, we do believe in the efficacy of realistic alternatives. But maybe Boulden is right, maybe we now have the necessary ingredients for creating a new framework. Maybe we’re reaching that tipping point, where individuals, governments and corporations are absorbing the message.

Every major brand is addressing this in some way or another- there are a lot of innovative companies out there that get it and others that are starting to get it. But whether it’s the size of the slow-moving ship, the nature of their industry or the state of the economy, “going bold” sometimes gets watered down to simply “taking action.”

But, still, we look to those big fish to reshape the priorities of their own industry. PepsiCo , a company we admire (we’ve covered a number of their initiatives), is an interesting contradiction. On the one hand, it produces a staggering amount of plastic bottle waste, and, because of its global distribution, produces waste (in the form of emissions and landfill fodder) everywhere you can imagine. On the other hand, PepsiCo is among the most progressive Fortune 50 companies in terms of corporate social responsibility, recycling (check out Aquafina’s partnership with Keep America Beautiful), industry-changing innovation (Frito Lay’s compostable bag) and so on, and that global reach can bring a message of sustainability to unlikely places. Other examples, companies like Timberland, Green Mountain Coffee and Whole Foods, have shown the broad appeal of integrating responsibility into a company’s core identity.

Whole Foods is adopting some innovative practices, from exploring renewable energies at stores, banning the use of plastic bags, or pushing the entire industry towards responsible aquaculture guidelines. Their Mid-Atlantic region recently established a commitment to diverting 90% of its waste from landfills by 2009. We had a chance to speak with Mark Smallwood, Whole Foods’ Green Mission specialist, who says the company is well on its way. To achieve this remarkable goal, Whole Foods is working to minimize packaging, enhance its composting programs and further develop its recycling. After a recent garbage audit, Smallwood says, “we found roughly 60% of our waste going to compost, 25% was being reused or recycled (including pallets, totes, milk jugs and so on) and 15% was going to landfill, mostly packaging.”

Boulden’s right, it does seem as if the pieces are positioned to fall into place for a new (sustainable) economy. But it takes a confluence of understanding, energy and innovation. It takes not just consumers demanding greener products but companies anticipating (like Honda and Toyota did a decade ago with hybrid/EV technology) how their industry needs to evolve. Baby steps or big leaps, the scene is set for us to “cook up a new type of economy.”

For more on Boulden, check out her piece on the Huffington Post.

The trash can hasn’t really changed in thousands of years. It’s not hard to imagine a first draft of Plato’s Republic ending up in something similar to the bin under Shakespeare’s desk. It’s just one of those things that achieved its useful/design equilibrium a long time ago. But BigBelly Solar is making a compelling case that it’s time for an update.

The Needham, MA-based company’s solar-powered trash compactor is catching on with municipalities looking to cut costs. The units cost between $3100 and $3900 (or lease for $70 to $90) depending on purchase volume, but the BigBelly says they typically pay for themselves in about two years. The can holds around five times as much trash as a traditional trash can, resulting in fewer collections, reducing money spent on man hours, fuel, and garbage trucks. According to BigBelly, the compactor, which has a wireless indicator that signals that the unit is ready to be picked up, cuts the need for trash pickup by up to 80%.

“We’re very excited to bring the benefits of on-site solar compaction to such a wide group of customers nationwide,” said Richard Kennelly, vice president of marketing for BigBelly Solar. “These compactors are made from recycled materials, and even work in areas that don’t receive direct sunlight.” Matt McKenna, CEO of the nonprofit Keep American Beautiful (see our earlier post about them) cites consumer reports that suggest “that convenience and accessibility of public trash and recycling receptacles are a major influence in encouraging them to dispose of waste properly and to recycle more.”

We’ll be seeing these contraptions popping up more and more. Jim Poss, BigBelly’s founder, was recently called one of “America’s Most Promising Social Entreprenuers” by BusinessWeek. And at last week’s U.S. Conference of Mayors, garbage heavy hitters Waste Management announced that it has become the exclusive waste and environmental services company distributor of BigBelly solar compactor technology in North America.

Watch this video of the BigBelly trash can.

Amsterdam has long been one of Europe’s most progressive cities. The Dutch capital is known for its Red-Light District, its museums, cannabis, canals and cobble stones. Soon it might be known for something else entirely- being Europe’s first “smart city.”

The city has begun a process of modernizing its infrastructure, adding 300 power hookups around the city to recharge electric cars, installing solar panels on bus stops and historic 17th century townhouses alike. While other cities (most notably Stockholm) are aiming to become “smart cities,” investing in renewable technologies and adopting stiff emission controls, Amsterdam is the poster child.

This month, the first 1200 homes were fitted with smart meter systems from IBM and Cisco. Some were provided financing from local banks, including ING and Rabobank, to retrofit their homes with cost/energy-saving upgrades.

Accenture has been brought on to help the city create a smart electricity grid, add smart meters and other broad and ambitious measures to reduce energy use throughout Amsterdam’s business, residential and public spaces.

[sources: Business Week, Accenture]

Just as it’s done with taxes (TurboTax) and bookkeeping (Quickbooks), the popular software company Intuit has just launched a free service aimed at helping small and midsized companies better understand their carbon footprint.

Green Snapshot pulls expense data from a company’s QuickBooks and estimates the carbon footprint of that business, providing customized recommendations of ways to go greener, save money and improve the efficiency of operations.

To create the app, Intuit partnered with Cooler, environmental software company, whose methodology, known as the Economic Input-Output Life Cycle Analysis (EIO-LCA) is backed by leading environmental organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Environmental Defense Fund and the National Wildlife Federation. The EIO-LCA calculates emissions based on financcial and economic data..

As Joel Makower writes in his piece for GreenBiz, “since the dawn of the green business movement, small and midsized firms have been largely left out of the picture. Regulators and activists have focused on large industrial players — the ones with the spewing smokestacks, drainpipes, and dumpsters — all but ignoring the roughly 98 percent of the companies around the world that have under 100 employees” Makower continues, “Will it work? Hard to know — the product is barely a couple weeks old — but you’ve got to like the strategy: a free add-on to a popular product that provides genuine value to customers and, just maybe, to Intuit itself, all the while burnishing the software company’s green cred.”

For more visit Intuit, and check out Makower’s full article.

Look, Liam Gallagher doesn’t care what you think. The Oasis front man and his brother Noel have made a career of not caring, offstage and on. Oh, I’m not an Oasis hater. Their first two records were pretty good, and I’m morbidly fascinated by their brand of hooliganism and self-adulation.

Liam has just launched “Pretty Green,” a clothing line “owned and designed” by the singer. He describes “Pretty Green” as an “up-front, straight talking, classic clothing range.” He explains, “clothes and music are my passion. I’m not here to rip anyone off, and I’m not doing it for money either. I’m doing it cuz there’s a lack of stuff out there of the things I would wear.”

But is there anything “green” about the clothes themselves? Apparently not. Is this green-washing then? Well, the name is taken from a song by The Jam, but, in an era when retailers and marketing execs are scrambling to meet consumer demand for greener products, greener manufacturing and corporate responsibility, it does seem a bit cynically misleading. I mean, heck, he just got ten minutes of my time.

Sony Ericcson bolstered its green credentials earlier today, introducing two new phones made from old CD cases and water bottles. The GreenHeart C901 (top left) and Naite (top right) have all the features you’d expect on a new release (camera, video streaming, bluetooth,…) but are made from at least 50% recycled plastic and colored with “eco-friendly” water-based paints. The company claims that “thanks to these innovations, the overall CO_² footprint over the full life of the C901 GreenHeart™ and Naite is reduced by 15%.”

Both phones come with a low-power charger and an in-phone e-manual which reduces paper usage by 90 per cent and are part of the company’s GreenHeart™ program, aimed at elimating the use of hazardous chemicals from the product design and manufacturing process.

Both new GreenHeart™ phones build on Sony Ericsson’s industry leading ‘green core’, the result of a long standing commitment to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals from the product design and manufacturing process..

In earlier posts, we’ve profiled efforts by other phone makers to green their products. Earlier this year, Samsung released it Blue Earth phone, and Motorola put out its MOTO W233 Renew. As Sony Ericcson pointed out, given the volume of products moved each year, the industry needs to tackle the issue of waste and efficiency. More than 1 billion phones are sold globally each year, along with boxes and other materials.

In yesterday’s post, we reviewed the “old school meets new school” qualities of the Baylis Eco-Media Player, a pretty sweet little green gadget. Just wind it up for a minute and the on-board generator will power the player (MP3, movie, photos, flash light, radio…) for 45 minutes. Today’s post is more “new school meets new schools,” as we hear news that Energizer has partnered with XPAL Power to create a compelling line of portable charging solutions for a variety of devices. As Darren Murph writes in his piece for Engadget, “the rechargeable power packs and emergency chargers — over ten of ‘em in all — will all ship by July of 2009 and will include devices for PMPs, PNDs, portable DVD players, netbooks and digicams.”

from the Memphis Flyer

I was just defending Burger King to my wife. We were watching Conan’s first show (on DVR- do they count folks like us in Nielsen ratings, by the way?) and a Burger King ad came on. “Oh god!” she grumbled. She was remembering the Whopper she’d ordered the previous day on our drive up from Boston. “Burger King makes the worst burgers on the planet!” she continued. Call me crazy, but I’ve always enjoyed the Whopper, maybe not over a Big Mac, but the worst burger on the planet? Well, BK has some ’splaining to do!

A reporter for the Memphis Flyer, Chris Davis, recently spotted a Burger King in Tennessee with a billboard that read “Global Warming Is Baloney.” He called up the restaurant to see if it was some practical joke. It had to be, right? Read on…

Davis calls BK:

Davis: Hi, I’m calling from the Flyer about your sign. Does Burger King really think global warming is baloney?
Davis: [Hangup]
Davis:(calling back): Your sign out front says global warming is baloney.
BK: I don’t see that sir.
Davis: Well it does.
BK: I don’t see that sir… I change the signs and that sign’s been up for a week.
Davis: Well, I have pictures that I took this afternoon [cross conversation ensuring I'm calling the correct BK. I am]
Davis: So there’s no question that your sign said it and so did one in Midtown. I want to know if it was on purpose or if it was a prank someone pulled on you.
BK: Let me get the manager. [several minutes of dead air then the same or very similar voice picks up.]
BK: Who were you holding for?
Davis: A manager, about the sign. I have pictures of the sign and people have called me upset. I just want to know if it’s a mistake or not so I can report it. [rehash of previous conversation]
BK: Let me go outside and look at the sign and I’ll call you right back. [exchange of contact info]

from the Memphis Flyer

[phone rings, I answer]
BK: The sign was put up yesterday.
Davis: And it’s not a mistake?
BK: No.
Davis: It reflects the opinion of BK international?
BK: Yes. Would you like to talk to the home office? I can give you a number.
Davis: I’ve got the number, I’ve already contacted them. Thanks.

While McDonald’s seems to be searching for ways to incorporate some green thinking (from supply chain to restaurants), Burger King looks to be way off the mark. As Davis explains, “when it comes to climate change, BK doesn’t have the best reputation. Climatecounts.org, a not-for-profit organization that rates companies based on attitudes toward global warming, describes Burger King as “A choice to avoid for the climate-conscious shopper.’” He hasn’t heard back from corporate, and, for now, I’m starting to agree with my wife.

[source: Memphis Flyer, via Leo Hickman]

Ford has avoided the grisly fate of the other two-thirds of the (once) Big Three. From escaping the heavy weight of tax payer anger/high expectations by NOT accepting Federal bailout money to developing cars that actually aren’t bad- the Ford Fusion just made headlines when NASCAR’s Carl Edwards drove one 1445 miles on one tank of gas- the company seems to have its duck in a row.

In his piece for Low Impact Living, Jason Pelletier writes about the latest indication that Ford is chugging along in the right direction. Ford recently highlighted some of its green initiatives inside the car, including soy-based polyurethane foam seat cushions and backs- cutting its use of petrochemicals by over 1,000,000 pounds- post-industrial and post-consumer recycled content in seat fabrics- reducing C02 emissions and energy use in some models by as much as 60%- and plastic underbody shields made from recycled detergent bottles, tires and battery casings- which diverted 25 million pounds of waste landfills in 2008.

As Pelletier explains, “75%+ of the energy used by a car over its lifetime is consumed in the operation of the vehicle, so this focus on efficiency is well-placed. But we shouldn’t forget about the other 25% of energy use or the environmental impacts that come with it - hazardous chemicals that off-gas when our cars sit in the sun, components that are difficult to recycle, and loads of plastics made from petrochemicals among them.”

Ford isn’t the only automaker trying to chip away at that 25%. Lexus uses plant-based eco-plastics, and its manufacturing plants recycle over 98% of its waste. Honda is also working to reduce the volatile organic compounds in its car interiors.

For more, check out Pelletier’s article.

from The Economist, illustration by Claudio Munoz

As we began bracing for a long and painful recession, many believed the first casualties of corporate budgets would be green initiatives and corporate social responsibility (CSR) progams. The economic downturn was seen as a stress test of companies’ best intentions; would it be possible to do what’s right for the planet and their shareholders? A recent article in the Economist suggests that “so far the recession has not produced a wholesale retreat from corporate do-gooding. Instead it has led firms to cut things that were at best peripheral to their business interests and, at worst, a waste of time and money.”

The paradox of this ’stress test’ has been that as profit margins shrink, our collective understanding of the climate crisis- and of our role in causing it- increases. But according to Economist, green results have been a by-product of cost-saving measures, rather than the driving force. Later this year, Gap, the San Francisco-based retailer, will hold a strategy meeting for its CSR team. Rather than having employees fly in from over 20 countries, as in previous years, the company will conduct the meetings via online conferencing. The move is a cost-saving one, but there’s a clear emission-saving benefit.

A survey of 329 corporate-travel managers and business travellers published earlier this year by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives found that only 17% of them now ranked environmental sustainability as a high priority, down from 29% a year ago. Like Gap, the consultancy Accenture will save $8m this year by using “telepresence” systems and, as bonus, will avoid generating 2,000 tons of carbon dioxide.

Advocates of ‘corporate greening’ have long touted the cost-saving potential that comes with trimming excess and eliminating waste. “Another reason for optimism,” the article suggests, “is that consumer interest in companies’ sustainability credentials remains strong in spite of the recession,” but “it would also damage a firm’s chances of recruiting future stars,” with college students “far more informed about sustainability than their predecessors.”

Sustainability is no longer a moral imperative, it’s seen as a way to stay in the black.

[original article: The Economist]

What do we make of a company like McDonald’s talking about its green practices? Like Virgin Galactic talking about their “low-impact” trips into Space, McDonald’s has an uphill battle to position itself as a friend to the environment. But the restaurant mega-brand has published its 2009 Global Best of Green report,  detailing more than 80 green initiatives.

The report highlights the range of it’s ‘green’ successes, including energy policies, packaging, anti-littering, recycling, logistics, communications, restaurants, workplace, sustainable food and supplier accountability.

The report gives special focus to five “best of the best” practices, which include restaurants in France which used smart meters to manage and reduce energy usage by 11%, locations in Australia that implemented water conservation measures, 270 restaurants in South America that sent 1 million liters of used cooking oil to local organizations to use as biodiesel, the company’s first LEED Gold certified restaurant in Chicago and, finally, restaurants in Japan that offered customers discounts for registering in the government’s Team Minus 6% initiative to reduce CO2 emissions by 1kg per person/per day (raising the number of participants from 40,000 to 380,000).

For a company with as global a reach as McDonald’s, it’s important to see a burgeoning sense of green thinking, but, from the look of this report, I’d say Ronald, Grimace and the Hamburglar need to step it up!

Sprint has limped into the “eco”sphere with the unveiling of its new green-themed website, along with some new eco-friendly accessories.

The website provides details about the company’s green mobile applications, tips for customers about ebilling, wireless recycling programs, how to utilize its mobile GPS to save gas and where to recycle old phones.

In addition to the site, Sprint has rolled out some green accessories, including the Solio Mono solar-powered charger and two new cell-phone carrying case made from 100% recycled plastic water bottles. VP of corporate social responsibility for Sprint, Ralph Reid, explains, “Sprint customers will continue to see more eco-friendly options, whether through our products and services or our business practices, [which] will help consumers conserve natural resources and reduce their carbon footprint.”

That’s all good stuff, but, c’mon! When will they get the iPhone?!

via SustainableLifeMedia

“Today marks a major milestone for the automotive industry as well as Better Place,” Shai Agassi said as he unveiled the company’s battery swap system in Yokohama. “For nearly a century, the automotive industry has been inextricably tied to oil. Today we are demonstrating a new path forward.” The $500,000 station can replace a dead battery and get you back on the road in less time than it takes to fill your gas tank.

As we’ve covered in a number of posts, Better Place has raised a remarkable $200+ million in funding and partnered with governments and utilities to develop the necessary infrastructure and technology to make the electric vehicle a viable alternative to conventional (gas-guzzling) cars. The issues of a battery (lifespan, replacing, range…) remain a massive challenge in the wide scale integration of the Better Place model.

For more, check out Chuck Squatriglia’s piece for Wired.

Thule, Swedish-based makers of car rack systems, has launched an impressive 318-kilowatt solar array on the roof of its Connecticut facility.

The array, which consists of over 1,800 solar panels, will offset about 26% of the energy used at Thule’s Seymour manufacturing and office facility.

“If you think of our 26% offset in electricity in terms of products, it is the same as saying that every carrier in the bicycle product group is now made with solar power,” said Tripp Wyckoff, Thule’s vice president of marketing, sales and service.

Two Sweden-related posts in as many days! Swedes are on a roll!

X-men Origins: Wolverine has taken in about $130 million domestically, and it’s on pace to be another hit in the Marvel Comics franchise. While the film has (rightfully) received tepid reviews from critics (”How do you make mutants dull?”- “In terms of tone and content, Wolverine is a nearer match to Daredevil than Iron Man.”), we have to give the mega movie some props for incorporating a little bit of green into the production. We saw this video from ZapRoot about how the film was part of the Green Screen Initiative, a program aimed at reducing the environmental impact of movies. The initiative was directed by the Queenstown government, and, based on its success, will be a blueprint for all films shot in that region of New Zealand.

The production was able to divert almost 92% of its waste from landfill, saving about $55,000 and 670 tons of garbage. Insert joke about not diverting enough of the film’s garbage, like, for example, the dialogue. And, quite clearly, a film of this scale can hardly be considered a ‘green’ film, but we hope this type of initiative becomes a trend in Hollywood. These blockbusters will continue to exist, but if filmmakers can incorporate and further develop green thinking…we’ll all be better off, even if the movies suck.

As expected, Bezos made his move today, unveiling the Kindle DX at Pace University. What stands out right now are the college text book and newspaper pilot programs. With Mac tablet/touch rumors everpresent, should be an interesting summer.

All the world’s a stage, so perhaps it’s no surprise to see Broadway acting on behalf of the planet. We’ve covered a number of the recent initiatives on Broadway (from green billboards to the partnership between the city and the theater community called ‘Broadway Goes Green’). The latest to hit the Great White Way is the new Henry Miller’s Theater, the first ‘green theater,’ set to open in September with Roundabout Theater Company’s revival of the musical “Bye Bye Birdie.”

As Patrick Healy writes in his NY Times piece, “the 1,055-seat theater, on 43rd Street between Avenue of the Americas and Broadway, was built on the site of a theater planned by the actor Henry Miller, which opened in 1918,” and “is the first newly built Broadway house in more than 20 years.”

The green touches include use of recycled and local materials, waterless urinals in the men’s washrooms, among others. Click here for more photos of the project.

Talk about a clean conscience! The folks at NewSoap.org “buy name brand liquid soap by the barrel and package it in old bottles here in America.” As they explain on their site, “big companies aren’t going to do this on their own.  So, we’ll do it for them.” Order name-brand cleaners or the eco-friendly alternatives, and they’ll put the liquid soap in a cleaned, sanitized and processed old bottle of Coke, or Sprite, or Heineken…you get the idea. Click here to read more.

Print Media and The Environment from lovetomorrowtoday on Vimeo.

For our latest installment of One Degree TV, we sat down with Brad Robertson, the Publisher of the Burlington Free Press, a Gannett paper,. We struck up a conversation with Brad after we had written a post asking whether the demise of print media was possibly a good thing for the planet. After an interesting email exchange, we arranged a sit down to discuss further. We’re looking forward to continuing the dialogue in the coming months as this topic is on a lot of our minds. Thanks Brad.

We’ve done a handful of posts on Shai Agassi and his company Better Place. And, as one of our tweets from yesterday pointed out- yep, I just used the word ‘tweet’, bam!- not everyone is convinced. Still, here’s a video of his compelling presentation at a recent Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference. He explains his company’s radical plan to take entire countries oil-free by 2020.

Agassi also shares a conversation he had with Bobby Kennedy Jr about JFK’s bold challenge of sending a man to the moon and returning him safely to earth by the end of the decade. The plan wasn’t to get a man 20% there with a 20% chance of recovering him. What made the challenge so bold was the confidence it placed in American ingenuity to solve problems with technology that hadn’t yet been invented.

Bobby Kennedy Jr, in turn, reminded Agassi about the slavery debate in Britain in the 19th century.  Two hundred years ago, roughly 25% of the energy for the British industrial complex came from a source of energy that was immoral, human slaves. Despite dire warnings from some about the negative impact that ending slavery would have on the economy, parliament acted with resolve and foresight. Rather than handicapping the economy, Britain’s  decision to end slavery helped create the conditions for a flurry of innovation (the Industrial Revolution) that catapulted it towards years of unprecedented economic growth.

Today, 25% of the world’s C02 emissions comes from cars and trucks. Hobbled by our current economy, can we expect the same sort of forward-thinking conviction from our leaders?

What would happen if we updated the 20th century power grid with 21st century technology? This is the question posed in GE’s new mesmerizing web site about the Smart Grid. We’ve written a number of posts on the smart meter concept, but we haven’t seen the point illustrated and explained as effectively as GE has managed to do with this imaginative site.

Admittedly, we’re wowed by the site’s interface and design, but equally so with its message. Sometimes it’s not the brilliance of an idea but the delivery of the argument that is worth celebrating. Spend a few minutes looking around.

more…

Rob Walker had an excellent installment of his Consumed column for the New York Times Magazine yesterday on collective buying power strategies in regard to solar. Rob’s blog and book, Buying In, have become key reads for our generation of marketers, bloggers, and trend hunters.

NYT Magazine: Consumed - Panel Discussion

Timberland is already a leader of the pack when it comes to sustainability. Now, thanks to a partnership with a Malaysian company called Green Rubber, Timberland is about to revolutionize the shoe industry by introducing a new patented and proprietary material made from used tires. Green Rubber de-vulcanizes waste tires by ripping apart rubber’s sulfur bonds to make it recyclable, creating something called “crumb rubber”, a mesh crumb material that can be used for rubber mats, asphalt filler, road paving, and shoe soles.

“We are facing an unpublicized epidemic with 1.2 billion tires being disposed in landfills every year leading to water pollution and breeding grounds for disease-carrying insects,” said Datuk Vinod Sekhar, CEO and Founder, Green Rubber Inc. “With Green Rubber’s environmentally friendly technology, we can start to make a real dent in the mountains of tires creating an environmental blight on the planet.”

Timberland is the first footwear manufacturer to incorporate the Green Rubber technology, with more than 200,000 pairs of shoes scheduled for release in fall 2009. Using a 50/50 blend of Green Rubber and virgin rubber, Timberland is able to maintain the durability and performance characteristics of their footwear, as well as allay any health concerns about prolonged exposure to chemicals contained in Green Rubber’s material.

“We are thrilled to have found a way to support making rubber a more sustainable resource. Green Rubber is positioned to have a major impact on the global rubber industry; managing tire waste can now become both a commercially viable and eco-conscious process,” said Jeffrey Swartz, CEO, The Timberland Company. “As a company we are committed to connecting successful commerce to environmental responsibility, and this is a great opportunity for us to share our commitment to sustainability with our customers.”

We’ll never, uh, tire of this type of step forward! Sorry, but I resisted for so long!

[sources: Fast Company, Fox Business, Environmental Leader]