May 29, 2021 | Environment, Regional, Tech
Cyclone Yass Live Path Map link – https://esriindia.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=845bd03d857b43789d712dee96f056ce
Built with ArcGIS, the map provides the weather, wind speed, number of households and population in the area
Esri India, the country’s leading Geographic Information System (GIS) Software & Solutions provider, has created a map to follow Cyclone Yass Live Path. The map is built with ArcGIS Online, Esri’s mapping and analytics system, and provides updates on the weather, wind speed, number of households and population in the area. The map is consolidating the information from various authoritative feeds and sources for an integrated view on the movement and impact of Cyclone Yass.
In a disaster scenario like Cyclone, Esri leverages its mapping technology to help masses, NGO’s, Civil Societies and the government departments with scientifically generated & processed weather information and forecasts, with Geographic reference. The GIS Map provides early information like forecast position, forecast trend, observed track for cyclone, wind speed, watches, and warnings among others, that can be useful in mapping and risk preparedness. The Cyclone Yass Live Path GIS Map application would also help in early preparedness in terms of most affected areas, evacuation planning, shelters, and rehabilitation plans.
Agendra Kumar, Managing Director, Esri India, said, “The objective is to give a common view to relevant authorities, departments and social organizations in order to maximize reach-out to citizens so that there is timely action for the safety of life and property. The Cyclone Yass Live Path Map is specifically created to provide updates leveraging Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. This will help citizens and organizations involved to prepare and temporarily re-locate to lesser severe areas. At Esri India, our focus is to bring information together from different sources and share in a common GIS platform so that it can help reduce damages and facilitate a collaborative response in saving lives and property.”
Esri India closely works with government, state government and weather mapping agencies, Survey of India and other public and private institutions. The company has successfully delivered cutting-edge GIS solutions to more than 5000 organizations for applications in Land management, Water, Utilities, Infrastructure, Disaster Management, Telecommunications, Urban Development, Smart Cities, Transportation, Defence and Natural resources.
Apr 23, 2021 | Environment
SwagCycle, a new donation and recycling service, was recently launched by the Massachusetts-based Grossman Marketing Group to demonstrate that excess promotional products don’t have to end up as waste. Recent examples of the recycling service include working with a Boston company to process textiles and Call2Recycle for handling battery packs. The goal is to develop a national network of partners to donate or recycle unique items.SwagCycle is also considering potential partnerships with convention centers or conference organizers to offer drop-off bins for post-event cleanup, given the volume of promotional products often left afterwards.
Promotional products have become ubiquitous at conferences, awards events, stores, street fairs and most public settings. President Barack Obama may have signed an executive order in 2011 to stop spending taxpayer dollars on “extraneous promotional items,” and there have been critiques about the waste implications of conference swag, but the demand appears to persist. The Advertising Specialty Institute estimates the swag sector is worth nearly $25 billion and growing.
Promotional products are now the largest line of business for Grossman Marketing, with clients including major sports teams, universities, electronics and clothing companies, award shows and environmental nonprofits.
While traditional notions of swag may focus on plastic water bottles, pens or other tchotchkes, Grossman Marketing’s offerings show that norm has begun to change. Clients are now more interested in reusable metal water bottles, bags or battery packs for charging electronic devices, along with ever-popular T-shirts. Grossman anticipates future corporate RFPs for new products will begin to reflect those desires even more by setting higher standards for material quality and recyclability.
Co-President Ben Grossman, a member of the Product Stewardship Institute’s advisory council, said he works with clients “to make high quality products that people will use again and again.” When asked about excess product waste, he also noted an effort to ensure that customers don’t purchase too much at one time. “We advocate for ways to minimize inventory. So they keep their money invested in fresh and new, rather than old and stale.”
While it’s hard to track how those items get used once consumers take them home, it is a well-known issue in the sector that some products never make it out of the box. Recent cases SwagCycle has worked on include relocating water bottles with outdated inspirational messaging to Boston family nonprofits and providing a dental charity with a large batch of toothbrushes carrying a company logo made obsolete through acquisition. Hundreds of misprinted T-shirts may end up with a local textile recycler to become rags for painters or boat builders, while branded battery packs can go to electronics recyclers.
These offerings may seem niche, but Grossman is banking on growing interest amid the rise of corporate sustainability goals. As more entities look for ways to prove their progress on diverting materials from the waste stream from landfills or incinerators wherever possible, the interest in textiles, e-waste and other smaller categories is widely expected to grow in the years ahead.
Apr 23, 2021 | Environment, Tech
Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions, today announced that it has joined forces with growing group of global corporations including Ericsson, IKEA, Telia Company, BT Group, Unilever, Nestlé, Telefónica and Ragn-Sells, en route to driving climate action throughout global supply chains.
Sandeep Chandna, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tech Mahindra, said “By joining the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders we are committing to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions across our full value chain in line with the 1.5°C ambition – and to urge our suppliers to do the same. This is a crucial part of decarbonising our full value chain and to reach our climate targets.”
The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders will work together to drive climate action throughout global supply chains in line with science and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the SME Climate Hub, understanding the need to work with and support suppliers to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net zero emissions before 2050. The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders was founded by the Exponential Roadmap Initiative together with Ericsson, IKEA, Telia, BT Group and Unilever and is supported by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the We Mean Business Coalition.
By joining the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders, Tech Mahindra commit to encourage our suppliers to take action aiming to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, reaching net-zero before 2050 and communicate progress annually. Small and medium-sized suppliers are encouraged to make the SME Climate Commitment through the SME Climate Hub. This will contribute to reaching a critical mass and accelerating momentum for climate action across supply chains.
The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders will work together with their suppliers and business partners to develop concrete tools, help remove blockers and provide the resources required to support suppliers.
“We need to jumpstart the first halving of emissions – and without addressing the full value chain this will be impossible. Collaboration is crucial for large corporations to halve emissions in their supply chains towards net zero, whilst also presenting a significant opportunity to advance its position in what will become the next generation of sustainable value chains. We are delighted to welcome Tech Mahindra to the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders, as a leading information technology company taking action to reduce emissions in line with science,” says Johan Falk, Head of Exponential Roadmap Initiative and lead author of the 1.5°C Business Playbook.
The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders have made the following commitment:
1. We have all committed to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain in line with the 1.5°C ambition. We integrate climate in our business strategy and drive climate action as part of our wider role in society (as members of the Exponential Roadmap Initiative and/or Business Ambition for 1.5°C)
2. We will work together with our suppliers and business partners to join us on this journey by taking action aiming to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030, reaching net-zero before 2050 and communicate progress annually, e.g. as outlined in the SME Climate Commitment. To promote, reward and inspire action, we plan to make climate related targets and performance a key supplier purchasing criteria within one year.
3. We recognize the challenge this poses for our suppliers and we will support them, working together to reach our shared goals. In addition, we will support SMEs globally through the SME Climate Hub with tools, knowledge and best practice for implementing a robust climate strategy, to support broad action.
In joining the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders, Tech Mahindra become partners of the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, joining an ecosystem of front runners in climate action committed to halving emissions before 2030 in the Race to Zero emissions by 2050 at the latest, integrating climate in business strategy and influencing climate action in society, as described by the 4 pillar framework of the 1.5°C Business Playbook. The Playbook is a guideline for companies and organisations of all sizes to set a 1.5°C aligned strategy and move to action.
About Tech Mahindra
Tech Mahindra offers innovative and customer-centric digital experiences, enabling enterprises, associates and the society to Rise. We are a USD 5.2 billion organization with 121,900+ professionals across 90 countries helping 997 global customers, including Fortune 500 companies. We are focused on leveraging next-generation technologies including 5G, Blockchain, Cybersecurity, Artificial Intelligence, and more, to enable end-to-end digital transformation for global customers. Tech Mahindra is one of the fastest growing brands and amongst the top 15 IT service providers globally. Tech Mahindra has consistently emerged as a leader in sustainability and is recognized amongst the ‘2021 Global 100 Most sustainable corporations in the World’ by Corporate Knights. With the NXT.NOW framework, Tech Mahindra aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’ for our ecosystem and drive collaborative disruption with synergies arising from a robust portfolio of companies. We aim at delivering tomorrow’s experiences today, and believe that the ‘Future is Now’.
We are part of the Mahindra Group, a USD 19.4 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in renewable energy, agribusiness, logistics and real estate development. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 2, 56,000 people across 100 countries.
About 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders:
The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders will work together to drive climate action throughout global supply chains and support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through the SME Climate Hub, understanding the need to work with and support suppliers to halve emissions before 2030 and achieve net zero emissions before 2050. The 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders was founded by the Exponential Roadmap Initiative together with Ericsson, IKEA, Telia, BT Group and Unilever and is supported by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the We Mean Business Coalition.
Find out more at: https://exponentialroadmap.org/supply-chain-leaders/
About the Exponential Roadmap Initiative:
The Exponential Roadmap Initiative brings together innovators, scientists, companies and NGOs which are taking action in line with the 1.5°C ambition, with the mission to halve emissions before 2030 through exponential climate action and solutions. The initiative is an official partner of United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign and TED Countdown, and is a founding partner of the 1.5°C Supply Chain Leaders and the SME Climate Hub. Find out more at: www.exponentialroadmap.org
About the SME Climate Hub:
The SME Climate Hub is an initiative of the International Chamber of Commerce, the Exponential Roadmap Initiative, the We Mean Business coalition and the United Nations Race to Zero campaign, with the support of Oxford University and Normative. This partnership is an exercise in radical collaboration that opens the doors for SMEs to join the United Nations Race to Zero campaign — an international campaign that brings together an unprecedented coalition of real economy actors and 120 governments committed to achieve net-zero emissions by no later than 2050. Find out more at: www.smeclimatehub.org
About the 1.5°C Business Playbook: All companies and organisations must halve emissions before 2030 in the Race to Zero emissions before 2050. The 1.5°C Business Playbook guides companies and organisations of all sizes to exponential climate action and helps them align with the 1.5°C ambition. It is a concrete tool to facilitate the first step of halving emissions, which is grounded in the latest science and focuses on simplicity and speed. Find out more: exponentialbusiness.org
About the UNFCCC Race to Zero Campaign: The UNFCCC Race to Zero campaign is an international campaign that brings together an unprecedented coalition of real economy actors and 120 governments committed to achieve net zero carbon emission by no later than 2050. These real economy actors include: 1,128 companies, 452 cities, 22 regions, 549 universities, 45 of the biggest investors and 2,100 chambers of commerce – creating the largest ever alliance committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by no later than 2050: the “Climate Ambition Alliance.” Find out more at: https://racetozero.unfccc.int/
PR Team – Kommune Brand Communications
Neha Koli/ Ayushi Dimri
+91 9717621084 / 9711144130
neha@kommune.in /ayushi@kommune.in
Apr 14, 2021 | Environment
Ben Grossman has set his intentions on transforming the promotional products industry into a “greener” place. The goal and challenge to reduce, reuse and recycle is something he’s seen many firms experience, including his own. It was also an observation that inspired Grossman—co-owner of Somerville, Massachusetts-based Grossman Marketing Group, a fourth-generation, 110-year-old, family-owned marketing services firm specializing in promotional products—to launch his company’s Green Marketing and Sustainability Practice more than 10 years ago, which helps clients navigate eco-conscious marketing and business solutions. But over time, this initiative would lead him to another venture—SwagCycle, a startup focused on providing companies with access to the resources needed to responsibly recycle or repurpose obsolete, branded items in a way that is cost-conscious and ethical.
Grossman founded SwagCycle in July 2019 with a forthright vision. “Our goal, quite simply, is to transform the branded merchandise industry by helping companies think about product stewardship, from the brainstorming phase all the way to the rebranding stage,” he says. Although Grossman Marketing offers green products, like pens and bags made from recycled materials, he wanted to build on these solutions by providing professionals with an alternative to discarding used items, particularly after a rebrand. “One thing that has bothered me for years is that when companies rebrand or get acquired, a lot of ‘swag,’ unfortunately, can find its way to the landfill,” he says. “An important term to consider is ‘landfill divergence.’ We want to ensure that items do not get thrown away, but instead get repurposed or recycled responsibly.”
To make this plan a reality, Grossman looked to his connections, both inside and outside of the industry. “I’ve been personally involved in environmental causes for many years,” he says, referring to his time on the Environmental League of Massachusetts Corporate Council and the Corporate Advisory Board for the Product Stewardship Institute. “I tapped into my contacts to put together a network of recycling partners across the country that can recycle hard-to-recycle items. In addition, we reached out to a number of charities to see if they would be interested in receiving donations of branded items. The response has been amazing.” Some of the charities that have partnered with SwagCycle, so far, include Dress for Success, United Way, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Boston and Delivering Good.
SwagCycle works with companies by encouraging them to follow three simple, yet effective steps. First, companies must assess the inventory of their unwanted items. Next, they need to confirm brand guidelines to determine if the items can be donated or need to be removed from the marketplace and recycled. Lastly, the items are then matched with appropriate charities and/or recycling partners. And of course, Grossman Marketing continues to lead by example. The company recycles “everything,” Grossman says, “from electronics to batteries to paint,” and employees are encouraged to bring in items from home to recycle there, too. “We work hard to minimize waste and leave the smallest footprint possible.”
But even if the three-step process seems as simple as 1-2-3, Grossman believes there is still room for a lot of improvements. “There is so much work to do. We have a growing waste problem in the United States and around the world,” he says.
PPB spoke with Grossman to learn more about how SwagCycle has impacted the local community.
PPB What does your typical donor look like?
Grossman We have worked with our clients, end users (who are not our clients), other distributors and some suppliers. We have heard from a number of distributors who clearly recognize the value that a service like SwagCycle can provide to them, on behalf of their clients. We were recently contacted by a California-based distributor, Wunderspoke Marketing, that needed help on behalf of a client, a major international technology firm. They had approximately 1,500 t-shirts that were no longer brand-compliant due to some changes in marketing initiatives, and reached out to SwagCycle to have us help them recycle these shirts. We paired them with one of our partners in the region that was able to take the shirts to be cut down and turned into painters’ rags for reuse.
PPB Can you share with us a case study of donated products and where/how these products helped the greater community?
Grossman Recently, a leading educational company came to SwagCycle with 1,000 obsolete 25-ounce, BPA-free, aluminum sport bottles. The marketing message was not current and the company no longer had a need for branded bottles. This company is a forward-thinking organization and was pleased to have us help facilitate charitable donations of these bottles to worthy causes, thus keeping them out of a landfill or even a scrap metal or recycling plant. We were able to split the bottles between two leading charities: United Way Greater Boston Project Connect 2019 and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Boston.
United Way Greater Boston Connect 2019 is a one-day event that invites the Boston community to come together and support families in transition who are experiencing homelessness or are in need of the services offered at the event. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston is an organization that works to ensure that young people in the Boston area are able to reach their full potential, and serves more than 14,000 children every year. The bottles we helped donate were distributed at their summer camp, a full-day camp for children, ages 6-12, that provides them with education and recreational experiences, like arts and crafts, science and tech projects, field trips and swimming.
We couldn’t imagine two more worthy causes, and we’re thrilled that SwagCycle was able to help make this happen.
PPB Tell us about your partnership with Project Stretch.
Grossman One pharmaceutical client sold a part of its commercial portfolio, thus leaving some of its marketing materials obsolete. One patient kit included individually wrapped toothbrushes. This is a niche item, and it was not appropriate for the majority of charities. We were able to facilitate a donation to Project Stretch. Project Stretch was founded in 1988 by a small group of dental professionals interested in providing vital dental services to needy children. Project Stretch is a private, voluntary, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by fundraising events as well as contributions from private citizens and corporations, with programs currently in the U.S., Mexico and Honduras.
Apr 11, 2021 | Business, Environment
In August 2019, Grossman Marketing Group launched its SwagCycle program, which let companies repurpose their unwanted or unused branded items, like T-shirts, hats, business cards, mugs, writing instruments, bags and more. A lot of these items would be “obsolete,” meaning they featured an old logo, referenced a canceled event, etc.
The goal was to ensure that the products didn’t up in a landfill, something that has been a concern for critics of the promotional products industry, as evidenced by articles about “trinkets and trash.”
A little more than a year later, Grossman Marketing Group has the results of its SwagCycle program.
As of December 31, 2020, the program engaged with 21 different companies across 13 states and two continents, kept 60,418 items out of landfills and yielded $168,922.18 in charitable donations.
Specific examples of repurposed products include a travel company that donated 1,000 BPA-free aluminum sports bottles to the United Way Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley, which then distributed the bottles at a community event supporting families experiencing homelessness and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston.
A pharmaceutical company donated individually wrapped toothbrushes to Project Stretch, which was founded by dental professionals looking to provide dental services to children in need.
Grossman Marketing Group even got involved, donating more than 6,000 cotton masks to the Greater Boston Food Bank, which in turn distributed them to its team members in distribution and warehouse roles, and in its network of shelters, kitchens and pantries.
“It was a pleasure working with SwagCycle,” said Christian Pfrommer, founder of Wunderspoke Marketing, which donated 1,500 T-shirts that were no longer brand-compliant to be turned into painters’ rags. “They were able to provide a textile recycling solution that left the smallest footprint possible, which my client was thrilled about. In addition, their recycling solution was in my home market, creating the smallest amount of transit-related emissions possible. Overall, the experience was fantastic, and I would highly recommend their service to others.”
Of course, like most other businesses, the SwagCycle program was greatly impacted by the pandemic. But, the cancellation of events and other forced pivots as a result of the pandemic actually created opportunities for SwagCycle to do its work.
“Over the summer, however, demand for our services exploded” said Ben Grossman, co-president of Grossman Marketing Group. “Major drivers were rebrands, cancelled conferences, and companies consolidating offices and wanting to find a home for their swag.”
Grossman is optimistic that the momentum will carry into 2021, as companies see the opportunity to decrease their carbon footprint and use existing products to benefit others.
Eco-friendly initiatives like using recycled textiles or minimizing water usage in the manufacturing process are becoming commonplace in the promotional products industry. As customer bases skew younger, this will be increasingly important.
“Our first-in-the-industry offering has been very well received by companies, charities and even promotional products competitors,” Grossman said. “And we feel like we have a tailwind as we continue in 2021.”
Apr 11, 2021 | Environment
Newly elected president Joe Biden recently signed a series of executive orders to follow through on his campaign pledge to combat our greatest existential threat – climate change.
In short, the bold action underscores that the future is bright for the solar industry.
For example, Biden “directs the federal agencies to procure carbon pollution-free electricity and clean, zero-emission vehicles to create good-paying jobs and stimulate clean energy industries.”
This is seen as the first step to reorient federal energy purchases around clean power resources and spend $400 billion on federal procurement of green resources such as renewables, batteries and electric vehicles.
Biden is taking a proactive approach. He noted, “We can’t wait any longer” to address the climate crisis.”
On his first day in office, Biden signed orders to rejoin the international Paris Agreement and rescind federal permits for the Keystone XL pipeline project and other oil, coal and gas infrastructure projects.
The Biden-Harris administration also pledges to streamline wind and solar projects on federal lands.
The new administration has set an ambitious goal of eliminating pollution from fossil fuel in the power sector by 2035, speeding up what is already a market-driven growth of solar and wind energy, and lessening the country’s dependence on coal, oil and gas.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, in 2019, 61% of the nation’s electric power came from natural gas and coal, 20% from nuclear and 17% from wind, solar and other renewable energy.
Given the culture and climate of the new administration, those numbers will be changing and the future of solar appears to be bright.
