The Secret Life of Garbage

Sept. 30, 2010 - PRLog -- I have to commend a few really outstanding efforts to bring our attention to some very big sustainability issues.  CNBC is promoting an in-depth look at the garbage industry, which seems more than timely and important.  “Trash Inc: The Secret Life of Garbage” will focus more on how money is made through this industry, and much of the profiteering is shockingly true.  There is lot of money being made on trash, and that only adds to the conundrum of this whole trash issue.

What is mentioned in passing is the immense amount of trash that we are outputting every day in America.  What is unfortunately true is that 40-60% of all of our trash could be pulled out of this business if we applied better Green Practices in our homes and businesses.  We buy stuff that is never used, and we throw it away.  We have far too much packaging of all types of  goods, and we love consumables.  Think for a moment about all the cleaning supplies that come in RTU (Ready to Use) form.  Plastic bottles will take more than 100 years to decompose, but we throw them out after one use!  Did you realize that the raw cost of a bottle of soda or water is less than the bottle used to contain it?

36% of our trash is paper and paper products!  This is something that we can change overnight with the installation of Green Practices that will not only reduce the trash bill, but will literally speed up your office performance.  That is one of Green Business League‘s biggest issues.  There are more than 400 Green Practices that can be seamlessly installed in most businesses that will also help the company function better.  The trouble is that there is no leadership in this effort apart from programs like the Green Business League that trains Green Consultants nationwide (and internationally) to work hand-in-hand with businesses to make quality improvements and improve the business operation.

I also want to highly recommend a newly released movie called “Fuel.”   It is now a rental on Netflicks.  While I cannot agree with all the associated messages in the documentary, I was absolutely blown away with the telling of the story of oil and its power over our government.  I also loved the conclusion of the movie that came home with the most inventive and exciting ideas that are seen in the biodiesel program.  Ethanol is NOT the solution the government wants it to be.  Biodiesel is the smart solution.  So, whether it is the job creation from jatropha beans in high-unemployment tropical areas, or the ability to turn waste into diesel through algae, I am absolutely pleased to see these options coming our way.  I simply have no real confidence in fuel from ethanol as a cost-effective or non-intrusive fuel source.

In fact one of the major training segments of the Certified Sustainability Officer (CSO) training is the “Green Fleet.”   We feel that every business in American needs to train an in-house CSO to address the numerous issues that are hurting business, our communities, and our world.  When we finally figure out that it is “High Time” to do something about these things, it will literally be “Too Late.”  The folly of business is that they can’t find the appropriate ROI in the Going Green program.  Well that is because they are talking to people who charge way too much for their help, or know far too little about the benefits.  Training a CSO in-house is the smart way to Go Green, and it allows someone already drawing a paycheck to bring added value to the company.

If anyone can watch both of these programs and remain idle, they are just heartless.  These are no longer mere socially-conscious issues.  We are facing crisis issues that have not hit with their full furry yet.  Because we are still in the sunlight of the day, not noticing the storm rising behind us; we are the worst fools of all.  It is time for companies to at least start their engines because this is a race we cannot lose.  If you have not trained an in-house CSO … we strongly suggest that you invest in your future by doing this now!

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The Green Business League is arguably the best and most reliable Green Business Certification in the country. More than a federal trademark, there are more than 300 Certified Green Consultants nationwide to offer guidance.