“The GSA Expo was excellent. It provided us a wonderful opportunity to visit with government representatives at the federal, state, and local levels, as well as representatives from various corporations exhibiting at the event. Green technology is playing an ever-increasing role in government and corporate strategy, and Totally Green is proud to be at the forefront.”
Bob Humberstone, VP of Sales

http://www.expo.gsa.gov/index

Totally Green promotes sustainability, green technology, and environmental stewardship by providing two innovative products: the ORCA Green Machine converts food waste to water in 24hrs while in turn reducing landfills and methane gas; Green Bottle Spring Water offers fresh spring water near your location and in earth-friendly, compostable bottles.

Coca-Cola Enterprises Details Carbon and Water Footprint Reductions  in 2011/2012 Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Report

Click here for PDF file: Coca-Cola Sustainability and CSR Report 2012

Totally Green advocates sustainability and environmental stewardship by offering two cost-effective, innovative products: the ORCA Green Machine converts food waste to water in 24hrs while reducing landfills and methane gas; and Green Bottle Spring Water provides fresh spring water in earth-friendly, compostable bottles and near your location to reduce transportation.

Nike’s Sustainability Strategy Reshapes a Global Manufacturing Network

May 14th, 2012 | Author: Al Bredenberg

Nike recently released its annual sustainability report outlining its newly revised environmental strategy. Of particular interest, the section on manufacturing lays out its plans for improving the environmental performance of its worldwide network of contract manufacturers. The report unveils Nike’s new Manufacturing Index (MI), a factory rating system devised to help the company more effectively select and evaluate its manufacturing partners.

Nike says sustainability is no longer a fringe effort in the corporate world,
but “an important, well-integrated part of any forward-thinking company” and “one of the key drivers of success.”

Improving green performance is key to Nike’s vision, because the manufacturer
of footwear, apparel and sports equipment carries a high potential for
environmental impact through “use of energy, water and diverse materials; the
related creation of waste, greenhouse gases and other emissions; and the use and
release of toxins.” Nike has been working with its material vendors and
manufacturing partners to reduce those impacts and has committed to a goal of
“zero discharge of hazardous chemicals” by 2020. The company is now measuring
and reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste generation by providers
as part of its own impacts.

Also, the company is exploring new models for sustainable business to prepare
itself for “a fundamentally different operating environment” characterized by
competition for scarce natural resources, high energy prices, scrutiny of the
effects of GHGs, economic disparities among workers in global supply chains,
demands created by growing urbanism and new middle-class consumers and
government regulation.

Read more here: http://news.thomasnet.com/green_clean/2012/05/14/nikes-sustainability-strategy-reshapes-a-global-manufacturing-network/

“GSA is the federal government’s preferred source for quality commercial products and services and the 2012 GSA Training and Expo is GSA’s premiere agency outreach event.”  http://www.expo.gsa.gov/content/exhibitors

“As GSA’s signature training opportunity and exposition, this event is specially designed to benefit federal, state and local government employees and military members who make or influence procurement decisions.”
http://www.expo.gsa.gov/index

Totally Green promotes sustainability and carbon neutrality for businesses, corporations, and consumers by providing two green products.  The ORCA Green Machine converts food waste to water in 24hrs while in turn reducing landfills and methane gas; and Green Bottle Spring Water offers fresh spring water near your location and in earth-friendly, compostable bottles.

Totally Green promotes sustainability and environmental stewardship for businesses, consumers, and corporations by providing two innovative, cost-effective products.  The ORCA Food Digester converts food waste to water in 24hrs while in turn reducing landfills and methane gas. Green Bottle Spring Water offers fresh spring water in compostable, earth-friendly bottles and near your location to reduce transportation.

MIT Study Shows That Sustainability is Profitable
Triple Pundit (link below)

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology issued its third annual Sustainability and Innovation Global Executive Study. In a partnership with the Boston Consulting Group, the survey gathered more than 4000 responses from executives and managers across all industries and regions.

The overall results show that more companies are taking sustainability seriously and are even benefiting financially from sustainable business practices. The report demonstrates that while Europe may be the overall sustainability leader, emerging markets hold their own, and that more progressive organizations, or “harvesters,” are leading the way in making the business case of sustainability. Readers are also able to learn about the MIT/BCG findings through a series of interactive data visualization tools.

While traipsing through the data, the leaders and laggards may catch some industry watchers by surprise:

Who’s leading? Automakers narrowly edged out the energy and utilities sector when it came to answering the question whether their companies were making the business case for sustainability. At 41 percent, the affirmative response from respondents within the automobile industry was double that of the laggards, financial services and media companies. Considering some of the recent work of Ford and GM, perhaps this finding should not be a shock.

Size matters: The larger the company, the more likely the company has made sustainability a priority. The survey suggests a correlation between the size of the company and whether or not sustainability is on the agenda. Companies with over 100,000 employees are more likely to have a comprehensive sustainability strategy. According to MIT’s data, the case is especially true of companies within the commodities sector. Naturally larger companies have the resources to hire internal staff and consultants to advise them on making such a shift.

Sustainable business is profitable. With the exception of industrial services and media, survey respondents have indicated that sustainability related plans have contributed to their company’s profits. The survey data shows the opposite true: not making the business case for sustainability, but attempting such actions, results in a decrease in profits. Companies interested in sustainability have got to set clear goals and develop a targeted plan to see a link between more responsible business practices and profits.

Sustainability does not necessarily bring quantifiable results. What are the leading benefits from embracing sustainability? The most common outcomes stated in the survey were not necessarily related to reduced costs or improved margins. Instead, improved brand reputation, increased competitive advantage, and better innovation were the top three results that came from an agenda focused on sustainability.

Outside pressure leads to profitability. “Harvesters,” or companies defined as those clearly profiting from sustainability-related activities, did not necessarily make such changes out of altruistic motives. The top three factors that led to a shift in these companies business models, according to the survey, were customer preferences, resource scarcity and legislative or political pressure.

Are the days of making the excuse that sustainability is a luxury or only good for public relations reasons over? According to MIT’s researchers, the proof is in the profits. Read the entire report, learn the ties between sustainability and profitability and peruse through the data visualization tools here:
http://sloanreview.mit.edu/feature/sustainability-interactive-tool/

Published yesterday on Triple Pundit.
http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/05/mit-study-sustainability-profitabilit/

Totally Green promotes sustainability, carbon neutrality, and environmental stewardship by providing two innovative, cost-effective products:  the ORCA Food Digester converts food waste to water in 24hrs while in turn reducing landfills and methane gas; Green Bottle Spring Water offers fresh spring water near your location and in compostable, earth-friendly bottles.

May 8, 2012

Microsoft launches company-wide carbon offset program

Posted by Janet I. Tu

Microsoft announced today it’s launching a company-wide program where each division and business unit worldwide will be responsible for offsetting its carbon footprint via internal fees and other measures.

It works like this: Say you work in the Office division. If you take a plane trip, you create a certain carbon footprint which is translated into a dollar amount that the Office division pays into a company central carbon offset fund.

The idea is for the company to be carbon neutral starting in fiscal year 2013, which begins July 1.

Each division will pay into the central fund to offset its carbon emissions. Microsoft is talking with several nonprofits to figure out the best use of those funds to purchase renewable energy and carbon offsets.

The plan takes advantage of data tracking to be able to more closely monitor each division’s carbon emissions data. It creates a business incentive for divisions to become more aware of, and to more closely watch, their energy use, said Rob Bernard, Microsoft’s chief environmental strategist.

The goal is for divisions to reduce their carbon emissions through measures such as taking less plane trips and increasing their use of renewable energy. The internal carbon fee is levied for emissions that are not eliminated through such measures.

“We recognize that we are not the first company to commit to carbon neutrality, but we are hopeful that our decision will encourage other companies large and small to look at what they can do to address this important issue,” Microsoft COO Kevin Turner said in an official blog post.

The fee will be applied to Microsoft operations in more than 100 countries, including its data centers and software development labs.

Earlier this year, Microsoft noted it had reached its goal of reducing its carbon emissions at least 30 percent per unit of revenue below its 2007 baseline. The company was also recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the third largest purchaser of green power in the U.S.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/microsoftpri0/2018164836_microsoft_launches_company-wide_carbon_offset_prog.html?syndication=rss

Totally Green promotes sustainability and environmental stewardship by offering two innovative products:  the ORCA Food Digester converts food waste to water in 24hrs while reducing landfills and methane gas; and Green Bottle Spring Water provides fresh spring water near your location and in earth-friendly, compostable bottles.

COLUMN: Getting the most from compost

Amanda Taylor

By: Amanda Taylor | Statesville Record & Landmark
Published: May 05, 2012 Updated: May 05, 2012 – 12:22 PM

Producing compost, or “black gold,” as its known to gardeners, yields a big return with little investment. That’s because nature does most of the work.

Microbes are nature’s recyclers and the workhorses behind successful composting. They occur naturally in organic material, so there is no need to add commercially available compost starter.

If microbes are the engine behind composting, then water and oxygen are the fuel. Limiting either one will slow or stop the composting process.

To ensure that a compost pile has enough oxygen, turn it regularly (about once a week when it’s warm outside). This will allow oxygen to reach the center of the pile, so that things break down uniformly.

The compost pile should also be kept moist. If rain is limited, add water to the pile as needed so that compost is the consistency of a wrung-out sponge.

Many types of organic material can go into a compost pile, but some things should be avoided, like meat, bones, grease, dairy products, and diseased plants. Lawn clippings can go into the pile also but do not need to be removed from fescue yards. Avoid adding lawn clippings that have been treated with herbicides containing picloram, clopyralid, or aminopyralid, as these chemicals can damage plants near which compost is applied.

Compost piles should include both brown (dead leaves and twigs) and green material (grass clippings, kitchen waste, etc.). Brown material supplies carbon, and green material supplies nitrogen, both of which are essential for microbes to work efficiently. The ideal ratio is 2 parts green material to 1 part brown material.

The smaller the particles are that go into a compost pile, the quicker they will break down. Branches larger than a quarter-inch in diameter should be shredded or chipped before going into the pile. If the compost pile contains only leaves, a handful of 10-10-10 fertilizer can be mixed in to accelerate the composting process.

As microbes break down these materials, heat is released. That is why the center of a functioning compost pile is hot. The length of time it takes until compost is ready to use depends on many factors, including the weather and the ingredients. You’ll know that the compost is ready to use when the center of the pile is cool and has an earthy smell.

Compost can be used as a mulch and spread on top of soil to conserve moisture. It can also be tilled in to improve soil structure and increase nutrient retention.

Compost bins can be constructed at home and are also now available at most garden centers. Compost tumblers make turning small amounts of compost easy.

Reap the benefits of compost by starting a pile today. After all, nature will do most of the work.

For a copy of “Composting: A Guide to Managing Organic Yard Wastes,” call the Iredell County Extension Service office at 704-873-0507 or visit www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/pdf/ag-467.pdf.

For instructions on how to build your own compost bin, visit www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/composting/pubs/build-bin.pdf.

If you have questions about your garden or landscape, contact us at 704-873-0507 or visit iredell.ces.ncsu.edu.

http://www2.statesville.com/news/2012/may/05/column-getting-most-compost-ar-2239009/

Totally Green facilitates sustainability and environmental stewardship for corporations, businesses, and consumers. We provide two innovative products:  the ORCA Green Machine converts food waste to water in 24hrs while reducing landfills and methane gas; and Green Bottle Spring Water offers fresh spring water near your location and in earth-friendly, compostable bottles.

Facts About Compost
Key Messages and Information

International Composting Awareness Week unites the composting industry under a common banner. It is a unique opportunity allowing individual organizations involved in composting to benefit from a wider campaign and to form partnerships with organizations within your community. Here are some facts about the benefits of composting, the U.S. composting industry and International Compost Awareness Week for you to incorporate into your activities.

The basic goals of Compost Awareness Week:

1. To increase the diversion of organics from the main waste stream through increasing
awareness of and participation in organics diversion initiatives (centralized composting, curbside, home composting, community composting)

2.To increase awareness of, and advocate the proper use of, ‘soil-improving composts’

Benefits of composting and using soil enriching composts:

• Soil enriching composts improve the structure of sandy soils allowing them to retain
moisture and nutrients longer.

• Compost helps maintain healthy plant growth.

• Soil-enriching composts provide the nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth and
intense colors throughout the growing season.

• Save time money, and help save the environment by enriching and amending your
soil with Compost.

• Compost helps improve the structure of clay and sandy soils.

• The organic matter in soil enriching composts helps break up heavy and clay soils
making them lighter, freer draining and easier to work.

• Compost will cut down your watering requirements.

• Using sustainable soil-enriching composts helps prevent erosion of valuable topsoil
without depleting valuable wildlife habitats.

• Composts encourage nature to work for you. Earthworms and many other beneficial
creatures flourish in enriched soils. Their activities help release essential nutrients,
which strengthen plants and increase their resistance to disease.

• Composts help to quickly establish new shrubs, plants and turf. The improved
structure of enriched soils provides excellent growing conditions and aids root-zone
establishment.

• The U.S. Composting Council operates a Seal of Testing Assurance (STA) program
that enables participating composters to label their compost as STA approved, giving
the consumer an informed choice of high quality products. (Refer to the STA section
of the USCC web site for more facts and benefits.)

• Composting reduces the quantity of waste going to landfill. Composting can reduce
the amount of materials discarded to landfills by up to 50%. If landfilled untreated,
these organic materials will breakdown to release methane, a potent greenhouse
gas, and leachate.

• A blanket of compost used to re-seed land grows vegetation more quickly and more
cheaply than more mainstream methods.

http://compostingcouncil.org/aboutus/

Totally Green promotes environmental stewardship and sustainability by offering two cost-effective, innovative products: the ORCA Green Machine converts food waste to water in 24hrs while reducing landfills and methane gas; and Green Bottle Spring Water provides fresh spring water in earth-friendly, compostable bottles and near your location to reduce transportation.

Mayor Bloomberg’s Sustainability State of Mind

Posted: 04/30/2012 8:32 am

Steven Cohen, Executive Director, Columbia University’s Earth Institute

Looking at the nation’s crumbling infrastructure, growing deficit and inadequate investment in science and education, it is difficult to believe our national leaders ever focus on the future. While I don’t see much concern for the future in Washington, I do see it here in New York City. It is easy to see in the city’s ambitious capital budget and in Mayor Bloomberg’s path-breaking PlaNYC 2030 sustainability strategy.

Recently I had the pleasure of moderating a panel discussion of New York City’s sustainability initiatives at the Sustainable Operations Summit. Two of my panelists were leaders in New York City’s government: Janette Sadik-Khan, Commissioner of Transportation, and David Bragdon, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability. At one point in the discussion, I asked them how we could be sure that New York’s sustainability programs would survive the mayoral transition that will come in January 2014. They reminded me that many aspects of the city’s plan were now codified by law, and would be required of future mayors. Mayor Bloomberg has managed to hard-wire this part of his legacy into New York’s routine operation. Perhaps more important, New York’s mayor had demonstrated that sustainability is not a fringe concept, but one promoted by a pragmatic and successful businessman-mayor.

In industry and at the local level of American government, I see a growing understanding of the sustainability agenda. That agenda demonstrates the connection between environmental protection and economic well-being. Here in New York City, the signs of this gathering consensus can be seen in the growth of local green markets, green buildings, bike lanes, tree planting and green infrastructure. The sustainability consensus is becoming institutionalized in local law and even in changes to the city’s zoning rules. In a story about “green zoning” by New York Times reporter Mireya Navarro, she notes that:

The new regulations would encourage better insulation by allowing buildings to add up to eight inches of thickness to exterior walls without its being counted in the building’s maximum footprint. Other changes would relax height limits and facade restrictions to make room for equipment like solar panels, wind turbines, awnings, green roofs, recreational decks and skylights.

This type of law might be seen as a second generation sustainability policy enhancement, and the type of change that can transform grand policy pronouncements into specific investments and actions. Energy efficiency is one of the most common sense elements of the sustainability agenda. It is hard to argue that an organization or a family is better off if they spend money on energy that they do not use.

Another visible change in New York City has been the growing number of bike lanes. While some local merchants and cab drivers don’t like the lanes that have been constructed on main thoroughfares (such as Columbus Avenue), New Yorkers are voting with their pedals and in increasing numbers using bicycles for transportation and recreation. The New York City Department of Transportation tracks commuter cycling and reports a 289% increase between 2001 and 2011. In fact, commuter cycling grew 8% from 2010 to 2011. Of equal and perhaps even greater importance is that the increase in bike traffic been accompanied by an increase in bike safety. According to DOT, since 2000 there has been a “72% decrease in the average risk of a serious injury experienced by commuter cyclists in New York City.”

Mayor Bloomberg’s PlaNYC 2030 sustainability strategy is also undergoing “second generation” changes, including a proposal to use green infrastructure to attack the city’s combined sewer overflow problem and an emphasis on reducing the city’s reliance on landfills for solid waste disposal. New York City has also been working to encourage development of more science and technology research as a way to incubate high tech industry. NYU is adding to its growing Brooklyn engineering campus, Cornell is coming to Roosevelt Island, and Columbia is building a new center for the study of mind, brain and behavior on its new campus on the far upper west side of Manhattan. New York City is continuing its transformation from a center of manufacture and trade to a city of services, entertainment and ideas.

The role of a place like New York in the global economy is very much a work in progress, as is the role of the United States in the global economy. We are fortunate in New York that so far in the 21st century, we’ve had a mayor who has understood the need to look ahead and invest in the future. The city’s capital commitments from FY 2010-2014 total over $46 billion. This does not include capital spent by the Port Authority, or by the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Agency. Unfortunately the federal government does not have a capital budget. The annual budget includes long term and short term spending and the federal deficit includes both debt service and annual overspending. At the federal level it is hard to tell what part of the deficit is overspending and what part is a capital investment in the future. Fortunately, local governments are required to separate their investments and annual spending in two distinct budgets: one for annual expenditures and a second for long term capital investments. Local governments must be sure that their debt service is a reasonable and affordable proportion of the total annual expenditure budget. While Bloomberg has increased investment in the future he has done a good job of ensuring that the city’s annual payment on its bonds remain an affordable percentage of New York City’s over $60 billion annual budget. There is a wide consensus that New York’s schools, roads, water and waste systems require constant investment.

There is also a consensus that we must pay as we go. We tried doing it the other way in the 1970′s and it nearly drove us into bankruptcy. New York City has high taxes and high investment. We have a wide variety of fees and taxes, including taxes on income, sales, and property. Unlike a typical local government in the United States, we are not primarily dependent on property taxes. While people do leave New York City because of its higher taxes, in this century more have moved here than have left. People come here to take advantage of the city’s economic opportunities and quality of life. About 40% of the people who live in New York City were born in other countries. The idea that high taxes can kill economic dynamism is disproven by New York City. I am not arguing that this place is heaven on earth. It’s not. There is too much poverty, pollution, pain and poorly performing schools to feel that way. But in New York, our capitalists seem to understand that the market alone cannot solve these problems. In fact, our billionaire mayor is a master at bringing government, private and nonprofit organizations together to solve pressing problems.

I believe that it is a concern for the future that motivates the city’s sustainability plan and its capital budget. New York City remains a place of tremendous appeal for ambitious people from every corner of the globe and every state of the union. Somehow the word continues to get out. To me it sounds a lot like Alicia Keys when she delivers this compelling verse from Jay-Z, Angela Hunte and Jane’t Sewell-Ulepic:

New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. There’s nothin’ you can’t do. Now you’re in New York. These streets will make you feel brand new. Big lights will inspire you. Let’s hear it for New York.

Work, create, save, tax, invest and sustain. There is no free lunch and you get what you pay for. I think that is Mike Bloomberg’s sustainability state of mind.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steven-cohen/mayor-bloombergs-sustaina_b_1464019.html

Totally Green Achieves ETL Certification for ORCA Green Machines

TULSA, OK–(Marketwire – Apr 27, 2012) – Totally Green, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: TLGN), a pioneer in organic food processing systems and compostable packaging alternatives, announced that Intertek has approved the ORCA Green™ Machine to carry the ETL certification mark on all current production models. ETL certification represents a globally recognized standard that ensures consumers of product quality and safety.

Intertek is a global inspection, product testing and certification company that is the largest tester of consumer goods in the world. It is an industry leader with over 127 years of experience with more than 30,000 people in 1,000 locations in more than 100 countries. Major corporations around the world depend on Intertek to ensure the quality and safety of products, processes and systems.

“After an extensive process, where our manufacturing facility and ORCA Green Machines were put under multiple inspections and tests, we are confident the ETL certifications will open doors to some of the largest consumer companies in the United States and Canada,” said Totally Green President and Interim CFO Nate Baker. “This also solidifies many RFPs with our clients in Canada, which maintains more stringent product safety standards than the U.S. We are confident this certification will also help convert several existing pilot trials, as well as initiate others with the numerous institutional and commercial prospects in our pipeline.”

Beginning May 1, 2012, all new ORCA Green Machines will bear the ETL mark.

Since the ETL certification requires stringent testing of components and ongoing inspections of the production facility, this mark confirms that ORCA Green Machine meets the highest standards for product quality and safety. Given the processes established with this new ETL listing, the approval process of future products is expected to be faster and more efficient.

Totally Green’s revolutionary ORCA Green Machine provides on-site, rapid composting of most organic material in institutional and commercial end-user applications, such as commercial kitchens or food processing plants. The resulting liquefied compost can then be either returned to the soil as nourishment or released to a sewer system.

About Totally Green
Totally Green, Inc. develops, manufactures, and markets the company’s ORCA Green™ Machine and markets the Ingeo™ Green Bottle Spring Water. The ORCA (Organic Refuse Conversion Alternative) machine allows for rapid composting of most organic material in institutional and commercial end-user applications, after which the liquid compost is either returned to the soil as nourishment or disposed of through the ordinary sewer system. The machine creates meaningful cost savings for customers while diverting food waste from landfills and reducing methane gas production. Both products offer businesses and consumers innovative and affordable solutions for food & beverage by-product disposal. For more information, please visit www.totallygreen.com.

Important Cautions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements are statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, expectations, intentions, projections, developments, future events, or performance, underlying (expressed or implied) assumptions and other statements that are other than historical facts. These forward-looking statements are only predictions. All statements relating to the Company’s plans to upgrade its listing to OTCQX, to becoming a reporting company, and other plans are subject to risks and uncertainties beyond the Company’s control. No assurances can be given that such predictions will prove correct. Actual events or results may differ materially. Forward-looking statements should be read in light of the cautionary statements and risks that include, but are not limited to, the risks associated with a small company, our comparatively limited financial resources, the uncertainty of market trends, the competition faced from other current and future technologies and the uncertainties of competitive pressures we face. These or other risks could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results indicated or implied in such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to update or revise such statements.

Contact Information

Company Contact:
Nate Baker
President & Interim CFO
Totally Green, Inc.
Tel 918-619-9700

Investor Relations Contact:
Liolios Group, Inc.
Scott Liolios or Chris Tyson
Tel 949-574-3860

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/totally-green-achieves-etl-certification-for-orca-green-machines-pinksheets-tlgn-1649708.htm