Posts Tagged ‘ Sustainable ’

Interview with Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle – Part 2

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

“What I think is really special about the US is the way the US encourages business and then is not shy of failure.   Probably the latter being more important than the former.” – Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO, TerraCycle

KissMyCountry continues Part 2 of our interview with Tom Szaky, following Part 1 posted earlier this week.  Today we hear Tom talk about his positive views of America as a place for entrepreneurs to succeed, his connections to other countries, and the places he loves.  Enjoy!

Lexy:  You’re originally from Hungary.  Eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics often call on successful émigrés for advice and sometimes even political appointments.  Any phone calls or emails from the Hungarian government?  Have they recognized you or reached out in any way?  What about Canada? 

Tom:  No, not yet.  In time I’m sure it will happen, you never know, but not yet.  But there has been recognition.  Let’s see, last year I won the Hungarian–American of the Year award.  That’s happened.  We have offices in Canada and all these countries and we are there in some capacity with people and there are local jobs and all that.  People understand and just want more of the programming and that’s what we try to focus on and bring out as many additional options as possible.  Keep checking in and hopefully it will keep coming.

Mr. K: You’ve been very positive about America, especially when it comes to business.  The business world is globalizing.  In your opinion, is America still a land of opportunity when opportunity seems to be moving to other parts of the globe?   What does America offer to entrepreneurs in a global business environment? 

Tom:  Oh, by far.  By far there’s not even a close second still.  There may be down the line.  What I think is really special about the US is the way the US encourages business and then is not shy of failure.   Probably the latter being more important than the former.  There’s a good book out there, something about the Immigrant Entrepreneur I think is what it’s called, and it talks about how in foreign countries the rate of entrepreneurship is very low.  For example in Germany if you open a business and fail you can’t open another one.  You’re barred.  To fail here is no big deal, it’s not a big deal to have failed and gone on and started something else.   I don’t think anyone would look down at that.  One of the reasons TerraCycle has been able to go global so fast is because of leveraging the multinationals, and the fact that they’re global makes it incredibly easy for us to open globally as well.  So there’s this irony of globalization having actually helped us grow in a very, very big way.  But really if you look at it the real virtue of the United States is its ability to support business in every way, from how incorporations are done, to how money is raised, the culture of it.  That’s the key is the American culture is all about, it almost defines itself in a way by the ability to live the American dream which I think is to start a business and become really rich.  That’s one way to look at it, and that probably may be the more stereotypical way.

Mr. K: At KissMyCountry we talk about the places we love.  Tom, you’re from Hungary and Canada, and your company is in New Jersey.  That’s a lot of places to be connected to.  What are some of your favorite places?  Where do you love?

Tom:  That’s a great question.  One of my favorite places is Holland.  It’s one of my favorite countries in the whole world.  From the little subtleties – like for example there’s a bike road beside every main road, it’s built like a normal road, things like that.   The people there are unbelievable.  So I think first Holland would be up there and then Brazil is something that’s become amazing recently.  We’ve been very blessed by having an office there and moreover being able to spend more time there.

Mr. K:  Is there a place you’ve been that surprised you in any way – good or bad?  Why?

Tom:  I’ll actually hold on the bad.  There has been bad but I don’t want to knock a country negatively.  The good is really in developing countries we were incredibly surprised by how much more the people are into business.  We thought it would be very difficult to get going and the whole thing, and it was amazing.  So Brazil was a great case study and we were actually encouraged in Brazil because we thought it would be a much harder road to climb and there are obviously bigger issues than saving a wrapper and so on.

Lexy: You seem to appreciate urban areas and urban life, and accept things about cities – like graffiti – that most people want to change.   That’s interesting.  What about urban life appeals to you?

Tom:  I think that what really strikes me about especially the American inner city is how it’s all opportunity really.  It can only go up, it’s very hard for it to go down and it’s just an amazing opportunity for business.  And what I love is when you can do something – this is what makes it even more compelling – because when you can do something and make total financial sense, even almost more than normal, but then still do the right thing – help society, help the environment, then it’s the ultimate and you can’t lose.  And I love that that opportunity exists right here in Trenton, which is an hour away from New York City, an hour away from Philadelphia.  It’s not even in the middle of the country, in some random city.  It’s right here.

Lexy:  TerraCycle is in Trenton, New Jersey and you’ve lived and worked in New Jersey for a number of years.  Do you have some favorite places in New Jersey?  What about Trenton?  Any suggestions for someone visiting or passing through?

Tom:  In Trenton one of the things to always do is pizza and there’s a little joint famous for its pizza.   It’s called De Lorenzo’s and it’s really world famous.  I’ve tried pizza all over and if you’re in Trenton you have to treat yourself.  You have to try De Lorenzo’s.  I’d stick with pizza in Trenton.

Lexy:  Tom, thank you very much.  It’s exciting for us to have had the chance to talk with you, and we’re hoping to stay in touch with you. 

Tom: Very, very nice to meet you and nice to talk to you guys.

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Interview with Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle – Part 1

Monday, March 29th, 2010
“I love the fact that I can make money and help the planet at the same time.  But making money is number one and that drives everything else.  It’s just been a blessing really to find a model where it really clicks together in that way.” – Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO, TerraCycle
 
 KissMyCountry had the opportunity to talk with Tom Szaky, Founder and CEO of TerraCycle, which manufactures products from non-recyclable waste.  It’s a fascinating and exciting company that reflects the energy, creativity and commitment of Tom Szaky and his team.  Enjoy this frank and information-filled conversation with a true business genius who is committed to saving the planet.  This is Part 1 of a 2-part interview.  In Part 1, Tom talks about his early years as an entrepreneur and the growth of TerraCycle into a company with endless possibilities.  Enjoy!
 
In April, TerraCycle will have over 60 products featured in the front of all 3500 Walmart stores nationwide – alongside the original products that provide the packaging for their upcycled items.  Don’t miss this unique chance to see the creativity of TerraCycle in action.  To learn more about the company, take a look at KissMyCountry’s recent review of Tom Szaky’s book, ‘Revolution in a Bottle’.
 
Lexy:  Tom, it’s an honor.  You’ve done what many dream of – starting a company at a young age and making it a huge success.  ‘Revolution in a Bottle’ talks about the challenges you faced, and how you simply kept going despite setbacks.  It’s a great story.  But lots of college freshman have an idea, and lots fail.  Why did you succeed when so many do not?   Is it really as simple as not giving up? 

Tom: I did fail actually earlier on.  I started six businesses that all failed before TerraCycle.  I think it’s most likely when you start a business especially as a young person – and maybe as an older person, but definitely as a younger person you’re just going to fail.  The trick is just doing it again and again and again.  And doing it as long as you’re excited about it, doing it as long as it’s something really interesting and exciting.  But failure comes first and it comes big.
 
Lexy: TerraCycle has created a huge network of people, many of them schoolchildren, connected to the company through your Brigades.  They collect the trash you upcycle and earn money, but they also learn about business and work in the meantime.   What do you want schoolchildren to learn about business by being part of your Brigades? 

Tom:  I think that they can make a difference.  The big thing with the environmental movement and green in general is that it almost feels like it’s too big for an individual, especially a child, to really make a difference.  Who knows how much of a difference whether it’s a juice pouch or a candy wrapper that’s going to be saved from a landfill, but it is a difference.  I think that ability is something really important.  Having the product that they’re literally helping to build end up in major significant retailers all across the country really shows them that they are a part of a process.  And I think that’s the beginning of getting excited about potentially building a process like this on your own, whatever it may be. 

Lexy:  You’ve built a great base of loyal TerraCycle supporters through this program.  Do you have any plans for keeping your Brigades connected to TerraCycle as they grow older?

Tom: Sure.  If you look at our total demographic each waste stream we collect has a different type of consumption and a different type of collection.  If you look at certain waste streams like juice or candy or chips that’s primarily schools, and we are now into over 40,000 schools and that’s a pretty big number.  With that said we also have coffee waste streams, it’s all offices.  Depending on the waste stream it completely depends on where people collect, and I think that what will happen is that as an elementary school student you get older and when you get to high school maybe you’ll start collecting energy bars, maybe it’s yoghurt.  It all depends not so much where people are but what they consume is what they end up collecting.  And as long as they can keep in that mindset of collecting, we win.

Mr. K:  You’ve said you’re not an environmentalist, which some might find surprising.  What do you mean by that?  How is an EcoCapitalist like yourself not an environmentalist?

Tom:  The way I’m not an environmentalist is that my consumption is representative of the average.  I think that at this point the average does care a little bit more about the environment than it used to.  The average does maybe look at an organic product a little bit more than it used to before.  That is how I view myself because my goal is to change the average.  I love the fact that I can make money and help the planet at the same time.  But making money is number one and that drives everything else.  It’s just been a blessing really to find a model where it really clicks together in that way.  But I think that if you come to it without money as your primary goal then you risk not being able to scale because you need profit to be able to scale pretty quickly.  And if you don’t have profit then you may end up in the position that a lot of non-profits are in which are doing fantastic work but don’t have the ability to become a global entity.
 
Mr. K: Tom, you’re a very creative entrepreneur.  You’ve built a unique company and brought a lot of new ideas to the CPG world.  Many people admire you for good reason.  But who are your heroes and who do you draw inspiration from when it comes to business?
 
Tom:  That’s a good question.  Some of the people who I look up to are obviously the guys in the space that have succeeded whether it’s Ben Cohen from Ben and Jerry’s or Gary Hirshberg from Stonyfield.    These guys have built a couple hundred million dollar businesses and that’s amazing.  And they’ve built it within a twenty or twenty-five year span.  And then also the big thinkers in the green space like Paul Hawken who wrote ‘Natural Capitalism’ – that was a really inspirational book for me when I began.  These are the types of things that I really like seeing and draw good energy from.
  
Mr. K: Lots of people talk about upcycling but you’ve brought it to new levels at TerraCycle.   Of your many products which one or two are your favorites?

Tom:  I’ll absolutely tell you.  The important thing of course is you know I’m a 28-year old male so that’s my mind set and how I look at these products.  It all depends on who you ask.  The things I really like are the bag we make for Target called the ReTote which is the first time plastic bags have been really put into a new product and upcycled and that was a really exciting one.  For me the material in there is something I really like.  Our first plastic product we’re launching hits the shelves in April and that’s something I’m looking forward to.  Usually on our web site or in general we do a lot of branded products.   But with the volume of waste we’re collecting we can’t do that all – the amount of juice pouches we collect are over a million a week just from consumers -  and there’s not enough demand in the world for that many juice pouch tote bags.  But we’ve been able to turn a lot of these waste streams into plastics and so you’re going to see a cooler launching very soon that’s made from 100% chip bags and that’s a very exciting piece as well that we’re very jazzed about.

Lexy:  You’ve also been a pioneer in Sponsored Waste, another great concept and an example of your skill at partnering with CPG giants.  What are some of your most successful Sponsored Waste relationships?  Why are they such a success? 

Tom:  What makes a sponsored waste relationship a success is the brand really getting behind it, and then time.  It’s sort of funny, you just need time.  Without time it’s impossible to get scale. So if you look at some of our biggest programs which I would put synonymous with successful in this case, Capri Sun’s a very big one.  With Capri Sun we’ve donated almost a half a million dollars to charity just directly on that program.  We’ve collected hundreds of millions of pouches, I think around 38,000 million in the US alone.  And now that program has expanded into Canada, we have the Koolaid which is the Capri Sun of Canada and they’ve opened up, and we’ve also expanded into Latin America with Tang.  In Mexico and Brazil we collect Tang which is basically the equivalent of Capri Sun.   That program is almost our gold standard if you will for scale.  It’s also been around for four years so that’s why time is important.  Some of the programs that are coming up that I think will turn into that sort of program is chip bags with Frito Lay.  That program has done incredibly well and is now also in Brazil with the biggest chip brand there called Elma Chips in Brazil but Frito Lay owns the company.  What else?  Mars with candy wrappers, that’s one that’s looking at that too.  It’s basically ones where the brands really expand.  On the flip side what I find the most interesting from a personal, maybe professional position are the really unique crazy ones.  We’re now working with a feminine hygiene company to collect the tampon wrapper but also the used tampon applicator.  That’s going to launch hopefully soon.   That’s a pretty interesting one from a challenge perspective.  We’re working with a big razor blade company on collecting used razor blades.  Now you’re talking sharps, blood, all sorts of unique things that make it a little bit more challenging. 

Lexy: Where do you see upcycling and Sponsored Waste going for TerraCycle?  The possibilities seem endless.   Do you see TerraCycle sticking with consumer packaged goods, or might you move into other areas like housing or automotive? 

Tom:  I agree with you for sure.  It is absolutely endless.  Our goal now is to expand into as many countries as possible.  We’re now operating in five – the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and the UK.  I hope to open six or seven more countries this year.  The main are going to be in Europe with Argentina the one exception.  Either way we’re really focused on growth, scale and getting as many waste streams as possible.  That’s our goal is to try to become the equivalent of recycling for everything – and at that scale – that is non-recyclable or hard to recycle.  And so far, so good.  That’s what we’re driving towards and everything is thumbs up.  It’s different what TerraCycle is known for with the public and what actually happens.  One example that surprises a lot of people is that this year we’re projecting that about only 15-20% of our total volume will be the branded type products, while 80% will be turned into plastics and more materials.  They’ll still be turned into consumer products – like a TerraCycle trash can if you will.  We are collecting the suits that people wear every day, and hair nets, beard nets that are disposable and thrown out every day.  Medical waste is another one that we’re starting to talk about collecting disposable devices from hospitals.  So there’s a huge opportunity on the industrial side too.  It  just may not be as talked about as collecting juice pouches from schools. 
A very exciting program is coming up in April that will be a new direction for Sponsored Waste. In all 3500 Walmart stores nationwide, TerraCycle will have over 60 products featured in the front of the store. The upcycled products will be co-displayed with the original products that provide the packaging for our upcycled items. So tote bags made from Frito-Lay wrappers will be sold with bags of Frito-Lay chips and backpacks made from Capri Sun drink pouches will be sold next to boxes of the popular juice. One of the newest items will be purses and shoulder bags for teens and adults made from popular Mars candy wrappers like M&M’s and Skittles. This program is great because it helps to show consumers what we are doing. When parents go to buy stuff for their kid’s lunches they will see how we use the packaging and how they can get involved!

This is Part 1 of a 2 part interview with Tom Szaky, and we hope you’ve enjoyed hearing about Tom, his ideas about how to save the planet, and his plans for TerraCycle.  We’ll take a pause here and pick up again on Thursday, April 1 to hear more about Tom’s strong support of America as the best place for entrepreneurs to flourish, his connections with other countries, and the places he loves.  Join us! 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

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Olympic Memories of Vancouver 2010

Monday, March 1st, 2010

“What will stand out is the kind of communion between the citizens of this city and the Games.” – Jacques Rogge, President, International Olympic Committee, Wall Street Journal 2/26/10

Lindsay, Shaun, Shani, Apolo,  Bode, Kim Yu-Na, Nodar – we won’t forget you.  For sixteen days we’ve been together, watching, feeling, listening, cheering, holding our breath, and wishing we could do what you do.  Your unique courage, energy, joy and triumph made these Olympics another passing of the baton and also like no other.  You’re awesome.  And your hosts are awesome too.  It takes a special city to host the Olympics, and Vancouver opened their doors and opened their city to the world for 2010.  Thank you.

Now that the wonder, the glory, the adrenaline and the ceremonies are over, take some time to read The Challenge Series which details the planning and development of Millenium Water, the sustainable neighborhood that welcomed nearly 2,800 Olympic athletes during the Vancouver Games.  Edited by Roger Bayley, Design Manager of Millenium Water, whom KissMyCountry interviewed just before the Olympics, The Challenge Series is available online and in print, and details the extensive planning and effort that brought this ambitious project to life.  The Challenge Series is a thorough but approachable primer for anyone interested in sustainable planning and design  – and a testament to the dedication of Vancouver’s citizens to prepare and welcome the world for the 2010 Games.

Like the athletes themselves, the planners, architects, engineers and other professionals truly gave their best to build and create this special place.  All the individuals interviewed for The Challenge Series say it was the hardest – and best job they ever had.  This first Gold LEED™ Certified sustainable neighborhood in Canada will be returned to the City of Vancouver by VANOC on April 7, 2010.  My first stop when I get to Vancouver?   The Salt House, a historical building preserved in the new neighborhood.  Originally built in the 1930s to process salt brought from San Francisco, The Salt Building will house a brew pub and a coffee roaster.  I can’t wait to see it and walk where Olympic athletes lived for those special days.

The Challenge Series is filled with the history of Millenium Water as well as details about using sustainable principles for architecture, building, interior design, energy, and water conservation.  Readers will be surprised to learn the location holds great historical significance for Vancouver, and that winning the Olympic bid simply provided the opportunity and timetable for an idea that was 30 years in the making.   The use of sustainable principles is a well thought out plan to achieve the maximum efficiency possible in a comfortable and beautiful environment.

Urban planners in search of sustainable solutions are taking note of Vancouver’s accomplishments.  The Challenge Series will be translated into Mandarin, and Roger Bayley’s schedule is filled with invitations  to speak about how a city can incorporate sustainable design into future planning.   So, curl up with The Challenge Series and make sure you visit Millenium Water when you go to Vancouver.  And to Roger and his team, we wish you the best and look forward to staying in touch!

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The Bloom (Energy) of a New Era

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

About 10 years ago, I forwarded a website to a friend of mine from grade school via our Yahoo! email addresses (back when Yahoo! was #1) and said “Check out this website. It’s called ‘Google’ and it’s really great. You can find things so easily.” My friend remembers that message to this day. None of us could know that Google would become such an important part of our lives. I got that same feeling as I sent emails to friends and family about Bloom Energy. Their press conference on Wednesday gave me chills as the leaders of some of the largest companies in the world (Google, Wal-Mart, Coke, eBay, Cox, etc) who collectively employ over 4 million people worldwide and have over $500 billion in revenues every year, took turns showering praise on this secretly developed fuel cell technology that seems almost too good to be true. While we’re still some years away from having Bloom Servers in our homes, the thought of this technology helping to solve many of our energy and climate change problems is exciting to say the least.

Being the largest polluters, the benefits to the US, China, and India are obvious. But you have to consider how the many developing and underdeveloped countries will benefit too. Rather than go through their own “industrial revolutions,” burning coal and trees for power, etc, Bloom is presenting a technology that bypasses all that waste and carbon release. That will mean better living conditions, cleaner environments and healthier people.

One of our central themes is to celebrate the companies that are creating new technologies and businesses that will save the planet. If (and that’s a very big “if”) Bloom can reach its goals, we might look back on this moment 5 or 10 years from now and think, “wow, that was when it all changed.” My fingers are crossed and I hope yours are too!

Here is a good explanation of how the Bloom Server works.

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An Interview with Roger Bayley – Millenium Water and Building the First Sustainable Olympic Village

Monday, February 15th, 2010

“I’m a little bit of a pirate at heart and I like to have the more than occasional adventure.  This context of sustainable development is a whole new realm.  All of us are pushing the edge of opportunity.”
- Roger Bayley

Roger Bayley is the Design Manager of Millenium Water, the Southeast False Creek 2010 Olympic Village – Vancouver. Millenium Water is also the first Gold LEEDTM certified sustainable neighborhood in Canada, and one of the few in North America.  Developed by Millenium SEFC Properties Ltd., following the 2010 Olympics, Millenium Water will welcome permanent residents, and become an ongoing community in Vancouver.

Roger Bayley also spearheaded The Challenge Series, an online book detailing the conception and construction of Millennium Water.  It’s an amazing tale of a city and a group of professionals dedicated to sustainable living, and the steady and unique combination of talent, cooperation and circumstance that brought this plan to life.

KissMyCountry had the opportunity to speak with Roger Bayley just days before the Vancouver Olympics.  We invite you to enjoy hearing Roger talk about Millennium Water, about Vancouver, and about the places he loves.

Lexy:  Millennium Water is an extremely unique and complex project – far more ambitious than most Athletes Villages built for the Olympics.  Is this the first Olympic Village designed and built to be a permanent neighborhood?  What examples or roadmaps from previous Olympics did you use for your planning?

Roger:   I think other groups have built facilities that have been used after the Olympics.  Most have focused on facilities at universities, dorm type facilities, or affordable housing.  I think this is the first time that someone has focused on building something that will be brought to market.  We focused on what makes a sustainable community, and what we needed for a sustainable community.  We didn’t focus on previous Olympic Villages – although the Olympics made it happen by setting a schedule and timetable that made everyone work together to make it happen.

Lexy:  The Athletes Village is a very special place during the Olympics, and you’ve had a big hand in creating that special place for 2010.  What are you thinking and feeling right now, knowing the athletes will soon be living there?

Roger:  I’m very proud of the work we’ve done, and everyone involved is very proud of what we’ve done.  I’m a little humbled by the opportunity and when I think back over how I got involved I kind of stumbled into it.  We had a lot of support from The Millennium Group, a lot of support.  The athletes will be coming soon, and when they roll in – when the world rolls in – I think they’ll be impressed.

Lexy:  What do you think is the most creative sustainable feature of the Village?

Roger:  Pretty much everything we’ve done is something that someone has done before on an individual building, so the key issue here is the integration of everything together.  We wanted to create a better environment for people with less resource use and a reduced carbon footprint.  All of the pieces had to fit together.  Everybody got together, and worked together.  Decisions about energy affected decisions about heating, and decisions about heating affected the types of walls we built.  It was this way with every aspect of the design.  In the end we reduced energy consumption by at least 50%. And 65% of the heating comes from a waste energy source – the main Vancouver sewer line!   

Lexy: What might people find surprising when it comes to the sustainability of the Village?

Roger:  They’ll be surprised when they see the sign by the toilets telling them not to drink the toilet water.  We are not actually known for drinking toilet water in Vancouver! – unlike our cats and dogs.  And they’ll be surprised when they realize they have a device on their wall telling them in dollar terms how much money they are spending on energy.  I hope this encourages them to be up for the challenge – to realize the costs and adjust their behavior accordingly.

Lexy:  Do you have any advice for future Design Managers of the Athletes Village?  What would you like to pass on from your experience to those involved in the 2012 or 2014 Olympics?

Roger: Try and imagine what is going to come after the Games – how what you build will be used after the Games – and move the environmental bar a little higher.  The Olympics provide the opportunity to redefine your environment.  It gives you the opportunity to look at your environment in a new way and actually realize your creativity and innovation in a very compressed time frame.

Lexy:  Of course a busy and talented person like yourself is always thinking about their next project.   What are your plans following the Olympics?

Roger:  I’ve just been commissioned by Environment Canada to do a sustainable environmental project in Tianjin, China – in a sustainable city that is being built for 350,000 people.  Canada is sponsoring the design work for a Center there.  It’s very exciting.  And I’ll also be following up on The Challenge Series.  I’d like to take the knowledge we’ve gained here and push it out into the broader marketplace.  In February I’m making a series of presentations in South Korea at a conference on building, then I’ll be back to China in March, and in May I’ll be in Kuala Lumpur.  The Challenge Series is not highly technical yet it is engaging, and gives a background on what the issues are when developing a sustainable community

Lexy: At KissMyCountry we talk about saving the planet and enjoying the planet.  What places in the world do you most enjoy and love?

Roger:  I grew up on a very large sheep farm in New Zealand in the middle of nowhere.  So that’s in my DNA, and I love the rivers and the mountains, and love to be there.  I enjoy China too – there’s a frenetic pace and a feeling of optimism, and that’s great to be around.  I’m a little bit of a pirate at heart and I like to have the more than occasional adventure.  This context of sustainable development is a whole new realm.  All of us are pushing the edge of opportunity.

Lexy:  Very soon you’ll have lots of new visitors to Vancouver.  What would you like people to know about Vancouver as they prepare to visit?

Roger:  I’d really like them to feel the relationship between the water and the land, and the attention the City has paid to public amenities throughout the urban environment.  I’d like them to walk down Carrall Street from Gastown to Chinatown through the new urban greenway that runs through three downtown communities.  The city has spent a significant amount of money on creating this greenway.  It’s a very interesting social experiment and it’s just recently opened.  It’s in the heart of a gritty part of Vancouver.  So walk down Carrall Street and see what you think.

Lexy: We’re guessing that you’ve been too busy to get away for a vacation, but are you planning some time to relax after the Olympics?  Where will you go?

Roger:  Both of my children are getting married in July within two weeks of each other!  My son is getting married in Hawaii so I guess I’m going to Hawaii.  My daughter’s getting married in Vancouver. I also have trips planned to China, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Roger, we know that your travels are just beginning.  We’d like to stay in touch as you travel to China for your new project, and all over Asia to spread the word about Millennium Water, and hear how all of this unfolds!

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Patrick Govang, e2e Materials – A CEO Saving the Planet

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

“I wanted to make better products that have a significant impact.  The developing world aspires to our lifestyle which the planet cannot sustain, and America needs to step up with innovation to lead the way forward.” 
- Patrick Govang 

Photo by Michael Hall

KissMyCountry had the chance to talk with Patrick Govang, CEO of e2eMaterials based in Ithaca, New York for our continuing series on ‘CEOs Saving the Planet’.   A Green building company, e2e Materials creates a soy-based grass fiber composite  that can be used in place of wood or other building materials, and is strong, Green, and fire retardant – truly an amazing breakthrough.  The company is a spin-off from Cornell University, based on the discoveries of the Netravali Research Group at Cornell, and is providing an exciting alternative to traditional building materials.   Patrick Govang is enthusiastic about e2e Materials and Green building, and is using his experience in the US and internationally to save our planet.  Enjoy!

 

Lexy: Tell us a little bit about e2e Materials – how you got started by spinning off from Cornell University to become a private company and the plans you have for e2e Materials in the future.

Patrick:  Research was going on at Cornell from the early 90’s to develop high performance ‘Green’ materials – something as strong as Kevlar® or carbon fiber.  Kevlar® and carbon fiber are strong but not earth friendly, and there was interest in developing high performance products that were Greener.  Researchers wondered how could nature duplicate that strength, and the result was a material with similar strengths that was Green.   The technology is a true material platform giving us a very broad palate of properties that can go in many applications.

Lexy: When did you first become interested in Green and how did you become involved with e2e Materials?  What made you decide to be the CEO?

Patrick:  I guess I’ve always had a bit of Green in me.  I built a house that’s off the grid with an alternative water supply as a hobby.  It was more of a technical challenge and for my curiosity than anything else, but I was interested in Green.  While working in the automotive industry, I built several manufacturing facilities in India to California emission standards in the 90’s because it was the right thing to do.  With e2e, I was the Director of the Cornell Center for Materials Research at the time, helping researchers bring their discoveries to market.  The invention of this material personally resonated with me, and I knew I wanted to bring it to market.  I saw that I could use a lot of my experience from the automotive industry, and saw this as a real opportunity to do something great for the environment and build an exciting company.   I wanted to make better products that have a significant impact.  The developing world aspires to our lifestyle which the planet cannot sustain, and America needs to step up with innovation to lead the way forward.  Our responsibility is to show the world new technologies that save the planet and offer an unparalleled quality of life.  It’s exciting, and our mission easily infects everyone in the company.  It’s a true cradle-to-cradle concept that leverages a business model that’s inherently competitive.  By locating our agricultural feedstocks near the production facility and shipping within a 500 mile radius we enable a regional business model that creates sustainable, Green collar jobs spanning agriculture, manufacturing and high-technology.

Lexy:  One of your customers is Comet Skateboards, which is a great example of how the products you create can save our planet.   How did you come to work with Comet Skateboards?  Can you tell us a little bit about why your materials are an improvement on how skateboards are generally made?

Patrick: Our technology is broad, but we started with skateboards.  A Cornell graduate, Jason Salfi, co-founded Comet Skateboards, and was looking for ways to make his boards Greener.  He came to us.  With Comet we worked to eliminate epoxy and fiberglass from the boards.  The new boards have both high-performance and are earth-friendly.  Before, when the company used epoxy and fiberglass to make their boards Jason did not bring his daughter to the shop.  Now with our materials used for the boards he lets her crawl around the floor – pretty unusual for a manufacturing environment. 

Lexy: What do people always ask you about Green building, and what do you wish people asked?

Patrick:  When it comes to building materials, the materials and the processes we use today have had as much cost taken out of them through years of competition.  So, anything new – new materials, new processes – usually means higher cost, initially.    The resulting perception is that Green means higher costs.  The first question we always hear is ‘That’s great, how much more does it cost?’.  The reality is that we can take out 50% of the cost of the products we replace.  We can make a product that truly reduces our reliance on petroleum, and we can make our shareholders happy because the cost benefits translate to higher margins.  We focus on higher performing and more cost effective products that just happen to deliver unparalleled sustainability.

Lexy: We’re all thinking about the earthquake in Haiti right now, and the need to rebuild in that country.  As an expert on Green building, do you have any thoughts about rebuilding Port au Prince?  For instance, what can Green building materials do for Haiti that traditional building materials can’t?

Photo by UN Development Programme

Patrick:  We’re all very saddened by what’s happened in Haiti.  Our entire company is saddened by what’s happened.   Haiti has a sad but unique opportunity to rebuild the country to be efficient in terms of energy consumption.  Thinking about our own technology for Haiti, someday our materials will offer rapid deployment of materials that are strong and cost effective – and are safe as well.  We’re aware that many of the trailers sent after Katrina contained toxins and are working to provide a better product that will provide immediate shelter that is not laden with formaldehyde.  We have the opportunity to be more forward looking for Haiti.

 

 

Lexy: Also, in a few weeks the Vancouver Olympics will begin.  Vancouver is calling this Olympics the Greenest ever.   Any comments on the Olympic Village for Vancouver, which will achieve Gold LEED status?

Patrick:  What they’re doing is fantastic.  We couldn’t be happier to see more projects like this emerging with a global presence.  It’s a chance to show the world what can really be done with Green technology, and there’s a very elegant role for materials like ours to play.  The LEED process requires a lot of up front planning, so it’s impressive they received LEED status.

Lexy:  At KissMyCountry we talk about saving the planet, but we also talk about enjoying the planet.  What are your favorite places and why?

Patrick:  My favorite place is Ithaca, New York, where the company is headquartered and where I live.  I love the cultural and geographic diversity.  The campuses are a great meeting place for different viewpoints coming together, and the city is forward looking.  It’s an idyllic, beautiful area with waterfalls everywhere.   There’s a tremendous entrepreneurial community with a great vibe – lots of startups.  We’re all friends, we support each other and we’re excited about changing the world.

Lexy:  As a CEO you travel on business.  Do you have a favorite city for business travel?  What’s great about that city?

Patrick:  San Francisco.   I travel here quite a bit, and what I really enjoy is the ability to fly in, walk over to the train, and take the train to my hotel.  I feel like I’m reducing my footprint, and I feel great about that.  Like Ithaca, it’s a very forward looking city.

 
 
 

Photo by Bluerasberry

Lexy:  Have you ever been to a place that surprised you – either positively or negatively?  What surprised you?

Patrick:  I spent part of my career in the automotive industry in India.  In India I saw the impact of such a large population on the lifestyle and resources in the country.   It made me think about population and how so many people living together affects everything.  I lived there for three years developing manufacturing facilities for the automotive industry in India.  To be a success there we had to focus on coming up with solutions.   People there really are committed to creating a better quality of life.  

 
 

Photo by NASA

Lexy:  Have you been on a vacation within the past few months, or are you planning a vacation in the next few months? 

Patrick:  My whole life is a vacation.  When you love what you’re doing that’s how you feel.  I have no current plans for a vacation.  But my wife and I visited New Zealand several years ago for our honeymoon.  I was really impressed seeing such a self supportive lifestyle.  There’s a tremendous national feeling there to be self sufficient.

Patrick, we greatly appreciate the time you took to talk with KissMyCountry – and look forward to checking back with you as e2e Materials grows.  All the best to you and your entire group at e2e Materials as you help save our planet and build a great company!

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