Saul Good Gift Co.

Over the last few months we've been working on a bunch of sustainable packaging projects for various clients leading up to the Olympics. Yesterday, Alex (Saul Good operations director) Andy Maier (Courageous B, graphic designer) and I had the pleasure of touring the facility of one of our packaging manufacturers. While cardboard packaging is nothing new, we were encouraged to see how the industry is finally moving towards offering 100% recycled options. For Saul Good, our involvement with this effort started over 3 years ago as part of a sustainable design project for our gift boxes. Now we've gained enough experience to become sustainable design consultants for a host of green packaging projects around the province.

100% can't be for everyone, but it's a great start

During the tour, we learned that if all the companies purchasing cardboard packaging went to 100% recycled materials we'd run out of supply within months. However, I'm of the belief that using and promoting 100% recycled packaging is a meaningful way to influence the market and promote change towards sustainable consumption. The more people who ask questions about the materials being used in products we consume, both in business and in our personal lives, the better chance we have as a society to address sustainability in a meaningful way.

Is it really green?

Chain of custody assurance is important as a way to have verifiable proof of your sustainability claim. On a recent project we collected shipping manifests, certificates of compliance and letters from suppliers down the supply chain to ensure the credibility of our recycled content claims. It really comes down to inventory management and inventory controls when looking for assurance that the materials received from suppliers are in fact the same being used in the production of your packaging. Using barcode scanning technology our supplier scans materials upon arrival in their facility and at every point in the manufacturing process. Because the dimensions of the product are customized to our specific job it would be impossible to mix our recycled materials up with virgin stock.

Post-consumer vs. pre-consumer waste

What does 100% recycled mean? Well, that depends on where the materials were recycled from. When paper is recycled post-consumer, referring to the fact that people use the material for something and then recycle it, it has considerably more environmental benefits compared to pre-consumer, or industrially recycled materials.  By recognizing this important distinction, we've ensured that our current project uses at least 94% recycled post-consumer materials compared to approximately the 20-30% used in conventional cardboard boxes.

What tools are there to help?

Environmental Defence has developed a fantastic calculation tool to quantify the environmental benefits of choosing recycled paper for your project. This is invaluable in communicating the value in sustainable packaging projects.

Besides knowing what tastes good to me, it's always a great sign when I'm at a show sampling my wares that people see the Gone Crackers box in our gift baskets and say how much they LOVE these tasty artisan wheat crisps. Heather Nichol has developed a handful of tasty interesting flavours such as Blue Cheese and Cracked Pepper and Parmesan and Rosemary. Personally I like the plain savoury styles the best, the Undressed and the Olive Oil and Cracked Pepper, as they seem to be best for tasting local wine and cheese and treats like local artisan antipasto in our gourmet gift boxes.

Top 3 Goods Gone Crackers

1. They taste amazing. Time in time out everyone loves these little bad boys. If you're loving living life then you've got to try these.

2. Locally produced in Surrey, BC local purchasing is a great easy way to support the local economy and reduce environmental impact. Although the wheat isn't grown within 100 miles it's great to support our friends, family, neighbours and community through buying local. For more info on the benefits of local check out Lo.Co. BC, a new network of Localvores - all local, all good.

3. Class. Crack one of these boxes out at your next dinner party and turn some heads. Taste buds will follow. Be careful, Gone Crackers are addictive.

November, excuse me, MOvember is flying by, but I didn't want it to pass completely without taking a moment to recognize the importance of this most hirsute month. Those in the know already realize that the month formerly known as "November" has been reclaimed as "Movember" in order to recognize the mass sprouting of mustaches which together draw awareness to men's health issues, most specifically prostate cancer.

Mustache-a-thons are nothing new (and always smashingly successful), but I really have to applaud how the Movember Foundation has tapped into the powerful and primal urge among men everywhere to cloak their upper lips in coarse fur. Raising over $2.4 million for Prostate Cancer Canada last year alone is just the icing on the cake. And the tag line is great too: "We challenge you to join us in changing the face of men's health." Bravo.

So, here is the best reason to give that 'stache you've always dreamed about a try. A month is a nice incubation period for any fledgling mustache-ito, so be brave and put down the razor. Just tell your loved ones that if they don't like it, they can pay you to shave it off. (and if they really love you, they'll understand when you take the money and keep the 3rd eyebrow).

To learn more about the Movember Movement watch the video below or check out their website.

Saul Good gifts have always been designed to be thoughtful, enivronmentally friendly, and socially responsible. In order to maintain these standards, we've learned to be innovative and think critically about how our business operates. We're constantly searching for ways we can make Saul Good better. This means meeting local farmers in order to find BC's best organic products and enrolling in programs like Climate Smart to ensure that our business is running as efficiently as possible. Now we're very proud to announce that we've adopted 100% recycled cardboard for our trademark gift boxes and shipping materials.

As happy as we are about this development, this switch has been a long time coming. Saul Good has tried to source 100% recycled cardboard for three years, but we were told that because of structural issues no box company would source recycled board for us. This was discouraging, but we were determined to get our boxes as eco-friendly as possible. So recently we started doing some research and learning more about edge crush tests and corrugate weights. We took a look at our operations and realized that our boxes would likely not face the conditions in which virgin fibres are a key asset. Once we had all this information, we approached Great Little Box Co. and made it clear that we were adamant about 100% recycled cardboard. After some discussion, they agreed to begin sourcing recycled board for us. Perseverance triumphs!

We strongly believe that the many benefits of using recycled cardboard for all our gift boxes are well worth the effort, time, and added cost. We're very proud that now more than ever, we're producing gifts that are truly 100% good.

I was talking with my Dad recently about Saul Good's participation in the Climate Smart program. Our conversation turned from greener business practices to the choices we can all make as individuals. He said that small changes like deciding to bring a cloth bag to the store instead of using a throw away plastic bag have absolutely no measurable impact on the condition of our environment, but they are in fact the most important kind of actions we can take. That got me thinking.

The truth is that we cannot hope for our individual actions by themselves to affect the kind of dramatic change we need to slacken the pace of our warming climate. But that shouldn't be a depressing reality. Because the needed fundamental changes--in industry, governments, and wider societal values--will only come through a ground level consensus that our current behaviour is short-sighted and in need of adjusting. By recognizing and embracing our responsibility to take part in that big change, we should be motivated to redouble our efforts to make all the small changes we can.

Our potential is simply this: We can all--as businesses and individuals--assume pivotal roles as thought leaders and influencers. Lead by example, agitate the status quo, and you will encourage others to do the same. In that way, seemingly small individual choices can quickly coalesce into something much more powerful.

And if you need evidence, just look out into the street. Vancouver's citizenry have pushed and led green thought for decades, and it's through this wellspring of momentum that Mayor Robertson recently announced the "Green Capital" campaign and his intent to make Vancouver the world's greenest city by 2020. I have no doubt that it's going to be our continued individual actions that spur progressive thought and eventually lead to the kind of major change needed in North America to result in quantifiable benefits for the world.

Cooperation once again triumphs. Last week Saul Good along with Eclipse Awards hosted an open house and green roof mojito party for our clients, associates and friends down at our green office space in the Strathcona Green Zone in Vancouver, BC. We wanted the opportunity to show our clients what we've been up to this past year, developing corporate gifts, recognition items and promotional products that say more than 'thank you', using sustainable materials and fair labour practices to create memorable and meaningful gifts that tell a story. Over the last couple years my strategy in this space was to throw a local, organic, wine cheese and chocolate tasting party for my clients to let them have a taste of what we have to offer in terms of our gourmet gift baskets, hosting the party in the fall leading up to holidays, giving ideas for corporate Christmas and holiday gifts. We reincarnated, made fresh mojitos, added a green roof and an amazing space and the 1st annual green roof mojito party was born.

One Planet Catering, Vancouver's leading socially and environmentally responsible catering company, provided an amazing array of things to eat and treat through the day. From hand made cinnamon buns and muffins in the morning to croissants with pear and brie to a spread of cheese and fruit into the afternoon and evening. Amazing artisan crisps from Gone Crackers paired with artisan cheeses and a selection of organic wines from Lotusland Vineyards, a local organic vineyard near Abbotsford, BC. We were also happy to showcase new artisan specialty nuts from Cocoa Nymph, a Vancouver based chocolatier, featuring espresso and cocoa covered local Agassiz hazelnuts, great items that are easy to share and enjoy for hosting or to send to your clients. Once again we were also happy to feature fair trade organic chocolate bars from Zazubean and the new single origin fair trade organic coffees from Salt Spring Island Coffee.

I felt really good getting to spend time with my clients, new and old, and meeting some of the companies that have been working with Eclipse over their 11 years in business. It was something that really pulled our team together both at Saul Good, Eclipse and how we both work as teams individually and collectively. We can't take all the credit, we had great help, insight and planning from Corwin at Red Wagon Management, whose work and experience made the event a smooth success. Did I forget to mention the party? Had a great time playing dj with Unkl' Funkl', one of my friends from BGI, mixing tunes well into the night. Thanks to all our friends and associates for coming out, contributing, good times and conversations. We're in it together and its really just begun.

We're excited to be working with a new local vendor for some of our natural and organic spa gifts, Kama Natural Soap from Saltspring Island, BC. Kama has developed a great line of products that use pure essential oils and are made locally on Saltspring. Over the last few years we've struggled to find high quality local spa products that not only work great but also look stylie too. A trip over to the Saturday market on Saltspring Island a few weeks back helped me to find just what I was looking for.

Top 3 things we like about Kama

1) The products smell amazing! We really like the lime lavender and lemongrass bars, subtle clean and fresh.

2) Style - makes me feel like an ancient Minoean kicking back in style in Crete

3) Quality - With 12 years of experience Kama is doing it right. Their bar soap doens't melt in the soap dish and has a delicate balance of moisturizers to keep the skin soft. 

Look out for Kama products in our new upcoming line of natural and organic spa gifts at Saul Good.

Getting Started

Over the past few weeks I've been chugging along as Saul Good's second employee and learning the quirks and charms of working in a sustainable corporate gift business. With a long and diverse list of projects, I've had to learn a lot on the fly, but I've found the challenge of doing something totally new nearly as rewarding as getting it done right.

Operational Systems

In many ways, being in a business of two means that the work is more streamlined and transparent. But moving from one to two employees is a dramatic change from an operational standpoint. I’ve been working to phase in some changes in the filing and production processes that will begin to move operations out of Saul’s head and into a flexible and easily accessible system. While we’re happy with the changes we’ve made, there’s been a certain element of trial and error in our development, so I’d happily take some advice!

Materials Exchange Initiative

One of the projects I’ve been working on outside of our operational overhaul is revisiting Saul Good’s gift box filler. We’ve been searching for a way to repurpose business waste into an attractive and easily managed asset. Drawing utility out of material that is ordinarily thrown away is a satisfying and challenging creative exercise. We’ve experimented with leftover plastic film, discarded office paper, wood shavings, and shredded phonebooks. We’re still looking for a material and process that’s the perfect fit of usefulness and ease. Luckily, there are plenty of neighbourhood businesses in the Strathcona Business Improvement Association that are ready and willing to partner with us on this project. We hope to have a sustainable and attractive solution soon!

Upcoming Changes

Meanwhile, Saul is working with local organic suppliers to create some exciting new gifts for the upcoming holiday season! Look for changes to our line of Organic Office Party Gifts and an entirely new line of gifts to celebrate weddings and other milestone achievements. Also, keep your eye on our website for some cool new featured products. Saul Good is always working (now with twice the manpower) to make giving better and better!

Although competition plays a role in challenging ourselves to improve, cooperation is key to progress in a major way. By working together, people and companies are finding amazing ways to contribute value to each other and our organizations.  While working on my MBA I was introduced to Elisabet Sahtouris, an evolutionary biologist giving us a lecture on how we can learn from nature to improve business & society. Over the past while I've noticed a few things that merge together in this space.

Co-Marketing - got clients? so do we!

This past week Saul Good launched a co-marketing campaign with Frogfile Office Essentials, a local green office supply company here in the Strathcona Green Zone. It's a refer a business program giving a Saul Good gift box to every client that refers a new business account at Frogfile. With the newsletter announcement this morning I quickly landed a new client and seeing it emerge on twitter to boot. The web 2.0, digital space and social networking have opened up great opportunities for co-marketing, helping consumers and companies connect with each other based on common interests, markets, and expertise. When two companies offer various value propositions an opportunity emerges to share sales leads as everyone is helping each other to improve their businesses.

Co-Location - it's easier to get help than be on your own

After Sustainability 1.0, a green business expo hosted by the Strathcona Business Improvement Association (SBIA), Toby Barazzuol and I really started talking about our vision for a sustainable business community in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Quickly, various emerging opportunities started to present themselves as Toby's business, Eclipse Awards International, and mine, Saul Good Gift Co., found ways to work together to innovate and do business together. We collaborated with the SBIA and others on Sustainability 2.0, a more progressive expo focused on collaboration as key to sustainable community economic development (For more info on this please read a great article by Emily Jubenvill). One partnership that developed was in the Green Awards space, as we realized that both of our clients would benefit and see value in high quality, locally produced, recognition awards made from recycled, reclaimed and socially responsible labour. On January 1st of this year Saul Good moved into share the office and warehouse space at Eclipse. Having now been in here for 5 months, besides enjoying working in a beautifully designed green renovated building, we've found ways to help each other which include sharing production staff and shipping/receiving logistics, sharing sales leads and clients, collaborating on the development of new business opportunities through creativity and brainstorming sessions, and the development of shared PR contacts interested in the innovative business development happening in Strathcona. This is only the beginning. Co-location has really helped us to learn more about each other and our businesses to find ways we can help each other, after all, it's easier to get help then to be on your own.

Creating value from waste saves cash

For years it's been my passion to be involved with businesses that take useless waste products and turn them into objects of beauty and value. This is the field of industrial ecology, where no energy or resources are wasted but utilized through the development of partnerships where companies use each other's by-products (water, heat, materials) or share resources (buildings, services, employees). Just last week the SBIA hosted a waste exchange workshop that brought neighbourhood businesses together to learn about such opportunities and network in this space. I found value in the workshop as I connected with new people at Strathcona area businesses and with a tour tomorrow at Sunrise Soya I'll see how it all develops. It's amazing to see other businesses interested in cooperation for the development of a sustainable business community and even more thrilling to hear about new companies locating here for this strategic reason.

All business is about relationships, I'm sticking with that, and it's definitely all good to look and develop cooperative models for working together as businesses. It's what we need to do to evolve given the economic and environmental terms of our day. It's also our job.