“Good” keeps getting better at Frontier Natural Products Co-op, maker of Simply Organic spices, seasonings and baking flavors found on ShopRite store shelves.
While Frontier keeps expanding its offering of certified organic and natural products, the company also is ramping up initiatives that are kind to workers and to the environment.
“Well Earth,” Frontier’s internally developed program, recognizes the All-Stars among the numerous companies that supply the goods Frontier sells. Only those companies that excel at business practices that are ethical, fair and safe for workers and that are respectful of the environment earn the Well Earth stamp of approval. Frontier visits these companies’ farms and facilities to make sure high standards are in place for working conditions, energy conservation and sustainable production techniques.
Organic vanilla extract -- that sweet-smelling and yummy ingredient in cookies -- represents one such success story. Frontier executives traveled to Bangalore, India, where they found a group of farmers dedicated to producing quality organic vanilla extract. These farmers take great pains to protect their land from erosion and pay their workers three times the average wage. As part of a nonprofit group that feeds 100,000 needy children every day, this organization embodies the socially responsible and sustainable way Frontier wants to source its ingredients.
“We worked with them to get them certified to meet our Well Earth standards,” said Clint Landis, chief marketing officer at Frontier. “And once they reached that, Fair Trade was able to come in and very quickly certify them, so now all of a sudden, Fair Trade vanilla was available in the U.S.” for the first time.
Fair Trade products are certified by TransFair USA, which ensures farmers are paid a fair market price and other socioeconomic needs are met. TransFair is a large organization, however, and it can’t turn its attention to every product. In this case, Frontier essentially fast-tracked vanilla extract from the minor leagues to major, bringing a sustainable and ethically sourced baking ingredient to more people.
This year, Frontier aims to certify 10 suppliers for its Well Earth program, and has more prospective companies in the pipeline, said Alan MiIes, communications director. In addition, Frontier partners with about 16 suppliers of Fair Trade loose leaf teas, cocoa powder and sugar ingredients used in Simply Organic baking mixes such as Banana Bread, Carrot Cake and Cocoa Biscotti.
Aside from its all-organic Simply Organic spices and seasonings, Frontier Natural Products Co-op also offers spices, teas and extracts under its own Frontier brand.
Frontier’s emphasis on sustainability extends to its own operations. Frontier’s energy efficient lighting retrofit reduces electricity usage by 42,000 kilowatts a year, and when that project’s complete, energy savings will rise to 60,000 kilowatts a year. Waste sent to landfills is reduced through a composting program and recycling efforts have been ramped up in the past year. In 2008, Frontier aims to reduce waste tonnage sent to landfills by 50 percent. Other goals this year include converting 99 percent of printed materials to 100 percent post consumer waste under a program called “No New Trees.” The broad array of Earth-friendly initiatives is outlined in its first-ever Sustainability Report, www.frontiercoop.com/sustainabilityreport.
Frontier’s credo is “To convert the world to natural and organic products,” which some see as a bit lofty.
“Our mission statement can be sometimes…,” Landis said without completing the thought. “Some people think it is silly and unreasonable. I don’t.” He said it’s not Frontier’s objective to take over the world and to convert billions of acreage to organic farming, but rather to leverage its unique role -- and worldwide reach -- to educate and inspire others about the growth potential of organic and natural products agriculture.
Prairie A Focal Point for Sustainability
At Frontier’s Norway, Iowa, corporate headquarters, a tallgrass prairie full of native grasses and wildflowers pays tribute to the rich soil resource once so abundant in Eastern Iowa. Much of the region’s natural landscape has since been turned into farmland, but Frontier restored these 28 acres of prairie in 1990, maintaining and protecting it with organic land management practices. Today, visitors can take in the sights and smells up close, thanks to a well-maintained hiking trail. Frontier also took steps to improve the small tract of wetlands on its corporate property. Rounding out the picture is a one-acre organic botanical garden featuring 100 plant species and the signature 1940s barn painted green to symbolize the company’s commitment to sustainability.
(above) The daughter of Frontier’s vice president of sustainability takes in the tallgrass prairie located at corporate headquarters.
Sustainability and Schools DO Mix, says Biodiesel Pioneer
Joe Biluck Jr.’s got all the numbers to back up environmental honors he’s earned for himself and for the Medford (N.J.) Township Public Schools district where he works.
Smog-forming emissions? Reduced by 127,000 pounds. Reliance on petroleum diesel fuel? Down 210,000 gallons. Diesel particulate matter, that nasty black stuff coming from the school bus exhaust pipes? Reduced by 428 pounds.
That’s a pretty good report card. Those Earth-friendly gains were made since Biluck, the school district’s director of operations and technology, converted 62 school buses to biodiesel fuel. The alternative fuel is a mix of soy-based and petroleum diesel. Biluck’s leadership was recognized with a Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection in 2007. That same year, his school district took home its own Governor’s award for innovative technology used to conserve resources and reduce greenhouse gases.
Particularly close to Biluck’s heart are the littlest pupils and physically disabled students, who need extra time boarding.
“We are trying to improve the quality of life for kids and to demonstrate there are options that school districts can take advantage of, and should be leaders in, to preserve a healthy environment for kids,” Biluck said. “If you ask 3,500 kids to come into your buildings, your first priority is they go home safe, that they are not in any worse condition when they leave than when they arrived.”
The Medford School district has a host of other kid- and environment-friendly initiatives in the works. Four schools have converted their natural gas boilers and chillers to geothermal systems, which draw on the earth’s inherent heating and cooling properties for climate control. “We may be the only school district in New Jersey with multiple geothermal facilities,” he said.
The push to conserve natural resources also led to the introduction of waterless urinals (yes they work and are sanitary) and “day lighting,” where floor-to-ceiling windows infuse classrooms, cafeterias and media centers with natural sunlight while reducing energy costs.
“We are trying to insulate ourselves as best we can from the volatility of the energy market so we can control our own destiny and spend money on education, not energy and operational costs,” Biluck said.
Next up: the district hopes to finalize a massive solar panel project. If it gets green-lighted, Medford will begin construction on a half-megawatt solar array -- solar panels in its middle school -- that will reduce electricity demand. A half-megawatt is no small potatoes. Google’s 1.6 megawatt solar-powered installation is the corporate world’s biggest.
Call it “eco-tourism,” “sustainable travel” or just a plain old “green vacation,” a climate-friendly getaway is within everybody’s reach.
A green vacation need not involve exotic locales, such as the rainforests of Costa Rica. What makes a trip “green” has more to do with what you do, what you learn, how you get around and what new climate-conscious habits you maintain once back home.
Green vacations are well-suited to families because they expose children to mindful Earth-friendly behavior while learning about nature and other cultures.
Specialty travel services like Green Concierage Travel and Highlands Eco Tours cater to families and custom-design trips to minimize emissions. Natural Habitat Adventures, which has family-oriented group trips to the American Southwest and Yellowstone National Park, offsets 100 percent of carbon emissions resulting from travel by funding environmental programs such as solar-powered ovens.
Picking a Destination National parks are a good place to start and the best choices are those that make sustainable tourism a top priority through sound conservation management practices. Among the nation’s most highly ranked, sustainable national parks is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a group of 21 islands located off the northern tip of Wisconsin on Lake Superior. Visit the lighthouses, explore sea caves on kayaks and for the best blueberry-picking, visit in late July or early August.
Other national parks ranked most-sustainable according to National Geographic include Great Basin National Park in Nevada and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve in Alaska. To learn more about your chosen destination’s sustainability index -- and to steer clear of especially fragile parks -- visit: www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable.
Thoughtful Travel, Lodging Choices Public transportation and rail are ideal ways to get to a destination. When practicality warrants a flight, travelers can opt for carriers with sound sustainable policies, such as Southwest Airlines or Continental Airlines. Continental, which Fortune magazine named a “Green Giant,” recently upgraded its fleet and improved fuel efficiency 35 percent. A shift to electric ground service equipment at its hub reduced nitrous oxide emissions 75 percent. Continental, along with Delta and Virgin Atlantic, show travelers the carbon footprint of their trip and offer ways to offset the emissions, such as making a contribution to programs that restore the environment.
Climate Compassionate Conduct A green-themed vacation picks up on many good habits practiced at home, such as shutting off air conditioning and lights when you leave, and turning off the tap when brushing teeth.
Other travel-specific green habits:
Reuse bed linens and towels to conserve water and cleaning supplies. A typical 150-room hotel can save 72,000 gallons of water, 480 gallons of detergent and 39 barrels of oil each year if guests opted out of fresh linens daily.
Turn off the lights and turn down the thermostat when leaving your room for the day.
Take the hotel shuttle instead of driving; rent a hybrid car, bike or walk when you can.
Bring your own nightlight rather than leave a hotel light burning all night.
Pass your newspaper on to someone else when you are done and use electronic airfare ticketing and paperless express checkout at the hotel to save paper. Resist the temptation to grab every tourism brochure in the lobby. Are you really going on that Elvis Impersonators skydiving excursion?
Don’t buy souvenirs made from ivory, tortoiseshell or anything that once belonged to an endangered species.
More than half of U.S. adults who travel say that they’re more likely to choose a travel company that uses environmentally friendly products and processes, said Brian Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International, a nonprofit organization that provides education and outreach.
“Since women are the primary decision makers when it comes to travel, many are choosing to travel responsibly with their families whenever possible,” he said. “Fortunately, there are numerous affordable options that are perfect for families who are on a budget, from community-based tourism experiences and utilizing public transportation to supporting family-run eco-lodges and tour outfitters in developing countries.”
Mullis said such outings help children develop a global perspective early on. “It also helps them to gain an appreciation [and] understanding of other cultures, and families feel good about giving back and supporting communities and environmental conservation during their travels.”
“Good” keeps getting better at Frontier Natural Products Co-op, maker of Simply Organic spices, seasonings and baking flavors found on ShopRite store shelves. 
At Frontier’s Norway, Iowa, corporate headquarters, a tallgrass prairie full of native grasses and wildflowers pays tribute to the rich soil resource once so abundant in Eastern Iowa. Much of the region’s natural landscape has since been turned into farmland, but Frontier restored these 28 acres of prairie in 1990, maintaining and protecting it with organic land management practices. Today, visitors can take in the sights and smells up close, thanks to a well-maintained hiking trail. Frontier also took steps to improve the small tract of wetlands on its corporate property. Rounding out the picture is a one-acre organic botanical garden featuring 100 plant species and the signature 1940s barn painted green to symbolize the company’s commitment to sustainability. 
Joe Biluck Jr.’s got all the numbers to back up environmental honors he’s earned for himself and for the Medford (N.J.) Township Public Schools district where he works.
Call it “eco-tourism,” “sustainable travel” or just a plain old “green vacation,” a climate-friendly getaway is within everybody’s reach.
National parks are a good place to start and the best choices are those that make sustainable tourism a top priority through sound conservation management practices. Among the nation’s most highly ranked, sustainable national parks is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a group of 21 islands located off the northern tip of Wisconsin on Lake Superior. Visit the lighthouses, explore sea caves on kayaks and for the best blueberry-picking, visit in late July or early August.
More than half of U.S. adults who travel say that they’re more likely to choose a travel company that uses environmentally friendly products and processes, said Brian Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International, a nonprofit organization that provides education and outreach.