Zcause Blog; Anthony Zolezzi.com

Earth Day’s 40th anniversary coincides
with launch of unprecedented partnership

April 29, 2010

PepsiCo and its partners launch The Dream Machine on April 21, 2010 in New York City

NEW YORK - APRIL 21: (L-R) Brian Iglesias, Paul Wolff, of Greenopolis, Anthony Zolezzi of Greenopolis, Jeremy Cage of PepsiCo and Aisha Tyler speak as PepsiCo and its partners launch The Dream Machine at the Dream Hotel on April 21, 2010 in New York City.

For me, Earth Day 2010 not only represented 40 years of celebrating the Earth and helping preserve its livability, but a dream collaboration of four diverse entities united in finding ways to achieve the latter goal. A year in the making, this precedent-setting partnership of PepsiCo, Waste Management Inc., Greenopolis Recycling System, Keep America Beautiful and the Entrepreneurial Boot Camp for Disabled Veterans, kicked off with a press party and conference on the eve of Earth Day, April 21.

We first spoke with PepsiCo representatives about the GreenOps Recycling System at Expo West in 2009 and then at Sustainable Brands, where it was emphasized that a partnership with GreenOps and Pepsi could be a boon for on-the-go recycling. Having worked with many big companies in my career I must tell you that PepsiCo executives rose to the occasion and were fantastic to work with. Also, much credit goes to the original collaboration of Nestle Waters and Whole Foods that pioneered the program together and in a very short time collected over two million containers ( as we announced in the first week of April.).

This was a wonderful experience for me and one that will make a major difference in our recycling rates. Hope you join me in applauding all the partners involved and their executives who put their agendas aside to promote this precedent-setting joint effort.

PepsiCo And Its Partners Launch The Dream Machine, Life Magazine;

The Ecology Of Recycling: Greenopolis And PepsiCo Team Up To Bring A New Ecosystem Of Recycling Into Play, CSR Live Commentary

Release: PepsiCo and Waste Management Celebrate Earth Day with Announcement of Multi-year Partnership Designed to Improve On-the-Go Recycling

Having dinner with the ‘can-do-crowd’
restores my faith in humanity’s future

April 4, 2010

“I left my heart in San Francisco” will have a new meaning for me after having dinner with Senator Diane Feinstein and a group of Natural Products Industry leaders in a beautiful setting overlooking San Francisco Bay.

My dinner companions were all individuals who are doing major things to better the world and protect the environment, and hearing their stories of what they’ve accomplished from Kenya to Honduras was inspiring, humbling and a bit intimidating all at the same time. I learned, for example, how a simple, inexpensive stove could save women in some parts of the world from being brutalized and even murdered while venturing out to collect wood for fuel. (The victimization of women also came up in my recent meeting with Carlos Paez Vilaro, who has devoted much of his time to ending it, as I noted in my last blog.)

But here was the most refreshing and surprising part of this evening: having for the last year basically given up on politicians and our political system I found myself – and my cynicism – simply blown away by Sen. Feinstein and the passion, conviction and comprehension she brought to the many issues facing not only the U.S., but the world. Having just concluded a turbulent and tiring week that culminated in the narrow passage of the health care bill, she exuded an amazing energy and eagerness to take on these other challenges.

For me, the dynamic demeanor and can-do character of this very special group created an aura of optimism that our problems can be tackled after all – a feeling amplified by Sen. Feinstein’s direct and honest responses to the questions from around the table. Listening to her talk gave me hope that maybe -- just maybe – there are responsible politicians out there, both here and abroad, who are capable of seeking out real solutions to such issues as world poverty, malnutrition, disease, pollution and climate change.

My questions to the senator were admittedly shallow – for instance, how she continued to look so good after following up those all-night sessions in Washington by flying out to the West Coast for this event. Her husband Dick Blum (whose life is another incredible story) answered that one for her: “She naps.”

Rock on, senator -- you have a new fan club member.

Zcause Blog