Bizmology |
| Tubeless Toilet Paper. On a roll no longer. Posted: 03 Nov 2010 02:21 PM PDT Question: What, when placed end to end can reach to the moon and back, and then to the moon and back again? Answer: The 17 billion cardboard toilet roll tubes that are produced in the US every year. One company, Kimberly-Clark, is pushing to make the question moot, however, by eliminating the ubiquitous roll tube, and in so doing removing about 160 million pounds of garbage from the US’ annual waste stream. While the company will save itself money (millions of dollars a year) by eliminating the need to produce millions of pounds of cardboard products, it also sees the innovative move as marketing gold, a way for it to tangibly help improve the environment, without compromising on product quality. The company's tubeless product, which is sold under the Scott Natural Tube-Free brand behaves just like the formerly tube-based product (a feature of modern life for more than a century). It is still a roll of toilet tissues that revolves around a toilet roll holder, or spindle. Only in this case, when the roll has been exhausted, that's it. No tube to dispose of. The radically simple technology is being tested in the US Northeast, where Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club stores are marketing the tissues for a limited period. Scott Naturals Tube-Free toilet paper is part of a Kimberly-Clark push to combine ecological action and innovation. In August 2009 Kimberly-Clark launched a recycled content brand, giving the company’s environmental reputation a boost. It introduced the Scott Naturals family of bath tissue, towels, flushable moist wipes, and napkins. In September 2010, the company introduced the Smart Flush Bag, a water-conserving device given away for free for a limited time with the purchase of Scott Naturals toilet paper. When placed in a toilet tank, the Smart Flush Bag, according to Kimberly-Clark, can help conserve up to 2,000 gallons of water a year for a family of four. And Kimberly-Clark is not alone in its push to combine making less stuff with helping consumers to feel tht they are being more environmentally responsible with their purchases. Paper products and lumber giant Georgia-Pacific, which makes toilet tissues under the Angel Soft, Quilted Northern, and Soft ‘n Gentle toilet brands, has also set its sights on eco-innovation in its bathroom products line. One thing seems certain, cost-saving bathroom products innovations are on a roll. Tissues, not so much. ~ Photo by Andy Butkaj, used under a Creative Commons license. |
| Chrysalis on the auction block Posted: 03 Nov 2010 06:39 AM PDT
It’s the second time in as many years that the London-based group has courted potential buyers. Chrysalis – catalog home to Sheryl Crow and Blondie, among others – spurned a $213 million offer from EMI in 2008, calling it too low. Now, chairman Chris Wright apparently hopes to reignite investor interest amid a lagging share price. To some industry observers, music publishing is the great white hope of the future. It’s one way labels can diversify in the face of ever-declining CD sales. And it’s probably a big reason why Roger Faxon, a veteran of EMI‘s publishing arm, was promoted to that company’s chief executive earlier this year. “The publishing model is to find and sign talented songwriters and composers, nurture and promote their work and then take a share of the royalties every time the music is performed live, reprinted, broadcast or recorded as a CD or digital download,” a recent Financial Times article read. “In contrast, a traditional record company signs recording artists (who might also be songwriters), invests in them and then takes a cut every time a record is sold. As CD sales have declined, record label revenues have dropped, whereas for publishers, the physical record is just one of many sources of income.” Chrysalis’ return to the auction block could prove timely as publishing revenues continue to show strength. ~ Photo by ecov ottos, used under a CC-Share Alike license. |
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