Bamboozle built loyalty by responding to consumer concerns and being upfront about challenges. The company has been offering discounts because of shipping delays. When some customers expressed concern about the products being manufactured in China, Bamboozle sent them pictures of the factory.
Adding a second manufacturing plant in the U. Requests for custom items also are in the mix. But despite success in the consumer market, the company has no plans to rush into the food industry, partly because it does not want to make single-use products, such as take-out containers, and wants to ensure its products are sturdy enough to withstand industrial kitchens. I worked in a restaurant before—I can't think of anything worse than tableware failing during dining service.
Most of the food establishments that have approached Bamboozle for products are small restaurants and bakeries. In addition, the Rohr Chabad Center for Jewish Student Life , a gathering place for Jewish students on campus, had used disposable plates, cups and cutlery for meals; the cafeteria staff feeds between and students twice a week.
After the Chabad House staff got a dishwasher, Bamboozle donated service for people. Greenstein got the idea for the test after talking with his cousin, who works in the cafeteria, and hated that they relied on single-use products. The pandemic cut short the semester and delayed the start of the pilot program, but Greenstein said it is slated to start when classes resume. Now that the demand and supply sides of the sustainable market is finally getting in sync means more opportunities for businesses.
Six or seven years ago, according to Greenstein, investors were putting money into sustainable items, but the demand was not huge. Now the demand is there, and companies are trying to meet it. Ellen R. Delisio is a freelance writer and paraeducator who lives in Middletown, CT. Over the past 30 years, her writing has focused on life science, sustainability and education issues.
The third day of the workshop looked to the future — by revisiting the question of how best to distinguish locally controlled forest and farm business products from others in the market. Back in , members of Forest Connect had done some of the background work on Fairtrade timber that led to a number of industrial trials to enable the markets to discern locally controlled timber business.
Unfortunately, the trials were suspended in In the light of that suspension, Forest Connect members are debating how best to develop or use systems and labels to distinguish such businesses anew — linking better metrics to evidence-based advocacy work with government. The aim is policies that help secure resource access and procurement for locally controlled forest and farm business.
Such work is important because it is often over-legislation, not just lack of preferential legislation that drives business under.
Participants discussed how locally controlled forest and farm businesses, by their nature, have more prospects to share prosperity compared with industrial-scale capital controlled businesses, offering real opportunities to create jobs, generate wealth and strengthen communities.
The reasons are obvious. Local business owners live with the consequences of their decisions. Being accountable for the resources they manage, they are often committed to sustainable use of forests and land. Group ownership often leads to fairer distribution of profits often involving community investment of some sort while collective action often involves developing networks for market access and political representation — that can in turn help resolve land use conflicts. Local ownership also engenders greater concern for vocational education to develop capacities of both men and women.
Finally, group ownership requires some form of negotiated vision of what business is for — which tends to lead to greater buy-in to the concept and practice of sustainable development. Duncan Macqueen duncan. Skip to main content. Bamboozled by bamboo? Blog by. Duncan Macqueen. The action plan to mitigate risks that emerged included: Diversifying towards national buyers Reducing dependence on its main client by developing alternative products such as charcoal, construction products and craft with other businesses Increasing access to raw material, and Providing technical assistance to producer associations to improve product quality.
Seven simple steps to managing risk The workshop heard from all 10 businesses that had tested the toolkit, each strongly endorsing its value. Making critical connections Small, locally run agricultural and forest enterprises are often unregistered and isolated from potential partners, buyers, services and government.
Getting community forest products recognised The third day of the workshop looked to the future — by revisiting the question of how best to distinguish locally controlled forest and farm business products from others in the market. Further resources Find out more about the work of the Forest Connect alliance on Facebook Forest Connect is an open ad hoc alliance linking supporters of locally controlled forest and farm businesses more than members from 94 countries.
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