For the first time in its nine-year history, sustainability nonprofit GreenBlue has unveiled a new brand strategy to increase the organization’s impact in working with the private sector to tackle sustainability challenges.

After a year of extensive research and consultation with key stakeholders, today marks the debut of the new GreenBlue brand, as well as the launch of the redesigned GreenBlue website (www.greenblue.org) and new sustainability blog, In the Loop (www.greenblue.org/in-the-loop).

The new brand reflects the organization’s restructuring to increase coordination across GreenBlue’s core programmatic areas, including packaging, forest products, and chemicals. This was motivated by the belief that businesses seek sustainability solutions that cross neat categories of materials and industries, and GreenBlue is well positioned to offer a holistic vision for sustainable design and manufacturing.

“This is an exciting time for GreenBlue, as we believe our greatest value comes from the shared understanding we gain from working across market sectors, product types, and environmental impact categories.” said GreenBlue President & CEO Lance Hosey. “Connecting our program areas through a stronger, clearer brand identity will allow us to gain knowledge and share lessons that transcend specific products and industries.”

The organization’s new mission statement clearly articulates its expertise and role leading initiatives such as the Sustainable Packaging Coalition®, CleanGredients®, Environmental Paper Assessment Tool® (EPAT), and COMPASS®: Make products more sustainable.

The new logo reflects GreenBlue’s approach of working across product life cycles. Like the organization’s name, the logo reflects its balanced perspective of industry and ecology, as well as a shared understanding of both credible science and strategic business objectives.

The brand launch marks the official retirement of the name Metafore, the organization GreenBlue acquired in late 2009. Metafore’s work to promote environmentally preferable wood and paper products through projects such as EPAT, the Paper Life Cycle, and the soon-to-be launched Forest Products Working Group, continues under GreenBlue’s Forest Products program.

The centerpiece of GreenBlue’s website is the blog In the Loop, which will strive to offer sustainability information in an effective and accessible way.

In the Loop will provide:
•    A summary of the latest sustainability findings and thinking.
•    Practical advice for businesses from a big picture perspective on why these issues matter.
•    Credible scientific and technical information in accessible language and creative presentations.

“We believe that one of GreenBlue’s most important roles is translating complex scientific and technical concepts for business audiences—audiences that have the greatest potential to change our industrial systems for the better,” said GreenBlue Director of External Relations Erin Malec. “We believe our new blog will host an innovative dialogue about turning good science into concrete sustainability strategies for businesses.”