We don’t know about you, but we can hardly believe it’s time to turn the page on the calendar. What a year it’s been!

While the economy has certainly presented its challenges, we’re bolstered by the continuing national conversation on sustainability. From anticipation around the Copenhagen Climate Conference to Green Clubs in schools across the country, we continue to see important strides that add up to meaningful shifts in how we think and act about our future on this planet. We believe that a huge part of this social change rests on raising expectations for all of us. When it comes to the products we bring in to our homes, we all deserve to expect more from those products and the companies that make them. That’s why we use “start to finish” thinking to create our products. We consider both people and the planet as we make every decision around what kind and how much material goes into each of our products, what they look and feel like, how they’re manufactured and shipped, and finally how you use them and ultimately recycle them.

What do you think? What products or services have you discovered this year that excite you? What new eco-activities have you added to your routine? We’d love to hear your latest opinions and invite you to take part in our annual “State of the Preserver” survey. It’s open until December 31st. Add your name and email and we’ll select 10 of you to receive a one year Preserve Toothbrush subscription for you or a friend.

Fast Company and Designers Accord recently wrote a case study on the new Preserve Everyday tableware line. The article brings to life the challenge we tackled—to create a compelling plate, cup and bowl that demonstrate smart and style-driven sustainable design. Creating these items out of recycled plastic is a good first step, but what gives them real street cred is the start to finish thinking that went into them. They had to be just heavy enough to feel permanent so folks would want to hold on to them for a long, long time. That meant agonizing over the optimal number of grams of recycled plastic to use in each piece. They also had to be tough and show as little wear and tear as possible even if they’re used everyday for years. That’s why we created a textured surface on the plate to hide fork and knife marks.

For the first time, we stamped a “Remade” date on each product. When you buy it, you’ll know when that food storage container was transformed into your new plate, cup or bowl. By going online to preserveproducts.com/reuse, you can register your Preserve Everyday product and start a conversation with us about how these products are meeting your needs and the environmental impact we’re making together. Over time, we hope to find that they do what we imagined they’d do—be reused and enjoyed for many years.

Another detail we love—a tagline that is a call to action. “Reuse Forever—or Return it and We Will.” We believe in making great products that fulfill real needs. Like the need to buy a casual set of tableware and save money by using it for a very long time. And like the need to curb consumption. Ultimately, if you return it to us, we'll recycle it and make it into new Preserve products. Read more about the design thinking that went into this product line in the case study and also at preserveproducts.com/reuse.

Since launching Preserve Gimme 5 almost a year ago, we’ve saved the equivalent of 2.9 million 6 ounce yogurt cups from uncertain fate. Together, we’ve collected 45,000 pounds of materials including empty take-out containers, cottage cheese tubs, and other #5 products and packaging that most local communities don’t recycle. That’s why we teamed up with Organic Valley and Stonyfield Farm to create a better option and enable more people to recycle their #5s.

With the hard work of Team Members at Whole Foods stores and with the participation of Preservers who’ve even mailed us their #5s because they live too far from a participating store, we’ve taken a big step forward in raising awareness of this common material that too often winds up in landfills. Drop your #5s in the Gimme 5 bins in these stores or mail us your #5s and then let your friends know that you took a step and a stand to make a new Preserve toothbrush or razor out of reused resources right here in the USA! We couldn’t do it without you.

To give yogurt lovers a delicious new solution for yogurt on the go, Preserve and Stonyfield Farm teamed up to create a special 8 oz. yogurt container. The little guy is made from 100% recycled plastic and is pretty darn cute. We think you’ll be glad to add him to your snack pack. When you buy quarts instead of single-serving cups, you pay less for your yogurt. In fact, it's like getting a free cup of yogurt with every quart. And now your love of quarts will get you a free, reusable yogurt cup and coupons too. Buy four Stonyfield Farm yogurt quarts and they’ll send you Preserve’s new reusable, eight-ounce yogurt cup. It’s the ideal size for breakfast or a snack, with room to stir in your favorite fruit or granola.

To celebrate the holidays and thank you for your support year-round, we are offering Friends of Preserve FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OVER $50 in our store until the end of the year. Enter “Holiday09” at checkout.

Just in time for the holidays, we’ve spiffed up our store and made shopping for the full array of Preserve products easier than ever. Visit preserveproducts.com and find our new and improved store locator, updated product pages that include details on sustainable design, and a new check-out process that makes shopping a breeze.

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