Reader Email

For the first time since I started this blog in 2005 I will be posting an email from one of my fantastic readers.


The following comes from Kaity Nakagoshi, Bisk Education, University of San Francisco (which offers a course in Sustainable Supply Chain Management).  She writes:


Greetings Chris!

I started to comment on your “Thinking End to End on Product Packaging” post but then I realized I had too much to say, and composing an e-mail would be more appropriate J

I’m jealous that you were in San Francisco last year. I live in Florida but of all the places on the west coast, it is the place I want to visit most. I’m a sucker for some crab cakes and trendy cities. I actually work for the University of San Francisco's online certificate program and I'm not surprised about the decrease in carbon emissions. The school is one of the few that offers a masters certificate in sustainable supply chain management. As your witty blog heading points out, supply chain management is often overlooked by consumers, and even by managers. Even worse, not all companies are on board with the “environmental footprint” movement. Implementing a sustainable supply chain effectively is a sure fire way to gain positive public opinion and stay competitive in the industry.

Now back to your post. I love that you were at the farmer’s market. I bet San Francisco has great ones! There is one by my house every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at an outdoor shopping mall. I look forward to it every time because I am willing to pay a little bit more for quality products in order to support local businesses. I have a dream of starting my own small business (something with food J) and would hope locals would support me as well. Last time I went to the farmer’s market I bought pierogis (I put apple sauce on them!) and honey. The honey vendor said that consuming the honey of the current season might help with my allergies.

As for the actual bottle of cranberry juice….the plastic vs. glass strategy is, like you said, “simple, yet effective”. I mean sure, glass looks pretty and it can be recycled. But plastic can also be recycled, and it doesn’t break (loss of inventory). Some companies, like Starbucks and Zephyrhills Spring Water, have even figured out how to reduce the amount of plastic used in their products. As a consumer, it is nice to see positive changes like that. And as a manager, I’m sure it is nice to see a decrease in costs.

Happy day!

Kaity Nakagoshi


Thanks Kaity, I did have a Happy Day.