MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -
Kelley Bell, vice president of social and environmental impact at Driscoll’s, discusses how the company works closely with local farming communities and how she’d like to collaborate with other Members on the issue of a living wage.
Keep reading to understand how Driscoll’s social work supports the longevity and success of the business, which skill makes Kelley uniquely qualified for her role, and how her team finds value in attending SB conferences.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
As we get ready to judge our semi-finalists for the 2018 Sustainable Brands Innovation Open, we wanted to check in with last year’s competitors to learn about the impacts they continue to have on the business world. Here, we catch up with our 2017 winner, Detroit Ento.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the U.S., is starting to step up to the plate on sustainability and respond to pressure from investors and consumers to tackle water risks in its supply chain.
Recently, the company made a commitment to improve the water, soil and fertilizer practices in its far-flung feed grain supply chain — impacting more than two million acres of corn production by 2020, or about half of its corn supply chain. The measures have strong potential to both improve water quality and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Tyson’s move sends a strong signal to the rest of the meat sector that driving down the massive environmental impacts of growing animal feed is a smart business strategy.
PRESS RELEASE -
Building on its decades-long record of sustainability leadership, 3M announced today that it has formed the Sustainability and Product Stewardship Organization. The organization will be led by Dr. Gayle Schueller, vice president and chief sustainability officer, 3M Research & Development, effective June 1.
Sustainability is embedded firmly at the core of 3M businesses and operations. Whether it is through the incorporation of sustainable materials into products or helping customers be more sustainable, 3M recognizes that science and innovation are the keys to solving society’s toughest challenges.
WALKING THE TALK -
In the midst of the “purpose revolution,” people are increasingly taking company values to heart when it comes to purchasing and employment decisions (and this is especially true when it comes to young consumers and job seekers).
MARKETING AND COMMS -
“All I really need is the word to be brought up.”
“If they aren’t talking about it, then it can’t be important to them.”
At WAP Sustainability, we work with manufacturers and brands to help them meet customers’ expectations on sustainability, many of which receive requests through The Sustainability Consortium (TSC).
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF) has launched a new industry collaborative to build on the vision outlined in its New Textiles Economy report.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
On Tuesday, Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) published its Sustainability Report 2017, outlining the concrete steps being taken to fundamentally transform its business, by putting smoke-free products at the core of its sustainability efforts to address wider societal challenges, drive operational excellence, manage its social impact and reduce its environmental footprint. PMI says it is committed to replace cigarettes as soon as possible with better alternatives to smoking for the millions of men and women who would otherwise continue to smoke.
LEADERSHIP -
This is the ninth in a series of articles examining how business leaders and companies can transform their corporate culture in order to succeed in the midst of the impending Purpose Revolution. Find links to the full series below.
PRESS RELEASE -
There is no longer one dominant family form in the U.S. According to the Pew Research Center, parents today are raising their children against a backdrop of increasingly diverse and, for many, constantly evolving family forms. Knowing this, it’s clear that employers need to create policies and offer flexible benefits that make work-life balance possible for all family structures.
BUSINESS CASE -
Unilever has today revealed its fourth consecutive year of growth for its ‘sustainable living’ brands, which delivered 70 percent of its turnover growth and grew 46 percent faster (a slightly slower rate than last year, when it was over 50 percent). than the rest of the business. The company says all of its brands are working to reduce their environmental footprint and increase their positive social impact; the ‘sustainable living’ brands are those that are furthest ahead on the journey.
PRESS RELEASE -
UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced that it is working with UK-based technology firm ARRIVAL to develop a state-of-the-art pilot fleet of 35 electric delivery vehicles (EVs) to be trialed in London and Paris. These zero tailpipe emission, lightweight composite vehicles have a battery range of more than 150 miles (240 kilometers), which is significantly higher than other EVs currently in service. The vehicles will also come equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that help to improve safety and reduce driver fatigue. These features, combined with a highly advanced vehicle display provide the driver with an intelligent and connected vehicle.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -
Danielle Azoulay (@ecodanielle), head of CSR and sustainability at L'Oréal, spoke with us recently about the projects she’s most excited about right now and how she stays inspired to drive positive change for the business, including the ability to measure environmental and social impacts for all L'Oréal products.
Keep reading to learn how writing a letter to the President and other experiences at young age inspired Danielle’s work in sustainability and how she wants to work with other members to lift the entire consumer packaged goods industry together.
COLLABORATION -
Starbucks Corporation and Nestlé S.A. announced on Sunday that they will form a global coffee alliance to accelerate and grow the global reach of Starbucks brands in Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Foodservice. With a shared commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing of coffee, the two companies aim to transform, expand and elevate both the at-home and away-from-home coffee and related categories around the world.
WALKING THE TALK -
It’s official. Sustainability is mainstream.
You probably already knew that. What you may not know is that Americans aren’t really changing their personal behaviors. They’re changing their buying behaviors. And that gives brands a new way to win in the marketplace.
Here’s what we’re seeing in our ongoing polling of Americans to understand their attitudes and behaviors related to the environment:
One of our most recent surveys finds that 88 percent of Americans believe the average person should be taking concrete steps to reduce environmental impact, and nearly 80 percent feel a sense of personal responsibility to change daily purchase habits and practices to positively impact the environment.
CLEANTECH -
Technology has been quickly evolving into many markets such as clothing, food, health and home, and hotels are certainly no exception. As the industry is disrupted by more privatized options such as AirBnb and VRBO, Bloomberg reports that technology has become “top of mind for hotels,” as they seek to compete by providing amenities and new services for luxury vacationers and business travelers.
PRESS RELEASE -
On May 2, 2018, BASF and Solenis have signed an agreement to join forces by combining BASF’s paper wet-end and water chemicals business with Solenis. The combined entity with pro-forma sales of around €2.4 billion and around 5,000 employees in 2017 aims to deliver additional value for paper and water treatment customers. The goal is to create a customer-focused global solutions provider for the industry. For the paper industry, the product portfolio of the combined enterprise will cover the entire range of functional and process wet-end chemicals, solutions for the water cycle for paper mills, as well as comprehensive service capabilities.
PRESS RELEASE -
Officials from General Motors and Starwood Energy Group joined Ohio lawmakers, county officials and local landowners today at a press conference to unveil the Northwest Ohio Wind Farm, a 100-megawatt wind project under construction in Paulding County, Ohio. Power purchased from the wind farm will help offset the power used at General Motors’ Ohio and Indiana manufacturing facilities with clean, renewable energy.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Which brands do you really care about? Is there one you simply couldn’t do without? It’s a question that we rarely ask — so prevalent and dominant are companies and brands in our everyday lives. But while we’re dependent on the products and services that enable our modern existence, do we really care who makes them?
The history of consumer culture is littered with once-dominant consumer brands that were replaced by newer, more relevant offerings. Today, in the Internet age, the shelf life of major brands is shorter than ever before. Consider powerful brands such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: None of these existed 15 years ago. Would you like to bet they will be around 10 years from now?