COLLABORATION -
Recent climate change talks in Bonn drew to a close last week without major fanfare. However, despite no landmark announcements — such as that coming out of Paris after COP21 — it was nonetheless a critical meeting, with a key aim of better defining ‘how’ to make the ambitions set out in Paris in 2015 a reality and keep global warming to 1.5 degrees.
For those of us leading sustainability efforts for companies, the COP talks are a great opportunity to learn about what’s happening at a global level and reflect on how we, as just one actor, fit into the bigger picture.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Denim has rightfully earned its reputation as a dirty business, but denim brand G-Star Raw is continuing its efforts to shape a new future for the fabric with the development of the first-ever Cradle to Cradle (C2C) Gold level certified denim.
FINANCE & INVESTMENT -
A new report by CDP has revealed the extent to which deforestation threatens the global economy — and the numbers are staggering.
WALKING THE TALK -
Cobalt is back in the news, as a new report from Amnesty International reveals that tech industry giants such as Microsoft, Lenovo, Renault and Vodafone aren’t doing enough to keep child labor out of cobalt battery supply chains in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and China.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
As part of its CanopyStyle initiative, environmental NGO Canopy has released an updated and expanded edition of its Hot Button Report, a ranking of eleven viscose and rayon producers that represent 70 percent of global viscose production.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Maybe you remember visiting a post office to pick up one of your online purchases and seeing the hundreds, even thousands, of packages going to other shoppers — to be used once and thrown away.
Sure, online purchases need to be individually labelled and protected for transport, so some form of packaging is necessary. But shouldn’t we as environmentally conscious purchasers have a say in how our goods are packaged? And shouldn't sustainably minded brands be able to offer their customers a choice in this matter? Because surely shoppers and brands would choose a returnable, recyclable package for transporting online purchases — especially if it made economic sense.
This is where RePack comes in.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Companies operating in the apparel industry could be missing out on new opportunities for growth by not digitizing data on leftovers from garment factories, says a new report by H&M Foundation Global Change Award winner Reverse Resources.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
The issue of worker exploitation and forced labor continues to gain global attention, as more and more companies rise to the challenge to align their operations with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
More and more companies are making public commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions outside of their own operations. Why? Because compared to scope 1 and 2 emissions (from direct activities), avoiding scope 3 emissions can have the greatest impact on a corporate footprint.
The numbers are clear: The majority of GHG emissions come from indirect activities, both upstream and downstream, in the supply chain. In fact, for most of consumer goods products manufacturing, scope 3 emissions account for over 70 percent of overall GHG emissions. Included is everything from purchasing raw materials to end of life treatment.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
We are transitioning to a low-carbon, circular and inclusive economy. The latest arrival to the party is the procurement department — and none too soon, given the mammoth challenge ahead to make global supply chains sustainable and ethical. If you’re looking to fill your procurement cart with insights on tackling the challenges, read on for information about two tools and a city with a supply chain vision.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Brands have identified labor recruitment as one of the riskiest parts of their supply chains, and rightly so. Human trafficking, forced labor and wage theft often have their origin in recruiting practices.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Ohio-based Buckhorn manufactures different types of heavy-duty, reusable plastic packaging for the food processing, automotive, manufacturing, distribution, bakery and agriculture industries, with a focus on improving companies’ supply chain performance by reducing product waste and material handling costs.
The company is also dedicated to keeping its own impacts in check by buying back end-of-life containers for recycling; the company then incorporates ground-up recycled materials, called ‘regrind,’ into the next generation of containers.
We spoke with president Ken Kozicki to learn more about Buckhorn’s commitment to eliminating waste throughout its value chain.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Microsoft Corp. and international development organization Pact have announced an expanded partnership to address child labor mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Microsoft has made a new three-year financial commitment to support Pact’s work to address child labor in mining and will build on the successful Watoto Inje ya Mungoti (Children Out of Mining) project.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
While eliminating human trafficking and sourcing from environmentally responsible suppliers are now common topics in supply chain management, in fact they are just two of many ways a company can have a positive impact on communities through its supply chain. Dell is one company showing that increasing the diversity of suppliers, with a focus on women and minority-owned companies, can not only help bring opportunities to new sectors, but build a better business, as well.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Approximately 21 million around the globe are victims of modern slavery, a number that has grown significantly over the last year as a result of the escalating migrant crisis in Europe, reveals an annual study from global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
With their sights set on creating more ethical, responsible and sustainable supply chains, international development organization Solidaridad and QuizRR, an educational tool and platform for suppliers and global buyers, have announced a new partnership.
WASTE NOT -
As the circular economy continues to gain steam, two new public-private partnerships have emerged, driving the widespread reuse of recycled plastics towards the mainstream.
In an effort to make good on its goal to design 100 percent of its packaging to be recoverable or recyclable by 2025 and to increase packaging recovery and recycling rates, food and beverage giant PepsiCo has partnered with nonprofit The Recycling Partnership.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Taylors of Harrogate prides itself on quality teas and coffees, but beyond the brew the company has also established a reputation as an industry leader in ethical trading.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Across the globe, brands, manufacturers and employers are becoming more aware of the urgent need to address worker exploitation in global supply chains. Through the development of new cross-industry collaborations and technological solutions, industry leaders hope to put an end to forced labor.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
CO2 emissions and plastic waste aren’t the only problems plaguing the electronics industry — forced labor and dangerous working conditions are major points of contention for the sector.