ICT AND BIG DATA -
As 3D printers are being used to make everything from pottery to human tissue, the domestic manufacturing industry is evolving into something new and robust. As manufacturing begins to step into a growth phase, we examine the brands Stratasys and Organovo and take a closer look at what the introduction of their products means to the marketplace.There is no shortage of areas that were crippled by the financial crisis, and United States manufacturing ranks high on that list. Production jobs were already fleeing overseas in favor of inexpensive labor in the mid-2000s, and the combination of the domestic consumer recession and a burst of Chinese market dominance only amplified the situation.
Target has introduced a new healthy food collection designed to take make it easier for customers to identify and purchase products free of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives as part of its efforts to increase organic food offerings by 25 percent by end of 2017.The “Simply Balanced” line has committed to refrain from using 105 common food additive ingredients, Target says. Most of the products within the collection are made without genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and Target says it plans to remove all GMOs from the Simply Balanced collection by the end of 2014.Several items from the line launched on June 9, with the full collection to arrive in stores by October. The line features nearly 250 organic food products, Target says.
The University of California Davis recently celebrated the opening of the Jess S. Jackson Sustainable Winery Building. Once fully operational, the $4 million structure will enable the adjacent teaching and research winery, brewery and food-processing facility to operate self-sustainably, through onsite capture of energy and water. It was made possible by a $3 million pledge from the late Jess Jackson and his wife, Barbara Banke, proprietor of Jackson Family Wines.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
When Coca-Cola first rolled out its PlantBottle in fall 2009 in Copenhagen, the beverage giant sent a signal to the entire food and beverage industry that it had had to take sustainable packaging more seriously. Additional companies, including Heinz, later rolled out plastic bottles using the same technology.
WASTE NOT -
Starbucks is one of America’s most iconic brands for many reasons. The company transformed coffee culture and taught U.S. consumers to appreciate better coffee beans and traditional coffee beverages long on the menu in Europe.
PRESS RELEASE -
•Student team from India addresses the 20 to 30 percent food spoilage rate for poor rural farmers, via cost-effective dehydrators powered by solar conduction
•Finalist projects range from new cancer diagnostic tool and nonprofit fundraising platform to solar power crowdsourcing and recycled shoes
•Entrepreneurial students and their innovative ventures celebrated at finals event
COLLABORATION -
Beverage industry leaders from across the globe have convened in Amsterdam for the Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) semi-annual meeting to discuss environmental sustainability within the beverage sector.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Ecolab has introduced a breakthrough product to help reduce the risk of foodborne illness outbreaks related to ineffective produce washing in foodservice operations.
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO, California, May 8, 2013 – Sustainable Brands® announced today that the Emerging Economies Consumer Behavior Change Project will launch at the Sustainable Brands Rio conference in Brazil.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Oakland-based social enterprise Kuli Kuli is launching an Indiegogo campaign to leverage its “superfood” nutrition bar to help alleviate poverty in West Africa.Kuli Kuli Bars are gluten-free, raw and made with just a few simple all-natural ingredients, the company says. The bars also are low in calories but contain high amounts of fiber, protein and vitamins. The bars are made from moringa oleifera, a tree that has been widely documented for its vast nutritional properties and ability to grow in poor soil with little water.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Monadnock Paper Mills, which manufactures technical and specialty printing and packaging papers, recently announced the availability of an uncoated product designed specifically for craft beer made from 100 percent FSC-certified, post-consumer waste fibers.Made in New England, home to many iconic craft brews, Monadnock says its Envi Label offers American brewers a home-grown source for label stock that upholds brewers’ commitments to quality and sustainability with no compromises in performance or aesthetics.
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
Abbott Laboratories last week rejected a proposal from shareholders to remove genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from its natural products, which includes its Similac baby formula. Biotech firm DuPont also defeated a resolution to disclose genetically engineered seeds.
WASTE NOT -
Each week leading up to the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) finals on June 5th, where the runner-up will be decided via live online public vote at SB '13, we will feature an article on one of our SBIO semi-finalists. This week, we re-introduce you to local innovators Back to the Roots.
There’s nothing like attractive design for turning people on to something new and unusual.
COLLABORATION -
Bumble Bee Foods today announced the introduction of Wild Selections® – a new line of products certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Wild Selections® will support World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) efforts to protect marine life, expand sustainable fishing practices globally and help build continued awareness of the MSC-certified seafood program. Announcing the promotion with WWF and MSC and the arrival of the new product line at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, Bumble Bee President and CEO Chris Lischewski said that the company is committing thirteen cents per can, for a minimum of $1 million, to WWF from the sale of Wild Selections® products over the next five years.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
As consumers become increasingly demanding of more social and environmental sustainability efforts from their favorite brands, Nestlé is one multinational that is responding in kind. The challenges for the world’s largest food company, however, are as complicated as the company’s long and tangled supply chain.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
UK grocery chain Sainsbury’s is now selling farmed fish certified by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) in what is apparently an industry first, according to The Grocer.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
UK grocery chain The Co-operative has just announced significant reductions in the weight of its private label wine bottles. With the help of its supplier, Kingsland Wines and Spirits, the Co-operative achieved reductions that amounted to a savings of 725 metric tons of glass and 556 metrics tons of CO2. Not only does a major reduction such as this use fewer resources and save energy, the biggest reduction comes from having less weight to transport and therefore dramatically lower fuel costs. By the end of 2013, the Co-operative plans to reduce its packaging weights by a further 15% and increase its carrier bag reduction target to 75%.
COLLABORATION -
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and two dozen other craft brewers have partnered with the Natural Resources Defense Council to support strong clean water policies.
PRESS RELEASE -
BASF hosts its first Symposium on Sustainability Assessment in Agriculture
International experts call for common approach to sustainability assessment in food supply chain
BASF invites opinion leaders to a joint discussion platform to develop general principles
MARKETING AND COMMS -
Bacardi Limited has achieved a nearly 50 percent drop in water usage and roughly 33 percent reductions in both energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the last six years, according to its latest corporate responsibility report, released online Wednesday. Reductions were achieved through a combination of conservation measures that included more efficient equipment and greater use of renewable energy sources.The digital report, “Our Spirit is Clear,” embodies Bacardi’s commitment to reduce both its carbon footprint and impact on the earth’s natural resources. The company says the water saved is equivalent to providing a glass of water to every person on the planet.