CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) announced it has met its three-year global environmental goals on water, energy, carbon emissions and recycling operations.The company reached its goal of reducing its water usage by nearly 20 percent, the equivalent of 25 billion cans of AB InBev products. Energy consumption decreased by 12 percent and carbon emissions were reduced by almost 16 percent in breweries and soft drink facilities worldwide. The company also increased its recycling rate to just over 99 percent for solid waste and by-products.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Starbucks will begin sourcing 100 percent of its palm oil from certified sustainable suppliers by 2015, according to a recent announcement.The coffee company made the change in response to a shareholder resolution filed by the Green Century Balanced Fund, a mutual fund concerned with environmental responsibility.
COLLABORATION & CO-CREATION -
Molson Coors Brewing Company and British supermarket ASDA have joined with UK-based group Linking Environment And Farming (LEAF) to introduce a program to help farmers manage water resources more sustainably.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Häagen-Dazs has partnered with General Mills to invest $125,000 dollars over two years in Madagascar’s Sava region to encourage sustainable agriculture in one of the world’s most important vanilla production centers.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Water scarcity has been recognized by the United Nations as one of the most pressing problems facing the 21st-century world. Although 70 percent of the Earth’s surface is water, nearly 1.2 billion people, or one-fifth of the human race, live in areas of physical water scarcity, and another 1.6 billion face economic water shortages.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
With more than 2 billion cups consumed each day, coffee is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Most consumers of the black liquid hail from industrialized countries — over 90 percent of coffee production occurs in developing countries and out of the bulk of climate change regulations’ reach.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
The statistics are staggering: One in five children goes to bed hungry every night in America, while 40 percent of food in this country is sent to the landfill, according to a recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council. There is an immediate solution to redirecting this excess wasted food to families in need, but fear is choking the supply chain.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
As both a natural resources and packaged goods company, Nestlé Waters North America (NWNA) is always looking for ways to reduce our footprint while producing superior products that meet consumer demand. When it comes to our packaging, we are constantly seeking methods to increase our use of recycled PET (rPET) in our bottles.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Government must lead the way to developing a food policy that moves beyond the current customer-focused, cheap food culture towards a more sustainable long-term system, according to a new publication released by the Food Ethics Council.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
Ocean Spray Cranberries gained a 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases on top of a 40 percent savings in transportation costs by making smart process changes to one of its primary transportation and distribution routes, according to a new case study.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY -
“We had this incredible product — yerba mate — that gives you the strength of coffee, the health benefits of green tea and the euphoria of chocolate.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS -
Growing consumer awareness of food production methods and sustainability issues has led to the rise in recent years of ecolabels in the food industry; over 200 seals and logos currently represent some ecological, ethical, ingredient or sustainability attributes in the global food industry.
INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY -
In an effort to increase customer adoption of reusable cups, Starbucks is rolling out a new low-cost reusable tumbler this week, according to reports.The plastic cups will be roughly the same size and appearance as the company’s paper cups and will cost $1. Starbucks will give a 10 cents discount to customers using the cups, so the cost is recouped after 10 uses.
With nearly a billion people hungry, over a billion more suffering from the effects of obesity and roughly 40% of food in the U.S. wasted each year, our current food system is in dire need of an overhaul. Here are some examples of organizations, brands and technologies that are helping to drive much-needed shifts in the way we produce, distribute and consume food around the world — hopefully just a small taste of systemic improvements to come.
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO, September 20, 2012 – Sustainable Brands this month announced three new members to its Corporate Community. Sprint, eBay and Caesars Entertainment join over two dozen companies committed to leveraging their unique role in focusing stakeholder energy toward a healthy and sustainable future.
PRESS RELEASE -
Global Brewer Receives Improved Marks for Brand Management, Climate Strategy and Supply Chain Management
PRESS RELEASE -
Cabot, Vt. (August 27, 2012) – Cabot Creamery is the first dairy cooperative to achieve B Corporation Certification, a validation of its attention to environmental and social impacts on stakeholders.
Caribou Coffee announced on Tuesday announced that it now sources 100 percent of its coffee from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, achieving a goal announced last April and making Caribou the first major U.S. coffeehouse brand to reach the milestone.
“What a waste!” Is that a statement to cheer or boo? It all depends on how you view waste! During the month of February 2012, Sustainable Life Media will be publishing a new “SB Issues in Focus” Editorial package, including daily features, interviews and case studies on the topic of “ReThinking Waste”