CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
If you’ve been around the building products industry in the last five years, you’ve probably encountered conversations about transparency — around material health, chemical hazards, environmental impacts, you name it.
To be fair, if you were around the building products industry 10 years ago, no one was really talking about transparency (at least not like today). The buzzword of the day back then was recycled content. Before that, it was indoor air quality. And over time those attributes have become commonplace for most manufacturers; transparency is the next attribute to achieve.
SUPPLY CHAIN -
With the Our Ocean conference taking place in Bali, Indonesia, this week, ocean sustainability has been a hot topic: The event burst with sweeping commitments from the public and private sector alike aimed at cleaning up and protecting this precious resource. One such commitment came from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which launched a £1 million Ocean Stewardship Fund.
BUSINESS CASE -
Countries with peace and security thrive in terms of economic development and human rights advancements, while those that suffer from weak governance cannot seem to break the cycle of chronic conflicts and turmoil. This clear correlation between sustainable development and societal stability has long been recognized by scholars and sustainability professionals, yet overlooked by most of the global indicators for sustainable development, such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the United Nations Global Compact.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Well known as a technology engine — with a global network of 200,000+ startups that has powered a 1000+ innovation/startup competitions and challenges — YouNoodle might not be the first company you think of for advice on corporate sustainability strategy. But as the industrial era is replaced by a more entrepreneurial society, YouNoodle is helping brands and organizations keep up with disruptive innovation — and the sustainability space could certainly use more of that.
NEW METRICS -
Oceans cover more than 70 percent of our planet’s surface and are home to 80 percent of life on earth. Fish, which provide 20 percent of daily protein intake to about 3.1 billion people, is among the most widely traded food commodities — at a value of US$145 billion annually.
CLEANTECH -
The project aims to continue the sustainable industrialization of battery cells in Europe and the associated acquisition of skills — from cell chemistry and development through to production and ultimately recycling.
PRESS RELEASE -
Loop Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq:LOOP), a leading technology innovator in sustainable plastic and PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) today announced that they have entered into a multi-year supply agreement that will enable PepsiCo to purchase production capacity from Loop’s joint venture facility in the United States and incorporate Loop™ PET plastic, which is 100% recycled material, into its product packaging by early 2020.
MARKETING AND COMMS -
McDonald’s USA has announced that its seven classic burgers are now free from artificial preservatives, artificial flavors and added colors from artificial sources. The ingredient changes affect all 14,000 U.S. restaurants, marking this the next major milestone in McDonald’s food journey and another way the fast food giant aims to help customers feel good about its food.
WALKING THE TALK -
EcoVadis has published the second annual edition of its Global CSR Risk and Performance Index. The report provides an updated look at the corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance of more than 33,000 companies, across the calendar years 2015 through 2017.
PRESS RELEASE -
Note: This article was written by Mona Farah is head of Strategic Initiatives for EMEA, MEE & Greater China at SAP and Jennifer Beason, head of Communications for Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP. It originally appeared on the company's sustainability newsroom.
Social Enterprise Academy provides high-quality and accessible learning and development opportunities to support people and organizations enabling social change in Scotland and across the globe.
PRESS RELEASE -
Note: This article originally appeared in the 3BL Media Walmart newsroom on September 13, 2018.
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT -
We recently spoke with Jay Hunsberger, vice president of marketing and sales at new SB Corporate Member company, Sustana. He shared why sustainability is critical to their work as a producer of premium recycled fibers for packaging, printing and more.
Read below to learn how Jay’s previous experience as an engineer has informed his view of sustainability, how a strongly customer-centric perspective guides Sustana’s work, and why he advocates for new solutions, rather than stalling for fear of imperfection or the unknown.
PRESS RELEASE -
Dalton, Ga. – August 30, 2018 – The 2017 sustainability report released today by Shaw Industries Group, Inc. (Shaw) focuses on the company’s continued efforts to “Create a Better Future” through a focus on safe, sustainable products and operations that contribute to healthier environments and preservation of natural resources.
“2017 was a positive year for Shaw, as we continued to accelerate the evolution of our company,” said Vance Bell, Chairman and CEO, Shaw Industries. “As we continue to grow and work to ensure that our people thrive and our processes evolve, Shaw’s dedication to Cradle to Cradle design philosophies is unwavering and a guidepost for both human and environmental health considerations.”
ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE -
60 members of the Partnership for Sustainable Textiles have revealed concrete action plans to ensure humane working conditions, greater environmental protection and fair wages in their own companies and in their suppliers’ production facilities. The Partnership — a multi-stakeholder coalition made up of companies, associations, NGOs, trade unions, standards organisations and the Federal German Government, formed in 2014 with the aim of making improvements along the entire textile supply chain —considers this a major step forward, as it means that many members agree on revealing even sensible information for the first time.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING -
Grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops have wholeheartedly embraced the slow food movement, with phrases such as "certified organic," "fair-trade" and "all-natural" plastered across product packaging and menus. While each of these designations means something specific, in the eyes of many along the supply chain including the end user, they all can deliver a similar message of high quality.
BUSINESS CASE -
To keep the global temperature increase to well below 2⁰C and meet the goals laid out in the Paris Agreement, everyone must take bold action to reduce their share of emissions as soon as possible. Companies are responsible for the majority of global emissions and therefore play an integral role in meeting these goals.
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
FoodBytes! — the global pitch competition/networking event by Rabobank, a premier global food and agribusiness bank, has announced the 20 food and ag startups that will get a chance to pitch their ideas at the inaugural FoodBytes! London in September.
LEADERSHIP -
Levi Strauss & Co. (LS&Co.) today announced a new climate action strategy, which sets aggressive targets for reducing carbon emissions across its owned-and-operated facilities and global supply chain by 2025; among its goals are using 100 percent renewable electricity in its company-owned facilities.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
To understand, and report on, an organization’s carbon footprint is a complex undertaking — to say the least.