As 2019 comes to a close, we're examining the ways organizations are working to ensure their sustainable production of goods, as well as their customers’ responsible consumption of them.
PRESS RELEASE - #MeToo is exposing the scale of sexual assault and harassment for women worldwide, prompting parents to bring up tough subjects with their children. The Health Alliance on Alcohol (HAA) has been working with Dr.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - Good for your health, good for the environment, good for the future. These common themes have consumers embracing trends toward products that are responsibly sourced and manufactured. As with many things, consumers hold the key. And for products derived from the forest, the reality is no different.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - North Americans love to celebrate Halloween — from trick-or-treating to costume parties to haunted houses, there is no doubt a Halloween frenzy takes over even before October hits. In fact, 50 percent of Americans report Halloween is their favorite holiday. However, purchasing new costumes, candy and décorations for the whole family can quickly add up. The National Retail Federation reported that in 2017, Americans are predicted to spend an average $86.13 each on Halloween costumes, décor and candy, collectively spending $9.1 billion on Halloween-related purchases.
MARKETING AND COMMS - New insights from WRAP’s annual recycling tracker have revealed that over half the UK population wants to know more about what happens to their recycling beyond the bin. The results of the organization’s survey have shaped the theme of this year’s Recycle Week; ‘Recycling — it’s worth it.’
PRESS RELEASE - The Carlsberg Group, together with business partners and social organisations today celebrates the third annual Global Beer Responsibility Day (GBRD) - a worldwide effort to promote the responsible consumption of beer.
CHEMISTRY, MATERIALS & PACKAGING - Further establishing itself as a strong proponent of increasing the supply of sustainable cotton, denim brand Wrangler has joined Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture as an associate member. The multi-stakeholder initiative is working to unite the agricultural supply chain in defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production in the United States.
SUPPLY CHAIN - Four years after the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in which 1,134 people were killed, Fashion Revolution has released its 2017 Fashion Transparency Index, which ranks 100 of the biggest fashion companies on their social and environmental policies, practices and impacts.
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - Seventy-five million people work directly in the fashion and textiles industry. Many are subject to exploitation; verbal and physical abuse, unsafe working conditions and poor pay. While some progress has been made since the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory in 2013, which killed 1,138 people, there is still a lot to be done.
PRESS RELEASE - It’s spring cleaning time—is your old car seat on the toss list? Maybe your little one’s outgrown it, or perhaps you want an upgrade. Whatever the case, we’ll trade ya! April 17–30, bring your used car seat to Target stores nationwide and trade it in for a coupon for 20% off any car seat in our stores or at Target.com, good through May 31. What happens to all those car seats we collect? We’re teaming up with our friends at TerraCycle to make sure they get recycled, or upcycled into new products. Through the partnership, we expect to keep more than 700,000 pounds of car seat materials out of landfills.
PRESS RELEASE - While global outdoor lifestyle brand Timberland has an ongoing commitment to protect the outdoors, Earth Day season brings with it a range of initiatives to engage employees in the company’s environmental agenda. This year, beyond hosting Earth Day service events worldwide for employee volunteers, Timberland’s global headquarters in Stratham, New Hampshire will launch its second annual Earth Week, April 17-21. This five day effort encourages employees to reduce their individual and collective environmental footprints.
PRESS RELEASE - In support of Alcohol Awareness Month, HEINEKEN USA (headquartered in White Plains, NY) announced April 4 various programs and initiatives that promote responsible drinking and moderate alcohol consumption. Every April since 1987, the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc. (NCADD) has sponsored Alcohol Awareness Month to increase public awareness and understanding, reduce stigma, and encourage local communities to focus on alcoholism and alcohol-related issues. Heineken® is an industry leader in this space and was the first brand to include responsibility messaging on its packaging. HEINEKEN USA is continuing this commitment with the following initiatives:
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - Many businesses measure growth by selling more stuff to more people, and consumer markets are expected to expand in the decades ahead. The world is on pace to exceed 9.5 billion people by 2050, with far fewer living in poverty than today. Thanks to the rapid industrialization of developing countries including China, Brazil and India, 3 billion people are projected to join the global middle class in the next 15 years alone. These demographic shifts represent both a human development victory and an enormous business opportunity for those companies positioning to meet the needs of added consumers.
PRESS RELEASE - A long-time advocate of sustainability, Avery Dennison Label and Packaging Materials is stepping up its efforts to raise the sustainability bar. The company is inspiring converters, brands and thought leaders to work together to increase sustainability awareness, choices and collaboration to solve some of the industry's most difficult problems. Launching this month is a multifaceted initiative to engage, educate and motivate businesses and people alike, while building its sustainability leadership brand. The initiative embraces:
PRESS RELEASE - CHICAGO (July 18, 2016) – MillerCoors released its 2016 Sustainability Report, which provides a comprehensive review of the company’s 2015 efforts in the areas of alcohol responsibility, environmental stewardship and community investment. The nation’s second largest brewer continues to help prevent drunk driving and underage consumption, reduce water use and brewery waste, and create equal opportunities for women in beer.
PRESS RELEASE - Seafood consumers put sustainability before price and brand New independent research reveals global motivators to seafood purchase Consumers perceive NGOs and scientific organisations as contributing most to protecting oceans Independent certification increases consumer trust in brands Awareness of the blue MSC label is 37% amongst all consumers MSC-aware consumers say they will pay a premium of up to 11% for MSC labelled seafood
WASTE NOT - One of the biggest trends in business for years has been the paperless office. Many brands have taken the digital or paperless office to extremes; social media platform Buffer, for example, does not have a central office, relying on its employees to produce remotely. While this model is great for sustainability purposes, it isn’t ideal for larger organizations. However, that doesn’t mean that a brand the size of Amazon isn’t capable of going paperless. The conversion simply has to happen differently.
SUPPLY CHAIN - This year, Fashion Revolution’s annual campaign has expanded into a week-long series of events featuring hundreds of activities, stunts and social experiments across 84 countries worldwide. Throughout Fashion Revolution Week, April 18th to 24th, consumers will demand transparency and raise awareness of exploitation in the fashion supply chain by posting on social media using the hashtag #WhoMadeMyClothes.
SUPPLY CHAIN - The sustainability challenges facing the clothing industry today are immense. In 2013 the Danish fashion institute estimated it to be the second-most damaging industry in the world, with 25 percent of the world’s pesticides used to grow cotton alone, and one-fifth of industrial water pollution stemming from the dyeing and treatment of fabric. The U.S.
THE NEXT ECONOMY - This post is part of a series produced by The Huffington Post, "What's Working: Sustainable Development Goals," in conjunction with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The proposed set of goals will be the subject of discussion at the UN General Assembly meeting on Sept. 25-27, 2015 in New York; they cover 17 key areas of development — including poverty, hunger, health, education, and gender equality, among many others.
WASTE NOT - If you’re concerned about the recent drought but feel lost on how you can lessen your personal water use, a new initiative promises to help. Anheuser Busch’s Shock Top Brewing Co. is partnering with Indiegogo to identify, fund and distribute water-saving innovations that can help California residents reduce their water consumption.