Hannah Furlong
Editorial Assistant
Sustainable Brands
Circle Economy, eBay Launch Crowdsourcing Platform for Circular Solutions
The Next Economy / Social enterprise Circle Economy is calling on the global community to participate in creating a visionary circular future. In hopes of solving some of “humanity’s biggest challenges,” the organization has launched a new online crowdsourcing platform with support from the eBay Foundation. The Circle Lab platform is intended to capture ideas, encourage collaboration, and help ensure that ideas get off the ground and are implemented. - 5 years ago
Trending: Entrepreneurs, Glass Recycling, Prefab Taking Eco-Homes to the Next Level
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging / The construction industry is the world’s largest consumer of raw materials, and after they’re built, buildings can use a substantial amount of energy to keep us comfortable. Reducing the environmental impacts of buildings – particularly through their materials and energy intensity – has become a priority for startups and large companies alike. - 5 years ago
Sans Soucie: Turning Waste Textiles Into Beautiful Clothes
The Next Economy / It’s Waste Reduction Week in Canada, and to celebrate, I spoke to some superstar companies reducing waste through product design that are featured in the National Zero Waste Council’s Design Portfolio. Earlier this week, we highlighted food waste solutions from Abeego and Club Coffee. - 5 years ago
Designing a Sustainable Coffee Pod: Club Coffee’s PurPod100
Product, Service & Design Innovation / It’s Waste Reduction Week in Canada, and to celebrate, I spoke to some superstar companies reducing waste through product design that are featured in the National Zero Waste Council’s Design Portfolio. Previously, I interviewed the inventor of the world’s first reusable beeswax food wraps. In this second article of the three-part series, I spoke to Claudio Gemmiti, Club Coffee’s SVP of Innovation and Strategic Growth. - 5 years ago
Abeego: Reducing Food Waste by ‘Keeping It Alive’
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging / It’s Waste Reduction Week in Canada, and to celebrate, I spoke to some superstar companies reducing waste through product design that are featured in the National Zero Waste Council’s Design Portfolio. For the first article in this three-part series, I spoke to Abeego founder Toni Desrosiers about her company’s reusable beeswax wraps. - 5 years ago
Report: 2020 Deforestation Goals Are Unlikely to Be Achieved; Companies Need More Help
Supply Chain / The 2016 results from the Global Canopy Programme’s (GCP’s) ‘Forest 500’ have been released, and they don't bring good news. The deforestation policy analysis of the world's most influential powerbrokers, including companies, financial institutions, and countries, reveals that targets for 2020 and 2030 are unlikely to be met at the current rate of progress. - 6 years ago
Trending: This Black Friday, 550+ Orgs to #OptOutside with REI, Patagonia to Donate Its Profits
Product, Service & Design Innovation / This Friday will be one of the biggest days in the global retail calendar (just behind Alibaba’s Singles’ Day earlier in November). Black Friday sales have begun encroaching on Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., with some stores remaining open on the holiday, and sales beginning even earlier in the week. - 6 years ago
New Platform Helps Companies ‘Trase’ Deforestation in Their Supply Chains
Cleantech / Commodity production drives two-thirds of tropical deforestation worldwide, and tracing those commodities has proven difficult. - 6 years ago
Trending: Global Commitments to Renewables, Climate Solutions Swell Following Election, COP22
Cleantech / This year, the U.S. election fell in the midst of the United Nations climate negotiations (COP22). While the results have led to some unease and uncertainty, they certainly haven’t halted commitments and funding for renewable energy and other climate change solutions. - 6 years ago
One Simple Action: How FSC, Kimberly-Clark Are Engaging Consumers in Sustainable Forestry
Marketing and Comms / Moving the needle on consumer behavior remains a monumental task - but a necessary one if we are to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With household consumption accounting for nearly 70 percent of economic activity in the United States, consumers’ choices can make a real difference. At the same time, consumers are faced with so many decisions in their day-to-day lives that “decision fatigue” is commonplace. We cannot expect consumers to weigh the environmental and social implications of each of their actions and purchases. - 6 years ago
adidas, Parley Unveil First Performance Apparel, Footwear Made from Ocean Plastic
Product, Service & Design Innovation / Today, sportswear leader adidas and environmental organization Parley for the Oceans unveiled the first football and running performance products made from upcycled marine plastic waste, recovered via Parley’s interception and cleanup operations in coastal areas of the Maldives. - 6 years ago
Report: Forest Protection Pledges Have Surged, But Progress Has Been Mixed
Supply Chain / Today, research groups released what they are calling the most comprehensive and detailed look at private sector progress on forest commitments. The report analyzes 600 companies engaged in the production of the “big four” globally traded commodities responsible for 40 percent of deforestation — palm oil, wood, cattle and soy. While forest protection commitments have surged, the report details mixed progress on their implementation. - 6 years ago
Dannon's Non-GMO Commitment Garners 'Unfounded Accusations' from Farm Groups
Marketing and Comms / Earlier this year, yogurt giant Dannon announced new sustainable agriculture and non-GMO commitments. Now, farm organizations have decided that food companies 'jumping on the anti-GMO bandwagon' cannot go unchallenged. - 6 years ago
How Oslo Plans to Achieve the World’s Most Ambitious Emissions Targets
Leadership / Oslo, Norway has a much more ambitious plan than most when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The city plans to cut its GHG emissions in half compared to 1990 levels, in only four years – faster than any city or country has made changes in the past, according to Fast CoExist. At the same time, if we want to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, it’s the pace we need. - 6 years ago
Champions 12.3 ‘Progress’ Report Details Why We Must Target, Measure, Act on Food Waste
Waste Not / Up to one-third of all food produced is never eaten by people, and this food loss and waste is responsible for $940 billion in economic losses and 8 percent of worldwide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Target 12.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) calls on all nations to halve food waste and reduce food loss by 2030, but nations, cities and businesses in the food supply chain need to move more quickly to set reduction targets, measure their progress and taken action if the goal is to be achieved. - 6 years ago
GRI Launches World’s First Global Standards for Sustainability Reporting
New Metrics / The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) released new global sustainability reporting standards, which it says will enhance corporate transparency worldwide. The standards give companies a common language for disclosing non-financial information, and will help firms “make better decisions” and contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, or Global Goals). - 6 years ago
Trending: New Cross-Sector Collaborations Delve Into Circular Packaging Solutions
Chemistry, Materials & Packaging / Newly formed groups in Europe and Canada are working to deliver a circular economy for packaging materials: PlasticsEurope has created a Plastics Packaging Circular Economy Group to maximize resource efficiency across the plastics value chain; and Ontario’s Circular Economy Innovation Lab is hosting a series of workshops as part of a Printed Paper and Packaging Rapid Lab. - 6 years ago
Changing What We Eat: The Role of Junk Food in Our Global Food Crisis
Behavior Change / Millions of people struggled to afford traditional staple foods like maize, rice and wheat when global food prices spiked between 2007 and 2011, and a recent study found that in 10 countries studied, they switched to western-style processed “junk food” alternatives high in sugars, fats and salt. - 6 years ago
Trending: Target, Green Alley Offering Pilot Opportunities, Cash Prizes to Disruptive Startups
Product, Service & Design Innovation / Six European startups have been selected as finalists for the third Green Alley Award, a prize that rewards business models and products that can improve resource conservation. Waste-reducing apps, a food packaging system, and a CO2-absorbing urban “tree” are among those in the running. - 6 years ago
KnowTheChain Taking Food, Beverage Brands to Task for Failing to Address Forced Labor Risks
Supply Chain / Every day we eat and drink products tainted by forced labor, a new report has found. Agricultural workers in particular, including migrants and women, are some of the poorest paid and most exploited workers in the world. Many work in harsh conditions on isolated farms, where employers can have complete control. According to KnowTheChain’s latest industry benchmark, the 20 largest global food and beverage companies are failing to address these risks, with an average company score of 30 out of a possible 100. - 6 years ago