Jennifer Elks
Managing Editor
Sustainable Brands
Investors Continue to Express Support for Conflict Minerals Disclosure Rule
Marketing and Comms / Investors representing more than $450 billion of the world’s assets released a statement today expressing their support for the "Conflict Minerals" final rule, Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, according to the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN). The statement comes exactly a year before companies will have to send the U.S. - 10 years ago
Whole Foods, Safeway, Trader Joe's Top Greenpeace's Newest Seafood Sustainability Scorecard
Marketing and Comms / Greenpeace today released its 2013 Carting Away the Oceans (CATO) report, which evaluates and ranks supermarkets on their sustainable seafood policies. - 10 years ago
New Research Finds UK Consumers Earning and Saving £4.6 Billion Through the Sharing Economy
Product, Service & Design Innovation / New research commissioned by The People Who Share shows that 65% of adults in the UK are already part of the sharing economy, and a further 28% would consider taking part, if they don’t already. Conducted by Opinium, The State of the Sharing Economy polled 2,005 adults in the UK to demonstrate the growing consumer appetite for the sharing economy, just in time for Global Sharing Day 2013 on Sunday, June 2nd. - 10 years ago
Nestlé USA Commits to Sourcing 100% Certified Cocoa Beans For Its Crunch Bars
Supply Chain / Socially conscious Nestlé® Crunch® lovers can soon enjoy their favorite chocolate bar even more. At the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago today, Nestlé USA announced that it will source 100% certified, Nestlé Cocoa Plan cocoa beans for the entire line of Nestlé Crunch bars. - 10 years ago
Greater Good Science Center Conducts Compassionate Organizations Quiz
Organizational Change / The Greater Good Science Center, based at the University of California, Berkeley, has launched an online Compassionate Organizations Quiz, co-developed by CompassionLab and based on more than 10 years of research by CompassionLab and Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. - 10 years ago
Walmart Partners with LaborVoices To Ensure Factory Safety in Bangladesh
Supply Chain / LaborVoices has announced a new partnership with Walmart that will provide visibility into the retail giant's supply chain through real-time, anonymized worker feedback, to help Walmart ensure safe factory working conditions throughout its Bangladeshi supply chain. - 10 years ago
What Are the Most Effective Ways to Drive Changes in Consumer Behavior?
Behavior Change / Calling all innovators and implementers! Beginning in June, Sustainable Brands will launch a new “Issues in Focus” editorial package examining ways brands are “activating sustainability” — driving behavior change toward sustainable consumption. - 10 years ago
Consumers Rank Ingredient Transparency Among Most Important Issues for Brands
Marketing and Comms / Horsemeat found in five percent of beef tested in the European Union. One in three fish commonly mislabeled in the United States. Up to 30 states now considering GMO labeling laws. Ingredient transparency is trending for brands looking to restore consumer trust. But how much do consumers care about what they put in, on and around their bodies? - 10 years ago
Be a Part of Business in the Community's 'Be the Start' Month
Marketing and Comms / This month, Business in the Community's Start campaign is running Be the Start — a month-long celebration and demonstration of how living sustainably is rewarding and meaningful.Over 31 days, 40+ businesses and organisations — including Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, IBM, Eurostar, Virgin Money and B&Q —will join in with the campaign to support and inspire people in their journey towards a sustainable lifestyle. - 10 years ago
Back to the Roots Growing Food Education, Reducing Waste Thanks to Smart Design
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. - 10 years ago
Unilever Shows ROI of Sustainability Initiatives in Second Living Plan Progress Report
Finance & Investment / Unilever's commitment to make sustainable and equitable growth the heart of its business model is helping to drive increased sales while reducing costs and risks, according to the second Unilever Sustainable Living Plan Progress Report, published today. - 10 years ago
Bumble Bee Foods Announces New MSC-Certified 'Wild Selections®' Line To Benefit WWF
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. - 10 years ago
United To Launch Sustainable Supply Chain Initiative
Supply Chain / Hot on the heels of its announcement earlier this week of a goal to save 85 million gallons of fuel in 2013, United Airlines is launching a Sustainable Supply Chain (SSC) initiative in an effort to better understand the environmental performance of and deepen relationships with its suppliers. - 10 years ago
Polluting Paradise: Gap, Inc Among Companies Exposed in Indonesian Toxic Water Scandal
Supply Chain / In its latest investigation into the polluting effects of the textile industry, Greenpeace International has uncovered the dumping of industrial wastewater containing a cocktail of toxic and hazardous chemicals, and caustic water, directly into the Citarum River in West Java, Indonesia. - 10 years ago
Proposed Laws Would Require 'Not Recyclable' Label on Biodegradable Plastic Containers
Marketing and Comms / In an effort to mitigate consumer confusion and help maintain the integrity of recyclable materials streams, three laws proposed in North Carolina and Alabama would require containers made from biodegradable or compostable plastic to be labeled “non-recyclable,” according to Plastics News. - 10 years ago
Sainsbury's Begins Selling Sustainably Farmed Fish
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. - 10 years ago
Volcom Launches EP&L, Commits To Reducing Emissions, Waste and Water Usage
Finance & Investment / Action sports lifestyle brand Volcom announced Wednesday a new set of sustainability goals and the incorporation of Environmental Profit & Loss (EP&L) to measure its impacts throughout its supply chain. - 10 years ago
Nike, North Face, eBay, IKEA, Levi's Among Companies Urging Congress for Climate Regulation
Marketing and Comms / As President Obama prepares to unveil his budget for the coming year, 33 multinational companies, including eBay, IKEA, L’Oréal, Nike and Limited Brands, have signed a “Climate Declaration” urging federal policymakers to take action on climate change. - 10 years ago
Greenpeace Weighs In on Yum!'s Commitment to Rainforest-Free Paper Packaging
Behavior Change / Last week, Yum! Brands – parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – announced the release of its online Corporate Social Responsibility Report, “Serving the World.” - 10 years ago
"Do What You Love": Inspiration and Insights from Conscious Capitalism 2013
Walking the Talk / The Conscious Capitalism 2013 conference, which took place over the weekend in San Francisco, saw a host of inspirational and motivational talks about the potential of business, large and small, to change the course of the world for the better. - 10 years ago