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Leon Kaye

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Sweetgreen's Uphill Battle to Transform Fast Food
Sweetgreen's Uphill Battle to Transform Fast Food

Innovation & Technology / It’s a great time to be a salad on a fast food menu. A generation ago, there was no happy medium between lunch hour at a fast food joint or at a sit-down restaurant — and either option was, and still is, calorie-laden. But concerns over the nation’s food supply, growing environmental awareness, and the disturbing obesity rate here in the U.S. has led to the growth of the “fast-casual” food concept, and many chains in this category are more socially conscious than conventional restaurant chains. - 8 years ago

VW Scandal a Jolt to 'CSR' That Reaches Far Beyond the Auto Industry
VW Scandal a Jolt to 'CSR' That Reaches Far Beyond the Auto Industry

Innovation & Technology / What started as a sordid tale of Volkswagen rigging half a million cars with “defeat device” software has snowballed into a global scandal as the German automaker later admitted 11 million of its cars were involved in the deception. - 9 years ago

Food Companies Have Opportunity to Show More Responsibility During California’s Drought Crisis
Food Companies Have Opportunity to Show More Responsibility During California’s Drought Crisis

Circular Economy / With California suffering one of its most dire water shortages on record, the Golden State’s political leaders are scrambling to find solutions to shore up an ever-diminishing supply of this precious resource. Some analysts suggest California only has about one year’s reserve of water left within its reservoirs. - 9 years ago

With Heinz-Kraft Merger, RAN Calls on Food Giant to Step Up Efforts for Sustainable Palm Oil
With Heinz-Kraft Merger, RAN Calls on Food Giant to Step Up Efforts for Sustainable Palm Oil

Organizational Governance / Last month’s announcement that Heinz will acquire Kraft Foods opens a bevy of questions for a company that as a combined force will have annual sales of at least US$28 billion. At a time when consumer food tastes are changing, especially amongst millennials, some will question the viability of a company that relies on sales of ketchup and mac and cheese. But this massive company’s reach also brings up questions about its environmental and human rights impacts — particularly when it comes to palm oil. - 9 years ago

Banks Now Realizing Importance and Potential for Water Investments
Banks Now Realizing Importance and Potential for Water Investments

Innovation & Technology / According to the World Economic Forum, water scarcity ranks first among all long-term risks worldwide. Australia, Brazil and the United States are only a few examples of where droughts have affected everything from agriculture, hydropower and those everyday tasks most of take for granted. California’s annual snowpack this year was only 12 percent of normal — which has had a huge impact on the state’s skiing industry as well as its growing dairy sector. Finding solutions has proven to be a political minefield. - 9 years ago

Starbucks' 'Race Together' Campaign Creates Social Media Firestorm
Starbucks' 'Race Together' Campaign Creates Social Media Firestorm

Organizational Governance / Companies, especially publicly owned corporations, carefully manage their image and messages. But this age of social media, changes in consumer tastes and demands for increased transparency have caused more companies to be bolder, especially when it comes to sustainability and social responsibility issues. One such company is Starbucks, which has often taken controversial stances on the Affordable Healthcare Act, minimum wage and now, race relations. - 9 years ago

Unholy Alliance: Why the Solar Industry's Continued Lack of Diversity Is a Win for Big Utilities
Unholy Alliance: Why the Solar Industry's Continued Lack of Diversity Is a Win for Big Utilities

Circular Economy / Environmental justice has been a small, but increasingly vocal, component of civil rights activism. After all, many organizations, including the NAACP, have documented the disproportionate health problems the United States’ 370-plus coal-fired power plants — which often happen to be located near neighborhoods in which the majority of residents are people of color — have had on minority communities. - 9 years ago

Five Years After Deepwater Horizon, Can BP Repair Its Reputation?
Five Years After Deepwater Horizon, Can BP Repair Its Reputation?

Marketing & Communications / It has been almost five years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico claimed 11 lives and became the largest oil spill in world history. The crisis unleashed a torrent of criticism against BP, which operated the offshore oil rig. Countless pundits, journalists and political leaders lambasted the company for what the company did — or did not do. Accused of reckless conduct and gross negligence, the company settled with the U.S. Justice Department in 2012, but other litigation is ongoing. A U.S. - 9 years ago

White Castle's Veggie Sliders Reflect a More Conscious Fast Food Industry in Transition
White Castle's Veggie Sliders Reflect a More Conscious Fast Food Industry in Transition

Innovation & Technology / It is not easy being a fast food restaurant chain these days. New fast-casual restaurants such as Panera Bread and Chipotle offer diners more updated and healthful menu options in a setting much more appealing than the dreary and dingy plastic cafeteria environment typical of fast food chains. And as more consumers want to know where their food comes from and what those companies do with those profits, fast food restaurants as they stand are about as unsustainable as they come. - 9 years ago

Chevy Bolt Could Be Affordable, Long-Range EV Option Drivers Have Been Waiting For
Chevy Bolt Could Be Affordable, Long-Range EV Option Drivers Have Been Waiting For

Innovation & Technology / Concept cars are always great fodder for gawking at automobile shows, and in turn they do a fine job of generating buzz and stellar photographs. But at this week's North American International Automobile Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, one concept car suggested a game-changer: Sustainability and affordability can work together and finally offer consumers a compelling gasoline-free driving option. - 9 years ago

Timberland Reforestation Program Slowly Sowing Seeds of Change in Haiti
Timberland Reforestation Program Slowly Sowing Seeds of Change in Haiti

Collaboration & Co-Creation / Timberland has long been one of the more proactive and socially responsible companies within the apparel industry, and this commitment has continued since its acquisition in 2011 by the multinational VF Corporation. The outdoor gear company has launched a bevy of social responsibility programs across the globe and reports on its environmental, social and governance progress quarterly. Now, leading up to the five-year anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake on January 12, the company is promoting the work it has done to help the Caribbean nation rebuild. - 9 years ago

Ghost Fishing: Time for the Fishing Industry to Clean Up Its Deadly Mess
Ghost Fishing: Time for the Fishing Industry to Clean Up Its Deadly Mess

Consumer Behavior Change / More and more consumers are aware of overfishing and the effects plastic trash is having on the world’s oceans. Various companies are taking small steps in harvesting ocean garbage and recycling it while organizations such as the Marine Stewardship Council are raising awareness about the importance of sustainably sourced seafood. One problem, however, is still wreaking havoc on fisheries across the world. Unwanted and abandoned fishing equipment such as nets and pots, often called “ghost gear,” often still traps and kills fish and sea mammals long after their final use. - 9 years ago

Forget Black Friday – Many Stores Now Open on Thanksgiving; Here's Why I Like the Ones That Aren't
Forget Black Friday – Many Stores Now Open on Thanksgiving; Here's Why I Like the Ones That Aren't

Stakeholder Trends and Insights / More clothing manufacturers and retailers are going out of their way to tout their sustainability credentials, from the use of organic cotton and recycled PET bottles to even accepting clothes in stores for recycling. But in recent years, the social side of sustainability has proven to challenge major fashion brands and retailers: Witness last year’s controversy over the Bangladesh factory fire and strikes at big-box stores such as Walmart over working conditions and pay. - 9 years ago

Levi’s, 49ers Collaborate to Reduce Waste with ‘Field of Jeans’
Levi’s, 49ers Collaborate to Reduce Waste with ‘Field of Jeans’

Circular Economy / Sunday, November 2, was not one of the finer days for the San Francisco 49ers, as the team lost a close game to the St. Louis Rams and fell further behind in the NFL playoff chase. But while the score on the field was disappointing for 49er fans, another event that day offered an example of how professional sports teams can partner with brands to raise awareness on how simple acts can do a lot for social good. On that Sunday afternoon, Levi’s and the 49ers partnered on a “Field of Jeans” initiative to highlight progress on both waste diversion and job training. - 9 years ago

MGM Resorts' New Solar Array Pushing Las Vegas in a More Sustainable Direction
MGM Resorts' New Solar Array Pushing Las Vegas in a More Sustainable Direction

Innovation & Technology / With its ongoing water struggles, the vast amounts of energy and resources going toward recreating cities such as Paris and Venice, and its bawdy reputation as a party town, sustainability is the last topic that comes to mind when thinking about Las Vegas. But Sin City is drenched in sun, and the ample roof space throughout the city offers the local hospitality sector opportunities to reduce costs via solar power and demonstrate it can be a more responsible industry. To that end, MGM Resorts International announced last week it has completed the installation of what it’s calling the world’s largest rooftop solar array on a convention center. - 9 years ago

Could Harvesting Water From the Air Be a Sustainable Option for Businesses?
Could Harvesting Water From the Air Be a Sustainable Option for Businesses?

Innovation & Technology / For businesses looking to make their businesses leaner and greener, taking a look at the drinking water they provide for their employees is one place to start. The average full-time employee drinks about 2.5 gallons of water per month at the office — and that does not include the water used to make coffee or other hot drinks. Clearly a business looking to be more sustainable is going to ditch bottled water because of the heaps of plastic involved. Tap water is the cheapest option, but the filtration systems often have their own costs and waste issues. Now a southern California startup, Skywell, is pitching atmospheric water-generator systems, which extract water out of the air with its advanced water generators. - 9 years ago

WikiPearl Promises an Edible Packaging Revolution
WikiPearl Promises an Edible Packaging Revolution

Materials & Packaging / Consumer demand for foods convenient and fast has led to a surge in packaging waste across the globe. The use and disposal of plastic in particular has spiked, and despite increased corporate and municipal recycling programs, far too much plastic still ends up in landfills. This grab-and-go mentality for both junk and healthful foods alike will hardly be sustainable in the long run as more food companies and their brands churn out more products and packaging gimmicks in the name of “innovation.” Not one company so far, though, has found an innovative way to deal with the accumulation of Tetra-Paks, cartons and myriad types of plastic. Could edible packaging help solve this problem? - 11 years ago

IKEA and Kingfisher Pledge Ambitious 'Net Positive' Agendas, But Can They Work?
IKEA and Kingfisher Pledge Ambitious 'Net Positive' Agendas, But Can They Work?

Supply Chain / Today an ever-increasing number of companies and brands are likely to have a corporate social responsibility agenda because customers and other stakeholders demand they hold themselves accountable for their environmental and social performance. Now more companies are pushing the boundaries, or in reality, talking about going further than merely just becoming more “sustainable” or “responsible.” Zero-waste has become a mantra at some of the world’s most iconiccompanies, including Procter & Gamble and Unilever. - 11 years ago

Obsession Over 'Natural' Aside, Burt's Bees a Rightful Leader in the Personal Care Industry
Obsession Over 'Natural' Aside, Burt's Bees a Rightful Leader in the Personal Care Industry

Marketing & Communications / Burt’s Bees is an incredible American success story. Roxanne Quimby’s venture into beeswax candles took her from New England craft fairs to lip balm and personal care products sold in thousands of drugstores across the United States, before she eventually sold her company to Clorox for $913 million in 2007. That acquisition has been one within a recent trend of large food and consumer packaged goods companies buying smaller ones for more “natural” or healthful products: Colgate-Palmolive owns Tom’s of Maine; Coca-Cola snapped up Honest Tea; Kraft has long owned Boca Burgers. - 11 years ago

Adidas Implements New Strategies to Lead in Supply Chain Transparency
Adidas Implements New Strategies to Lead in Supply Chain Transparency

Supply Chain / Adidas recently released its 2012 sustainability report, which outlines the many successes, as well as the challenges and shortcomings, the athletic wear manufacturer has experienced in the past year. The company has improved transparency within its supply chain, introduced more sustainable manufacturing processes — such as its waterless DryDye t-shirt line — and improved energy efficiency in many of its stores. - 11 years ago