Latest News
Shell’s ‘New Lens Scenarios’ Predict Near-Zero Global Carbon Emissions by 2100
NEW METRICS - Shell released new scenarios last week that explore two possible futures with dramatically different implications for society and the world’s energy system. One scenario sees cleaner-burning natural gas becoming the most important energy source globally by the 2030s and early action to limit carbon dioxide emissions. The other sees solar becoming the top source by about 2070, but with slower action to address the threat of climate change.The New Lens Scenarios look at trends in the economy, politics and energy as far ahead as 2100, and underscore the critical role government policies could play in shaping the future.
The Circular Economy: Driver of Business Model Innovation and Social Good
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - In this Issue in Focus, guest editor Adam Werbach and the SB editorial team explore the broad range of radical economic and business-model innovations emerging, through which both startups and some of the top global brands are rethinking the future of business and creating new economic, environmental and social benefits.Discussion question:What do you think are the biggest challenges to overcome in the shift toward a circular economy?Join the conversation!
Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project Launches Interactive Tool for Rebutting Climate-Change Deniers
MARKETING AND COMMS - The Climate Reality Project and communications agency Arnold Worldwide announced on Thursday the global launch of Reality Drop, an innovative social media tool that educates users about the reality of climate change and uses modern gaming techniques to combat climate-change deniers.
PlanetReuse: Redirecting Building Waste from Landfill to LEED Projects
WASTE NOT - To prepare for this year's Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) competition, we're catching up with some of our favorite entrepreneurial ventures from competitions past ...
BASF and Michigan Athletics bring ‘Team Chemistry’ to life
PRESS RELEASE - BASF and Michigan Athletics bring ‘Team Chemistry’ to life ANN ARBOR, MI, & WYANDOTTE, MI, February 11, 2013 – BASF and the University of Michigan Athletic Department (U-M), Ann Arbor, Michigan, have entered into a unique alliance designed to bring innovation and sustainable development together via one of the most powerful connectors in college life - athletics.
The U.S. – China Greener Consumption Forum
PRESS RELEASE - The U.S. – China Greener Consumption Forum will mark the first-ever gathering of women leaders from the world's two "consumer super powers" to meet and address the environmental challenges their countries face due to consumption.
Levi’s, BBVA, eBay Top Index of Brands Communicating Sustainability Via Social Media
MARKETING AND COMMS - Levi Strauss, BBVA, eBay, Danone and General Electric made the top five of the SMI-Wizness Social Media Sustainability Index 2012, an annual review examining how major firms use social media to communicate sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
Manufacture New York: A New Sustainable Model for U.S. Fashion Production
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - Sometimes an industry simply can’t move forward without changing the conversation and embracing more sustainable business models.
EcoScraps Potting Soil, Made from Grocers' Produce Waste, Now Available Nationwide Through Target
WASTE NOT - EcoScraps, a provider of organic, chemical- and manure-free lawn and garden products, today announced that its 100 percent organic potting soil is now available at more than 1,700 Target stores nationwide. This marks the first time that EcoScraps will appear on the shelves of a major retailer at the national level.
Reducing Material Use Through Packaging Innovation: Aveda's Journey
WASTE NOT - As a leading producer of premium personal care products committed to environmental and social responsibility — articulated as Earth & Community Care — Aveda has long been focused on reducing the environmental impacts associated with product packaging. The sustained commitment has evolved over 35 years but can be summarized in three main themes:
C2C Thinking Helps Shaw Redefine Sustainability in Flooring Industry
WASTE NOT - Twelve years ago, in response to growing demand from our customers, Shaw Industries set out to create a more environmentally responsible product alternative to the traditional PVC-backed carpet tiles prevalent in the commercial market.
Ecofiltro: Quenching Thirst in Guatemala One Family at a Time
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION - To prepare for this year's Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO) competition, we're catching up with some of our favorite entrepreneurial ventures from competitions past ...In most of the developed world, few of us give much thought to where our drinking water comes from. When thirsty, we need only to walk to the nearest faucet for an endless supply of fresh, potable water. Studies show the average American household wastes 100,000 to 200,000 gallons of water every year, while 780 million people in developing countries lack access to reliable drinking water — about one in nine people on the planet.
NYC Center for Materials Reuse Quantifying Benefits of Product Reuse in Urban Environments
WASTE NOT - Product Reuse is the exchange of secondhand or surplus products between individuals and/or organizations. This exchange is often performed by social service agencies looking to distribute goods to their clients or to raise funds for their operations.
How Preventing Household Waste Can Be Fun and Profitable
WASTE NOT - Ask a room full of consumers, “Who here hates to see things go to waste?” and every hand will go up energetically. But if everyone hates to waste, then how come we generate so much of it? And what can we do to prevent waste from being created in the first place? Answering these questions can be profitable and fun.
Marketing “Sustainability”: Don't Forget the Green Guides
MARKETING AND COMMS - In October 2012, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued its revised “Green Guides,” which are designed to help marketers ensure that the claims they make about environmental attributes of their products are truthful.
The North Face Launches Recycling Program for Apparel, Footwear
WASTE NOT - The North Face has announced a new initiative aimed at reducing the amount of clothing and footwear going to landfills.
Is Your Brand RAD? Partnering with the EPA’s Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
WASTE NOT - In 2012, EPA’s Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program celebrated six years and 50 partners. EPA launched the RAD program in 2006 as a voluntary partnership program to help protect the ozone layer and climate system. In its first year, RAD partnered with nine utilities.
Sonoco Lightens Materials Load with Cradle-to-Cradle Approach to Packaging
WASTE NOT - Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, has always prided itself on ‘closing the loop.’ Our company began recycling in the 1920s, before recycling was even a buzzword. Today, we successfully offer a full range of services from creation to reclamation that separates Sonoco from its packaging peers.
FlashFood Mobile App Diverts Restaurant Food Waste To Feed the Hungry
WASTE NOT - The statistics are staggering: One in five children goes to bed hungry every night in America, while 40 percent of food in this country is sent to the landfill, according to a recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council. There is an immediate solution to redirecting this excess wasted food to families in need, but fear is choking the supply chain.
Paper Supplier Suspends Forest Clearance After Losing Disney, Levi’s
BEHAVIOR CHANGE - In response to its recent abandonment by nearly 100 international corporate customers, Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) has announced an immediate end to the clearing of natural forest across its entire supply chain in Indonesia. Disney, Levi’s and Mattel were among some of the major brands to jump ship after years of criticism over the paper company’s role in harming Indonesia’s endangered rainforests and communities.
