Category Archives: Member News
Best Buy and Teens Dive into Recycling
Best Buy, the U.S. EPA and teen-oriented social advocacy group DoSomething.org are teaming up to sponsor the E-Waste Drive, which will run from August 15 to October 1. The drive encourages students to organize and collect old electronic gadgets and return them to a local participating Best Buy for recycling, with the winning team members each earning a $500 education grant.
Best Buy Wants Your E-Waste, Please
A new program is underway to keep unwanted and old electronics out of landfills. Thrown-out electronics, or “e-waste,” can be recycled, but 1.5 million tons of e-waste goes into landfills across the country each year anyway.
Coca-Cola Invests US$4 Billion for Long-Term Sustainable Growth in China
The Coca-Cola Company and its Chinese bottling partners today announced a new investment of US$4 billion over the next three years, commencing 2012.
Nature Conservancy Grant Helps Protect Key Area of the Amazon
Cargill has announced a new $3 million grant to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to protect the Brazilian rainforest and help farmers grow soy more sustainably. The grant expands a program that has already helped 383 farmers comply with conservation laws.
Waste Management Announces Plan to Bring a Single Stream Recycling Facility in Metro Detroit
Waste Management of Michigan announced today a plan to bring a single stream recycling facility (SSRF) in the Detroit metropolitan area. Single stream recycling collection programs are expanding in southeastern Michigan, and to meet customer demand, this planned facility would process the increasing volumes of recyclable material generated by Waste Management’s commercial and residential customers across southeast Michigan.
Dove® Brand Chocolate is First Mainstream U.S. Chocolate Brand To Bear Rainforest Alliance Certified™ Seal
Mars Chocolate North America is proud to announce that its iconic DOVE® Brand Chocolate will be the first mainstream chocolate brand in the United States to bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal on its dark chocolate products. Beginning in the fall, DOVE® Brand Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate will source 100% of its cocoa volume from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms, and the packaging will bear the organization’s little green frog seal in January 2012.
GP: Supply-Chain Collaboration Advances Cup-to-Cup Recycling
In the 2011 Greener Package Awards, one of two Beyond the Package Awards was granted to a multi-company applicant that demonstrated the value of pre-competitive collaboration for effecting sustainable change throughout the supply chain. The winners—Starbucks Coffee Co., International Paper, Georgia-Pacific, and Mississippi River Pulp—were recognized by the judges for their successful partnership in piloting cup-to-cup (and cup-to-napkin) recycling processes for single-serve, coated hot cups.
Alcoa and Aluminum Play Major Role in New EPA/NHTSA Effort To Reduce GHG Emissions and Increase Fuel Efficiency
Alcoa and the aluminum industry play a major role in the new effort to reduce GHG emissions and increase fuel efficiency for medium and heavy trucks and buses announced last week by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The first-of-their-kind fuel efficiency and emission standards are projected to save businesses that own and operate commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program.
Panasonic to Run Asia’s First Green Home Energy Project
Panasonic and the government of Singapore are working to create Asia’s first public-housing test bed for technology designed to provide total energy.
WWF Launches ‘Cities for Forests’ Campaign in India
WWF-India has launched a project to inspire young people and city dwellers to reconnect with their forests and find out how they can help to conserve them.
Cargill: The Truvia® Voyage of Discovery: Calorie-Free, Carbon Neutral
Now that the much talked about Truvia® Voyage of Discovery on the roof of Selfridges has closed – Lambeth and south west London are next to be touched by the sweetness and magic of the Bompas & Parr installation.
EPA Publishes Rule to Improve Reporting of Chemical Information
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is increasing the type and amount of information it collects on commercial chemicals from chemical manufacturers, allowing the Agency to better identify and manage potential risks to Americans’ health and the environment.
Walmart Donates $500,000 to Help Rejuvenate Urban Ecosystems
Walmart’s Acres for America program is donating $500,000 to help protect, conserve and restore fragile urban ecosystems inWashington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. This is the first time the program has helped reestablish critical wildlife habitats in urban areas.
Monsanto Helps Farmers Plant the Seed to Grow Their Local Communities
A $2,500 donation can go a long way to help rural communities. It can fund rescue equipment for a local fire department, purchase new books to fill a school library or help stock shelves for the local food pantry. Now, farmers in more than 1,200 eligible counties across 39 states can do their part to plant the seed to help grow their community by signing up for the 2nd annual America’s Farmers Grow Communities(SM). This program, sponsored by the Monsanto Fund, gives farmers the chance to direct $2,500 to their favorite community nonprofit.
EPA Takes Action on Reducing Barriers to the Use of Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies / Action Supports National Framework for the Safe Use of Clean Energy Technology
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a rule to advance the use of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, while protecting Americans’ health and the environment. CCS technologies allow carbon dioxide (CO2) to be captured at stationary sources – like coal-fired power plants and large industrial operations – and injected underground for long-term storage in a process called geologic sequestration. The proposal is consistent with recommendations made by President Obama’s interagency task force on CO2. sequestration and helps create a consistent national framework to ensure the safe and effective deployment of technologies that will help position the United States as a leader in the global clean energy race.
Panasonic Announces Asia’s First Test-bed Project on Total Energy Solutions for Public Housing
Panasonic has some exciting news to share as Asia will see the first-of-its kind test-bed project from Panasonic to be launched in Singapore by the end of this year and will run till 2013.
Ecolab Reports on Sustainability Progress, Increases Transparency and Expands Goals
Ecolab Inc. published its 2010 Sustainability Report, which describes the company’s goals, progress and outcomes in three key areas of sustainability: economic progress, environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
SC Johnson ‘Flip the Switch’ Initiative Reduces Energy Use By 35 Percent Per Fixture at Its Largest Manufacturing Plant
An ambitious energy-savings initiative driven by SC Johnson employees has resulted in a 35 percent energy savings per fixture in more than 700 light fixtures at the company’s largest manufacturing plant in Sturtevant, Wis. The project underscores the huge energy savings possible throughout industry by employing efficient energy practices.
L’Oréal USA Installs Second Rooftop Solar System in the US
L’Oréal USA announced today that its Franklin, New Jersey manufacturing facility is partnering with GeoPeak Energy in a Purchase Power Agreement (PPA) to install a 1.0 Megawatt Photovoltaic Solar System at that facility.
Johnson & Johnson Announces New Sustainable Initiative
On the heels of their 125th anniversary, health care product and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson announced their ambitious five-year plan to move in a new sustainable and environmentally friendly direction.
Alcoa Employees Join Expedition to Brazil and China as Earthwatch Fellows
Twenty-five Alcoa Fellows will work alongside Earthwatch scientists as environmental stewards.
Cargill to Install Waste-to-Energy System in Canadian Beef Processing Facility
Cargill today announced it will be investing approximately $36 million (Canadian) in a waste-to-energy project at its High River, Alberta, beef processing facility that will increase to 80 percent the plant’s ability to generate energy it uses to produce meat products.
SAP Achieves Cost Avoidance of EUR 185 Million Since Start of 2008 as a Result of Focused Sustainability Initiatives
SAP released its quarterly sustainability update and shared that it has achieved a cost avoidance of approximately EUR 185 million between the start of 2008 and today as a result of focused sustainability initiatives.
Ecolab Ranks 28th in Forbes Magazine List of World’s Most Innovative Companies
Company’s R&D Efforts Focus on Food Safety, Infection Prevention and Sustainability.
PepsiCo Supports Beverage Container Recycling with Launch of 2011/2012 Dream Machine Recycle Rally
PepsiCo (announced today the official start of the Dream Machine Recycle Rally for the 2011/2012 school year. The Dream Machine Recycle Rally is a national program that aims to raise awareness of the importance of recycling among students, grades K-12, and gives participating schools a chance to earn rewards and compete for prizes.
EPA Enters into Agreement with Chevron to Investigate Soil Contamination at Uranium Mine on the Navajo Reservation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached an agreement with Chevron USA Inc. to investigate radium-contaminated soil at the Mariano Lake Mine site, a former uranium mine located on the Navajo Nation near Gallup, New Mexico.
Tetra Pak Achieves MilestoneTowards Goal of 100% Renewable Packaging
Nestlé Brazil to launch milk in Tetra Pak packages with caps using green polyethylene.
Waste Management Named to Top 30 Hottest Renewable Chemical and Materials Companies for 2011-2011
Biofuels Digest recognizes Waste Management for investing and deploying new technologies to recover value from waste.
EPA Announces Top Contenders in Energy Star National Building Competition
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program announced the top contenders at the midpoint of the 2011 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. The list of top contenders identifies the leaders with the greatest percent reduction of energy use in each of the twelve building categories in the competition.
Alcoa Foundation Elects Four New Board Members
Alcoa Foundation, one of the largest corporate foundations in the U.S., announced that it has elected four new members to its board of directors.
McDonald’s Announces Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices
Today, McDonald’s USA president Jan Fields announced the company’s “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices.” The comprehensive plan aims to help customers — especially families and children — make nutrition-minded choices whether visiting McDonald’s or eating elsewhere.
Coca-Cola: Grants for Sustainable Community Initiatives
School is out and students across the country are enjoying summer break, but TheCoca-Cola Foundation isn’t taking time off when it comes to education and youth development.
BASF: New Magnetic Materials for Efficient Cooling
The Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter (FOM) in the Netherlands and BASF are to start another joint research programme on magnetocaloric materials. This new class of materials may help to make today’s cooling systems more efficient and quieter.
SC Johnson Empowers Families to be a Force for Change
New Informational Forum and Carbon Calculator on Corporate Web Site Aims to Help Families Make Greener Choices for a Better World.
Ecolab and Nalco to Merge
Ecolab Inc. and Nalco Holding Company announced the board of directors of both companies have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Nalco will merge with a subsidiary of Ecolab. Based in Naperville, Illinois, with operations in more than 150 countries, Nalco is the world’s leading water treatment and process improvement company, offering water management sustainability services focused on industrial, energy and institutional market segments.
Tetra Pak CEO Pledges Step-Change in Sustainability Actions in 2011 Sustainability Update
Tetra Pak today publishes its biennial sustainability update, Mission Possible. Introducing the company’s past achievements and future goals, CEO Dennis Jönsson said “we will step up our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint along the value chain and to meet rising demand for safe and nutritious food.”
Cargill Named Soil and Water Conservation Society’s Merit Award Recipient of 2011
In recognition of its local environmental efforts in the community, Cargill has been honored with the 2011 Merit Award from the Soil and Water Conservation Society.
Waste Management, LG Electronics Host eCycling Events at Two Oklahoma Locations
As part of the Keep America Beautiful and Keep Oklahoma Beautiful programs, Waste Management Recycle America, a subsidiary of Waste Management (WM), and LG Electronics USA (LG) are hosting two free eCycling events in the state of Oklahoma. These events offer residents an opportunity to give life to their old residential electronic equipment in an environmentally sound manner that is free, convenient and secure.
How to Lead the Way Through LCAs
A new, recently published study by Green Research predicts that aggressive use of LCA and life cycle thinking will become ‘table stakes’ at leading companies over the next few years.
10 Challenges in Sustainability: Lessons from Seventh Generation
For Seventh Generation, CSR has meant putting a stake in the ground on natural resources, staying firm, and leading change.10 Challenges in Sustainability: Lessons from Seventh Generation.
Best Buy Launches Online Sustainability Report: “Our World, Connected”
Best Buy Co., Inc. today announced the release of its fiscal 2011 sustainability report, Our World, Connected, an interactive, online experience at sustainability.bby.com.
Environmental Performance Enhanced at Alcoa’s San Ciprian, Spain, Alumina Refinery
Alcoa’s San Ciprian, Spain, facility is improving the energy efficiency and environmental performance of its alumina refinery by switching from fuel oil to natural gas.
Millercoors Issues Sustainability Blueprint to Ensure Secure Future
MillerCoors today released its 2011 Sustainable Development report, entitled “Success the Right Way,” which provides an outline for how the company intends to achieve its sustainability goals and ensure a secure future. Within the pages of the report, MillerCoors discloses 2010 performance data and measurements, provides a stakeholder materiality analysis, as well as input from third party groups and an external assuror.
Waste Management Adds 1000th Truck to Natural Gas Fleet
Waste Management today added a 1000th natural gas truck to its fleet, making it the largest owner and operator of clean-running, heavy duty refuse trucks in North America.
Alcoa Named One of Brazil’s Most Sustainable Companies
Alcoa in Brazil was ranked as the most sustainable company in the Metals sector and 11th overall of 100 companies considered in a study by major business media in Brazil. The list will be published in the August issue of the Brazilian national news magazine Imprensa.
Pepsi Canada to Sell 7UP in Recycled Plastic Bottle
PepsiCo Inc will soon sell its 7UP soft drink in Canada in bottles made from 100 percent recycled plastic, a move that paves the way for a wider roll-out to other drinks and other regions.
Cargill Sets Sights on Worldwide Sustainable Palm Oil by 2020
Agribusiness giant Cargill plans to only offer palm oil — an ingredient in Girl Scout cookies and numerous other foods — that is certified sustainable in select countries by 2015 and worldwide by 2020.
SCS Awards Forest Stewardship Council Certification to Malaysian Forests
Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) has certified two Malaysian forest reserves to the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) standard for responsible forestry, solidifying its place as the top FSC certification body in Malaysia.
BASF Showcases Life-Cycle Approach – Creating and Marketing Sustainable Goods – at Sustainable Brands Conference
Cristian Barcan presented the Sustainability, Eco-Efficiency and Traceability (S.E.T.) Initiative at a panel entitled “Key Initiatives & Solutions for Measuring and Managing Impact Across the Value Chain” which was facilitated by The Sustainability Consortium (TSC).
Corporate Giants Add One Million Vehicles to National Clean Fleets Partnership
In a clear case of high bar-setting, earlier this year the U.S. Department of Energy kicked off its National Clean Fleets Partnership with a select group of official partners: AT&T, FedEx, PepsiCo, UPS and Verizon. The program aims to reduce diesel and gasoline pollution from fleet vehicles, and with these global A-listers on board others were bound to follow.