SOURCE:GRI
DESCRIPTION:
For more information, visit the GRI website. Stay updated on new developments at GRI - sign up for the monthly newsletter.
KEYWORDS: GRI
Five Things You Need to Know About Updated GRI Water Standard
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Avery Dennison Continues to Pioneer Change by Launching Recycled PET Liners in Europe
Avery Dennison will be the first pressure sensitive labelling material supplier to introduce liner made from recycled PET (rPET) commercially in Europe
SOURCE:Avery Dennison
DESCRIPTION:
OEGSTGEEST, Netherlands, August 30, 2018 /3BL Media/ - Jasper Zonnenberg, global director films, explains that the new rPET liner uses carefully selected post-consumer waste (PCW) and will be introduced in October 2018 across a number of self-adhesive constructions:
“Avery Dennison has established eight ambitious sustainability goals that we are committed to achieving by 2025. As part of these goals we are focused on reducing waste, not only throughout our operations, but also through the whole value chain. We are determined to pioneer change across the industry. With a continued innovation focus on solutions that are responsibly sourced, use reduced amounts of material and are more easily recyclable we are pleased to be able to introduce a rPET liner to our portfolio - a liner that is not only easier to recycle, but itself is made of recycled materials.”
“As availability of suitable rPET is currently limited we will initially have a limited supply of our rPET liner - however we will soon be able to scale up production significantly and we aim to have rPET as an option across all of our filmic and paper constructions.”
Zonnenberg added that ...
KEYWORDS: NYSE:AVY, Avery Dennison
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Aflac Diversity Council Hosts 2018 World Fair
SOURCE:Aflac
DESCRIPTION:
by Olivia Gunn, Digital Content Producer
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) - Aflac’s Diversity Council hosted a world fair to raise awareness of the importance of celebrating diversity and its role in the company’s success.
About Aflac
Aflac is a Fortune 500 company, providing financial protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. When a policyholder or insured gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fairly, promptly and directly to the insured. For more than six decades, Aflac voluntary insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. To learn more, visit Aflac.com.
KEYWORDS: Aflac, Aflac Diversity Council World Fair
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Mobile Science Lab Visits Milton, Sparks Curiosity
SOURCE:MilliporeSigma
DESCRIPTION:
The Curiosity Cube made a stop at the Milton Library Saturday.
The Curiosity Cube was created with the goal to inspire children with hands-on science to children. MilliporeSigma, a life-science company with a facility in Oakville, created the cube by converting a 22x10-foot shipping container into a mobile science lab.
Read more on InsideHalton.com.
KEYWORDS: Curiosity Cube, MilliporeSigma, Mobile science lab, STEM, Hands-on Learning, Corporate Social Responsibility, Milton Canadian Champion, Inside Halton
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After Date Nights in the Garden, a Farm Emerges
It’s a wonder what a few veggies can do for a next-door lot full of weeds, drugs, and crime. Find out how Wells Fargo team member Rene Owczarski and his wife, Monika, got an urban farm approved for their Des Moines, Iowa, community.
SOURCE:Wells Fargo & Company
DESCRIPTION:
“We get the kids to bed, go outside, and put on our head lamps to weed,” Monika Owczarski said. “Luckily, our baby monitor reaches that far.” Rene Owczarski, a Wells Fargo team member, and Monika Owczarski, a former team member, have led the efforts to create an urban farm next to their house in Des Moines, Iowa. Sweet Tooth Farm is in its first full year of operations and growing watermelon, corn, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green beans, herbs, and lettuces in its 4,500-square-foot space. While Rene and Monika Owczarski sell the produce, they’re also donating it to people in the community and a local food bank. “A lot of folks in the neighborhood don’t have cars or access to fresh produce,” Monika Owczarski said. “We wanted to have that for them. There’s something wonderful and healing about feeding people.” A groundbreaking effort It all started six years ago, when the Owczarskis moved to their home. There was a space between their house and their neighbor’s where a former home had stood. The land became a pocket park in the 1970s, with some playground equipment and a basketball court. Over time, however, the equipment was removed, and the area became a space where people would congregate late at night. “It was 0.2 acres, so it didn’t make a great park,” said Ben Page, director of the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation department. “It wasn’t uncommon to have police reports of non-family-friendly activities. I saw police reports with things from illegal drug activity to fighting.” After residents in the neighborhood grew frustrated, Monika Owczarski reached out to the Parks and Recreation department. She learned it would take at least 10 years before there would be money to do anything with the mini park. After three years of emails and petitions, Rene and Monika Owczarski presented the Parks and Recreation staff with six options. One included a community garden, which the Parks and Recreation department and city council approved. “We wanted to do something positive for our block and for our neighborhood, so we decided to create a space that could provide fresh produce to our neighborhood from our neighborhood,” Rene Owczarski said. The city still owns the land, and Rene and Monika Owczarski are leasing it for three years. “Everybody I talked to kept saying, ‘It’s never been done,’” Rene Owczarski said. “It’s really groundbreaking.” Page agreed. “We don’t give up park land very easily because we don’t usually get it back,” he said. “It’s important for cities to provide parks within walking distance, but this also offered the ability to meet an important and local need with food sourcing.” ‘In a perfect world, nothing will go to waste’ Rene and Monika Owczarski received unanimous approval from both the Parks and Recreation department and city council by June 2017. Since the couple wanted the community to get acclimated to the former pocket park no longer serving as a public space, and it was late to plant anything, they began their efforts by installing a fence on the front of the property. The Parks and Recreation department took out the sidewalk and sand, filling the space with dirt. Donations from friends allowed Rene and Monika Owczarski to install the fence and a greenhouse. Rene Owczarski was able to get the wood and floors for the greenhouse from friends, as well. He also created a system for watering the urban farm. To learn best practices for such a large space, the couple looked at YouTube videos, read books from the library, browsed extension group websites, and reached out to Monika Owczarski’s aunt, a botanist. “Today, you drive by, and they have a nice community garden, and you don’t have the same problems as before,” Page said. “We’ve done a 180. Monika and Rene work so hard, and their passion shines through. I wish we had more citizens like them. It’s a great story of how, when a city listens to a community, it can be a positive thing.” In addition to the produce they are now growing, there are also some wildflowers, and Rene Owczarski has a bee colony from which he hopes to produce and sell honey. They hope to one day add some livestock. “Our goal this year is solely just to cover our expenses,” Monika Owczarski said. “Whatever we’re not able to sell will go to the Food Bank of Iowa. In a perfect world, nothing will go to waste.” While the couple does most of the work, they have had a community youth group volunteer, too. “It’s been nice because we’ve met a lot more of our neighbors,” Rene Owczarski said. “It’s an easy entry for people to stop by and connect.” Those who come by either will pick their own food or reach out to Rene and Monika Owczarski with their order. Monika Owczarski runs the Sweet Tooth Farm Facebook page, where she posts about what they have available. “We’re still figuring out what works best,” she said. “In a perfect world, we’d have a stand, but the focus is in this specific neighborhood. For people not too familiar, it’s good to come in and see it’s a beautiful place. It’s come a long way in the last 10 years.”
KEYWORDS: Wells Fargo, urban farm, Des Moines, sweet tooth farm, NYSE:WFC
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Subaru Offers Americans Tips on How to Keep National Parks Clean Leading Into Labor Day Weekend
Parks across the country will see a surge in visitors during holiday weekend
SOURCE:Subaru of America
DESCRIPTION:
CAMDEN, NJ, August 30, 2018/3BL Media/– Last year, more than 330 million people visited the national parks and with Labor Day weekend around the corner, parks across the country are likely to see a surge of visitor traffic. While everyone is encouraged to visit a national park in their area, with more visitors comes more waste that the National Park Service (NPS) must manage. Each year, NPS manages nearly 100 million pounds of visitor waste nationally, much of which is brought in from outside the parks.
Subaru of America, Inc. and National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) conducted research that included everything from analytics to dumpster-diving and found plastic waste, such as water bottles, plastic bags, non-recyclable or compostable food packaging, and paper hot cups, are among the main drivers of waste sent to landfills and a big concern in the national parks.
While visitor waste is a major issue in the parks, Americans can make a difference to help keep parks beautiful during this holiday weekend by following these simple tips:
Opt for Online
- While paper maps can be a parks staple, there are smartphone apps that provide the same information and more. Even without cell service, some national park apps will give helpful information about where you can spot wildlife or catch a beautiful sunset. Find and download these national park apps before you head out to the park to make sure you are ready to go when you arrive.
Take Along That Favorite Mug
- Bring a reusable coffee mug from home or buy one from the souvenir shop to help reduce the 58 billion paper cups are sent to America’s landfills every year.
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle)
- Americans throw away 2.5 million plastic bottles every hour. Keep a refillable water bottle on hand or buy one at gift shop and take advantage of convenient refilling stations around the park.
Ditch the Plastic Bag
- Help reduce waste by not taking a plastic bag for your souvenirs or groceries that you bring into the parks. Instead, bring your own reusable bag or tote for your items to help eliminate plastic bag waste.
Take Out What You Bring In
- Think about what you bring in. Check to see if it can be recycled or composted in the park you are visiting. If it cannot, try to take it home. It is often far easier to recycle near your home than in rural park areas.
Subaru Zero Landfill Initiative
Subaru, experts in zero-landfill sustainability, has committed to sharing its knowledge of zero-landfill practices by working with the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), National Park Foundation (NPF) and National Park Service (NPS), toward a goal of significantly reducing waste going into landfills. Subaru, alongside these partners, conducted a waste characterization study of three iconic pilot parks – Denali, Grand Teton and Yosemite– to identify top drivers of waste. Together, they have helped create and implement various initiatives at the three pilot parks to help address the visitor waste challenge including installation of additional recycling and trash containers in high-traffic visitor locations, adopting standardized recycling labels from Recycle Across America to help reduce confusion and increase proper recycling, as well as the creation of youth ambassador, employee and visitor education programs.
Along with promoting the many programs already in place to educate visitors about ways they can decrease waste in parks, the initiative continues to explore new ways both Subaru and park visitors can help reduce waste and keep these parks beautiful for future generations.
Zero Landfill Initiative Pilot Park Update
Since the initiative began in 2015, the pilot parks – Denali, Grand Teton and Yosemite – have shown remarkable progress. The amount of waste generated per visitor continues to decrease and recycling rates in all three parks has increased. By visitors using reusable drinking bottles and coffee mugs, as well as bringing their own reusable bag, the amount of waste that needs to be handled is lessening. Through the hard work done by all parties to help increase the amount of recycling containers in the parks and introducing standardized labels, visitors can be more successful in their recycling efforts. By continuing to work together, park and concessionaire employees, the gateway communities and most importantly, park visitors, will help to make this program successful.
Subaru and the National Parks
For more than five years, the Subaru Share the Love event has provided more than $8 million in funding for critical programs and projects in more than 100 national parks and helped increase public awareness and engagement across our National Park System.
For more information on the Subaru zero-landfill initiative and the automaker’s longstanding support of the National Parks Service, visit www.Subaru.com/Environment.
About Subaru of America, Inc.
Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill production plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile production plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA has donated more than $120 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged more than 40,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.
For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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KEYWORDS: Subaru of America, National Parks, labor day, National Park Service, Subaru Zero Landfill Initiative, NYSE:FUJHF
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In the not so Distant Future, Comics Won’t be About Superheroes — They’ll be About You
Comics are having a beautiful — and diverse — renaissance.
SOURCE:HP, Inc.
DESCRIPTION:
Deirdre Hollman always read the funny pages in the newspaper growing up, but didn’t really get into comics until she had a child of her own. She saw that her son liked DC and Marvel comics like Nightwing and Batman, and Hollman wanted to diversify his reading material. She headed to Harlem to pick up a few comic books featuring black characters so her son could see some heroes who looked like him.
“My son was really excited,” Hollman says. “He understood it.” She then started to use comics as a teaching tool at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. She used the graphic novel about Malcolm X and John Lewis’s ‘March’ series to teach black history.
“In an afterschool setting, you have a real diversity of learning styles and reading levels, so the graphic novel was one way to get us all on the same page and to really accelerate their absorption of the content,” Hollman says. Seeing her students and her son so excited about comic books inspired Hollman to co-found the Black Comic Book Festival, an annual celebration of black comic book creators and readers.
Comics are a great tool for education, but not only because they can level the playing field for people of different reading abilities. The combination of dialogue and illustration creates a world that is easy for readers to connect to.
The perfect medium for diverse characters
Comics allow readers to identify with characters in a way that no other medium can. “When you have a drawn image of someone, it’s much easier to put yourself in their shoes,” says Zan Christensen, the founder of LGBT comic book publisher Northwest Press. “They’re abstracted to the point of not being a specific person, but being a stand-in for lots of people.”
There are more women, mixed-race, older people and LGBT folks reading comics than ever before. Comic books are particularly well-suited to telling a variety of stories and over time, could appeal to a wider audience.
“Independent comics are having their own renaissance,” Dr. Ramzi Fawaz, cultural studies scholar and associate professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, says. That renaissance gives a platform to a diverse range of artists creating work for an expanded audience. There is now a huge range of LGBTQ comics and comics for and by people of color. Surveys have shown that the fastest-growing demographic of comic readers is women.
“This is a market for which there is very little accurate demographic information about the customers,” John Jackson Miller, founder and curator of Comichron.com, the world’s largest public database of comic book sales figures, says. He has noticed that the demographics for conventions like Comic-Con are changing, getting less white and less male. “This is anecdotal, but it’s very obvious to me, having gone to conventions for 30 years, that they are attracting different kinds of people than there ever have been,” Miller says.
Diversity is more than a trend
As the internet makes it easier for people to access more stories, representation is incredibly important for young people in particular.
If every superhero looks the same — white, rich and male — kids who don’t look like a traditional superhero feel left out. “If superheroes are only of one ethnic group, that makes me feel like I, as someone of another group, can’t be super,” Hollman says. “For young people, the impression is that you don’t have access to that world or those attributes. Obviously, that’s not true.”
Everyone has the ability to be “super” in one way or another, it’s just up to comics to show all sorts of people with special abilities.
Creating complicated characters is key to good storytelling
Diversity isn’t just about gender and race, Dr. Nnedi Okorafor, the creator of Marvel’s first Nigerian superhero, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. “I don’t only want to see badass female characters, I want to see much less predictable ones,” Okorafor says. She says it’s important for characters to have “a range of personalities with different desires, dreams and flaws.”
Okorafor, who writes sci-fi based in Africa, says her comic, “Blessings In Disguise,” was inspired by the 276 young girls kidnapped by Boko Haram in 2014. “They were normal girls who suddenly had to deal with a huge change in their lives,” Okorafor said. “Their story of perseverance is so powerful.” Okorafor gave the artist, Tana Ford, photos of the young girls kidnapped from the town of Chibok, Nigeria, and asked her to base Ngozi on them.
The character, Ngozi, is part of the ‘Black Panther’ universe, and the comic is set in Lagos, Nigeria. Ngozi, whose name means “blessing,” is a great depiction of a powerful, intelligent, young African woman. She takes many shapes, from her original form as a wheelchair-using, bug-collecting teenager to a powerful insect-human hybrid.
Indy publisher Valiant Entertainment created a series featuring a plus-size female superhero, Faith Herbert, a sci-fi-obsessed blogger who has telekinetic powers and the ability to fly. The fact that she’s plus-size doesn’t factor into the plot — it’s just part of her character. “Her size has never been portrayed as an issue,” the comic’s author, Jody Houser, told People. “It’s definitely not something that she has a problem with. She’s very comfortable with herself.”
Valiant recently made a deal with Sony Pictures to turn Faith’s story into a movie.
“I often think about diversity as more than just coloring characters some shade of brown,” Hollman says. “Cultural religious, geographic and class diversity — all of these things make up a more diverse landscape for comics. We’re at the beginning of that wave.”
Learn how HP is helping publishers manage, customize, automate, connect and order digitally printed books from anywhere in the world with cloud-based software.
KEYWORDS: comics, HP, Teaching Tools, csr, Black Comic Book Festival
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Tyson Foods Grant to Help Serve Hungry Neighbors
SOURCE:Tyson Foods
DESCRIPTION:
NASHVILLE, Tenn., August 30, 2018 /3BL Media/ – As part of Tyson Foods’ commitment to support the communities it serves, the company announced today a $125,000 grant to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The investment will bolster the food bank’s ability to supply its agency partners and pantries with a variety of food through two projects.
The first project includes a $37,000 donation to fully fund twelve monthly mobile pantry distributions in Shelbyville, Tennessee, a Tyson Foods community. These monthly distributions are expected to deliver a total of 240,000 pounds of produce, dry goods and canned protein.
The second project includes $88,000 to assist in rebuilding Second Harvest’s eCommerce platform, AgencyLinkTN, anonline platform that allows Second Harvest’s network of 490 food pantries, soup kitchens, and other hunger relief agencies to easily access food recovered by the food bank across its 46-county service area. This effort aligns with Tyson Foods’ goals of increasing effectiveness and efficiency of transportation systems, warehouse operations, food distribution, and revenue creation for the food bank, helping thousands of Tennesseans who are food insecure.
“For 40 years, Second Harvest has served Middle Tennessee in addressing this pressing need that affects one-in-eight of our neighbors, with one-in-five of them being children,” said Jaynee Day, President and CEO for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. “The support we receive from community partners like Tyson is critical to helping those who are experiencing food insecurity in Middle Tennessee, and we’re incredibly thankful for the company’s efforts to help the communities they serve.”
Tyson’s Shelbyville Complex is located in Bedford County, which has a large incidence of food insecurity, with more than 6,760 people regularly uncertain as to where their next meal will come from.
“We’re proud to support Second Harvest and their mission to provide relief to those struggling with hunger,” said Debra Vernon, senior director, corporate social responsibility, Tyson Foods. “By investing in both mobile pantries and new technology that allows the food bank to operate more effectively, we hope to make measurable progress in the fight against hunger.”
Tyson Foods is a Mission Partner of Feeding America and supports its network of food banks with financial contributions, product donations of much needed protein, disaster relief assistance, and volunteerism.
For more information about Second Harvest and the ways it partners with community organizations, visit HTTPS://SECONDHARVESTMIDTN.ORG/.
About Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
For 40 years, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee has followed its mission of feeding hungry people and finding innovative ways to solve hunger issues in our communities. As a private, not-for-profit and tax-exempt organization, Second Harvest distributes food and other products to approximately 490 nonprofit partner agencies in 46 counties in Middle and West Tennessee. Our partners include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities, senior centers, group homes, and youth enrichment programs. For more information about Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, its mission and programs, please visit SECONDHARVESTMIDTN.ORG.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods,Inc. (NYSE: TSN) is one of the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State Fair®.Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise the world’s expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 122,000 team members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it. Visit WWW.TYSONFOODS.COM.
Contact Info:
Derek Burleson
DEREK.BURLESON@TYSON.COM
KEYWORDS: NYSE:TSN, Tyson Foods
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Brightening Our Corner Newsletter - August 2018
SOURCE:Ray C. Anderson Foundation
SUMMARY:
This is the quarterly newsletter for the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a private family foundation that seeks to promote a sustainable society by supporting and funding educational and project-based initiatives that advance knowledge and innovation in sustainability.
DESCRIPTION:
Ray C. Anderson Foundation Achieves Carbon Neutral Company Certification
In keeping with its commitment to create a better world for tomorrow's child, the Ray C. Anderson Foundation has recently become a CarbonNeutral® Certified Company effective year-end 2017. The Foundation has committed to reduce its carbon footprint as much as possible in its daily operations, and to measure and offset related greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of certified carbon credits. Read more.
Get Your Tickets to #RayDay2018
RayDay 2018 is only seven weeks away! The response this year has been phenomenal, and we are set to have the largest crowd yet. The word has spread quickly, and we are sure we will reach capacity before the event happens. RayDay is FREE, but you must register to attend. If you have not already reserved your tickets for RayDay, please don't wait. Click here and get them now.
NextGen Spotlight: Jay Lanier
“It’s interesting really. Of all the family, I am the one with the most ‘outdoor’ inclination,” says Jay Lanier, who is Ray Anderson’s oldest grandchild and son of Foundation Trustees, Jaime and Mary Anne Lanier.
And with that, it seems natural that Jay would be most comfortable spreading the power of his influence among those organizations and initiatives that have the most impact on forests, water and wildlife. Read more.
The Ray Wants You to Get Involved
The Ray Team has announced two new ways you can support and interact with their work towards a zero waste, zero carbon, zero fatality highway! This month they launched their monthly email series. You can sign up here for regular updates from The Ray.
Looking for more? The Ray has also launched a volunteer program. On the first workday of each month, a list of volunteer projects will be sent to registered volunteers. These projects will be diverse and appeal to people with diverse skill sets and different time constraints. (And you don’t even have to live in Georgia to participate!) Read More.
Carbon Reduction Challenge Awards Top Prize to Chick-Fil-A Intern
A Georgia Tech undergraduate student teamed up with Chick-Fil-A staff over the summer to reduce millions of pounds of heat-trapping greenhouse gases while delivering significant cost savings. Read more.
The Ray of Hope Prize® is Coming!
In just over eight weeks, we will award the 3rd Annual Ray of Hope Prize® at the Bioneers Annual Conferencein San Rafael, California. Eight finalist teams that were identified last summer are completing the accelerator phase in preparation for final judging the week of October 15th. The big prize announcement is scheduled for the morning of October 20th.
Ecocentricity Blog: Summertime and the Living's Easy
I’ve fallen out of the habit of reading in the summer, but fortunately, I was able to restart the habit this year. It was a good summer with some great books, and I’ll share a few over the next several weeks. Read More.
Upcoming Events
September 6 - Lifecycle Building Center Annual Dinner
September 12 - Southface's Visionary Dinner
September 12-14 - Global Climate Action Summit
September 20 - Earthshare of Georgia's Sustainable Speaker Series: Dennis Creech
September 21-22 - Partnership for Southern Equity Just Energy Summit
September 26 - Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's Patron Dinner
October 14 - RayDay - Tickets now available!
October 20 - Ray of Hope Prize® Ceremony at Bioneers
November 7-9 - Southeastern Council of Foundations Annual Conference
November 14-16 - Greenbuild
Every Sunday at 9AM Eastern - Talk with Green Guy Show
Contact Info:
Valerie Bennett
Ray C. Anderson Foundation
+1 (770) 317-5858
valerie@raycandersonfoundation.org
KEYWORDS: Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business, Georgia Tech, Scheller College of Business, The Ray, Carbon neutral certification, RayDay, Ray C. Anderson Foundation, biomimicry
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Closing the STEM Gap Through Skilled Volunteerism
How pro bono service can build capacity while supporting diversity and inclusion
SOURCE:PYXERA Global
DESCRIPTION:
Around the world, employers are seeking to enlist workers with relevant skills for existing and emerging roles in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, also known as STEM. According to the CECP 2017 Giving in Numbers report, workforce development and education, particularly as related to STEM, are two of the largest focal areas for corporate and foundation giving. These are also two of the largest mission focus areas for nonprofits. In spite of such determined investment and effort, gaps persist, leaving employers and students without the critical thinking and applied skills needed to propel our evolving global economy.
Skills-based volunteerism has emerged as a promising strategy to help bridge this divide. Common Impact, a national nonprofit working toward a society in which individuals and businesses invest their talents to strengthen communities, has developed strategic partnerships to engage business professionals in creating positive community change. The organization had identified two major STEM education challenges that skilled volunteerism can address: building capacity within the social sector to effectively deliver STEM education, and using the act of this service itself to increase representation of women and diverse communities in both the social and corporate sectors.
Skills-based volunteerism to build STEM-focused nonprofit capacity
Skills-based volunteerism helps build social sector capacity to deliver effective STEM education programs. Stretched perennially for operating budgets, social sector organizations tend to skimp on investments in infrastructure—operations, marketing, human resources, and technology—sometimes spending as little as two percent of their annual budgets, compared to an average investment of 35 percent in the corporate sector. The bitter reality is by focusing on STEM programming without continuing to invest in internal capacity, nonprofits place their very missions at risk.
Read More on PYXERAGlobal.org.
KEYWORDS: PYXERA Global
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Where Life-Changing Technology Meets Sustainability
Sustainability isn't just a buzzword — it's an integral part of everything we do.
SOURCE:Abbott
DESCRIPTION:
At Abbott, our goal is not just to help people live their best lives through life-changing technology – it's also to make this important work sustainable for the future.
For us, sustainability is about applying the power of our business to drive positive economic, social and environmental impact – making sure that the work we do helps people live healthier and better, both today and for generations to come. For a comprehensive look at our economic, social and environmental progress and performance, check out our newly published 2017 Global Sustainability Report.
But for a quick view of our sustainability work, look no further than our pioneering technologies, including the FreeStyle Libre® system. Most people don't think of a diabetes monitor when they think about sustainability – but at the intersection of technology and sustainability, you'll find the FreeStyle Libre system.
Click here to learn more about the many ways our work has a sustainable impact, through the lens of a single product.
Important Safety Info: abbo.tt/2vu3FvF
KEYWORDS: diabetes, Sustainability Report, NYSE:ABT, Abbott
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3 Top Women in Grocery Share Insights on Success, Mentoring, #MeToo and More
DESCRIPTION:
Originally appeared in Progressive Grocer
IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO A WOMAN SEEKING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORKPLACE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Jewel Hunt, Group VP Ecommerce, Albertsons Cos.
Be willing to learn. Volunteer for the tough assignments to help create solutions. Be sure to share and voice what matters to make a difference, whether it is a singular answer or a bigger project – your contributions make a difference.
WHAT DOES SUCCESS IN THE WORKPLACE LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
Nancy Cota, VP Consumer Brands/Category Development/Non-Perishables, Albertsons Cos.
I believe that success in the workplace is when a workforce is engaged and feels “connected” to their organization. Connected employees care about their company’s success, and they truly believe their company cares about them.
Success in the workplace is where diverse groups of people are always challenged yet choose to step up and work together to find great solutions. It is where every employee sees a path for themselves to learn and grow, is motivated to contribute at a high level, feels valued and appreciated as well as feel they are part of something bigger than themselves.
Continue reading on Progressive Grocer
KEYWORDS: Albertsons Comapnies, Progressive Grocer, Mentoring, SWY:SWY
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Windsor Mill’s Circular Economy Reduces Waste
DESCRIPTION:
You’ve heard about ecosystems: the way all living things in a given area interact with each other and their environment. There’s a similar concept in sustainability called “industrial ecology,” which is the notion that industrial processes benefit from mimicking the closed-loop efficiency, or circular economy, of a natural ecosystem.
Here at Domtar, we’re focusing on building circular economies at each of our mills. Our Plymouth and Marlboro mills, for example, produce nutrient-balanced fertilizersfor agricultural crops. And now, our Windsor Mill is closing its sustainability loop by giving back to the 400,000 acres of forestlands that support its operations.
Circular Economy Turns Waste Into Nutrients
André Gravel, Windsor Mill’s fiber manager, says it’s all about rethinking waste. “The point is to stop talking about waste and instead talk about how you can make something out of what used to be waste,” he says. “There’s much more than one way to do that, but the idea is circularity.”
The mill and its operations are an integral part of a circular economy that starts with trees. Trees harvested from the mill’s forestlands through responsible forestry practices are treated carefully to ensure the highest value for their fiber. The sawmills that receive the higher-value wood send the lower-value wood — such as bark and excess chips — back to the mill for other uses. The mill uses chips to make pulp and paper, and it burns bark to produce steam, which dries the mill’s paper and powers its turbine generator. The generator produces electricity that’s sold to Hydro-Québec to power homes in the surrounding communities.
Finally, the mill returns manufacturing byproducts to the forests it manages in the form of a stabilized mixture of potassium-rich wood ash, acid-balancing lime and other soil amendments that are used as a fertilizer to grow new sugar maple trees. The Windsor Mill also puts those sugar maple trees to work while they’re growing by allowing local maple syrup producers to harvest sap from the trees.
In addition, Gravel says the mill now uses sludge — a slushy effluent mixture from the pulp- and paper-making process that used to be its single largest waste stream — as a fertilizer to help grow hybrid poplar trees.
“We used to fill landfills with leftover waste,” Gravel says, but this innovative approach to capturing and recycling nutrients is helping the Windsor Mill reduce how much waste it sends to landfills. “Ninety-five percent of what we used to consider waste is now being reused.”
The best part of Windsor Mill’s circular economy? It’s expected to extend the life of the Windsor landfill by about 40 years.
“We’re working with renewable natural resources,” Gravel says. “Instead of just taking from the environment, what we’re really doing is taking care of it.”
KEYWORDS: Domtar, reduce waste, circular economy, Responsible Forestry
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Sysco's Commitment to a Responsible Supply Chain
DESCRIPTION:
Sysco is committed to supplying products responsibly by improving animal welfare in the foodservice industry; minimizing negative environmental, social or ethical impacts when sourcing products; and ensuring that human rights are respected in the company’s operations, as well as the global supply chain.
For more information on Sysco’s 2025 Responsibility Goals, visit www.Sysco.com/2025Goals.
About Sysco
Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 67,000 associates, the company operates approximately 330 distribution facilities worldwide and serves more than 600,000 customer locations. For fiscal 2018 that ended June 30, 2018, the company generated sales of more than $58 billion.
For more information, visit www.sysco.com or connect with Sysco on Facebook at www.facebook.com/SyscoCorporation or Twitter at https://twitter.com/Sysco. For important news and information regarding Sysco, visit the Investor Relations section of the company’s Internet home page at investors.sysco.com, which Sysco plans to use as a primary channel for publishing key information to its investors, some of which may contain material and previously non-public information. Investors should also follow us at www.twitter.com/SyscoStock and download the Sysco IR App, available on the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Market. In addition, investors should continue to review our news releases and filings with the SEC. It is possible that the information we disclose through any of these channels of distribution could be deemed to be material information.
KEYWORDS: NYSE:SYY, Sysco, Human Rights
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Food and Agriculture Companies: A Challenge From a Millennial Mom
DESCRIPTION:
As a working mother, I often have to multi-task. Recently, as I watched my toddler push his food around his plate, I caught up on last week’s news that Fortune had released its annual “Change the World” list of top companies using the profit motive to help the planet and tackle social problems.
About 10 percent of this list consists of corporate leaders who are thinking critically about the challenge to feed our world in a sustainable way without destroying our planet, including companies like Kroger (#6), Walmart (#16), Tyson Foods (#44), McDonald’s (#50) and PepsiCo(#57). These companies know that a thriving community requires a fed community.
While I’m thankful to Fortune for sharing best practices from these incredible, game-changing companies, I’m also painfully aware that the corporate sector at large has a lot more work to do: a recent survey by Bain & Company found that only four percent of companies feel that they’ve succeeded in achieving their sustainability goals, while 47 percent feel that they’ve failed altogether.
Speaking as both a mother and a sustainable supply chain specialist, that’s simply not good enough. We are already facing the massive challenge of producing even more food with fewer inputs. We are already facing increasingly variable weather. And in just a few decades, our planet will be home to 2 billion more people to feed.
What’s my point? Next year, food and agriculture companies, I want to see more of you on Fortune’s list. So to help you on this quest, I’m officially issuing you a two-part challenge:
I. Engage every part of your supply chain
This means going after your Scope 3 emissions, which encompass every component – from product design to end use – of your company’s supply chain.
For agricultural supply chains, there are three main stakeholders: farmers, companies and consumers. It’s important to ensure farmers are rewarded for their stewardship, companies feel knowledgeable about reducing their supply chain risk and consumers have access to transparent information about their environmental footprint from the foods they eat. Trust me: I am not the only mother who cares about the path food takes from the farm to my baby’s plate.
Translating across these groups requires patience and creativity. It also requires compromises and trade-offs. Grocers and food retailers are stepping up to show they can make a difference, but from their unique position in the middle of the supply chain, they have the opportunity (and an obligation) to engage both with their agricultural suppliers, as well as with everyday consumers, like you and me. Managing Scope 3 emissions both upstream and downstream isn’t easy, but it pays off.
II. Collaborate to get alignment – across your supply chain and across your industry
Part of my role on the EDF+Business team has been to understand the motivations of each of the nodes in the chain – from input producers (like fertilizer and equipment companies) to agriculture retailers, farmers, grain aggregators, transportation and food service companies, grocery stores and finally, to consumers.
I won’t lie: getting alignment across this diverse array of nodes can be slow, complicated and even tedious (imagine how different the needs and pressure points are between, say, growers and consumer packaged good companies or retailers, who are on opposite ends of the chain).
The key to even getting started on alignment? Collaboration. There are many, on-going ways to “partner up”, such as:
- With an environmental NGO, such as EDF, WWF, TNC, TSC, or CI. We all have different specialties and skills, but we all exist to help you succeed. Call us!
- With your suppliers. In the past year, nearly 20 major suppliers, representing about 30 percent of food and beverage sales in North America, have looked across their supply chains and developed collaborative plans to reduce fertilizer runoff and improve soil health.
- As part of an initiative: EDF+Business is collaborating with companies like Smithfield, Campbell Soup Company, and Land O’Lakes in response to Walmart’s fertilizer optimization goal. The Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN platform aims to enroll 20 million acres in sustainable farming practices by 2025.
- Across your industry: EDF is a part of the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative, a group of companies and NGOs that shares best practices in row crop agriculture in order to scale supply chain solutions.
Food and agriculture companies specifically have an opportunity to invest in farmers, rural communities and water quality while simultaneously reducing emissions from the sector that contributes to 9 percent of the US’ total footprint. Alignment up and down the chain like this offers up a wealth of opportunity.
So please accept my challenge, food and ag companies. You truly will be “changing the world” – a feat that will not only get you noticed by Fortune, but will win you accolades from your customers and shareholders as well.
For more posts like this, follow Sara Kroopf on Twitter.
KEYWORDS: agriculture, supply chain, EDF+Business
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Sustainability and Industry Are No Longer Mutually Exclusive – Part 1
By Loic Regnier
DESCRIPTION:
At Schneider Electric, you have heard us talk at length about the energy paradox: world energy use has increased by 50% over the last 25 years, and yet two million people on our planet still lack access to reliable electricity. Add to that the forecast that energy demand will increase by almost another 50% by 2050[1]. In addition, we know that 85% of CO2 emissions are linked to energy use[2] and that industries use one third of worldwide energy[3]. And we know that there will be a gap of 40% between the supply of, and the demand for, clean water by 2030[4].
The result is that we must cut emissions in half to avoid significant and irreversible damage to our planet. We must both decrease our carbon intensity and improve our efficiency by a factor of three if we are to avoid a climate and energy catastrophe.
There is no doubt that the easiest, cheapest, fastest, and most profitable way to embrace green energy is to save energy and to consume it smarter. A huge untapped potential for energy savings exists in so many industries and we can get to it through innovation and bold ideas. Technologies are available now that can help alleviate the negative impact on our environment.
Industrial companies can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%
It is estimated that overall, a whopping two thirds of efficiency potential remains untapped – this is over 80% in the buildings sector, 78% in the infrastructure sector, and 60% in the industrial sector.
How can industrial companies tap into this hidden potential?
Simply, they must begin to transition from “producing more” to “producing better.”
Through digitization and the IIoT, we can discover so many different capabilities and possibilities to meet sustainability requirements. Overall, an industrial company could expect that, with the right automation, power, and plant optimization solutions in place, they could reduce energy consumption/costs by up to 30%. Good for business, good for the planet, right?
In the first part of this blog I’d like to look at some of the key strategies that can be applied to your industrial operations that can help achieve this. In the second part of the blog I’ll discuss some other business areas where digitization can be applied to help meet sustainability goals.
Visibility for sustainability
The digital transformation of industries means everything is connected. This connection facilitates company-wide visibility of real-time consumption. And if we know what we are consuming, and where the energy is being wasted, we can address it. This visualization is essential for industries, not only for energy use and waste but for other inputs, as well, to be able to increase profitability while protecting the environment. A system architecture that allows each employee, from the operator to the plant manager, to actually see what is happening and take real-time action whenever it is needed from wherever they are in the business – we can do that now. For example, the convergence of power data into the context of process data to provide real time information on either energy consumption in the context of process optimization (we change the process and look at the impact on the energy data), or information on process usage based on energy optimization (we change the energy usage and we look at the impact on the process performance), will help to find the most efficient process set up with the most efficient energy use while also considering the profitability of the system.
Augmented operators are more sustainable
Augmented operators – workers who are equipped with mobile devices, data analytics, augmented reality, and transparent connectivity to increase productivity, and operate and manage a plant in real time – are, in and of themselves, contributing to the sustainability of an industrial enterprise. The digital transformation of industries gives plant personnel this arsenal of tools so they can identify errors and maintenance requirements more precisely and then send the right person, with the right tools, at the right time and to the right place when human intervention is needed. The augmented operator can also draw on the expertise of other experts, remotely, using these digital tools, thus optimizing travel and displacement costs to benefit both the business and the environment.
Syncing design and production to be more sustainable
With technologies like digital twin and simulation packages, industrial companies can promote more collaboration between product design and production functions like materials, production processes and, more extensively, in the plant’s operations, as well. By leveraging real-time data to mirror the physical world in a virtual model (which can include products, machines, and human beings), operators can test and optimize the set points for a machine before the physical changeover for the next run. This drives down machine setup times, increases quality by saving start-up and idle energy, reduces material waste, and allows product design and manufacturing to be adjusted to take into consideration different sustainability parameters or requirements.
Sustainability built in at every level of the plant
Finally, I’d like to touch on building sustainability into the very design of your plant, starting with
the intrinsic efficiency of products and devices that make up your operations like:
- PLCs that are designed to produce faster while using the same amount of energy and a higher volume of I/O
- Drives and PLCs that can be updated, and some maintenance actions can be implemented, without stopping the full process – saving a lot of energy at restart
- HMIs and PLCs that include a Stop/Start functionality that saves energy
- Pushbuttons and beacons that are designed with lower energy consuming LED
Looking at the overall plant, process and enterprise, connected products mean information can be seen from the operations up to the enterprise levels. Actions resulting from this enhanced visibility can, in turn, improve the plant’s energy consumption. We consider this “active” energy efficiency. It can be closed loop, for example with PLCs or MES linked to an ERP system that implements business rules around sustainability, or open loop, by measuring consumption and tying it to specific operator behaviors that can be optimized, or even to machines that are less efficient than others and may require maintenance.
In addition, the use of Ethernet everywhere facilitates the transparency of energy consumption by individual devices, including sensors, contactors, drives, PAC, DCS, HMI, etc. For example, variable speed drives with algorithms and built-in intelligence can not only minimize the consumption of energy, but also put that intelligence to work to adapt an operation so the drive functions at its best efficiency point (BEP).
Industry and sustainability are no longer mutually exclusive. Nor can they afford to be. The technologies available today are already bringing the two closer together. In the next part of the blog, we’ll look at sustainability measures that can be applied to supply chains, product design, and building management.
To find out more about sustainability at Schneider Electric, click here
To learn more about our industrial automation solutions, click here
[1] McKinsey Energy Outlook, 2016; IEA WEO 2016, Current Policy Scenario (Business as Usual)
[2] IEA 2013
[3] IEA 2014
[4] KMPG 2012
Learn more about Schneider Electric's commitment to sustainability
KEYWORDS: EPA:SU, Schneider Electric
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EPEAT: Dell EMC PowerEdge Servers Further Validated as the Responsible Choice
DESCRIPTION:
Those who know the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) registry know it is one of the best indicators of sustainably produced electronics. The Green Electronics Council is expanding their registry to include a new server category, and customers can find multiple Dell EMC PowerEdge servers from the start.
Why EPEAT matters
Since it first launched more than a decade ago, EPEAT has grown into a trusted procurement tool for making responsible purchasing decisions. In addition to the newly launched server category (based on the NSF/ANSI-426 standard), EPEAT has separate registries for computers and displays (monitors), imaging equipment, phones and TVs. To qualify to EPEAT, a server must meet a core set of requirements in eight sustainability categories:
- Energy efficiency
- Management of substances
- Preferable material use
- Product packaging
- Design for repair, reuse and recycling
- Product longevity
- Responsible end-of-life management
- And the company’s corporate responsibility
For customers looking to ensure they have sustainability covered, EPEAT’s comprehensive approach is an excellent choice. What’s more, organizations find it easy to trust the EPEAT registry because the Green Electronics Council works with third-party assurance bodies to verify product claims. While EPEAT is a voluntary program, EPEAT is extremely important to the U.S. Federal Government and other country governments. Also, we often see requirements for EPEAT registration from customers in commercial RFPs.
KEYWORDS: Dell, EMC, Dell 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, EPEAT
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GRI Newsletter: New Tools to Improve Reporting
Updated standard on Water & Effluents, Practical Guide for SDG reporting, and more
DESCRIPTION:
The August issue of the GRI newsletter is full of practical examples and tools that can help you as the new reporting cycle begins for many report preparers. From GRI's recently updated Water Standard (GRI 303: Water and Effluents) to the Kick-Off service, and from the Practical Guide to measuring impact related to the SDGs to the events calendar, all the information in the newsletter can give report preparers ideas to get the most out of the information they collect.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL NEWSLETTER.
Do you want to hear more about GRI Standards, Services, and Events? Sign up here to receive updates from GRI.
KEYWORDS: GRI, GRI Standards, World Water Week
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Simple Steps to Relieve Mealtime Stress
A dietitian’s tips for planning and prepping meals even the pickiest eaters will love
DESCRIPTION:
By Carol Savage, MS, RDN Nutrition, Health, & Wellness Manager & dietitian at @NestleUSA
Let’s be honest. By the end of summer, many parents are excited for back-to-school season. That is, until we remember the planning it takes to get back into a busy schedule. It can be tricky to balance new school and after-school activities while maintaining a “normal” household — especially around meal and snack times. I’ve found that being prepared and mapping out your family’s week really helps. Try these tips and tricks to encourage healthy behaviors and cut back on stress.
Take Advantage of Nutritious, Easy Breakfast Options
Even on good days, mornings for parents often feel like herding cats, trying to get everyone dressed and out the door on time. Among the mismatched shoes and misplaced homework, it helps to have quick and easy options to add nutrition to your kids’ breakfast like Nestle® Nesquik® Super Breakfast, a new flavored milk beverage that’s convenient, nutritious and high in protein. Kids also like the delicious taste, which is important.
Research shows that 30% of children ages 4–8 and 50 percent of 9–13-year-olds do not meet their daily recommended protein intake*. With 12 grams of protein, vitamins and calcium from real milk, Nesquik Super Breakfast is a ready-to-drink complement for your kids’ breakfast — and might just become your champion of the morning.
Click here to read the full story
*Miller, G, Demmer E. Protein is the building block critical for childhood health. Dairy Foods, March 2016.
KEYWORDS: Nestle
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Labor Day: Orange County’s Toughest Jobs and the People Who Do Them
DESCRIPTION:
Driving an Armed Truck
Key responsibilities: Viramontes begins making the rounds of Yorba Linda streets at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday, driving a 30-foot truck that weighs 27 tons when loaded and operating a special arm that extends from his vehicle to grab and dump the curbside containers. His shifts can last until 6 p.m.
Interesting facts: Viramontes collects from about 1300 houses in a shift, about three houses a minute. He drives on the right side of the cab, which has a camera showing the contents of the truck and what’s behind him. He climbs in and out of the truck an estimated 20 times in a day due to containers that are overfilled or placed too close to cars.
What might surprise you: One source of stress on the job is people in a rush or sleep-induced daze, particularly in the morning when kids and workers are running in and around their cars, not paying attention. Or customers dash out of the house to throw something in their curbside container without realizing that the truck arm is about to secure the container. One key to the job, Viramontes says, is to stay calm and take pride in your work. The downside of the job is “time away from family.”
Viramontes: “You have to have ‘ganas’ (desire) to work. I’m proud to work in a company like Republic. I try to apply their 5 Rs every day – respectful, responsible, reliable, resourceful, relentless – so that Republic will be proud of me.”
Continue reading on Voice of OC
KEYWORDS: Voice of OC, labor day
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