2Sustain

Colgate-Palmolive has released its latest sustainability report, “Giving the World Reasons to Smile.” The new online report details Colgate’s long-standing commitment, achievements, accomplishments and challenges to sustainability and social responsibility.

Specifically with regard to environmental stewardship, Colgate has:

• Reduced per-ton manufacturing-related greenhouse gas emissions by 21 percent,
• Decreased water use by 44 percent, and
• Lowered wastewater loading by 31 percent

(between 2002 and 2010).

In addition, the company requests that all key suppliers measure and disclose climate change information and overall transparency. Colgate’s Supplier Code of Conduct sets the company’s expectations for suppliers in a number of critical areas, including: (more…)

Building on its reputation as a leader in sustainable seafood practices, Safeway Inc. announced this month that by the end of this year it will transition to free-school purse-seine methods for its Safeway brand skipjack (chunk-light) canned tuna.

This move to a more responsible method of food sourcing is in line with Safeway’s current work on fresh and frozen seafood and will enhance the company’s “Dolphin Safe” tuna commitments previously made to Earth Island Institute.

Here’s some clarification on the fishing method terminology: (more…)

Food supply chains are now global and enormously complex. And food recalls are more commonplace than ever before. (See earlier posts about problems with honey, beef, eggs, cookie dough . . .)

As a result, it’s no surprise that food safety is an increasing concern worldwide.

Food safety regulations have increased, and food manufacturers say they’ve fine-tuned processes. But, do consumers have faith in these stepped-up efforts? Do we really feel confident that the food we eat is safe?

To gain some insight into this intriguing manufacturer-consumer dynamic, UL (Underwriters Laboratories), conducted a study exploring the perceptions of consumers and food manufacturers regarding safety, innovation, performance and sustainability issues.

The study, Navigating the Product Mindset, collected opinions from consumers and manufacturers in China, India, Germany and the US across the high tech, food, building materials and household chemicals industries.

The results of the study show that: (more…)

The US Green Building Council awarded General Mills yet another LEED Gold certification –this one for its expanded production facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Three of General Mills’ company buildings have already earned LEED certification.

Environmental benefits of the expanded production facility include:

• An aggressive recycling program almost eliminating waste paper, plastics, cardboard and packaging.
• A 30 percent reduction in energy use due to the production line’s new proprietary high-efficiency oven.
• A 30 percent reduction in indoor water use with the installation of high-efficiency faucets and low-flow plumbing.
• A 70 percent reduction in irrigation water with the use of native vegetation for landscaping.

The following commitments also contributed to the plant’s certification: (more…)

The University of Victoria has released a new report ranking the eco-labels used to distinguish seafood produced with less damage to the environment. This is the first study of its kind evaluating how eco-labels for farmed marine fish compare to unlabeled options in the marketplace.

How Green is Your Eco-label? will help seafood buyers sort through competing sustainability claims and better identify which labels result in farming methods that are less damaging to the ocean.

Here are a few key findings of the report: (more…)