2Sustain

For the third year in a row, UPS has earned the top score in the consumer shipping sector on the annual Climate Counts scorecard.

UPS earned its No. 1 spot with a score of 80, edging out competitors Deutsche Post World Net/DHL, the US Postal Service and FedEx, which ranked second, third and fourth, respectively.

Among the 136 companies ranked by Climate Counts, UPS also shared the 11th highest score across all industries alongside Sony, Nokia and AB Electrolux.

“This recognition is significant because Climate Counts rigorously evaluates performance rather than corporate marketing claims,” said Scott Wicker, UPS’s chief sustainability officer. “UPS’s repeated and consistent top ranking in the shipping segment highlights our efforts to measure, manage and reduce our carbon footprint while offering consumers more choices that support their commitment to the environment.”

As part of their corporate decarbonization strategy, UPS implemented proprietary routing technology to assist drivers in maximizing the efficiency of their delivery route. (more…)

For the last five years, an annual study by Packaging Digest has shown sustainability’s steady growth as a driver of change and innovation in the packaging sector. Unfortunately, though, data from this year’s survey indicates that this momentum might be slowing.

The Sustainability in Packaging study is the longest running benchmarking survey on this topic in the industry, and the September 2011 drew 674 responses from a cross section of the packaging industry, including consumer packaged goods companies (CPGs), retailers, packaging services and converters, as well as machinery and materials suppliers.

Here are a few key findings: (more…)

In March of 2010, AT&T launched an initiative to slim down its accessory packaging, and since then, the company has succeeded in eliminating more than 500 tons of paper and plastic used for packaging device chargers, cases, batteries and data cables.

Now, AT&T is ratcheting up its commitment to sustainable packaging one more notch. Last week, AT&T announced that it will become the first US telecom company to use new plant-based plastic in its accessory packaging.

The new plastic is composed of up to 30 percent plant-based materials sourced from natural sugarcane. According to AT&T, the sugarcane used is a rapidly renewable agricultural crop and replaces nearly a third of the fossil fuels traditionally used in this particular packaging. (more…)

Late last month, UPS released the latest edition of its annual sustainability report, and once again, the company has managed to reduce the amount of fuel it’s using to deliver each package in the United States.

Interestingly, the company’s US package volume rose 1.8 percent in 2010 compared to 2009, and yet UPS reduced the amount of fuel consumed per package by 3.3 percent. The company attributed the improvement to:

• deploying the right vehicle on the right routes,
• using technology to minimize the miles driven and
• focusing on how behavior can affect fuel use.

All told, technology has enabled UPS to avoid driving more than 63.5 million miles in 2010 with an associated emissions avoidance of 68,000 metric tonnes. As remarkable as it sounds, UPS estimates that distance is the equivalent of 251,987 trips to the International Space Station.

How, exactly, has the company used technology to reduce fuel consumption? According to a press release, UPS has specifically improved: (more…)

Finally, here is a common-sense initiative that can help make all of our offices a little more eco-friendly.

Last week, Office Depot announced the launch of a new program, its GreenerOffice Delivery Service, which enables business customers to receive their supplies in a paper bag instead of a cardboard box.

The new service is available to all Office Depot business customers, but customers can choose to opt-out at any time. Here’s how it works:

(more…)