2Sustain

US bottle and can recycling rates are lagging. Of the 224 billion beverage containers sold annually, Americans recycle only a mere 29 percent by weight. The remainder is thrown in landfills or incinerated –a huge waste of natural resources.

Fortunately, several major US beverage brands now appear willing to support efforts to reverse that trend.

A new report, Waste & Opportunity: U.S. Beverage Container Recycling Scorecard and Report, from shareholder advocacy group As You Sow, concludes that leading beverage companies are showing both steady, incremental progress on source reduction and a new willingness to support laws making producers financially responsible for collection and recycling of post?consumer beverage packaging.

The report is As You Sow’s third review of the beverage industry since 2006, and the efforts to promote Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) mandates are new –at least in the US.

“The major development since our last survey has been the willingness of leading beverage companies to consider new legislative mandates requiring them to take responsibility for their post?consumer packaging,” said Conrad Mac?Kerron, Senior Director of As You Sow’s Corporate Social Responsibility Program. “Many beverage and consumer packaged goods companies pay fees in other countries to finance recovery of their packaging. It’s significant that companies are finally acknowledging the need to take responsibility in the US as well.”

Here are a few other key findings: (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:

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Over the past few years, there have been dramatic developments in sustainable packaging options for the world’s leading beverage manufacturers.

First, the Coca-Cola Company developed the recyclable PlantBottle, made partially from plant-based material.

Then, PepsiCo unveiled the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based resources, and began offering eco-friendly cup options to its foodservice customers.

Now, PepsiCo Beverages Canada has announced the introduction of the 7UP EcoGreen™ bottle, Canada’s – and North America’s – first soft drink bottle made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic. (more…)

Mattel’s recent progress report on a variety sustainability issues was counterbalanced with a global campaign by Greenpeace targeting the toy company’s paper packaging allegedly derived from Indonesian rain forests.

According to the Greenpeace website, Mattel’s packaging includes paper from Indonesia’s most notorious rainforest destroyer Asia Pulp and Paper (APP). As a result, “Critical wildlife habitat and carbon-rich rainforests and peatlands are being wrecked for cheap, throw-away toy packaging,” Greenpeace says.

Other toy companies are implicated in the Greenpeace campaign, as well. In fact, Greenpeace reports that its forensic testing shows regular use of rainforest fiber (MTH) in the packaging of major toy brands manufactured in China or Indonesia. In addition, chain-of-custody evidence in China and Indonesia shows that APP is an important supplier of packaging materials for major toy brands.

Mattel, which according to the LA Times is “under siege” by environmental critics responding to the Greenpeace report, announced that it will develop a new policy to make its packaging suppliers “commit to sustainable forestry management practices.”

In addition to addressing current concerns about packaging sourcing, Mattel’s policy will also cover other wood-based products in its toy lines, such as paper, books and accessories. The company says it is focused on minimizing its footprint throughout the value chain and across the organization. (more…)

After forging new partnerships with recyclers and mastering what the company calls “diligent efforts” at each of its facilities, Kellogg Company has already exceeded its aggressive 2015 goal for reducing waste sent to landfill.

More specifically, Kellogg reported a few weeks ago that nearly half of its facilities worldwide send 5 percent or less of the waste they generate to landfill, and that overall, the company has reduced its waste sent to landfill by 51 percent since 2005.

The highlights of Kellogg’s impressive waste reduction efforts are included in the company’s third global Corporate Responsibility Report, released last month on Earth Day. The report also includes updates on other key corporate responsibility initiatives in the environment, marketplace, workplace and community.

With regard to environmental stewardship, Kellogg has: (more…)