Erb Faculty Member, Tom Lyon opines that although Warren Buffet and Berkshire Hathaway’s record of astute financial moves is hard to argue with, he may be missing the mark in terms of under-estimating the pace and acceleration of climate change and what that means for business.
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies often find themselves boxed in by customer demand. On one hand, more shoppers say they want to purchase more sustainable products, but many are not willing to pay a premium. And although most consumers still base their purchases largely on price and performance, the trends are clear: Environmental sustainability is expected. This applies to not only products, but also packaging.
In the past several posts, we have defined Big Data, shown the problems we hope it will address, and described how CSRHub has implemented a Big Data approach to creating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainability ratings. It is time now to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of the “Big Data” approach.
The unbridled accumulation of single-use, post-consumer plastic bottles represents a social and environmental crisis affecting populations and landscapes the world over. While industrialized countries have evolved systems and customs that effectively displace this waste stream, the problem is glaringly evident in less-industrialized countries, ill-equipped to control the flow.
So remember, it’s never okay for someone to say, “I can’t do much – I’m just one person.” That is categorically false. None of us are just one person, but rather parts of our families, friend groups and communities.
Hear from the Boise Valley Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Idaho about their experiences with Mohawk Group's ReCover program and how carpet donations have benefitted their business and the surrounding community. The ReCover carpet reclamation program offers a seamless, sustainable solution for finding new life for used carpet. Through a network of local partners across the United States, we work together with our customers to make sure old carpeting is diverted from the landfill.
UPS (NYSE: UPS) today announced aggressive new sustainability goals to add more alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to its fleet while increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources.
Jeplan envisions a circular world in which we take all used or unwanted personal belongings, recycle the materials, and then sell them as new products. Starting with cotton and polyester, this company is reimagining waste disposal, which reduces the use of petroleum and diminishes carbon emissions. Based in Japan, Jeplan has established collection points around the country in collaboration with major retail and apparel brands to gather discarded clothes. Then, Jeplan sells the final products back to these brands and their consumers.
Today, Whole Kids Foundation launches Starting with Soil, a free tablet-based organic education app available via Google Play and the App Store, to provide a fun way for kids and parents to learn what it looks and feels like to grow food in harmony with nature.
Banyan Nation is changing the way India recycles and thinks about waste management and sustainability by focusing on plastic. Currently, the quality of plastic recyclate is very poor. An award-winning company, Banyan Nation is building one of India’s first vertically integrated, formal recycling businesses by leveraging simple mobile technology applications. They aggregate informal sector collectors and innovative plastics recycling technology to create “Better Plastic” – good for the industry, society, and environment.
The business landscape is reorienting itself and you can almost hear priorities shifting toward change-readiness and the bigger picture. And in this...
