Environment and Sustainability news for December / January CCB 103

Marriott makes switch to green products
Hotel group Marriott International announced on December 11 it will begin replacing the 24 million plastic key cards that it purchases annually in the US with those made of 50% recycled material, thereby saving 66 tons of plastic from being dumped in a landfill. The new key card is just one of many advances the company has made to “green” its $10 billion supply chain and reduce its global environmental footprint. Greening the supply chain is one of five key points in Marriott’s environmental strategy, which also includes carbon offsets through the protection of the Juma rainforest reserve in the State of Amazonas in Brazil and further reducing fuel and water consumption by 25% per available room over the next 10 years.
Contact: Marriott International
www.marriott.com

EPA’s environmental stewardship award for detergents champions announced
Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser are amongst the list of champions of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI), announced on December 11. The EPA’s award, forming part of its Design for the Environment (DfE) Program, recognizes environmental leaders who voluntarily commit to the use of safer surfactants. Safer surfactants are surfactants that break down quickly to non-polluting compounds and help protect aquatic life in both fresh and salt water. Champion is the highest level of recognition offered under the SDSI.
Contact: Environmental Protection Agency
www.epa.gov

Is your business analyzing how it impacts ecosystems?
A new report from Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), released on December 17, examines seven tools business can use to assess their impacts on ecosystem services, and also makes the case for why companies should know risks and opportunities associated with ecosystem services. BSR’s report, Measuring Corporate Impact on Ecosystems: A Comprehensive Review of New Tools, developed with support from the nine global companies in BSR’s Environmental Services, Tools, and Markets Working Group, offers a comprehensive assessment of the seven leading tools. These tools build on the scientific foundation of the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and fall into two broad categories; Multi-ecosystem service assessment tools: and Biodiversity-focused tools.
Contact: Business or Social Responsibility
www.bsr.org

Architects say 47% of clients adding green building elements
Forty-two percent of architects report clients asking for green building elements on a majority of their projects, with 47% of clients actually implementing green building elements on their projects, an increase of 15% from 2007, according to the 2008 Autodesk/American Institute of Architects (AIA) Green Index. The annual survey was released on December 6 and measures how AIA members are practicing sustainable design, as well as their opinions about the green building movement. Client demand remains the leading driver for green building, with 66% of surveyed architects citing client demand as the primary influence on their practice of green building – down four percent from last year.
Contact: Autodesk
www.autodesk.com

Henkel named Germany’s ‘most sustainable brand’
At the first ever German Sustainability Congress on December 6, the award for being Germany’s “Most Sustainable Brand” went to Henkel, providing the technology company with yet another major accolade for its activities in this field. One of the main factors for Henkel’s selection was that the company had begun very early on to address the challenges of sustainability, developing a comprehensive CSR strategy. This has been systematically disseminated throughout the company and encompasses all stages of its value chain. There was also recognition for Henkel’s deliberate and methodical approach in designating as its focal areas the fields of energy and climate, water and wastewater, materials and waste, safety and health and social progress.
Contact: Henkel
www.henkel.com

NY requires big retail stores to recycle plastic bags
New York Governor David A. Paterson announced on December 13 that he has signed legislation to increase the collection and recycling of plastic carrier bags. The new law, required collection and recycling to begin on January 1, 2009. Retail establishments with more than 10,000 square feet of retail space, or those that are part of a chain with more than five stores (each with more than 5,000 square feet of retail space), must provide bins for the collection of used plastic carrier bags, recycle the returned bags, and keep records for three years describing the amount of plastic bags collected and recycled.
Contact: New York State Government
www.ny.gov

Report urges businesses to take proactive approach to water management
A new report from global management consultancy Arthur D. Little warns businesses that merely adopting a reactive response to water management can damage corporate performance. As two-thirds of the world are set to experience water shortages by 2025, the report argues that it is imperative for companies to assess their water footprint, broken down by product/service, by value chain position and by geographic region. Taking a proactive approach to water management involves an assessment of ‘value drivers’ that include water security, regulation and expectations of stakeholders.
Contact: Arthur D little
www.adl.com

Dell says green packaging will save $8 million
Dell is implementing a plan to simplify and revolutionize computer packaging that will result in estimated savings of more than $8 million and the elimination of approximately 20 million pounds of packaging material over the next four years. The company announced on December 16 that it plans to reduce desktop and laptop packaging materials by approximately 10% worldwide, increase sustainable content in cushioning and corrugate packaging by 40% and ensure that 75% of packaging components are ‘curbside recyclable’ by 2012. In light of the announcement, Dell has become the only major computer manufacturer with a global packaging reduction target for desktops and laptops.
Contact: Dell
www.dell.com

Dow helps Simmons create eco-friendly sleep systems
One of the world’s largest mattress manufacturers, Simmons launched a line of mattresses in November that incorporate foam derived from sustainable resources. For this new bedding line, Simmons partnered with Dow Polyurethanes, a business group of The Dow Chemical Company, and selected bio-based foam made with natural oil-based polyols created via RENUVARenewable Resource Technology from Dow.
Contact: Dow
www.dow.com