Waitrose hails zero food waste to landfill milestone
Waitrose has announced that from this week none of the food waste from its stores will be sent to landfill, after confirming all 280 of the company's UK branches are now sending unavoidable waste to anaerobic digestion (AD) plants or in-vessel composting (IVC) facilities. The achievement was reached three months ahead of a target to deliver zero food waste to landfill by the end of 2012 and marks the culmination of an AD programme that started back in 2008. The move follows the company's recent announcement that all branches are to donate surplus edible food to local community groups by the end of the year, as well as internal initiatives to reduce food waste across its supply chain. (Business Green)
Coal resurgence threatens climate change targets
Coal is enjoying a renaissance, with the highest consumption since the late 1960s. As gas power has replaced coal in the US, the excess coal has pushed down prices on world markets, sparking a rush on the high-carbon fuel. According to the World Coal Association, last year coal’s global share of primary energy consumption rose from about 25 percent, where it has been for years, to 30 percent – the highest level since 1969. Green campaigners are concerned by the findings, which threaten to undermine global carbon emission reduction targets. In the UK, between the second quarter of 2011 and the second quarter of 2012, coal consumption rose by nearly 25 percent. Europe overall has burned more coal in the past year than any time since it pledged steep emissions cuts, and China and India have also been burning more. (Guardian)
General Motors draws up zero waste blueprint for car industry
General Motors has outlined a business case for zero waste in the form of a blueprint detailing how the automotive sector can work towards landfill-free production practices. The GM document discusses the concept of 'by-product synergies' whereby one company's output can become another's resource, or input – a theme that aligns itself the idea of 'open loop' systems. It says that cross-industry collaboration will become increasingly important in terms of sharing best practice and that automotive manufacturers need to work more closely with academic and research institutions to create a more structured approach to zero waste initiatives. GM, has already achieved zero waste to landfill at 83 of its manufacturing sites and 19 non-manufacturing sites. (Edie)
Employees
Women still slipping on career ladder
Britain’s leading companies are still failing to help talented women rise to executive board level, a report by MWM Consulting, a board advisory company, has found. “What we have found is not so much a ‘glass ceiling’ but a ‘slippery ladder’ that leads to higher levels of female attrition at each stage of the management ranks,” said Michael Reyner, a partner at MWM Consulting and co-author of the report. The human resources directors of 70 leading British and international companies and 20 female business leaders contributed to the report. It found that while much has been made of a lack of women at executive board level, it is a shortfall at executive committee level that prevents progression to the top. Just two women will be left running FTSE 100 companies — Alison Cooper at Imperial Tobacco and Angela Ahrendts at Burberry — after Cynthia Carroll announced her departure from Anglo American, while Dame Marjorie Scardino will leave Pearson at the end of the year. (Times*)
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