APRIL banned from using FSC trademark to market paper products
The international NGO, the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), has terminated its association with the Indonesian paper and pulp corporation, Asia Pacific Resources International Limited (APRIL), following reports of alleged forest destruction and human rights violations from Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund Indonesia and the Rainforest Action Network. Following the termination, APRIL and its affiliated Royal Garden Eagle (RGE) group are now prevented from using the FSC’s eco-label to market products. Reportedly, when the FSC began to investigate, APRIL avoided inquiry by withdrawing its chain-of-custody certificates-FSC certified proof of sustainable operations. APRIL has not acknowledged the basis of the FSC’s decision, and instead said the company withdrew from the FSC to participate with other companies to establish plantations “to create a renewable and sustainable source of wood fibre under [Indonesian] Government license…which under the Policy for Association would render us ineligible for FSC certification.” (Eco Business)
Haiti police raid warehouses in plastics ban crackdown
Police in Haiti have raided three warehouses in Port-au-Prince, following the Haiti Government’s ban of Styrofoam takeaway containers and plastic bags, which came into force on the 1st of August 2013. The Environment Minister, Jean Francois Thomas, said that more raids would follow and that the Government was “serious about a serious problem” and determined to change the country’s “bad habit” of using Styrofoam and plastic. However one supermarket owner said “we’re not sure yet what we’ll use instead of plastic bags. Perhaps recycled plastic? But it’s more expensive.” Mr Thomas said the Haiti Government was in the process of talking to Haitian business owners to import biodegradable takeaway containers and bags and said "we will offer a lot of help, such as lower import tariffs for biodegradable products." (The Guardian)
Boston pilots composting programme and proposes commercial food waste ban
The US city of Boston is piloting its first public composting programme, by encouraging residents to drop off compostable food waste for free at three city farmers’ markets. For the three month pilot of the programme, the US waste company Renewable Waste Solutions will donate supplies and transport services. The initiative is also intended to address waste generated by the food industry, which amounted to 4.1 billion pounds in 2011, according to industry research conducted by US organisations the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the Food Marketing Institute and the National Restaurant Association. Massachusetts Governor, Deval Patrick, has also proposed a commercial food waste ban in an attempt to help the state achieve its goal of reducing food waste by 30 percent by 2020. Under the proposed plans, restaurants would be required to donate any fresh leftover food and food waste would be converted into energy via anaerobic digesters. (Environmental Leader)
Consumers
Apple brings in tougher rules on purchases in children’s apps
The US technology manufacturer Apple has published new rules under which developers making apps aimed at children under 13 will need to include a “parental gate,” such as a password or pin, before anything can be purchased. Apple faced criticism after a number of cases in which children spent large amounts on virtual items in mobile games without their parents’ permission, leaving some parents with large credit card bills. This follows a settlement Apple made earlier this year in the US for $100 million, when the company agreed to refund parents in cash or credits for its iTunes Store. The UK’s Office of Fair Trading is currently investigating in-app purchases within children’s apps and is due to publish a report in October 2013 exploring whether such games are “misleading, commercially aggressive or otherwise unfair.” (The Guardian)
Employees
Cineworld pledges to continue with UK zero hours contracts
Amid the continuing controversy in the UK over the use of zero hours contracts, the founder of the UK’s largest cinema chain, Cineworld, has pledged to continue using the controversial employment terms instead of offering fixed hours to employees. Cineworld uses zero hour contracts for 3,600 members of staff, approximately 80 percent of its workforce. Zero hours contracts have been criticised by politicians, charities and trade unions for leaving employees with no certainty of income from month to month. The founder of Cineworld, Stephen Weiner, said “I don't know of any employees that are disgruntled with the current working arrangements…there are two types of zero-hours contracts; ones that don't give benefits to employees and ones that do. Ours do give benefits and a lot of these people work second jobs and we don't restrict them." However some staff said that without guaranteed hours there is a degree of favouritism, with managers giving shifts to staff who do not speak out. (The Guardian)
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