At Wal-Mart’s Global Sustainability Milestone Meeting, the US retailer announced that it will work with its suppliers to reduce, or eliminate entirely, toxic chemicals in its products. Wal-Mart aims to reduce its agricultural fertiliser use on up to 14 million acres of American farmland by 2020. Wal-Mart will demand that suppliers develop fertiliser optimisation plans and set clear goals to improve performance. Ten, as yet undisclosed, chemicals are being targeted for reduction or elimination: green alternatives will need to be found in their place for use in consumer products. The project will begin by targeting household cleaning, personal care, beauty and cosmetic products. From 2015, suppliers will be required to publicly disclose ingredients used for Wal-Mart products online. Monitoring of progress will begin next year, as well as the labelling of products in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment Safer Product Labelling programme. (Environmental Leader)
UK experts to help prevent future Bangladesh factory tragedies
British experts have flown to Bangladesh to help deal with the urgent need for improvements in safety and building standards in the country’s garment sector, Justine Greening, the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, has announced. The visit, by request of Bangladesh’s building regulations agency, will end with recommendations from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the Better Regulation Delivery Office. They will seek to toughen up building standards legislation, scrutinise and strengthen the enforcement of legislation, and examine how the UK can help better enforce building standards, in collaboration with private companies and the International Labour Organisation. Justine Greening said “the tragic factory collapse in Bangladesh in May was a wake-up call about the appalling conditions that workers in the developing world endure to produce cheap clothes.” (UK Government Press Release)
Scotch whisky makers swap lorries for trains
Scotch whisky makers, including Diageo and Glen Turner, are aiming to reduce carbon emissions from their supply chains through transporting bottles across the country by train rather than lorry as part of The Scotch Whisky Association’s (SWA) government-backed trial. If successful the SWA hopes it will clear the path for other local food and drinks companies to adopt the method. The trial has required investment not just from the businesses involved but also local, national, and European governments. The SWA is also due to hire an independent academic partner to help them assess the results of the trial and its long-term implementation. The two train journeys per week used for transportation will be the equivalent to taking 60 trucks off the road. Richard Lochhead, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment stated "The area covered by this trial is home to 77 distilleries which produce 85 per cent of all of Scotch malt whisky. That equates to a lot of freight on Scotland's roads". (Business Green)
Environment
5p charges for plastic bags to be introduced in England
Nick Clegg, the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister, has unveiled plans for a 5p charge on plastic bags in England and says he hopes companies will donate any profits to environmental charities. The plan, which is aimed at discouraging the use of plastic carrier bags, could begin in 2015. Similar charges already exist in Northern Ireland and Wales and are set to begin in Scotland next year. "If the policy is successful, nobody will pay anything extra at all – all you do is reuse a thicker, sturdier plastic bag… this is absolutely not about seeking to raise costs for shoppers," Clegg announced. The British Retail Consortium, whilst supporting the legislation, pointed out that single-use carrier bags account for only 1% of UK household waste. Marks & Spencer has been charging for its larger carrier bags since 2008, saying it has overseen reductions of 75% of bag usage in its food halls and donated over £6 million from bag sale profit to environmental charities. (BBC)
Europe’s largest tidal energy project launched in Scotland
The Scottish Government has given permission to MeyGen is to install an array of tidal turbines in the Pentland Firth, off the Scottish mainland. The construction will be carried out in stages. When fully operational it is hoped the installation will generate enough power for 42,000 homes. Phase one of construction will see 86 turbines deployed: phase two would eventually see up to 400 submerged turbines in place. Scottish Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said, “With careful planning we can harness Scotland's huge wave and tidal energy to help cut our climate emissions, while safeguarding the nation's tremendous marine environment.” The Carbon Trust, a British organisation of experts on carbon reduction, believes that, if fully developed, 20% of the UK’s energy needs could be achieved through tidal and wave resources. (BBC)
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