Keep It Sustainable

Americans use 500 million straws daily. That is enough to circle around the planet 2.5 times. There is a huge amount of plastic waste floating around in the ocean. Plastic straws and stirrers are the 11th most discovered ocean trash, comprising about three percent of recovered trash. About 71 percent of seabirds and 30 percent of turtles have been found with plastics in their stomachs.

One company is doing something to reduce the amount of plastic straws. That company is Tetra Pak, a multinational food packaging and processing sub-company of Tetra Laval. The company is developing paper straws for its portion-size carton packages. Before the end of the year, Tetra Pak plans to launch the paper straws.

There are challenges to creating paper straws. “It sounds simple enough,” said Charles Brand, Executive Vice President, Product Management & Commercial Operations, “but in reality, there are a number of significant challenges to producing a paper straw with the required properties.”

Brand adds that their “development team is confident they can find a solution, and that we'll have a paper straw alternative ready to launch by the end of the year.”

Developing the paper straws fits into the company’s overall environmental goal of capping its 2020 climate impact across its value chain to 2010 levels. Tetra Pak achieved a 16 percent reduction in its climate impact in 2016.

Other companies are tackling plastic straw waste

Other companies are tackling the problem of plastic straw waste, including McDonald’s. The fast food chain is phasing out plastic straws from its 1,300 restaurants in the U.K. In May, the company will begin a trial run of paper straws in May, and will start keeping straws behind the counter where they will be given to customers only when asked.

Bacardi pledged in 2016 to stop serving straws at company events. The company began its “no straws pledge” at its North America regional headquarters office in Coral Cables, Florida and its Bombay Sapphire Distillery at Laverstoke Mill in Hampshire, England.

Plastic waste is a big problem. By 2050, there could be more pieces of plastic floating around in the ocean than fish. Eight million tons of plastic will end up in the world’s oceans in 2018. That equals a garbage truck full every minute. For every human on the planet, there is one ton of plastic waste. All that plastic ending up in the oceans will cause the death of more than one million seabirds in 2018.

Edition Hotels wants to do something about plastic waste. The luxury hotel chain launched a campaign called Stay Plastic Free. Developed by Ben Pundole, Vice President of Brand Experiences, the campaign aims to make all Edition hotels 90 percent single use plastic free by the end of the first quarter of 2018. The big goal is to be 100 percent free of single use plastic by the end of the first quarter of 2019.

“Until very recently, this kind of initiative didn’t happen in the luxury space and it’s only just beginning,” Pundole said in a statement. “I think it really helps that luxury brands like Gucci have committed to being a lot more sustainable. There’s been a kind of conscious approach to next steps from companies that you never thought you’d see doing this.”

Edition Hotel wants to influence the hotel industry to ditch single use plastic. And to that aim, the hotel chain plans to produce a short film about the hotel industry’s impact of single use plastic on the environment. The company is also leading a campaign with influential hoteliers to look at industry-wide solutions to the problem of single use plastic.

Edition Hotels aims to replace single use plastic with better alternatives

Edition Hotels used 67,000 plastic bottles for staff, 120,000 plastic bottles for turndown, 30,000 plastic bottles for the gym, and 50,000 plastic straws. That amount of straws would be about 63 miles if lined in a row, which is ten times around New York City’s Central Park. The hotel chain plans to replace the plastic bottles for staff with a water fountain, and give every staff member a stainless steel water bottle. The plastic bottles for turndown will be replaced with cans, as will the plastic bottles for the gym. Paper straws will replace the plastic straws.

Changes have already been made at the Miami Beach Edition. During an eight-month period, 397,000 plastic cups were eliminated, along with 20,000 plastic lids, 85,000 to-go items and miscellaneous plastic, and 9,000 plastic water bottles. The hotel plans on eliminating 118,000 plastic water bottles by the end of 2018.

Edition Hotels Partners with Just, maker of paper based bottles

The use of water bottles from plastic creates much plastic waste. Edition Hotels is partnering with Just, a company that manufactures paper based water bottles. The bottles are made from 54 percent paper, 32 percent plant-based plastic, four percent aluminum, and four percent protective plastic film. The caps are made from sugar cane. The paper in bottle is derived from sustainably managed forests.

Americans are spending about $250 a month on clothes, shoes and accessories, according to a recent survey by Timberland. But are they spending any of it on eco friendly clothing? The answer is yes. Two out of three (67 percent) of respondents say they care at least a little about eco friendly clothing, with more than half (55 percent) saying at least some of their wardrobe is eco friendly.

Timberland surveyed 1,000 Americans to understand the importance of the environmental impact of their clothing choices. The company compiled what they found in a survey titled 2018 Timberland Wardrobe Values Survey. One surprising find in the survey is that men not only spend more than women on their wardrobe (spending $310 a month on average, compared to $187.20 for women), but they are 52 percent more likely to say they care a lot about eco friendly clothing.

Motivations and materials in shopping for eco friendly clothing

What motivates Americans to by eco friendly clothing? Two in five (41 percent) say they are motivated to buy eco friendly clothing because they feel good when they buy something that helps a cause, and 38 percent say knowing the product minimizes its negative impact on the environment is a motivation. Men are more motivated to buy eco-friendly clothing because they want others to know they care about the environment, and they also say they are more motivated to post their styles on social media.

Men and women agree on the materials they seek out when shopping for eco-friendly clothing. Organic cotton produced in a way that minimizes environmental impact tops the list (47 percent), with renewable materials like bamboo or hemp in second at 34 percent, and recycled PET at 30 percent.

How Americans dispose of unwanted clothes

A staggering amount of unwanted clothes end up in landfills. Eighty-five percent of post-consumer textile waste in the U.S. ends up in landfills. The survey finds that consumers are concerned about how to dispose of their unwanted clothing in eco friendly ways. Donating clothes to charity is the top way that 70 percent of respondents say they get rid of unwanted clothes, while 36 percent say they give clothes to friends or family, and 28 percent choose to recycle them.

Women have an edge on men when it comes to getting rid of clothes in an eco-friendly manner, being 14 percent more likely than men to donate old clothes. Men are 82 percent more likely than women to throw their unwanted clothes away.

Obstacles to buying eco friendly clothing

There are obstacles to purchasing eco friendly clothing. The survey finds that the top factor that respondents cite in preventing them from buying eco-friendly clothing is that they seem more expensive (38 percent), and 33 percent say they do not know “where to find them.” But most are interested as 79 percent say they wish brands and retailers would offer more eco-friendly styles.

Perhaps the survey will motivate more brands to follow the lead of Timberland and start making more eco friendly clothes. The company has a goal of sourcing 100 percent of its cotton from organic, U.S. origin or Better Cotton sources. To date, 81 percent of the cotton it buys comes from those sources. Another goal the company has is to incorporate recycled, organic or renewable materials into its footwear, a goal it has met by 67 percent.

Every year April 22 is set aside as Earth Day. It’s a day to remember that this planet is the one we live on and we need to care for it. Businesses this year have found a myriad of ways to celebrate Earth Day. From a coffee roaster to a company best known for its smartphones and tablets, companies are finding ways this year to help the environment.

Peet’s Coffee supports California state parks

Every year Peet’s Coffee, the California Bay Area coffee company known for superb coffee, celebrated Earth Day by sponsoring the California State Parks Foundation’s annual Earth Day Restoration and Cleanup. Thousands of volunteers gathered throughout California to clear trash and clean graffiti, remove invasive plants and replace them with native species, and other activities. Through the help of of grant funds and volunteers, 40 state parks received support to complete special products and needed maintenance on Earth Day.

Land’s End helps monarch butterflies

The clothing company Land’s End celebrated Earth Day by partnering with Save Our Monarchs Foundation. For nearly two weeks, the company donated $4.50 to the Foundation for every butterfly motif customers embroidered on products. The company also encouraged customers to plant milkweed, a plant critical for the survival of the monarch, by giving them milkweed seed packets. The number of monarch butterflies has dropped 90 percent since 1992. The milkweed plant population has decreased 90 percent.

“Through our work with the Save Our Monarchs Foundation, we hope to raise awareness of this important issue and encourage people to restore monarch butterfly habitats as we are doing on our campus in Wisconsin,” said Jerome Griffith, chief executive officer, Lands' End.

The 17th annual Comcast Cares Day

For 17 years in a row, Comcast has held what it terms Comcast Cares Day. This year, the 17th annual event, more than 10,000 Comcast employees, along with their friends, family and community volunteers, worked at dozens of community service projects in Florida. Some of the projects included cleaning, gardening and painting at local schools, and cleaning beaches at St. Andres State Park in Panama City and Goffinsville Nassau River Park in Fernandina Beach.

“Every year, Comcast employees across Florida, from down in the Florida Keys and up to the Panhandle, come out in full force to give back to our communities on Comcast Cares Day,” said Amy Smith, Regional Senior Vice President of the Comcast Florida Region, in a statement.

Apple encourages customers to recycle their discarded products

Apple is honoring Earth Day by encouraging its customers to recycle their discarded products. For every discarded device a customer turns into an Apple store and apple.com through the Apple GiveBack program through April 30, the company will make a donation to Conservation International.

“In recognition of Earth Day, we are making it as simple as possible for our customers to recycle devices and do something good for the planet through Apple GiveBack,” said Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives.

Are Americans becoming more conscious of water conservation. And if so, is it making them more aware of how much water they use?

The answer to the first question is a resounding yes, according to a survey conducted by Orbit Irrigation Products. More than half of Americans polled (56 percent) said they are more water conscious because of drought. Yet nearly half of them (44 percent) think the government should not place limits on residential water use.

Orbit Irrigation Products polled 1,005 people over 18 years old in the U.S., with 491 of in California. Those polled who lived through California’s five-year drought became very aware of water use. A majority of Californians (81 percent) claim the drought changed their behavior toward water conservation. However, 42 percent of all those polled do not understand how their water bill is calculated, and 43 percent do not know how much they spend on water use.

Water conservation is on the minds of Californians. More than half of them said they think about it at least daily. And a majority of them (84 percent) turn off the water when they brush their teeth. However, only 57 percent of them do it to conserve water.

Americans are clearly not aware of the amount of water they use, as the survey results shows. Only seven percent of Americans surveyed said they own a smart sprinkler timer, and 38 percent do not see the need for one. 

Nearly half of Americans average a shower time between six to 10 minutes, and almost 70 percent claim they know how long they should water their lawn. But the survey also found that 77 percent believe that they use anywhere between one to 250 gallons of water per quarter acre. Watering a quarter acre lawn takes about 1,400 gallons of water on average.

“The findings show a mutual interest in our mission to provide valuable water-efficient products,” said Mitch Lord, executive vice president at Orbit, in a statement. “Sharing this study pushes the public to reconsider how they are using water, and to look into ways to conserve it.”

Americans need to let experiences with drought teach them to be aware of water use

There are currently areas in drought in the U.S. The U.S. Drought Monitor shows that a small swath of Southern California is in extreme drought, while parts of it are in severe and moderate drought. Other parts of the state are abnormally dry, while other parts of the country are in drought including Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado.

It is time for Americans to realize that water conservation means knowing how much water you use. The experiences many of us have had with drought should make us more aware of our water use. As Lord said, “As a nation we've experienced multiple droughts in various regions,” said Lord.

Indeed we have and we need to learn from those experiences.

Brewing craft beer creates much waste--from wastewater to nitrile gloves. And shrinking its waste footprint is important to Chico, California based Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. It has an onsite wastewater treatment and composting facilities.

The company also diverts thousands of pounds of nitrile gloves from its manufacturing waste stream with the Kimberly-Clark Professional’s RightCycle Program. It has diverted more than 6,800 pounds of gloves since 2016. That is equivalent to the weight of more than 450 bowling balls.

The RightCycle Program launched in 2011, and since then, more than 500 tons of landfill waste has been diverted. Used nitrile gloves and single-use apparel sent to recyclers are turned into plastic pellets that are used to manufacture consumer goods such as flower pots, totes and storage bins.

“What's cool about Kimberly-Clark and The RightCycle Program is they were the first to focus on this material,” said Mandi McKay, sustainability coordinator for Sierra Nevada's Chico headquarters, in a statement. “Nitrile gloves are not easily recycled. They can't be comingled with other items. It has to be its own process.”

The craft brewer diverts most of its solid waste from landfills

Sierra Nevada diverts 99.8 percent of solid waste from landfills through reusing, recycling and composting. The company’s zero waste program encourages reusing and recycling office paper, shrink wrap and scrap metal. Its Chico brewery achieved Platinum Zero Waste certification from the US Zero Waste Business Council in 2013, the first facility to do so. Its Mills River brewery also achieved Platinum Zero Waste certification in 2016.

About 150,000 pounds of malted barley and 4,000 pounds of hops are used daily by the craft brewer. The waste from the ingredients used to craft its beer are sent local cattle and dairy farms to be used as feed. The company’s Chico brewery has the first HotRot composting system in the U.S. Installed in 2010, the composting system has turned more than 5,000 tons of organic waste from its brewery and restaurant into compost that it used on its Estate hop field, barley field and garden.

Packaging is another area where vast amounts of waste is created. Not all packaging materials are recyclable, but craft brewers are fortunate in that aluminum cans and bottles are easily recycled. Sierra Nevada goes a step further by sourcing packaging with the highest amount of recycled content.

McDonald’s has begun to phase out plastic straws from its 1,300 restaurants in the U.K. The fast food giant told Sky News it is “really close” to having all of its packaging be recyclable. The company will begin a trial run of paper straws in May, and will start keeping straws behind the counter where they will be given to customers only when asked.

“Customers have told us that they don't want to be given a straw and that they want to have to ask for one, so we're acting on that,” said Paul Pomroy, McDonald’s chief executive told Sky News. “Straws are one of those things that people feel passionately about, and rightly so, and we're moving those straws behind the front counter.”

Pomroy added that the “other thing we're looking to do is to move to recycled paper on the straws and biodegradable paper straws and that test, I'm really proud to say, will start next month.”

Plastic straws are among the 10 types of marine debris most commonly found in oceans and on beaches. Plastic debris kills marine life who mistake it for food. Plastic straws are rarely recycled as most are just too small to go through a mechanical recycling sorter, according to For a Strawless Ocean. Billions of pounds of plastic are floating around in the world’s oceans where they make up about 40 percent of ocean surfaces.

Say No to Plastic Straws

Imagine if McDonald’s began to phase out plastic straws in the U.S. Americans use 500 million straws daily. That staggering amount is enough to fill up over 127 school buses a day, or more than 46,400 school buses a year. It averages out to 1.6 straws per person a day. 

We do not have to wait for McDonald’s and other businesses to ditch plastic straws. We can stop using them whenever we go to restaurants, Starbucks and wherever else they are offered. Take the first step by signing the No Straws Please pledge.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is known for sourcing better ingredients for the food it serves its customers. It can also now be known for waste to landfill diversion. The fast food chain recently announced its goal of diverting half of its restaurant waste by 2020.

Caitlin Leibert, head of sustainability at Chipotle, admits in a statement that increasing its waste diversion rate to 50 percent “is an ambitious goal.” But she adds that the company feels “it's important to be assertive in our efforts to advance our purpose.”

Chipotle is already working to reduce the waste its restaurants send to landfill. The company’s diversion rate in 2017 was 40 percent, up from 31 percent in 2015. It had composted in 223 of its 2,250 restaurants by the end of 2016, about 10 percent, according to 2016 sustainability report, the latest one published. The same year, the company donated 486,471 pounds of food to local community organizations who provide food for those in need.

The company donated enough food for en estimated 7,188,145 meals throughout the U.S. through its participation in its Harvest Program, a food donation initiative, from 2007 to 2016. Chipotle aims to get 80 percent of its restaurants participating in the Harvest Program by 2020.

Chipotle’s Mindful Prep initiative trains restaurant staff on minimizing food waste during preparation. The company sites an example of how Mindful Prep works in its 2016 sustainability report. Looking at the amount of key ingredients used in 2015 versus in 2014, Chipotle established a baseline to move forward, using years that didn’t have major data anomalies. By comparing September 2015 to September 2014, the company saved an estimated three percent of the total avocados purchased, five percent of limes, 15 percent of red onions, and 20 percent of bell peppers.

Part of achieving its goal of reducing restaurant waste sent to landfill by 50 percent is setting targets. One of those is committing to increasing the availability of composting in its restaurants to 20 percent by 2020. Another target is ensuring 100 percent of its restaurants are recycling by 2020.

All waste is a problem, but food waste is a big problem. Food waste in the U.S. is estimated to be between 30 to 40 percent of all the food supply. Food that is wasted ends up in landfills where it emits methane, a greenhouse gas with a warming potential 23 times that of carbon. As more companies like Chipotle start tackling food waste, the overall rate of food sent to landfills can be reduced. That will be good for the planet and its inhabitants.

Today, April 10 is International Equal Pay Day. And in honor of the day, Arjuna Capital and Proxy Impact released their gender pay scorecard.

The scorecard, the first edition of a new annual scorecard, ranks 33 or the world’s largest financial, technology, and retail companies on their gender pay disclosures, performance and commitments. The scorecard looks at the performance and commitments of the companies ranked in five categories: equal pay, median pay gap, racial pay gap, coverage, and commitment.

Some companies earned the highest grade, including Apple, Nike, Starbucks, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan. Other companies like Facebook, Goldman Sachs and Walmart are among the 11 companies with the worst grade.

There is a bit of great news. Five companies reported they have 100 percent equal pay, including Apple, Intel, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Starbucks. Thirteen of the 33 companies  report gender pay gap percentages of 99 percent to 99.9 percent.

“The Gender Pay Scorecard shows that some of the biggest and best known companies in the world are still behind the curve on equal pay,” said Natasha Lamb, managing partner, Arjuna Capital, in a statement. “It’s not enough to pay lip service to pay equity, to simply say that women are paid fairly, investors expect meaningful disclosures and goals to close the gender pay gap.”

“We feel strongly that the continued growth of the gender pay gap shareholder campaign, combined with the new annual scorecard identifying industry leaders and laggards, will help improve corporate disclosure and practices, advancing the goal of equal pay for equal work,” said Michael Passoff, CEO, Proxy Impact.

Disclosing gender pay gaps, ethnic/racial pay gaps, and reporting globally

More companies will start disclosing gender pay gaps. Four companies committed to publishing their pay gap numbers by the end of of 2018. Fourteen companies committed to annual disclosures, and American Express and Reinsurance Group of America committed to ongoing disclosure instead of annual.

The gender pay gap is wider for African American and Latina women, with gaps of 62 percent and 55 percent. Thirteen companies committed to reporting their racial and ethnic pay gaps.

While some companies report on the operations within their country of origin, they are multi-national. No companies have disclosed their global median gender pay gaps, but 14 companies have a goal to report globally.

A look at the technology industry

The tech industry was “the first area of investor focus regarding gender pay inequity, starting with eBay in 2014/2015,” the scorecard notes. It’s a tech company that tops the scorecard list. Apple reports 100 percent equal and racial adjusted pay equity. However, the company received a subcategory score of zero for lack of a global median pay gap disclosure.

Some tech companies are among the bottom of the scorecard. Facebook, Oracle, and Hewlett Packard all received the lowest score for lacking quantitative reporting, commitments, and global coverage. Facebook and HP are below average on median hourly pay. All three companies are below average on the U.K. bonus metric.

Taking the first step

A well known Chinese proverbs says that a journey of a 1,000 miles begins with the first step. The scorecard recommends that companies take a first step and analyze their current pay structures to see if a gender pay gap exists. And if one does, create a plan to close it. Or as the scorecard declares, “Transparently addressing the gender pay gap is essential to achieve equal pay and move more women into positions of leadership.”

Considering that women represent 50 percent of the population, it’s time for them to receive equal pay. And it’s time for companies to take that first step to make it happen.

New Mexico’s unemployment rate in 2017 was the highest in the U.S. at 6.7 percent. The current unemployment rate is 6.1 percent, but when underemployed and marginally attached workers are factored in, the unemployment rate is 11.3 percent. It is among the highest in the country.

New Mexico has relied on revenue from the oil and gas industry and employment by the federal government, which has stifled its economic growth. Diversifying the state economy and encouraging manufacturing jobs could expand employment opportunities for people in New Mexico while stimulating economic growth, according to a new report. While the state currently ranks 49th in manufacturing as a total share of employment (3.2 percent), the solar industry represents a chance to greatly increase that share.

American Jobs Project conducted extensive research and over 60 interviews with experts and stakeholders in New Mexico. And what they found is that the advanced solar manufacturingindustry can create good manufacturing jobs and be an economic driver in the state. The advanced solar industry could support over 6,800 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in New Mexico a year through 2030, which more than doubles the present jobs from the solar industry. “New Mexico is poised to capture a growing segment of the solar market by becoming a leading producer of advanced solar technologies,” the report states.

“New Mexico has a unique opportunity to expand its small manufacturing sector and diversify its economy through advanced solar, putting thousands of people to work and stimulating local economies,” said Jeff Mitchell, director of the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research in a statement.

The advanced solar manufacturing industry is projected to increase 16.8 percent a year until 2030. Advanced solar manufacturing is already supported by 15 New Mexico manufacturers. Expanding it would diversify the state’s economy and strengthen its solar power market. And the state already has what it needs to leverage the opportunities. It has has three national labs and three research universities that can be used for innovative research and technology transfer.

Leveraging the opportunities from the advanced solar manufacturing industry is gain for the people of New Mexico and the planet.

There is a 7.2 percent gender pay gap in the insurance industry despite the fact that the percentage of women in insurance occupations ranges from 46.5 percent of sales agents to 85 percent of claims and policy processing clerks. One company is doing something to change things.

Arjuna Capital, an investment firm focused on sustainable and impact investing, introduced  proposals last year asking companies to commit to disclose their gender pay gap to shareholders by the end of 2018. Eight leading financial companies have agreed to take steps to eradicate gender pay inequity in response to Arjuna’s proposals.

Reinsurance Group of America is the eighth company to do so since January 15, and the first to commit to 100 percent gender pay equity in response to the proposals. Arjuna withdrew the proposal on March 29 as a result. “We withdrew the proposal as the company has committed to analyze and disclose to its employees and on its corporate website by the end of 2018, the company’s gender pay gap,” Arjuna stated in a letter to RGA.

RGA committed to both analyzing and disclosing its gender pay gap on its corporate website and to its employees by the end of 2018. It will begin in the U.S. and countries that represent 83 percent of its employee base. It has committed to disclose its gender pay gap globally over time.

"The RGA agreement represents a meaningful first step toward gender pay equity in the insurance industry,” said Natasha Lamb, managing partner, Arjuna Capital, in a statement. “By committing to best practice disclosure and 100% gender pay equity, Reinsurance Group has now set the bar for an industry that has struggled with an outsized gender pay gap.”

Citigroup became the first U.S. bank to disclose its gender and racial pay gap with an internal announcement and salary adjustments. Bank of America then became the second U.S. bank to address shareholder concerns on gender pay equity on January 25. Wells Fargo and Bank of New York Mellon made similar announcements in early February. J.P. Morgan also agreed in February to address gender pay equity.

Credit card companies are also responding to Arjuna’s proposals. Mastercard published an announcement in February, and American Express committed to fully disclosing its gender pay gap and to take actions to adjust salaries by the end of 2018.

“Transparent accounting of pay disparities is a necessary first step toward eliminating the structural barriers women face in the workplace, but it is not sufficient,” Lamb said. “The larger goal is moving more women into leadership, and realizing the performance benefits such diversity affords.”

Six of the originally targeted financial institutions (Bank of America, Mastercard, American Express, JP Morgan, Wells Fargo and Citi) rejected Arjuna proposals in 2016 that asked for detailed reports on the gender percentage pay gap. The big difference between 2016 and 2018 is the #MeToo movement. Courageous women speaking out about sexual harrassment and assault have paved the way for those fighting gender pay inequity.

Chick-fil-A is known for its chicken sandwiches and being closed on Sundays. It currently ranks seventh for sales in the U.S. among fast food chains. In the next two year it is poised to become the third-largest fast food chain, Buzz Feed reports. That would put it behind McDonald’s and Starbucks and ahead of Taco Bell.

Chick-fil-A has made strides when it comes to sustainability, from animal welfare to the coffee it serves. It has Animal Wellbeing Standards for chickens. Under the Standards, Chickens must be raised and harvested in the U.S. in climate-controlled barns, where they are cage-free and free to roam. They are protected from bad weather, and have full access to feed and water, plus raised with proper nutrition.

All Chick-fil-A suppliers will be required to source chicken raised with no antibiotics ever by December 31, 2019. It is working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to verify that its suppliers are meeting its antibiotics commitment. The company already sources smaller breeds of chicken, which are typically healthier birds. The suppliers are subject to verification and regular, third-party audits. The company also has an Animal Wellbeing Council with outside experts, including a veterinarian, to give feedback on its policies and practices.

The fast food chain partners with THRIVE Farmers Coffee, which helps coffee farmers have a better life. The farmers plant and harvest the coffee, but also stay involved in the milling, drying and exporting processes. Those are areas where other people had taken over and experienced the rewards. By using the THRIVE Farmers model, coffee farmers in Concepcion Pinula, Guatemala have earned over $100,000 more revenue than they would have by selling coffee to local brokers.

About 30 to 40 percent of all food produced in the U.S. is wasted. Chick-fil-A fights food waste with efficient cooking methods that reduce or eliminate the amount of food that is unserved, which includes cooking chicken throughout the day and preparing salads frequently. Many of its restaurants participate in the Chick-fil-A Shared Table program, where surplus food is donated to soup kitchens and shelters.

Less than a quarter of the 230 million tons of trash generated every year in the U.S. is recycled. One car company wants to help change that statistic. Subaru of America has a new partnership with TerraCycle to divert waste that is hard to recycle from landfills and incinerators. The partnership is part of the car company’s environmental initiative, Subaru Loves the Earth

Participating Subaru retailers will have TerraCycle Zero Waste boxes, starting in April, which encourage both customers and employers to recycle waste that is typically thought of as hard to recycle. The types of hard to recycle items include snack wrappers/bags, disposable cups and lids, and coffee and tea capsules. Subaru will share tips on limiting waste in everyday life through a list of “Trash-Hacks.”

The waste that is collected will be turned into recycled products such as benches, picnic tables, and playground materials, which will be donated to over 540 local retailers that participate in the initiative. Subaru retailers will be able to view and order products starting in fall 2018 made from recycled materials through the company’s exclusive product line, produced  with TerraCycle.

“At Subaru, we feel it's our personal responsibility to protect Earth's natural wonders and encourage our retailers and customers to engage in smart environmental practices, simply because it's the right thing to do,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO of Subaru of America, in a statement. “Through Subaru Loves the Earth, we are honored to partner with TerraCycle® to empower local communities nationwide to think about recycling in new and meaningful ways."

Subaru of America partners with Recycle Across America to reduce landfill waste in national parks

The new partnership builds on other partnerships. Subaru of America began an initiative in 2017 to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill generated by visitors in national parks. The initiative included a partnership with Recycle Across America to standardize labels in national parks. The goal of the initiative is to decrease landfill waste from national parks by encouraging visitors to recycle, and replacing conflicting signs and messaging with the RAA system.

The Grand Teton National Park was one of the parks that participated in the initiative. As part of the participating in the composting pilot program, food waste was collected from seven collection sites within the park. The collected food waste was transported a composting facility in West Yellowstone, Montana where it was made available to the public, used in mine reclamation and in excavation and road projects within Yellowstone National Park. The total amount of food waste composted at Grand Teton National Park was 73.3 tons (146,620 pounds), with an average of 3.3 tons a week (6,663 pounds).

Water is a precious commodity. California endured five years of historic drought, which ended last year. Other areas around the world are dealing with water scarcity. Water management is an area that represents tremendous risks and opportunities for business.

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) makes the case for business action on water in its recently released CEO Guide to Water. The foreword to the guide is signed by executives from Olam, Diageo, Firmenich, Nestlé, PepsiCo and Veolia.

“Water should be a priority in the boardroom of every company in the world”, said the seven executives. “Water is central to the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals. We encourage (every business leader) to show leadership and become a sound water steward by stepping up to one of the most pressing sustainability challenges we face.”

Water scarcity will affect the world

The guide points out how water scarcity will affect the world. Demand for water will increase by 40 to 50 percent for the global food system, by 50 to 70 percent for the municipal and industrial sector, and by 85 percent for the energy sector. The world will face a 40 percent water supply gap by 2030 if water challenges are not met. Inadequate access to water and sanitation costs the world economy $323 billion a year.

Agriculture globally uses 70 percent of available water, and if agricultural water efficiency is not improved, efforts to manage water by government and industry will not be sufficient. A Trucost study last year found that if the full costs of water quality and availability impairment had to be absorbed, it would amount to an average decrease in profits of 44 percent and 116 percent for food and beverage companies.  

How companies respond to water scarcity

The guide highlights how some companies are practicing better water management. General Motors responded to drought in Brazil where water costs increased by over $2 million in 2018 and increased electricity costs by almost $6 million due to reduced hydropower availability. The U.S. car company increased water conservation efforts and energy efficiency measures.

A case study within the guide highlights how companies responded to declining water availability and rising water costs on Australia’s west coast. ENGIE, a French multinational electric utility company, and BP implemented programs and activities to reduce water use. Industrial users and the local regulator worked with the Water Corporation and Government of Western Australia to develop another water source. Out of the collaboration the Kwinana Water Reclamation Project (KWRP) began. Switching to recycled water saved costs. It saved one company $1.5 million.

Closing the gap between supply and demand

McKinsey and Company estimates that closing the gap between supply and demand through improving water productivity in sectors and regions globally will cost $50 to $60 billion a year over the next two decades. About half of the spending will come from private-sector companies, with government accounting for the rest. In three years, many of the investments will result in positive returns.

Companies will need to find solutions to be more efficient with water use. Many of the solutions will come from new products and services being developed today, according to McKinsey and Company.

Can a fast food company practice environmental sustainability? McDonald’s surely thinks it is possible. Gone are the days when the company that sells Big Macs fought environmental groups. That’s the 1980s version of the golden arches.

McDonald’s is focusing on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the fast food giant is to reduce GHG emissions related to its restaurants and offices by 36 percent by 2030 from a 2015 base year.

The company also commits to reducing its emissions intensity across its supply chain by 31 percent by 2030 from 2015 levels. It is a target approved by Science Based Targets initiative, which is a collaboration between World Resources Institute, World Wildlife Fund, CDP and the United Nations Global Compact.

McDonald’s projects that its actions will prevent 150 million metric tons of GHG emissions from being released by 2030. That equals removing 32 million passenger cars from the road for a year or planting 3.8 billion trees and growing them for 10 years.

“To create a better future for our planet, we must all get involved. McDonald’s is doing its part by setting this ambitious goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address the challenge of global climate change,” said Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s President and CEO in a statement. 

Focusing on beef production and packaging and waste

McDonald’s will focus its actions on the areas that account for about 64 percent of its global emissions: beef production, restaurant energy usage and sourcing, packaging and waste. In 2017, the company released its 2020 goals for beef sustainability which provided steps to collaborate with beef producers and industry partners.

One of its beef sustainability goals is to use its Flagship Farmers program to select and showcase its most progressive suppliers. The Flagship Farmers program both enables and encourages farmers to share with each other sustainable practices and experiences implementing the practices. By the end of 2017, three of its top 10 beef sourcing countries had recognized one or more beef producers as Flagship farmers. The other seven countries will start recognizing Flagship Farmers in 2018.

Another beef sustainability goal is verifying that the beef sourced from regions with deforestation risks comes from farms where primary forests and high conservation value lands are preserved. The first step McDonald’s has taken to meet the goal is identifying the list of countries it sources beef from that have a high deforestation risk. It is working with those countries and its suppliers.

McDonald’s launched new packaging and recycling goals in 2018. One of those goals is sourcing all of its food packaging from renewable, recycled or certified sources by 2025. It’s a goal it has to date met by 50 percent. The company also set a 2020 target for all of its fiber-based packaging to come from recycled or certified sources where deforestation does not occur, which it has met by 64 percent. All foam will be eliminated by the end of 2018. 

The clothing industry creates a tremendous amount of waste and most of it ends up in landfills. Although the U.S. generates about 25 billion pounds of textile waste a year, around 82 pounds per person, only 15 percent gets donated recycled.

One clothing manufacturer is tackling its waste. Hanes Brand diverted 84 percent of its supply chain waste from landfills. Its 2020 goal is to achieve zero waste to landfill. The company that bills itself the world’s largest marketer of basic apparel recycled over 118 million pounds of fabric-cut parts, corrugate, plastic and other materials.

Beyond waste reduction, Hanes is reducing its environmental impact in other ways. From 2017 to 2016, the company reduced carbon emissions by 15 percent, energy use by six percent, water use by seven percent and increased use of renewable energy by seven percent from 2016.

The company is on track to meet its 2020 environmentally sustainability goals, which include reducing carbon emissions by percent 40 percent, energy use by 40 percent and water use by 50 percent. The company has managed to reduce carbon emissions by 28 percent, energy use by 28 percent, and water use by 30 percent. Hanes has pledged to secure at least 40 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and achieved 33 percent in 2017.

“These across-the-board improvements indicate our strong commitment to create a more efficient and energy-conscious organization for both the areas where we do business and the larger worldwide community,” said Michael E. Faircloth, group president, global supply chain, information technology and e-commerce for HanesBrands, in a statement.

Renewable energy and energy management play a key role

Hanes uses biomass, hydropower and geothermal energy to make much of its t-shirts and underwear in the Western Hemisphere. Using those renewable sources helps the company not use coal and oil to power its facilities.

The company owns and operates two biomass facilities. In the Dominican Republic it uses a process steam biomass boiler at its textile facility. In El Salvador its uses a biomass-fueled  combined heat and power system connected to its textile and sock plants.

The system in El Salvador began use in July 2015 and it is expected to meet 100 percent of the site’s process steam needs and 45 percent of its electrical demand. The remaining 55 percent of the site’s energy needs are bought from a geothermal generator. The company expects the El Salvador biomass facility to lead to a five percent reduction in its total greenhouse gas emissions, comparable to taking nearly 7,000 cars off the road.

Hanes has an energy-management program that resulted in 21 percent less energy use per pound of apparel manufactured in 2017 compared to 2007. Twenty-five of its manufacturing facilities earned awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Challenge for Industry for reducing energy use by over 10 percent in five years.