Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

An extraordinary boom in photovoltaic installations made 2017 a record year for China’s investment in clean energy. This over-shadowed changes elsewhere, including jumps in investment in Australia and Mexico, and declines in Japan, the U.K. and Germany.

Tetra Pak pledges to support the European Commission’s Plastics Strategy, announced today as part of the EU Action Plan for a Circular Economy.

Dr. Mark Freudenberger, director of the Land Tenure and Property Rights sector for Tetra Tech International Development Services, examines how the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is strengthening the capacity of Central African Republic (CAR) government institutions to reduce long-standing tensions and conflicts in diamond mining areas such as Berberati. All opinions expressed in this post are the author’s own.

Albertsons’ private-label organic brand, O Organics, has reached $1 billion in sales. The chain has announced its plans to introduce approximately 500 new products to the 1,000-plus item line this year. The brand already encompasses selections in several categories including fresh produce, eggs, milk, milk alternatives, yogurt, meats, bread, coffee, snacks, and baby food. The organic brand is known for its competitive prices within the organic market.

A number of US retailers, including Ahold Delhaize, Albertsons and Target, have joined with global food manufacturers such as Kellogg and Kraft Heinz to form the North American Sustainable Palm Oil Network (NASPON). The aim of the group is to educate and assist North American companies in making and delivering on commitments to source sustainable palm oil.

The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo won six “Stella Awards” for 2017 including the top honor of “Best Hotel/Resort” overall in the Far West region. As we remain committed to our planet to pursue a sustainable lifestyle at all of our properties, outstanding efforts in Green Meetings were also recognized with the “Best Green Initiative” award.

In this issue: World Agroforestry Centre's scientists presented their research findings on the impact of agriculture on climate at COP23; Tony Bartlett discusses the effects agroforestry has had on Northwest Viet Nam; and ICRAF works with Indonesian farmers to cultivate sandalwood as part of the Indonesia Rural Economic Development project. Plus, upcoming events, new videos and publications, and more.

The days of the linear economy are numbered. Businesses the world over are finding innovation and growth by striking out in a circular direction. More than simply doing “less bad,” we are seeing the advent of regenerative practices and net positive solutions – and that gives me hope.

The Circular Collection by Bayou with Love, a jewelry line made from gold recovered from computer motherboards collected through Dell’s recycling programs. The collaboration brings visibility to the importance and value of recycling and sustainable design. It also supports Dell’s Legacy of Good goals to collect 2 billion pounds of e-waste and recycle 100 million pounds of recycled content into its product portfolio by 2020. The gold reclamation process created by Dell partner, Wistron GreenTech, has a 99% lower environmental impact than traditionally mined gold. In addition to the jewelry collection, the reclamation process is used on an industry first pilot to reuse gold from e-waste in millions of new computer motherboards including the Latitude 5285 2-in-1.

Last year, as Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI) conducted a strategic review as part of its leadership transition, we found ourselves asking the same questions that were being asked across the country, on both sides of the political aisle. At the heart of those questions was the recognition that our economy is not working for everyone. And a major takeaway was that rural regions, gateway cities, and the people who live there were being left behind.