Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

Have you heard the story of Kaldi the goat herder and his frolicking herd? The famous Ethiopian legend tells the story of Kaldi who noticed how excited his sheep became after eating fruit from a certain tree. Curious, Kaldi tried the fruit. Soon he was bursting with energy. After watching the odd behavior of Kaldi and his herd, a monk took some of this strange cherry fruit back to his monastery where monks spent the night awake and alert. Kaldi is often credited as the first person to discover coffee.

On Wednesday, October 11, the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) will host a first-of-its-kind recycler roundtable in Chicago as part of the Paper & Plastics Recycling Conference. The half day workshop will provide recyclers with the opportunity to learn about healthcare plastics, including resin types, forms, potential volumes and end markets.

Each year, about two-thirds of our revenue is spent on materials and services needed to make our products. Whenever possible, we source from local suppliers near our facilities. This helps us shorten our supply chain and reduce risk. Proximity allows us to know our suppliers and ensure they produce our materials and render services responsibly, in addition to strengthening the local economy.

Congress is back from its August recess and will debate budget appropriations for fiscal year 2018 in the coming months. Thankfully, both the Senate and House Appropriations committees have approved maintaining funding for the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency that runs AmeriCorps and Senior Corps, and funds other national service programs. At Timberland, we believe strongly in the power of service, and we applaud this bipartisan support for national service.

Our pulp and paper products are derived from renewable resources, made with high levels of renewable energy, and are designed to be reused or recycled. While it is difficult to identify a more sustainable industry than forest products, not all companies perform equally when it comes to operating safely and sustainably. We track our progress annually and offer an updated view of our performance in important areas of environmental and social responsibility.

Cargill has published an update to its sustainable cocoa sourcing strategy to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and include efforts to eliminate deforestation by 2030.

A recently published report, coordinated by the Government of Indonesia’s Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education, concluded that Newmont’s former Mesel gold mine in North Sulawesi, Indonesia – which ceased production in 2004 – responsibly managed tailings disposal at the operation.

While in Detroit for Sustainable Brands, CR Magazine spoke with Ron Voglewede, Global Sustainability Director, Whirlpool Corporation. Ron is also on the Board of Directors at the Alliance for Water Efficiency.

American Express has long advocated for historic preservation and small businesses, engaging the public in activities that help commercial corridors thrive.

Today, 36 institutional investors with over $813 billion in assets and a network of major businesses with over $400 billion in revenue, called on the Trump administration to not weaken the current light-duty vehicle fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions standards. The ask comes in the form of a Washington D.C.-focused ad blitz as well as letters to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.