Responsible Production & the Circular Economy

Nespresso has announced a collaboration with Australia Post that will significantly extend the reach of its recycling program, particularly for those living in rural areas. By using a special post satchel, consumers can now mail their used aluminium capsules back to Nespresso through the post back program.

General Motors has recently teamed up with the White House in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Air Force and the Army, and the Environmental Protection Agency to engage key stakeholders that can lead the expansion of EV charging infrastructure.

Fresh water is the world’s most precious natural resource. Water is critical for survival and to the production of the food we consume and products we use every day, but increasing demand is putting unprecedented pressure on the world’s limited supplies.

We are on the verge of a new era of regenerative manufacturing. Companies like Bureo, Owens Corning and Humanscale are using the framework of the Living Product Challenge to redefine sustainable products.

In just the last few years, there has been a positive trend of leading global brands such as Walmart, Target and Nike that have made visible commitments to both chemical transparency and cutting down hazardous chemicals along their supply chains. Furthermore, many brands are starting to collaborate with NGOs and other industry experts to create momentum around achieving transparency goals.

Advances in technology, connectivity and software have made an increasing number of tools available to improve utility performance. The Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) deployments of the past decade demonstrate there is tremendous value to be found in the data generated across utility service networks.

Recent years have shown us, through economic uncertainty and growing inequality, that our current systems are far from perfect. With a clearer picture of the challenges of the next few decades evolving, and an emergent global movement for delivering shared goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we need to both address the instabilities of our current systems and re-engineer them to deliver better sustainable lives for humanity as a whole.

On August 25th, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a 56-page report on findings regarding the 2015 reporting year SEC Conflict Minerals Rule filings. This year, over 1200 publicly-traded companies were required by Dodd Frank Act Section 1502 (Conflict Minerals Rule) to file annual specialized disclosure forms and conflict minerals reports. The title of the report released by the GAO is “SEC Conflict Minerals Rule: Companies Face Continuing Challenges in Determining Whether Their Conflict Minerals Benefit Armed Groups.”

This is the third blog in an ongoing series examining how colleges and universities can understand and address the expectations of Generation Z college students. We’ll explore some of the most significant issues, including academic interests, housing expectations, ideological tendencies, dining preferences, and spending habits. The goal is to provide valuable insights that can help guide campus decision-makers in creating an environment that supports student success, well-being, satisfaction, and achievement.

Managing our solid waste and finding ways to minimize it remains a focus at all Sappi’s North American mills.