Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

World’s Shortest Supply Chain? Belgian Supermarket Tries Farm-to-Table Growing on Its Own Roof

July 5, 2018

Trying to create the shortest supply chain possible, a supermarket in Brussels is selling produce grown on its own roof only hours after being harvested.

Where 3 Million Electric Vehicle Batteries Will Go When They Retire

July 5, 2018

Bloomberg

The first batches of batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles are hitting retirement age, yet they aren’t bound for landfills. Instead, they’ll spend their golden years chilling beer at 7-Elevens in Japan, powering car-charging stations in California and storing energy for homes and grids in Europe.

Australian States and Retail Chains Ban Single-Use Plastic Bags

July 3, 2018

NPR

To cut down on waste from single-use plastic bags, some of Australia's largest retailers are banning them.

Target, Tesco and CVS to Require Environmental Impact Data From Suppliers

July 2, 2018

Environmental Leader

Target, Tesco and CVS Health have joined Walmart in an agreement to collect data from suppliers, through non-profit CDP, regarding their overall environmental footprint.

Amazon, H&M and Other Multinationals Are Pressing to Soften Indian State's Plastic Ban

June 29, 2018

Reuters

Multinational companies like Amazon Inc and H&M are lobbying to soften a ban against single-use plastic imposed by an Indian state last week, according to four sources familiar with the matter.

GE Bets Big on Future Demand for Natural Gas

June 28, 2018

Forbes

John Flannery’s breakup plan will trim General Electric down to three businesses, all of which are built around the manufacture and sale of equipment that shares the common theme of spinning around and making electricity.

A.I. for Compliance: An ‘Artificial’ Answer to a Very Real Problem

June 25, 2018

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

When it comes right down to it, are all these corporate scandals the result of a lack of intelligence? Specifically, of the artificial variety?

China Just Handed the World a 111-Million-Ton Trash Problem

June 22, 2018

Bloomberg

Few people consider used plastic to be a valuable global commodity. Yet China has imported 106 million tons of old bags, bottles, wrappers and containers worth $57.6bn since 1992, the first year it disclosed data. So when the country announced last year that it finally had enough of everybody else's junk, governments the world over knew they had a problem. They just didn’t know exactly how large it was.

Dell Pilot Program Tracks Old Electronics to See Where They Actually End Up

June 21, 2018

Environmental Leader

Dell is tracking where its products end up after they are collected — via the company’s U.S. consumer takeback program.

UPS to Spend $130M on New Natural Gas Vehicles, Fueling Stations

June 20, 2018

Reuters

Package delivery company UPS on Tuesday said it will invest $130m to buy 730 compressed natural gas vehicles and build five more domestic CNG fueling stations as the industry moves to shift from petroleum-burning vehicles to those that use less-polluting alternative fuels.

Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

The latest news, analysis, trends and solutions for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their impact on supply chain management. New customer expectations for green and ethical products and practices are transforming the way companies do business — and requiring more supply chain transparency than ever before. As solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are leveraging sustainability and CSR to stay ahead of the competition in their industries.