Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility

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

June 22, 2018

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.

McDonald’s to Switch to Paper Straws in Britain as Country Turns Against Plastic

June 19, 2018

The New York Times

The queen has backed efforts to curb the use of plastics. The Church of England has encouraged a similar push. The British government plans to legislate to require it.

Global Circular Fashion Initiatives Receive $1.5M in Funding

June 19, 2018

Environmental Leader

C&A Foundation announced $1.5m in funding for five circular fashion initiatives worldwide to bridge the gap in implementing circular business models throughout the global apparel value chain.

Green Energy Storage: Siemens Pilots the Use of Ammonia

June 19, 2018

The Guardian

A chemical compound commonly used to boost crop yields could be the answer to helping the world increase its consumption of renewable energy.

Samsung Joins Global Pledge to Increase Renewable Energy Use

June 15, 2018

The Washington Post

Samsung Electronics Co., the world’s biggest smartphone maker, joined on Thursday a growing list of companies that are promising to increase their use of solar and other renewable energy to help curb global warming.

Unethically Mined Cobalt Haunts Companies’ Supply Chains

June 13, 2018

Environmental Leader

Cobalt, a chemical element crucial for making lithium-ion batteries, continues to be mined using child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With the DRC producing two-thirds of the world’s cobalt and demand expected to increase, companies are struggling to clean up their supply chains, CNN reported.

Free Power From Freeways? China Is Testing Roads Paved With Solar Panels

June 13, 2018

The New York Times

On a smoggy afternoon in Jinan, China, huge log carriers and oil tankers thundered down a highway and hurtled around a curve at the bottom of a hill. Only a single, unreinforced guardrail stood between the traffic and a ravine.

One Day, Your Car Could Run on Fumes — From Power Plants

June 12, 2018

Industryweek

A Canadian startup is testing a system that sucks carbon dioxide from the air and converts it into fuel for cars and other vehicles.

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.