sharegreen - Retail

Staples Canada – Making Eco…Easy

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

Staples Canada

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Challenge:

Our goal/challenge was internal and external recognition of Eco Easy as our commitment to the environment. It was to be our mantra, and more importantly, it was to make our commitments easy to understand, easy to see, easy to participate in, and easy to measure.

We needed to define what environment meant to Staples in Canada. The definition needed to form the foundation of an action plan and it needed to be something that would resonate with our customers and associates. We needed to understand what moves us to be better and to do better. Executive commitment to this initiative was critical if we wanted to make a noticeable difference on a national scale.

We needed establish a cross functional group that could meet and discuss current initiatives, legislation, potential program ideas and who had the ability to implement change. We needed to communicate clearly, frequently, and in the appropriate format internally and externally. We need to look at what physical space we allocated to programs, what tools we provided to make execution or participation easy. Consistency in our communication was imperative as was the constant connection to the brand eco easy.

We needed to understand the complexities of what we were trying to accomplish and to stay focused on what we could change and how we could motivate change through education and also by connecting environmental sustainability with financial sustainability. We needed to be open to working with partners, consultants, government, NGOs, and ENGOs to build viable programs.

Strategy:

Committee

In early 2009, a cross-functional team was formally established. This team, aptly named the Eco Easy Committee, was scheduled to meet quarterly and it consisted of representation from all departments within the Canadian organization. The committee was to be chaired by the VP or Merchandising and the Manager of Environmental Services to ensure products and services were equally represented. One of the first tasks of the group was to determine what environment represented to Staples. We determined our focus would be as follows:

Environmentally preferable products
Easy Recycling
Energy Efficiency
Education and Awareness.

This would be our key message and all initiatives would fall under one of the four main categories.

Internal/Store Communications

After our first eco easy meeting it was clear that many were working on great initiatives but few were aware, even within the same office. If people within the same building were not aware then the store managers and associates definitely did not know what environment meant to Staples. This created a great communications challenge. How do you engage over 15,000 people?

First task was to create a dedicated place on our intranet where all documents pertaining to environment would be housed, all documents had to be branded eco easy and have the same look and feel so they would be easily recognizable.

Second task was to create a high level overview of what moves us to be responsible, what programs we have in place, and what we are investigating. This overview was originally released as Staples Environment Fact Sheet, but was re-named mid year to Eco Easy at a Glance.

Third was to use existing communication channels to reach our associates; we made a commitment to include content whenever possible and to ensure we had prominent features during times like earth hour, earth day, etc. We integrated content into quarterly stake meetings as well as our annual conference.

Internal communications is a pivotal piece and one that requires a constant commitment, if we are to keep the message alive and our associates engaged in the belief that we can make a difference. External Communications Very similar to internal, we needed a dedicated page on the Staples internet site staples.ca/environment. Eco Easy at a Glance was designed to be used both internally and externally.

Partnerships

We realized that there are many who have preceded us on similar journeys and that to be successful we could learn from others. We shared experiences with business partners, joined retail groups, attended stewardship conferences, and liaised with our counterparts in the US.

Earth cycle planning (ecp)

In the fall of 2008 we had engaged a consulting company to assist with our waste management program, particularly MoE compliance in Ontario. In 2009 we expanded that relationship to make earth cycle planning (ecp) our national environmental consultant. The role of ecp was to manage our existing portfolio, report quarterly, investigate additional diversion opportunities, assist with internal communications, we a point of contact for store managers, assist with sourcing process, look for opportunities to engage associates. They became a member of the extended Staples family and were considered a critical participant in the cross functional meetings.

Tools

When we looked at the space dedicated to recycling in stores it was not always consistent or highly visible. There were small fixtures in various places in the store and while they were adjacent to the product for re-sale it did not make a visible statement to customers or associates about our commitments. One of the items we felt was important was to design and launch our own recycling fixture both for the sales floor and for the lunchrooms in our stores.

The fixtures for the sales floor had to be mobile, easy to clean, easy to use and highly visible. Merchandising, Fixture Group, Signage, Facility Services worked together to create a fixture that was included in our promotional planner, was clearly signed and again made it obvious to all the we were committed to recycling. We launched the fixture at our annual conference last April and began to roll out as of April 22nd 2009. Programs We need to understand our program capabilities and build roll out plans once we had the necessary tools to execute set in place.

Results:

Eco Easy Committee

Our committee has now grown to over 20 members, many of who asked if they could join because they were excited about the progress we were making. This is not meeting for the sake of meeting but rather a group of fiercely passionate individuals who are eager to roll up their sleeves and build our programs.

Internal/Store Communications

A dedicated portlet for Environment was launched in April 2009 all content was updated and branded eco easy and was available in French and English. Eco Easy at a Glance is updated quarterly and is used as an internal and external tool. There have been two videos produced and multiple articles in our newsletter, and inclusion in multiple podcasts. Internal awareness has never been greater. We had an event in our office to celebrate earth day 2009 including an internal video and a powerful presentation by WWF. A similar event was held in 2010 with table top presentations by our partners to educate associates on what we are doing and on what they can do personally.

External Communications

There have been multiple press releases, inclusion in two flyers, and radio spots focused on the environment. The biggest success has been our Million Cartridge Challenge. We put the call out to Canadians to help us divert 1 million ink/toner cartridges by Earth Day 2009 and it was an overwhelming success. We collected over 1.3 million cartridges and raised the bar to 2 Million by Earth Day 2010–a goal we also met and exceeded.

Partnerships

We consider ecp an extended member of the Staples family; they attend all eco easy committee meetings, special events, and help us understand the national landscape as it pertains to waste and recycling. Through their assistance we launched lunchroom room recycling in Ontario locations in 2009 (where end markets existed); launched e-cycling in Ontario and for the first time could produce a quarterly diversion report.

Tools

The fixtures were released to all stores between April and June 2009, to date we have had multiple customer requests to sell these fixtures. They are bright, well signed and easy to use. We launched with a detailed information kit that addressed questions at the local level.

Including a fixture for the lunchroom was a risk but we took it and many associates were very appreciative of our efforts albeit concerned about how to execute. Again with this fixture we launched quick reference guides to help stores understand how the fixtures worked and program rollout plans. We installed both the lunchroom and sales floor fixtures in our home office in mid 2009. We also looked at signage placement on the fixtures corporately and at retail and use these space to communicate key environmental messages.

Programs

1. Easy Recycling
All existing programs (ink/toner, cell, re-chargeable battery, mixed paper) were re-released via our newly designed intranet space in conjunction with the rollout of the new fixtures. We found that aside from ink/toner, no program was truly being executed nationally.

As a result, in 2009 we added 23 collection sites for re-chargeable battery and cell phone recycling, 16 additional sites for paper recycling. We collected over 7700lbs of batteries in 2009 which is a 38% increase from the year prior. In 2009 we added electronics recycling in 92 locations, making the total number of sites collecting e-waste 164. These sites collect 2132 metric tones of e-waste in 2009.

In 2009 we added cans/plastic/glass recycling in 107 locations; organic programs were put in place in 79 locations and are expanding to another 70 plus sites in 2010. In 2009 we implemented organics, cans/glass/plastic recycling at our Head Office.

2. Energy Conservation
We re-lamped over 80 locations with lower wattage light bulbs resulting in a reduction of over 4 million kilowatts and we worked with our contractors to ensure the end of life bulbs were properly recycled. 80 plus stores are being done in 2010 as well and we rolled out signage to make people aware that simply changing light bulbs can make a difference. We began to look at our HID stores and determined that fluorescent lighting would be a more responsible choice so we retrofitted our first location in 2009 in Markham, Ontario. This store is on track to reduce its kilowatt consumption by over 100,000kw. We have since completed 5 sites.

3. Environmentally Preferable products
STAPLES is committed to eliminating PVC from their own brand. As a result PVC was removed from new product specifications and has been eliminated from all North American shipments as of December 2009 with remaining markets to follow in 2010. We have asked our suppliers to remove PVC from their products. We transitioned our Head office to environmentally preferable janitorial and cafeteria supplies in 2009 and are rolling out the janitorial program to retail.

Overall Results

We now have numbers for all programs that we operate. The goal was to make eco easy recognizable and understandable. We have achieved recognition of the brand as more than just products. Our managers know where to look for environmental information and we have successfully integrated our commitments into the everyday language of Staples.

We have created awareness for our customers and through our website have given them the ability to see what we do and why we do it. Understanding that is a work in progress. I am very proud of how far we have come in a one year period however true understanding, engagement and participation require a constant commitment and the ability to adapt and be flexible in an area that is constantly evolving.

Did we make it easy, I believe we have, can we continue to make it easier, absolutely and I would be happy to share our story as it unfolds.

Walmart Brazil and CEO Hector Núñez Receive Inaugural Prahalad Award

admin — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

Walmart Brazil and CEO Hector Núñez Receive Inaugural Prahalad Award

Challenge:

At the CEF Gala Dinner last night, Núñez was honored for leading Walmart Brazil’s unprecedented efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest as award namesake, the late C.K. Prahalad, was recognized for his thought leadership on sustainability strategy.

More than 200 executives and sustainability industry leaders filled the Samsung Hall at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco to honor Walmart Brazil and CEO Héctor Núñez with the C.K. Prahalad Award for Global Sustainability Leadership. Members of C.K.’s family, including his wife, daughter, son-in-law and grandson were in attendance at the Corporate Eco Forum’s Gala Dinner to witness the inaugural award to recognize Walmart Brazil’s historic work to preserve the Amazon rainforest.

“Nowadays sustainability is not just mandatory – it is crucial,” said Núñez as he accepted the award on behalf of the 80,000 Walmart Brazil employees who took his vision “from a PowerPoint presentation” to reality.

In June of 2009, Walmart Brazil convened a Sustainability Summit to introduce new mandates across their supply chain to protect the Amazon. At the Summit, Walmart announced historic plans to address some of the thorniest environmental and social problems in the world. Walmart Brazil will now ensure that its supply chain uses: no companies that employ slave labor; no soybeans sourced from illegally deforested areas; and no beef sourced from any newly cleared Amazonian land. The new mandates also call for a 70 percent reduction in phosphates in detergent and a 50 percent reduction in plastic bags by 2013.

Walmart Brazil recruited the presidents of the Brazilian operations of twenty major suppliers, including Cargill, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly Clark, The Coca-Cola Company, 3M, Diageo, P&G, and Sara Lee, to sign an agreement on-stage at the Summit to meet these goals. The Brazilian Minister of the Environment and the head of Greenpeace in Brazil both spoke at the Summit and congratulated Walmart Brazil for its aggressive leadership.

“The planet works as a physical and biological system – and the heart of that system is the Amazon,” said Tom Lovejoy, the world-renowned conservation biologist who presented Núñez with the award. Lovejoy applauded Walmart Brazil’s work to curb the two biggest drivers of Amazonian deforestation - soy and cattle operations. Deforestation accounts for approximately 70 percent of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“By taking extraordinary action to protect the Amazon, Walmart Brazil and Héctor Núñez have carved out a place in history as both pioneering environmentalists and savvy business strategists,” said MR Rangaswami, founder of the Corporate Eco Forum. “We created the Prahalad Award to honor the companies and individuals who best demonstrate that sustainability is the key driver of innovation. We can and must do a better job of integrating the principles of sustainability into core business strategy and Walmart Brazil, under Héctor Núñez’s leadership, has proven that it is not only possible, it is also smart business.”

Núñez closed his remarks by urging his fellow corporate executives to drive progress because government solutions will take a long time to enact.

“We need to act fast to prevent greater impact from climate change… Walmart is not looking back… We’re looking forward to a better future.”

Results:

Levi Strauss’ Care to Air Design Challenge

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

Levi Strauss’ Care to Air Design Challenge

Challenge:

The Care to Air Design Challenge seeks the world’s most innovative, covetable, and sustainable air-drying solution for clothing. At stake? $10,000 in prize money from Levi Strauss & Co., the challenge sponsor – to be distributed among the finalists – in addition to an audience with our distinguished panel of eco-innovators.

Why Care?

Your favourite pair of jeans consumes energy throughout its life cycle, giving this fashion staple a carbon footprint. A complete third party lifecycle assessment on a pair of Levi’s® 501® jeans revealed that, on average, almost 60% of the climate impact comes during the consumer phase. Nearly 80% of that is due to the energy intensive method we choose for drying. Levi Strauss & Co. is taking strides to bring its carbon footprint down to zero and build sustainability into everything they do – but the LCA revealed that the company needs help from consumers to make the biggest difference.

The most effective way to reduce the climate impact of a pair of jeans is to air dry, yet the average US household chooses a dryer. Some communities have even banned clotheslines, calling them unsightly. Well Levi Strauss & Co. would like to challenge that point of view by finding clothesline designs or other innovative air drying solutions that are undeniably stylish, sustainable and effective.

To find out more details about entrance requirements and the judging criteria, read here.

Results:

The Home Depot

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

The Home Depot

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Challenge:

In 2004, The Home Depot Canada (THDC) developed and implemented a comprehensive business strategy on environment. In order to create a credible plan to merchandize green products and solutions, THDC designed a rigorous verification process that supports innovative, in-store events to drive traffic and sales of Eco Options qualified products. The resulting strategy created the platform to credibly launch our Eco Options brand in 2005. The ongoing product identification, verification and merchandising events have increased sales of our Eco Options “green” products.

Strategy:

The Home Depot has implemented a comprehensive plan related to sourcing and merchandising green products within our stores. Merchants are encouraged to implement criteria and use established and credible third party certification processes to identify innovative products that provide demonstrable environmental benefits. THDC wanted to ensure our customers in store are able to easiliy find products with demonstrable environmental attributes.

Prior to qualifying as an Eco Option product, vendors must provide evidence that the product is green. THDC recognizes nine environmental certification programs: Energy Star, Scientific Certification Systems, Terrachoice EcoLogo, Forest Stewardship Council, GreenGaurd, WaterSense, OMRI and Green Seal. Approximately 80% of Eco Options products are certified by one of these trusted certification bodies. The remaining 20% undergo a rigorous environmental claims validation process called the Product Verification Process (PVP), co-managed by environmental consultants Summerhill, and the University of Waterloo.

In addition to the product verification process, new and innovative green products are identified and assessed on an ongoing basis for the Eco Options program. We’ve also integrated green products into our Business Life Cycle (BLC) process to ensure that during the line review process we continually look for green product choices to augment our existing assortment. The identification of innovative green products and the efficient integration of the process into our BLC have helped THDC to meet the challenge of establishing and maintaining a green product leadership position in the home improvement industry.

In tandem with identifying and verifying green products, THDC pioneered in-store events designed to drive traffic and sales while generating a positive impact on the environment. For example, each spring our Mow Down Pollution program encourages customers to bring in their old higher polluting gas-powered lawn mowers in exchange for cleaner choices such as push reel and rechargeable electric varieties. In addition to Mow Down Pollution, we implemented the now popular SLED program that runs each November allowing consumers to exchange their old, inefficient incandescent holiday light strings for discounts on new energy efficient LED light strings. This past summer we launched our Go Low Flow program, giving consumers rebates on lowflow and dual-flush toilets. In one weekend we managed to change out over 28,000 toilets – saving Canadians half a billion litres of water.

These three programs are among a number of programs THDC participates in that give consumers rebates on products such as ENERGY STAR CFLs, timers, power bars with timers, weather stripping and more; these items all help consumers save energy and money. Each of these programs also incorporates an education component, delivered through in-store representatives who teach participating consumers how they can save more energy at home. It is through these programs that we have been able to leverage our Eco Options branded products to bring increased traffic and sales to our stores.

Results:

Since 2005, the Eco Options program has grown from 25 vendors with 500 approved products to over 130 vendors offering more than 1700 environmentally preferred products in 85 product categories. The program has been so successful in Canada that it was introduced in the United States in 2007.

Program results have been equally as impressive. Mow Down Pollution has successfully recycled over 34,000 gas-powered lawn mowers, preventing the emission of over 1,100 tonnes of green house gas and smog-forming emissions. Through the SLED program, more than 270,000 incandescent holiday light strings have been recycled and the use of close to 3.8 million kWh of electricity has been eliminated, preventing the release of over 1,000 tonnes of green house gases. In this past year alone, the Go Low Flow program resulted in over 28,000 dual-flush and low-flow toilets sold, saving over half a billion litres of water, enough to fill 223 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Eco Options program is extremely popular with THDC’s vendors because it opens up a number of in-store, online and inflyer marketing opportunities. Through the Eco Options program, THDC is rewarding vendors that have developed leading green products.

The Eco Options program has allowed THDC to make it easier for consumers to find environmentally preferred products. It has also given THDC another channel through which it has been able to drive store traffic and increase sales. These strengths, along with the wide variety in the Eco Options product assortment, have combined to make THDC the green product leader in the home improvement industry.

Walmart Canada – Energy

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

Walmart

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Challenge:

Walmart Canada, as well as all global Walmart operations, is committed to being supplied 100% by renewable energy.

Finding new, clean sources of power (such as wind and solar power) is an important part of achieving this goal. We are also looking for ways to use less energy in our day-to-day operations. Conservation is the least expensive form of new energy. It’s cheaper to find ways to reduce energy use than it is to build new power plants or use peak energy to handle demand spikes. Peak energy sources of power tend to be the most expensive to produce.

Our challenge was to find new energy-saving technologies that we could install in our stores so that they would use less power in their daily operations.

Strategy:

Our strategy was simple. Fill one building with as many energy-saving and environment-friendly technologies as possible, then test and analyze each measure, then go forward with the ones which worked most efficiently and had a favourable return on investment (ROI).

Our environmental test store in Burlington, which opened in January 2009, has the following technologies.

• Geothermal heating and cooling. Facilitated by 15 km of piping buried horizontally under the parking lot

• Daylight harvesting system using skylights to refract daylight throughout store. Light sensors monitor amount of natural light available and rise, dim or turn off lighting as needed

• In-floor radiant heating and cooling system circulates water to transfer heat and cold instead of air vents – requiring less electricity

• Environmentally-preferable CO2 refrigeration system that reduces our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

• Heat from refrigeration system captured and reused to heat store

• Energy-saving motion-activated LED lights in refrigerator and freezer cases

• Low-wattage parking lot lights and LED external signs reduce energy use

• White roof membrane deflects sunlight by approximately 85 per cent to reduce heat gain in summer and demand on the electrical grid

• Increased insulation on the roof reduces heat and cooling loss

Results:

“We’re determined to build the greenest stores on the block, and our Burlington store puts us one step closer. We remain committed to being green, not only for the good of the environment, but for the long-term sustainability of our business. There’s a tremendous opportunity to reduce our construction and operating costs and pass those savings on to our customers, who are looking for lower prices now more than ever.” – David Cheesewright, president and CEO, Walmart Canada

The Burlington store has been open for just over a year. Initial reports indicate that the store is achieving approximately 42 per cent energy efficiency. After studying the final numbers, we expect this supercentre to use an estimated 60 per cent less energy than our typical supercentre store and to reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 141 tonnes.

ROI: Less heating, cooling and lighting energy used to operate the store on a day-to-day basis results in lower operating costs over the long-term.

For more information about this sustainability initiative, or others, please contact:

Andrew Telfer

Manager, Sustainability

Walmart Canada

905-821-2111 x 4643

[email protected]">[email protected]

Walmart Canada – Products

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

Walmart

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Challenge:

Walmart Canada is committed to selling products that sustain people and the environment.

While we want to support this commitment by offering more eco-friendly products on our stores’ shelves, it is difficult for a retailer with no expertise in this area to ensure the new products they are stocking are indeed better for the environment.

There is already much skepticism among consumers as to which products’ green claims are true. Walmart needed a way to identify environmentally-preferable products in our stores without adding to the existing confusion and mistrust.

Strategy:

Our strategy was simple. We decided we would only highlight the products that are certified eco-friendly by a recognized third-party agency. These products are identified with our “For the Greener Good” signage.

“For the Greener Good” is our program which encapsulates the products, initiatives and partnerships associated with our goal of becoming a more sustainable company.

By only identifying products that are third-party certified to be better for the environment, Walmart Canada helps to reduce the confusion and skepticism which exists in some shopping aisles.

If a product has been manufactured with 51 or more per cent organic or recycled materials, then we will identify those items as “For the Greener Good” as well.

Examples of some standards and certification organizations are: EcoLogo, Energy Star, Marine Stewardship Council, Rainforest Alliance, Canada Organic and the EPA’s Design for the Environment program.

Results:

The results of our efforts have been positive so far. Customers appreciate the added signage on our shelves. It helps them shop for eco-friendly products with confidence; knowing that the green products flagged in our stores are certified to be better for the environment.

ROI: The ease with which to shop for green products in our stores has had a positive effect on their sales. We continually see that this set of products drive sales growth at Walmart Canada.

For more information about this sustainability initiative, or others, please contact:

Andrew Telfer

Manager of Sustainability

Walmart Canada

905-821-2111 x 4643

[email protected]">[email protected]

Walmart Canada – Waste

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

Walmart

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Challenge:

Walmart Canada, as well as all global Walmart operations, has a core sustainability goal to create zero waste.

Determining which waste streams our stores can divert from landfill is part of this goal. Another part is reducing and diverting as much as possible from our home office operations. We’re not proud to admit, but just a couple of years ago the waste generated from our home office associates was increasing. We used Styrofoam take-out containers and disposable plastic cutlery in our cafeteria and many desks were littered with empty plastic water bottles.

Our challenge was to create a zero-waste home office environment – and fast!

We define zero waste as achieving more than 95% waste diversion. We didn’t give ourselves a goal of 100% because it’s difficult to divert waste such as floor sweepings.

Strategy:

Our strategy is two-fold. We’re diverting as many waste-streams from our home office, and we’re reducing the amount of non-recyclable materials coming into our building.

So far, we have implemented the following waste-reducing and environment-friendly initiatives.

• Placed numerous multi-stream recycling units around the office

-Paper, beverage containers, plastic and organic

-Each stream has a picture menu under the slot to help associates sort their waste

• Set up a central recycling depot in the home office where associates can drop off their CFL bulbs, polystyrene, cardboard and e-waste

• Associates are encouraged to bring in items that are hard to recycle at home

• Replaced the Styrofoam take-out containers with compostable containers

• New containers do cost a little more but now we charge for them; this is a disincentive for associates to eat at their desks and promotes a better work-life balance in the office

• Replaced the disposable cutlery with compostable cutlery made from sugar cane

• Removed most, but not all, plastic water bottle vending machines

• Tripled the price of each 500ml plastic water bottle

• Empty plastic water bottles are recycled for those associates and guests who still wish to drink bottled natural spring water

• Washrooms are only locations in the office where there are centralized waste bins

• Installed reverse-osmosis filtered water stations throughout the building

• Offers hot, cold or room temperature water

• Installed sink stations throughout the building where associates can wash their reusable cups, mugs and water bottles

• Onsite Tim Hortons franchise offers a discount to those associates who bring their own reusable coffee mug

Results:

We have not yet achieved our goal of 95% waste diversion, but our monthly audits indicate we are closer than ever. We regularly reach numbers in the high 80s and low 90s.

Though the initial results are impressive, we are not satisfied. We have recently put a plan in place which we believe will give us that final push and take us over the last zero-waste hurdle. We’ll be implementing the second phase of our program in February 2010.

ROI: Less garbage in the waste bins means less cost to have our trash hauled to the landfill and many of our recycled waste streams have a market value.

ROI: Associates are happy that the company has given them the ability to recycle at work just like they do at home. Associates can genuinely see the green efforts their company is taking and they’re proud to work for Walmart Canada.

For more information about this sustainability initiative, or others, please contact:

Andrew Telfer

Manager of Sustainability

Walmart Canada

905-821-2111 x 4643

[email protected]">[email protected]

WWF

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0000

Company Name:

WWF

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Challenge:

Today, humans are altering the planet and exploiting resources at an unsustainable rate. And this changing environment is changing the game for businesses as they face rising input costs due to growing resource scarcity and mounting pressures from investors, consumers, employees and regulators. Businesses increasingly understand the link between sound environmental practices and their profitable, long-term sustainability, and are recognizing their responsibility to reduce their footprint. As such, the businesses offer one of the most effective routes to finding sustainable solutions to one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.

Strategy:

Through strategic partnerships with WWF, leading businesses extract value AND become agents of change by catalyzing market transformation towards a sustainable economy.

WWF’s theory of change is that a significant impact on conservation can be achieved through focusing efforts on a relatively few number of companies that control a disproportionately large percentage of the supply chain. We leverage the trusted WWF brand to attract leaders from this group of the largest and most respected companies and partner with them to: promote the development of market-based solutions to integrating sustainability into corporate practice, demonstrate the business case for sustainability, and ultimately pursue industry transformation. These partnerships promote sustainable business practices, economic incentives and consumer demand so that innovative companies who take strong environmental action are seizing an opportunity to gain new competitive advantage and become transformational leaders, and markets can be moved towards greater sustainability and deliver large-scale environmental outcomes. WWF provides various platforms for these partnerships to take place. Examples include:

1. WWF Climate Savers program – Decoupling business and GHG emissions growth

WWF Climate Savers are cutting-edge partnerships between WWF and businesses, aimed at delivering ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by member companies. Through the support of WWF, the Climate Savers program entails the development of world-class absolute GHG reduction targets, with the company commitment to these targets acknowledged via signed agreement, monitored and verified by an independent third party. The solutions that companies have developed as part of their Climate Savers engagement include: energy efficiency of products, processes or facilities; energy-saving products; transport efficiency; fuel switching; conversion to renewable energy; and developing and implementing carbon risk analysis tools. This elite group of companies currently comprise of: Johnson & Johnson, IBM, Xanterra, Polaroid, Nike, Catalyst Paper, Lafarge, The Collins Companies, Sagawa Express, Novo Nordisk, Tetra Pak, Sony, HP, Nokia, Sptisbergen Travel, Nokia Siemens Networks, JohnsonDiversey, The Coca-Cola Company, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Sofidel and Elopak.

2. Leading change through the supply chain

WWF increasingly works with corporations that are important, worldwide buyers, traders and processors of priority commodities that impact biodiversity protection. These partnerships are designed to improve the way commodities are sourced as well as the sustainability of the supply chain. For example, water is the main ingredient in every product produced by Coca-Cola. Its bottling plants require nearly 300 billion liters of water each year for beverage production and many more are used to produce ingredients (e.g. sugar) and packaging. As such, it is vital to Coca- Cola’s long-term profitability that there is a sustainable source of freshwater. Through a global partnership with WWF, Coca-Cola has committed to improving water efficiency by 20 per cent within its manufacturing operations. Key initiatives include the development of a Water Efficiency Toolkit which involves: benchmarking efficiencies; identifying processes and operations for technical and systematic improvement; and engaging bottlers for routine performance tracking. And since agriculture represents 70 per cent of all freshwater withdrawals worldwide, the company has committed to supporting sustainable agricultural practices through its supply chain, beginning with sugarcane. Moreover, through an inventory assessment of its carbon footprint and WWF’s Climate Savers program, Coca-Cola has identified key target areas for GHG reduction and has committed to absolute reductions in its manufacturing operations, including over 300 independent bottlers.

3. Development of best-in-class standards and product certification programs

Following failed government attempts to halt the world fisheries crisis, in 1996 WWF and Unilever, one of the world’s biggest buyers of frozen fish, started an initiative to change the way fish are caught, marketed, and bought – and ensure the future of the world’s fisheries. The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) works with fisheries, retailers and other stakeholders to identify, certify, and promote responsible, environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable fishing practices. The MSC standard is internationally recognized and only products from fisheries meeting this standard are able to use the MSC logo. For the first time, this gives consumers a way to identify – and the choice to purchase – fish and other seafood from well-managed sources. Similar initiatives cofounded by WWF include the Forestry Stewardship Council and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council.

Results:

1. Proving that carbon sense makes business sense

By 2010, the Climate Savers companies will collectively cut carbon emissions by some 14 million tons annually – the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road every year. By increasing efficiency, Climate Savers companies are saving hundreds of millions of dollars, proving that protecting the environment makes good business sense. Some company examples include:

IBM – reduced emissions by 5.7 percent from 1998 to 2004, generating energy savings of $115 million
Catalyst Paper – reduced emissions by 70 percent compared to 1990 levels, averting $13 million in added costs and $5 million in electricity costs.

2. World’s largest beverage manufacturer transforming the supply chain

Coca-Cola is leading the beverage industry in reducing its environmental footprint across the supply chain:

$38 million estimated in avoided costs in 2007 alone through energy efficiency improvements
Reduced emissions by > 40 percent with 40 percent energy cost savings across 15 plants & 12 countries
Launch of the innovative PlantBottle 100 percent recycling packaging, with up to 30 percent made from plantbased waste material, which reduces the use of non-renewable sources
Reduced water usage of 50 billion liters by 2012 through water efficiency improvements, with major associated cost savings

3. Consumer access to sustainable seafood products is now a reality

The MSC has witnessed an enormous groundswell of support from retailers, governments, NGOs and the fishing industry. Over 35 fisheries around the world are now certified, representing over 8% of global wild fisheries production for human consumption. Another 75 fisheries are currently undergoing assessment and over 100 major seafood buyers have pledged to purchase MSC-certified products. Overall, there are currently 1,900 MSC-certified fish products on sale in 40 countries – ranging from fresh, frozen, smoked, and canned fish to fish oil dietary supplements. Recently, WWF has formed partnerships with three leading retailers – Loblaw, Walmart and Kroger – to improve their seafood procurement practices, including greater sourcing of MSC-certified products. This initiative will ensure that their customers will be able to enjoy fresh, sustainable seafood for generations to come.

Mountain Equipment Co-op

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Company Name:

Mountain Equipment Co-op

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Challenge:

Like any organization, MEC’s future is premised on the need to continue to either grow or evolve in some way. In an effort to ensure the continued delivery and relevance of our value proposition/ business model we spend a good deal of time looking out 10 to 15 years….trying to understand the changes in society and the environment (business and natural) in which we operate.

The only things we know for sure (in the exponential change and complexity of the global landscape) are that the winners will:

Have learned how to “do more with less”, eliminate waste and have visibility of all of the stakeholders and resources within their supply chain. From primary inputs to customer end use. These are the driving forces behind our “green” initiatives.
Have an adaptable and flexible culture with robust financial model

Our main objectives are to reduce the footprint in all of our operations, working to do more with less and eliminate waste while remaining relevant and financially healthy. We have approached these objectives by challenging each of our operational departments/ functions. The resulting major areas of focus and initiative have been:

Direct operations:

Buildings:

Objective: MEC operates retail stores across Canada and has a Head office and D.C. in Vancouver. Industrial buildings account for 13% of Canada’s GHG emissions and 14 per cent of all end-use energy consumption. Not only will energy increases add to the cost of doing business but when Carbon costing comes into effect this will add more cost into the system. The less energy we use the lower our future operating expenses will be. While our mid term objective is Carbon Neutral, our long term vision is energy neutrality.

Actions:MEC has a long history of building “green”. In an effort to further reduce all of the construction and operations impacts of our buildings we are finalizing a Green Building Code that guides our store development. This is a living document that considers Best Available Technology (BAT) at the time of building. It covers the footprint and embedded energy of material all the way through to final deconstruction and ensures we build the most energy and materials efficient buildings we can while delivering on a viable business case. Our energy purchases are via Bullfrog power and utilize renewable energy sources.Timing:

Green Building Code: Launch Spring 2010.

Recent buildings:

Burlington Store. Fall 08. Feeds energy back onto Ontario grid via solar array
Longeueil Store. 70% more energy efficient than an equivalent facility

Partnerships:

Canadian Green Building Council. ARUP

Results/ Costs/ ROI:

All of our buildings have a positive 12 year NPV and energy use in our newer facilities is 70% lower than an equivalent building. The feed in tariff opportunities offered by the Ontario government have allowed us to develop significant power generation facilities in our new Ontario buildings and feed back onto the grid. Energy expense cost savings reflect these initiatives.

Consumables

Objective: There is a significant waste stream that leaves the back door of a retail operation. Everything associated with this waste has an upfront cost. The elimination or re-purposing of this waste will result in increasingly lower costs as input costs increase. Our target was to cut our diversion rate to 90% by 2010 with a subsequent move to Zero waste in future. This includes end of life product we take back from our Customers/ Members. (Diversion rate is measured as everything that leaves the store. Fuel canisters, batteries, construction materials, staff garbage, food waste etc)

Actions:

We have scrutinized the product and transport packaging (see packaging section) and worked with municipalities and partners to develop re-cycling and composting options. “Dumpster dives” are done to audit waste and specific plans are developed around the regional/ store specific results. Staff have visibility of the audits and best practices and we have increased re-cycling containers and decreased trash bins. Relationships have been developed with recyclers of product from batteries to bicycle tires across the country.

Results/ Costs/ ROI

Our store diversion rate is currently running at 90%

Business travel

Objective: As an organization that sources product from around the Globe and has a nationally based store operation we have people traveling all the time. While air travel is not a significant part of our overall footprint we recognize that it is one of the most significant “per capita” forms of emission.

Actions:

I. The first step to managing travel is to measure one’s mileage. In late 2008 we moved all our travel to a single agent that is able to track all movement. This will be reported on an annual basis and offset.

II. We have moved meetings, where practical to the web via conferencing tools. While this has not replaced the need for travel it has allowed us to reduce mileage

Timing:

I. Our first year of offset will be 2009

II. We have been using web tools for the past 3 years. As the systems improve we gain better traction with their use

Results/ Costs/ ROI

I. Air travel offsetting is one of the few costs that has no direct business payback at this point in time

II. Remote meetings have allowed us to cut back on travel to our stores and one of our 5 annual Board meetings. There are cost savings and in addition improvements in employee quality of life as they need to travel less.

(Note: We are considering investing in the latest technology to improve the interactive nature of remote meetings. Due to the changes in technology and the medium/ small size of our business the financial case is not very attractive at this point in time but we believe it is an investment into the culture of communication of the future)

Indirect operations:

Transportation

Actions:

Inbound freight from Asia is confined to fast container ship. Port of entry moved from Vancouver to Richmond to cut truck distances. A large part of outbound freight to the eastern provinces has moved from truck to rail. We continue to look at such possibilities as pre-allocated vendor direct shipping from product coming from areas closer to our stores than our D.C. This remains an area of challenge for the future.

Timing:

2008

Results/ Costs/ ROI

2008 gross shipments were + 13% on 2007.

Gross GHGs were – 7% on 2007

Staff transport

Many of our staff are active and live in relatively close proximity to our urban situated stores and H.O.

Actions:

We provide showers, change rooms and bike storage in all of our facilities and endeavor to situate all of our facilities close to public transport where possible

Results/ Costs/ ROI

We have a high percentage of staff riding to work across the organization. While it has not yet been formally measured on an annual basis across the country it is the majority of staff in our stores.

Product:

We are aware that the single biggest impact in our business is that of the product itself. More specifically in the extraction/ growing of the fiber feedstock, the processing of the feedstock into yarn, the weaving of the yarn into material and the finishing and dying of the fabrics. Not only is this energy and water intensive but the processing relies on an exceptionally high chemical load to achieve the end product.

Actions:

As this challenge requires scientific and engineering expertise we have partnered with a Swiss based scientific organization (Bluesign) to work with the Chemical companies and Mills to work on input streams and processes to reduce the impact of the product. This process benchmarks chemicals and processes against the best available technology and practices known to limit toxicity, volatile emissions, energy and water waste and effluent. We have been working with like minded partners (Patagonia, Nike, Timberland, OIA, REI) to build a critical mass around acceptance of the Bluesign process with our Mills and the industry at large.

Timing:

We have been working on this since 2006 and believe that 2010 will be the breakthrough year.

Results/ Costs/ ROI

The cost of this for us has been mostly our staff time. The costs for a mill to be screened are significant but most of the mills that have gone through the process have seen significant savings on their input costs and re-process requirements.

Waste

The highest efficiencies we are achieving with our markers (imagine cutting cookies out of cookie dough…the pieces left behind) is 80%. This results in 20% of the materials we buy going to waste. We need to both improve our efficiency and find an alternative to the off-cuts to keep them out of the waste stream/ landfill.

Actions:

A 2010 initiative

Packaging

We have over the last 8 years reduced our packaging (on MEC product) significantly relative to most comparable product. It requires creativity to continuing to work towards 100% diversion rates while ensuring the product travels well and facilitates handing in our D.C. One of the complaints we were getting from the D.C. pickers was that bulk packaged apparel was difficult to pick accurately and was time consuming.

Actions:

Last year we trialed a new form of wrapping. Rather than fold and bag apparel we rolled it and tied it with recyclable ribbon. The trial has worked on many fronts, including space saving. We are “rolling” it out to more factories this year.

Results/ Costs/ ROI

There is a learning curve and slight added cost at the factory due to the custom process but we have also seen: Faster picking times. Reduced outer/ shipping packaging. Greater density per carton. 100% diversion.

Collaboration and Innovation for change

Knowing that we are too insignificant to achieve change on our own we rely heavily on collaboration with like minded partners (including competitors). I believe it is our collaboration that has been our real contribution to the area of footprint reduction. Our Bluesign work (see above) that has seen us engage with a breadth of organizations from the University of British Columbia to Patagonia, from the North Face to Nike. Our ethical sourcing initiatives tapped into collaboration with the OIA and the FLA amongst others. We have worked with transportation businesses and construction companies. Our Green Building code brought ARUP engineering and the Canadian Green Building Council into the fold.

Our latest collaboration is with such companies as Nike, Best Buy, Salesforce.com, Yahoo and others to launch an open exchange for green technology patents, G.X. (GreenXchange). G.X. will be launched at the WEF in Davos later this month and will, we are all hoping, result in an explosion in innovation in the area of consumer product.

Results:

Walmart Canada – Green Engagement

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Company Name:

Walmart Canada – Green Engagement

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Challenge:

The challenge was to develop and launch a program that would get as many Walmart Canada associates as possible to understand and embrace sustainability by incorporating small changes into their lives that together would make a positive impact on their health, their community and their environment.

Stakeholders and Timing

The program was developed and launched in 6 months by a multi-divisional team including People (human resources), Corporate Affairs – Sustainability and an external consulting firm.

Objectives and Goals:

The objective was to create a culture of sustainability in the organization through a voluntary grassroots initiative designed to inspire and empower associates. The success of the program would be measured through the collection of PSPs – personal sustainability practices – that associates would voluntarily commit to. An ambitious target was set to collect 25,000 PSPs in the first 6 months of the program.

Actions:

• 4 Walmart managers were trained to be sustainability trainers

• Each store set up teams of PSP captains

• 14 PSP workshops were conducted for PSP captains and store managers across the country

• Each PSP captain was allotted 1-2 hours per week to promote PSP

• Promotional material was developed: posters, buttons, guides, etc

• Weekly and monthly phone conferences were conducted with PSP captains

• An intranet web-site provided supporting information and resources

• Pre and post surveys were conducted

• Results were tracked weekly and monthly

• Top PSP stores were recognized

Challenges and Difficulties:

The greatest difficulty was introducing the concept of personal sustainability to middle management and gaining their full support at the onset of the program. This difficulty was resolved through well planned interactive discussions that challenged managers to consider the impact that personal sustainability would have on their business unit. The discussions resulted in a cross-pollination of ideas and then generated the engagement the program required from these individuals.

Results:

• Over 69,000 PSPs in the first 6 months (target was 25,000)

• 75% increase in submission of innovative ideas to improve sustainable business practices

• 73% of associates said that PSP improved their life at work (survey)

• Environmental impact (In the first 6 months of the program, 3 542 associates committed to switching to CFL light bulbs. If they switched out just 4 bulbs at home, they would collectively save nearly 242 386 KWh of electricity in 90 days)

• Operational savings ($40,000 savings from reducing Styrofoam cups for associate lounges in first year)

• Over 400 sustainability community initiatives in the first year

• Increased recycling at Walmart Canada stores

• Support for corporate sustainability initiatives, such as reduction of plastic bags at check-outs and our summer two-thirds lighting program

• Spontaneous enthusiasm for promoting the sale of sustainable products

• Leadership development of PSP captains

• Health benefits to associates

• Cost savings to associates

• Enriched corporate culture

Business Case

It’s easier to develop a culture of sustainability in the work-place if associates already have that mind-set in their personal lives. For example, people will naturally recycle at work if it’s also a habit at home.

Lessons Learned

Developing a culture of sustainability is not difficult to do if it is done using the right means, if it is done with the right intention and if it is pursued with diligence.

For more information about this sustainability initiative, or others, please contact:

Veronica Maschek

Sustainability Specialist

Walmart Canada

905-821-2111 x 8011

[email protected]">[email protected]