Portfolio

Could China’s ‘Green Fence’ prompt global recycling innovation?

China sent shock waves through the global recycling market this year when it announced it would no longer be accepting poorly sorted or dirty shipments of recyclable waste from foreign exporters. It’s estimated that more than 800,000 tonnes of recyclables or scrap have been rejected since February via Operation Green Fence, China’s first major campaign to enforce its stringent waste quality legislation. This has caused chaos at some ports, where Chinese customs officials conducting rigorous checks have suspended the import licences of 247 companies. As western exporters scramble...

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The power of collaboration to inspire a better future

Major companies including BT are using new digital platforms to scale sustainability conversations with stakeholders As progressive businesses seek inspiration for their sustainability journey, many are stating quite simply and honestly: ‘We cannot do this alone’. A colossal team effort is needed from business, government and civil society to tackle the immense water, carbon, energy and food security challenges we all face. Given the sheer complexity and global nature of these issues, the response must be global, and to be effective, it must happen at scale. Harnessing the power of human...

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Sea-to-plate service launched in the US

Tracing the fish we eat is a murky issue. Fish is often mislabelled, meaning that what’s in the packet may not be as described. Now, social enterprise I Love Blue Sea (ILBS) has created the first online platform enabling consumers in the US to buy fresh, sustainably caught seafood directly from producers. The San Francisco-based start-up offers a virtual fish counter of 110 products, from shellfish and wild fish to ready-made dishes. The new service, whereby orders are shared immediately with producers and delivered to customers within 24-48 hours, is funded by a 10% fee taken from each...

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Centre for Sustainable Fashion: inspiring a new way of thinking

The Centre for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion is celebrating five years as a versatile academic force linking research, education and business in the pursuit of innovation in sustainable fashion. SOURCE contributor Katharine Earley speaks to Centre director and ethical fashion pioneer, Dilys Williams, about the elements of success that have combined to create a world-first Masters course and dynamic partnerships with high profile brands and government, as well as her vision for the CSF’s future. With sustainability conversations increasingly focusing on cross-sector...

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P&G Children’s Safe Drinking Water: Multiple small steps change lives

Procter & Gamble’s flagship social responsibility initiative has helped save the lives of 30,000 children globally. Katharine Earley explores how the firm is using the programme to engage consumers and meet its sustainability goals. As the global water crisis intensifies, some 780m people lack access to safe water, while nearly 2,000 children under the age of five die from water and sanitation-related diarrheal diseases every day, more than from HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. Increasingly, major companies are tackling fundamental health and development issues, including safe drinking...

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Spotlight on five tales of sustainability storytelling success

Businesses worldwide are exploring the growing potential of storytelling to engage their audiences with complex social and environmental issues, inspire behaviour change and enhance brand reputation. Here we consider five compelling examples of storytelling success, spanning ethical fashion, renewable energy, food waste, climate change and sustainable development, highlighting what they have in common and what makes them successful. Unilever: Food waste challenge inspires and informs Consumer goods giant Unilever put consumers at the heart of its new food waste initiative by asking 12 UK...

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Supply chain: forging better relationships with suppliers

In the aftermath of the horsemeat scandal, what can companies do to manage supply chains and put sustainability at the heart of sourcing? Findus, the frozen food brand at the centre of the horsemeat saga, last week announced it is taking action to address the shortcomings of its supply chain management. The frozen food giant, whose beef lasagnes were found to contain up to 100% horsemeat, has joined the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex), a not-for-profit organisation that allows suppliers to share responsible trading data with retailers and brands online. With the support of Sedex,...

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Bangladesh fires reinforce need for supply chain transparency

The news of the recent factory fires in Bangladesh swept around the world, crudely exposing the human cost of cheap clothing and revealing a shocking lack of visibility within global apparel supply chains. Katharine Earley considers why Bangladesh has become a hotspot for cheap manufacturing, and speaks to sustainability experts Ilaria Pasquinelli of Texsture and Tom Smith of Sedex about how retailers can improve the transparency of their supply chains to prevent similar tragedies from re-occurring and protect their reputations. More than 4,500 garment factories operate in Bangladesh, with...

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Hospitality industry collaborates to support safe water for all

The UN has proclaimed 2013 the ‘Year of International Water Co-operation’. With more than 780m people on Earth lacking access to safe water, it’s clear that monumental steps are required to ensure sustainable access to safe water for all. What’s more, this must be achieved against a backdrop of water scarcity, global warming, explosive population growth and rising economic prosperity. Demand for water is projected to outstrip supply by 40% by 2030, while the wars of the future will be fought over water, believes UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. WHOLE WORLD Water is a new social...

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What does it take to be a Chief Sustainability Officer?

“The great sustainability challenge is this: how can 9bn people have a good quality of life on our planet by 2050?” commented Gwyn Jones of the Global Association of Corporate Responsibility Officers (GACSO) to a packed room of sustainability professionals at Oxford’s Jam Factory. With rapid urbanisation and social mobility set to trigger ever-increasing levels of consumption, business will be under pressure like never before to ensure these increasing demands on Earth’s resources are met responsibly. As the most powerful force on the planet, companies must channel their energy into a...

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