Business Operations | Supply Chain | GreenBiz.com

What Green IT Can Learn from Walmart

Preston Gralla — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Walmart's move to include "green" labels on all of its products that detail such things as the amount of energy used to make them is an excellent model for what should be done for Green IT. To date, although there are several green standards for computers and IT, none really hit the mark.

Onion Power: Tops, Tails and Skins Become Electricity

Matthew Wheeland — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:56:00 -0700

Gills Onions, a large-scale onion processor in Oxnard, Calif., is unveiling a first-of-its-kind method of turning waste from business operations into electricity and major cost savings.

Walmart Unveils Phase One of Sustainability Index

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:05:00 -0700

The first phase of a three-phase project to establish a green rating system for all of the products on its shelves, Walmart executives today released its 15 question survey that will be mailed to all of the company's 100,000-plus suppliers.

Walmart's Sustainability Index, Version 1.0

GreenBiz Staff — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:51:00 -0700

The first phase of the mega-retailer's Sustainable Product Index, this tool offers an overview of the project's goals, the 15-question survey the company is sending to all its suppliers, and an FAQ for suppliers.

Walmart's Sustainability Index: The Hype and the Reality

Joel Makower — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:08:00 -0700

Now that Walmart has finally unveiled its audacious Sustainability Index, it's time to take a more sober assessment of what's really going on here. In short, there is both more and less going on here than meets the eye.

Better Cotton Initiative to Spread Throughout the World in 2010

GreenBiz Staff — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:40:00 -0700

The Better Cotton Initiative plans to have cotton produced to its standards on the global market next year and expand its efforts in Brazil, India, Pakistan, Africa and other countries.

Inside Wal-Mart's Sustainability Index

Marc Gunther — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:36:00 -0700

The mega-retailer is about to unveil its guidelines for what it considers a sustainable company. But with so many definitions of how a business can be considered green, who's to say with any certainty what sustainable means?

Planes, Trains, Hybrid Automobiles Keep UPS Trucking Toward Efficiency

ClimateBiz Staff — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:08:00 -0700

In its 2008 corporate sustainability report, UPS sets a hard target for emissions reductions in what it says is the world's ninth-largest airline, and lays out how a steady focus on efficiency is trimming the company's footprint.

Growing the Future of Bamboo Products

Jonathan Bardelline — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:10:00 -0700

Bamboo has spread into the world of consumer products as fast as it grows in the wild, but the higher demand opens the door for overharvesting, price fluctuations and quality issues. BooShoot Gardens is on a mission to ensure the world's supply of bamboo stays sustainable by cloning bamboo plants and even trying to get bamboo growing again in the U.S.

Second BSR Report Lays Out Impacts, Goals for a 'Reset' World

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:20:00 -0700

Facing an unprecedented global economic downturn, environmental issues of similar scale and a loss of trust, Business for Social Responsibility lays out its progress and goals for the future in its second annual report.

'Organic' Certification Expands in Canada but Criticized in the U.S.

Sarah Terry-Cobo — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 16:56:00 -0700

While Canada unveils its own certification system, the U.S. label is criticized by consumers.

More Greenpeace Rankings: Who's the Greenest Seafood Retailer?

Matthew Wheeland — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:15:00 -0700

The third update of Greenpeace's Sustainable Seafood scorecard finds Wegman's Ahold USA and Whole Foods leading the pack for supporting sustainable seafood; Trader Joe's remains the lowest-ranked national retailer on the list.

Nespresso's Ecolaboration Project Offers Lifecycle-Wide Green Efforts

GreenBiz Staff — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:37:00 -0700

From vastly expanding the amount of green-certified coffee it purchases to tripling the number of coffee pods it recycles, Nestlé subsidiary Nespresso is taking its green game to the next level with today's Ecolaboration announcement.

Retailers' Ties with Illegal Deforesters Highlight Supply Chain Concerns

James Murray — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:01:00 -0700

Several U.K. supermarkets are facing fresh calls to sever ties with meat suppliers in Brazil facing prosecution for their alleged involvement in illegal deforestation.

From Design to Dismantling, Shipping Firms Embrace Green

GreenBiz Staff — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 16:58:00 -0700

Following on news that the global shipping industry could hit carbon neutrality in 15 years, a new report looks at how logistics and shipping companies have implemented environmentally friendly practices.