Why CVS’ ‘No Smokes’ Decision Is Big News for Forward-Thinking Brands

Jay Owen February 10, 2014Sustainability News

February 10, 2014


	PRODUCTS AND DESIGN Beyond Omega-3s: How Systems Thinking Helped Organic Valley Yield Host of Sustainability Benefits
	Recent research published in PLOS ONE revealed that healthful omega-3 fatty acids can be found in organic dairy products. The study included milk from Organic Valley, the nation’s largest farmer-owned cooperative, which has been on the path to understanding the fatty acid profile of its products since 2009. What the coop experienced along the way provides companies in all industries three important reminders about effective corporate sustainability efforts. READ MORE


	BEHAVIOR CHANGE Why CVS’ ‘No Smokes’ Decision Is Big News for Forward-Thinking Brands
	We’re all too familiar with the fact that, sometimes, the right thing to do doesn’t add up to be best thing to do money-wise in the short term. But when leaders decide to value long-term sustainability over short-term financial results, amazing things are possible. It’s not just the Ray Andersons and Paul Polmans of the world anymore. CVS’ leaders decided to say, “It’s wrong. So we’re stopping.” More will follow. READ MORE


	ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE Brand Leaders Join SB Collaboratory to Address Employee Engagement
	Documenting the ROI of engaging employees in sustainability, and moving beyond elementary “green team” initiatives to those that enable multiple parts of an organization to generate meaningful innovation, have come to light as issues that sb community members have been anxious to address. Leaders from companies such as Annie’s, BASF, Caesars, eBay, Eastman, Green Mountain Coffee, HP, Interface, Mattel, SAP, Target and more have come together to discuss as part of the sb Collaboratory. READ MORE


	SUPPLY CHAIN Creating Sustainable Apparel Value Chains, Part II: Fostering Total Resource Productivity and (Impact) Investing
	Myanmar’s readymade garment industry is currently tiny when compared to that of neighboring Bangladesh. Creating Sustainable Apparel Value Chainsfocuses on the Gordian knot question: How can an adherence to social and environmental standards be reconciled with international competitiveness? This dilemma facing Myanmar today is surprisingly similar to that of other emerging market sourcing locations. READ MORE


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	BRAND INNOVATION Umicore: How Sustainability-Driven Innovation Transformed a Failing Mining Company Into a Materials Tech Power Player
	For those of us who are conversion advocates, Umicore is the type of company that embodies the belief in sustainability and conscious capitalism as a corporate doctrine (some would say “religion”). Umicore’s radical transformation has taken 46 years to achieve. Its new sustainable business model not only rescued the company from substantial losses but also diversified its product offerings generating significant financial returns. READ MORE



	PURCHASING AND PROCUREMENT Report: Sustainable Sourcing Driving Major Market Growth
	Once thought of as instruments primarily tailored for niche markets, voluntary sustainability standards such as Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Organic are gaining traction in mainstream markets. The trend towards mainstreaming of sustainability standards is strongest among newer sector-specific initiatives that explicitly target mainstream markets. READ MORE


	SUPPLY CHAIN Bacardi Aspires to 100% Sustainable Sugarcane Sourcing by 2022
	Marking the 152nd anniversary of the company’s founding, Good Spirited: Building a Sustainable Future builds on current programs and efficiencies that reduce water and energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and sets new goals in three primary areas: responsible sourcing, global packaging and operational efficiencies. READ MORE


	SUPPLY CHAIN With New Worker-Engagement Technologies, 18 Million Is Just the Beginning
	It has the potential to benefit 173 million workers in global supply chains and provide livelihood benefits or savings of US $30 billion annually, according to Vodafone and Accenture. What is the ‘it’? It’s a series of six disruptive opportunities for mobile to enhance the lives of workers in global supply chains. Details are laid out in their report, Connected Worker: How mobile technology can improve working life in emerging economies. READ MORE



	SB LIBRARY \| RESEARCH Gallup Employee Engagement Meta Analysis
	Gallup reviewed data from 263 research studies across 192 organizations to determine the organizational outcomes of employee engagement. The results showed that having engaged employees consistently results in strong business benefit in all 9 indicators studied: customer loyalty/engagement, profitability, productivity, turnover, safety incidents, shrinkage, absenteeism, patient safety incidents, and quality (defects). READ MORE


	MEMBER NEWS:		UPCOMING EVENT:
	Sustainable Brands Community Continues to Lead with Brand Innovation Conference Sustainable Brands BASF again named to Global 100 list of most sustainable corporations by Corporate Knights BASF Corporation REI Named to FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” List; Leading outdoor retailer recognized as a top employer for 17th consecutive year REI