The role of sustainability executives, also known as corporate sustainability officers, has evolved over the last 6-10 years. Initially, many of these roles evolved out of need and whoever had interest in a company usually was dubbed the ‘sustainability expert’ within the company. Now that the sustainability profession has progressed, more experience has been created and there are higher degrees available in sustainability management the role has become more specialized and coveted than before.
A recurring questions is what do these professionals do? Although that can vary from company to company, here are some good resources to refer to about this role and all that it entails;
A movie that came out late 2010, Carbon Nation, discusses the role American can have in the renewable energy sector to reduce the carbon footprint. Whether you are believer in man induced global warming or not, it makes a compelling case for why renewable energy is a good move for the United States to invest in.
This non-partisan documentary provides compelling evidence that dealing with climate change can boost the economy, increase national & energy security and promote health and a clean environment.
The movie can be purchased via DVD or downloaded through all the various online movie retailers.
Other short videos and movies on renewabale energy that are also recommended;
Many companies in the beginning of the New Year purchase new electronic equipment. It is important to discard e-waste appropriately by using e-waste vendors that are certified by the Basel Action Network e-Stewards program. This system of certification is an independent audit that ensures recyclers do not throw e-waste into landfills and to only send to developing countries that have responsible and safe means of destruction and disposal.
There was a responsible electronics recycling act (HR 2284/ S. 1270) that was introduced in Congress in June of 2011. This Act would prevent the export of non-functional or shredded electronic scrap to developing countries and make it illegal to dump electronics into the landfill. It has been passed down to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment but as of today, the status is unknown.
Two great videos on the issues of e-waste;
- Story of Electronics: Produced by the same organization as the Story of Stuff. An easy 20 minute video on where electronics go once they have no use.
- 60 Minutes Wasteland: First aired in 2009 and again in 2010, this gripping and telling investigative reporting on e-waste issues in China.
Go to eco-officiency’s website to learn about recommended places to recycle or donate unwanted computers and electronics.
Tags: computer, e-Stewards program, e-waste, electronics, HR2284, recycling, responsible, story of electronics, wasteland
Recommended Movies/ Documentaries, Recycling, e-waste | eco-officiency January 3, 2012 | 
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A report 
published by multiple entities offers insight into how small businesses can profit from sustainability. Sustainability initiatives can be challenging when most small businesses don’t own their building or facilities nor manufacture their products. This report focuses on case studies from the United Kingdom, United States and Canada. It offers some best practices on sustainability that small businesses can employ immediately with little cost and high return.
Click here to download the free report, SME’s Set Their Sights on Sustainability.
A new web resource was launched to assist the hospitality and hotel industry in becoming more sustainable. The National Sustainable Lodging Network, is providing a framework of sharing resources and information within the hotel and lodging industry. You need to sign up to the network, which is free, in order to gain access to the information.
Another great resource is Green Lodging News which provides information on green products and services for the hotel industry along with general information on sustainability.
Acre, an executive search firm that specializes in sustainability and corporate responsibility personnel recently published a report on the evolution of the sustainability professional. The report, The Emergence of the Chief Sustainability Officer, is available free for download from their website. 
Acre also provides three sample job descriptions that identify possible role and responsibilities for the following positions:
Corporate Social Responsibility Manager
Corporate Social Responsibility Director
The Chief Sustainability Officer
There is also a good job description available from the Sustainable Cities Institute for a Sustainability Officer.
On our eco-officiency website we also offer a one page summary on the role and need for corporate sustainability officers
The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) in partnership with the GreenBiz group have published a report called, Toward Engagement 2.0: Creating a More Sustainable Company Through Employee Engagement. This report is free for download from both NEFF and GreenBiz websites. 
The report provides company case studies and examples of how to create the eco-culture in an organization. It also discusses four key areas to encourage employee engagement with sustainability initiatives. Here is a brief overview of their suggestions:
- Green Teams: Companies have found success engaging green teams in the company who can help foster and lead green initiatives.
- Volunteerism: Through volunteerism employees become engaged first hand with non profits as well as social issues that exist in communities.
- Social Media: Through various company examples, they are finding social media such as discussion forums, are ways that employees can self-organize and contribute to company’s sustainable practices.
- Awards and Incentives: Through these external motivations, employees also seem to respond well to being recognized via awards or provided perks and incentives to change behaviors.
Method, a company that manufacturers green cleaning products, is going to launch a new plastic bottle that actually uses plastic waste located in our oceans. They worked with Envision Plastics to figure out how to collect, reuse and manufacture a bottle using 25% of the plastic from the ocean waste. This is a great example of a company applying 
innovative solutions to our global problems. Learn more about their sustainable journey from the founder’s blog entry, The Next Generation.
To learn more about the garbage patch issue, visit Greenpeace.
There has been a lot written about plastic lately. Not only is it harmful to the environment but overwhelming studies are finding plastic harmful to your health. Consider these facts;
- Plastics production produces 14 percent of toxic air emissions in the U.S., and each plant emits an average of 300-500 gallons of contaminated wastewater per minute. (It’s Easy Being Green book)
- 100 million plastic bottles dumped in US every year. Each bottle will take over 1,000 years to biodegrade. (SIGG)
- BPA (a plastic hardening agent prevalent in bottles, cups and lined tin cans) is so prevalent in food packaging and other consumer items that prior research has detected its presence in at least 90% of Americans. A group of 20 San Francisco residents had 66% less BPA in their urine after three days on a diet of fresh, organic and unpackaged food, scientists found. (Silent Spring Institute)
- 500 billion plastic bags or wraps are thrown away in America each year and are created with 12 million barrels of oil. (DropthePlasticBag.org)
Find out the facts about plastic for yourself with these resources;
Plastic Disclosure is a great website that offers facts and information about the harmful effects of plastic.
GreenBiz released this article a few weeks ago about the plastic use in corporations.
New York Times released this article on the issue of plastic and waste
If you want a more lighthearted approach, view the movie Bag It, that was released early in 2011. It discusses all the issues with plastic. For a review, go to this blog entry.
Imagine a grocery store with no packaged goods– no jars, no cans, no plastic packaging—just food. Well a new store opened in London that is just that, a store with no packaged goods called Unpackaged. 
Customers bring in their own reusable containers and have them weighed before shopping. Then, consumers fill up their containers with the products they need in only the amounts they desire. No more packaging to throw away, less food waste and no need to worry about the plastic BPA issue in your food.
According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, packaging waste contributes to about a 1/3 of our waste in our U.S. landfills. They also show that over 10.4 million tons of plastic packaging is thrown away annually by Americans. With 95% of the ecological damage of packaging is from the energy used and the toxins created in the package manufacturing and delivery process. If packaging waste could be reduced, it would be a considerable impact on our waste stream, energy use and toxins in our environment.
Unpackaged was voted as the #48 best shop in London, to take a virtual tour visit the CNN video, Shoppers Weight Up Green Premiums.
We hope it might catch on here in the States!
