Industry News

Tesco cuts emissions
U.K. retailer Tesco is among the world leaders in sustainable retailing. It has pledged to cut all store emissions in half by 2020, and it will spend $1 billion over the next five years in accomplishing its sustainability goals. Its consumer delivery vans are battery powered.

And, now, the retailer is coming to the United States, with one initiative to spend $13 million on solar panels on its California distribution center. See this article from the New York Post to learn more.

KC clothier reaches out
In Kansas City, clothing retailer It's Only Natural selects products made from eco-fabrics, gearing toward a clientelle of women, children and toddlers. Owner Courtney Fuchs says she strives to break away from the image of "beige, frumpy styles and maybe not-so-soft clothing." She updates her styles every season, and she also sells organic, chemical-free mattresses.

Hannaford tests alternative heating
In Portland, Maine, Hannaford Bros. Co. is looking to turn some stores a little bit greener. Hannaford, which has a long-standing commitment to sustainability, is testing a new heating system at its Camden store, according to a news release. The store is using biodiesel fuel made from “natural, renewable agricultural resources (such as soybeans),” said Megan Hellstedt, Hannaford’s environmental affairs manager, in the release.

The B20 fuel, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum fuels, heats the building, along with heat generated by the store’s refrigerator compressors. In addition to its energy savings, the location  recycles more than 170 tons of mixed paper, cardboard and plastic per year.

North Carolina's Porto expands
Porto is a high-end home furnishings and accessories store in Raleigh, N.C. The company just added its second location, in the Chapel Hill area, according to a press release. Porto sells handcrafted furnishings designed and manufactured by companies that exercise and promote sustainable forestry and sourcing practices, such as South Cone.

Co-owner Michael Perry calls Chapel Hill "a market that’s extremely open to the concept of protecting the world’s resources and reducing its own environmental footprint by caring about where furniture comes from and whether or not responsible forestry practices came into play.”
 
Kroger adds efficiencies
The Kroger Co., Cincinnati , has a new store in Loveland , Ohio , with many environmentally-friendly features, such as higher-efficiency fans, skylights and compact fluorescent lighting, according to the Associated Press.  

This Kroger location recycles exhaust heat for hot water. And it employs motion detectors to turn off lights when they are not needed. Chainwide, Kroger claims to have saved more than $10 million by reducing energy use, according to AP.

Top sustainable outdoor furniture
See a top-10 list of sustainable garden furniture for the summer from New Consumer, the U.K.'s self-proclaimed "hottest ethical lifestyle magazine."

The United Nations established The Global Compact, to encourage responsible, sustainable business.

Human Rights

• Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
• Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.  
  

Labor Standards

• Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining;
• Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labor;
• Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and
• Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. 
   

Environment

• Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
• Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
• Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies   
  

Anti-Corruption

• Principle 10: Businesses should work against all forms of corruption, including extortion and bribery. 
  

EDITOR'S NOTE:
More than 100 pet food brands have been affected by tainted supplies from China. Now, we learn that the tainted pet food was diverted to hog and chicken farms, where it made up 5% or more of the animals' feed. USDA officials have put on hold 20 million chickens raised with the tainted feed, keeping them from human consumption, for now at least. Story.

But we have to wonder will become of these chickens. Will their remains be turned over to pet food manufacturers, to be reintroduced to the pet food supply?

This is one sickening mess, and what we've learned is you can't trust anyone at their word. Only testing reveals the truth. Yet less than 2% of foods imported for human consumption are inspected, mostly just by visual means. This highlights the benefits of buying organic, locally produced foods, both for yourself and your pet.

What has higher cost? Death of a loved pet ... cancer to a family member? Or paying the extra 10-20% to buy foods you can trust? More and more Americans will be making this tough choice in the months to come. Retailers who sell responsible, sustainable products are poised to meet their needs.


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Sustainable Retailing is a Web resource for businesses seeking to be more responsible, accountable and sustainable to the environment, their customers and their employees.