Archive for March, 2010
U.S. Paper Recycling Rates Hit New High
Posted on 29. Mar, 2010 by admin.
NEW YORK, NY — Paper recovery and recycling continues to grow more rapidly than even industry experts can predict, continuing a trend we’ve reported in our State of Green Business report for the past three years.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), an industry association that tracks paper use, released its 2009 figures for paper recovery and recycling, and found that a record-high 63.4 percent of the paper consumed in the U.S. was recovered last year for recycling.
The achievement marks the continuation of big leaps in the percentage of paper recovered, even as the overall amount of paper used declines. By surpassing 60 percent recovery, the AF&PA has surpassed its goal three years early.
“Recycling is one of America’s great environmental success stories and the paper industry is proud of our ongoing leadership role in this arena,” AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman said in a statement. “Today’s announcement is a testament to the work of the industry and the commitment of millions of Americans who recycle at home, school and work on a daily basis.”
The early achievement of the recovery goal is another ongoing trend in paper recovery. As we wrote in the State of Green Business report this year:
Read the entire article at GreenBiz.com
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Don’t Put Your Business at Risk
Posted on 22. Mar, 2010 by admin.
The concept behind sustainability is as simple as it is compelling: resources may only be used at a rate at which they can be replenished.
When most people see the word “resources,” they think immediately of natural resources. But in order to thrive businesses actually need three types of resources: environmental (e.g., natural resources), social (including employees, customers and general societal goodwill) and economic (money).
In fact, these three factors comprise a common definition of business sustainability: increasing short- and long-term profitability by holistically managing economic, social and environmental risks and opportunities.
This definition is relevant both in times of recession and economic growth because the main drivers of sustainability don’t change. The three factors have been the drivers of business success since mankind has been engaged in business endeavors. While sustainability may seem to run counter to the profit-maximizing doctrine of running a company, this concept of creating sustainable business processes is increasingly seen as a key to long-term success.
Organizations can work toward sustainability in many ways, but to be truly effective sustainability initiatives cannot stand alone. They must transform the organization as a whole. This takes individual and coordinated efforts from many segments of a company.
Read entire article at GreenBiz.com
