25 large, multinational companies have been chosen as the finalists for the Greenest Companies of 2008, honored by Natural Health Magazine at the Natural Health Green Choice Awards. The 25 finalists are conserving energy, saving water, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, shrinking carbon footprints, and reducing waste at unparalleled levels. They are also contributing to huge improvements in alternative energy and encouraging their employees (around 3 million combined) to embrace sustainability (prnewswire.com). From the 25 finalists, 10 winners will be chosen and presented by Ed Begley, Jr. at a cocktail reception on May 5, 2009.
To give you an idea of what these 25 companies are doing or have done to go green, I have done some research on each company and have listed each finalist with a brief description of one of their green initiatives and/or contributions. Here are the finalists:
They launched a “Recycle Caps with Aveda” program, that will collect bottle caps through Aveda stores, beauty salons and schools. The company started this recycling program by first collecting caps from employees and their families, which were made into tops for the limited edition retro Clove shampoo. The shampoo’s bottle will also include 96 % post-consumer recycled content. Aveda has collected over 65,000 bottle caps.
British Airways announced that it plans to half its net CO2 emissions from 16 million tons in 2005 to 8 million by 2050. They are making progress through investment in cleaner aircraft, use of alternative fuels, more efficient flight routes, and the spread of emissions trading.
On September 2nd, Canon launched its “Canon Goes Green Movement,” which aims to create environmental awareness about the importance of environmental conservation. As part of their contribution to the green movement, Canon planted 2500 trees in Padang Kota Damansara. One small act can make a difference.
Founder, Steve Ells, switched all of the restaurants to naturally raised pork. Since then, he also switched all of their chicken and half the beef to naturally raised, with the ultimate goal of 100% their meat coming from these sources. In addition, a new Chipotle restaurant in Gurnee, Illinois will feature recycled building materials, a 6KW wind turbine, an Energy Star rated kitchen, and a rainwater collection system which will provide water for landscaping.
Clif Bar involves itself in a wide range of sustainability projects, from using biodiesel to fuel its 20,000 miles of inter-company shipping to partnering with American Forests to plant trees to help offset its carbon emissions. The company now purchases enough energy credits from renewable sources every year to offset the greenhouse gas emissions from its energy use, and has sold enough wind energy credits from its three turbines to offset an additional 4.5 million miles of driving.
No company is doing more than Coke to provide clean water to the world’s poor. Coke is delivering water-purification systems to dozens of schools in Kenya, and building more than 300 rainwater-harvesting structures to capture the monsoon rain in India, which otherwise goes to waste. Last year, the company pledged $20 million to a partnership with the WWF to improve the health of seven river basins, including the Yangtze, the Mekong, the Danube and a network of streams, lakes and rivers in the southeastern U.S. Also, Coca Cola is investing about $44 million to build the world’s largest plastic-bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Discovery Network launched Planet Green, a new cable network that is the first fully “green” channel. And in a rare move for a start-up, Planet Green features a nearly all-original lineup of 14 personality-driven series. Planet Green engages people in a fun way and in the spirit of what we can all do together to help our environment.
This line of eco-friendly carpet squares developed a Return & Recycle Program, which takes your old FLOR carpet squares and turns them into new products, preventing any of their products from going to landfills. They are one of a handful of U.S. companies that print their catalogs on 100% recycled paper/85% post-consumer waste. Their goal is to have zero negative impact on the Earth by 2020.
This U.S. automaker introduced the auto industries first soy-foam car seats in the 2008 Mustang, which is on track to reduce 605,000 pounds of CO2 annually. The 2008 Escape features America’s first seat fabric made from 100 percent post-industrial materials. This could conserve an estimated 600,000 gallons of water, 1.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents and more than 7 million kilowatt hours of electricity.
This clothing line unveiled a 1 megawatt solar power system at Gap Inc.’s West Coast distribution center campus. The installation, one of the largest in Northern California, features a ground-mounted solar tracking system on a five-acre site, and is expected to offset 2.5 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 2,466 vehicles off the road over its lifespan.
Since Green Mountain Energy’s launch in 1997, demand from their customers has been responsible for the development of over 35 wind and solar facilities around the U.S., which generated over 319,000 MWh of new renewable energy in 2007, alone. Green Mountain customers pay a monthly membership fee of $5.00, and these funds go towards the construction of solar arrays on the buildings of non-profit organizations in Texas. They are responsible for installing more than 146 kW of solar power, which, in one year, prevents the emission of over 408,000 pounds of CO2.
This organic mega-brand of foods and personal care items used 100% renewable energy in its European facilities. One of the company’s brands, Celestial Seasonings, will sponsor the planting of more than 1 million trees through a new partnership with the nonprofit organization, Trees for the Future. Tea drinkers can join Celestial Seasonings in planting trees in two ways: by purchasing the brand’s all-natural teas or by going online to participate in a free interactive program that turns “virtual trees” into reality.
This affordable furniture retailer is committed to environmental practices, including the complete removal of plastic bags from its stores, and instead, offering their Blue Bag, which is a large tote made from recycled tarp. IKEA uses renewable energy for 45% of its heating needs and 20% of its electricity. It held 9,000 online meetings last year, drastically reducing emissions and saving some money, too. It is shrinking its supply chain, locating factories closer to markets. In addition, IKEA expects that about 30% of its wood will be FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-certified in the next few years, compared to the 5-6% today.
In 2008, over 100 Kohl’s stores earned the Energy Star label for superior energy efficiency and environmental performance marking the largest group of retail buildings to earn the label in Energy Star history. Kohl’s is also installing solar power in 130 stores in 6 states. Over the next couple of years, Kohl’s is opening 45 new stores that were constructed using the LEED pre-certified prototype.
Kraft Foods opened a 400,000-square-foot warehouse in Springfield Underground that will serve as a central distribution hub for the food manufacturer. Being underground, the center is kept at 36 degrees at a much more efficient rate, using 65% less energy than a comparable warehouse on the surface. This is equal to the annual power required to power about 700 homes. It also features energy-saving fluorescent lighting and high-efficiency refrigeration equipment.
The largest cosmetics company in the world is scheduled to open the doors to its new headquarters this year. And? Well this building is going to receive a Gold Certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the US Green Building Council. In addition, their U.S. manufacturing facility is also going green, now recovering heat from its production wastewater to help heat new wash water. collecting scraps and then drained and shipped to a treatment plant, and it is now outfitted with electricity-saving features, including fluorescent light fixtures that have saved the company nearly $35,000.
This organic meat supplier has grown to more than 600 Niman Ranch farmers and ranchers who supply all-natural, sustainably and humanely-raised 100% U.S. beef, pork, lamb and chicken from family farms and ranches across the country. These family farmers raise livestock without the use of antiobiotics or hormones, fed a 100% vegetarian diet and are raised outdoors on pastures. Today, Niman Ranch sells its organic meats to 1200 restaurants and to two large grocery chains, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s.
America’s largest organic farmer cooperative launched a “Celebrate Organic” recipe contest, for individuals to share their favorite organic recipes. On behalf of each participant, the Organic Valley donated $1 to an environmental organization. Their 80,000 square foot distribution center will create and utilize renewable energy such as biomass conversion of manure and sawdust, biodiesel and wind energy, and it uses other green practices such as recycled cotton for insulation in the walls and automatic faucets that recharge their batteries with the flow of water.
P&G’s offices are creating 21% less waste than a year ago, and in the last year alone, water and energy use was reduced by 6-8%. Over the past 6 years, they have decreased waste in their facilities by 50%. How? New formulas in detergent save 500 million liters of water every year, and since they use more compact bottles now (as a result), 40,000 less truck loads are used every year. Also, P&G’s corporate cause “Live, Learn and Thrive” helped improve life for more than 60 million children in need last year, through several programs, such as developing a low-cost technology that purifies contaminated drinking water.
This “green” cleaning product company was the first company in the world to obtain Climate Neutral certification and totally offset its CO2 emissions, with a net zero impact on the environment (9 years ago). In recent years, they’ve replaced kerosene lamps and diesel generators with solar photovoltaic energy in Sri Lanka, and installed solar energy in African villages, providing sustainable, cheap energy, so that the villagers can increase production with longer hours, and expanded hours for education.
Their 10% post-consumer paper fiber coffee cups have saved 200,000 trees since 2006. In 2008, 70% of Starbuck’s stores participated in local commercial recycling programs, with a goal of 100% by 2015. Each store will be upgraded to be 25% more energy-efficient, and all new company-operated stores will be LEED-certified or other internationally recognized standards.
In 2008, UPS ordered 200 hybrid electric vehicles, which was the largest commercial order of such trucks by any company. In addition they ordered another 300 Compressed Natural Gas vehicles for its U.S. delivery fleet. The trucks are expected to save 176,000 gallons of fuel annually and reduce CO2 emissions by 1,786 metric tons each year. UPS has the largest alternative fuel fleet in the U.S.
Through Verizon’s “HopeLine Program,” 200 tons of electronic waste has been kept out of landfills since 2001. Verizon’s recycling effort could see 100 million recycled devices power nearly 200,000 homes in the U.S. for a year, according to the EPA. In addition, last year Verizon replaced 100 gas-powered fleet vehicles with Toyota Prius sedans. This would reduce carbon emissions by 2.63 metric tons.
In 2008, Wal-Mart purchased its first substantial amount of wind energy, supplying up to 15% of their total energy load in approximately 360 Texas stores and other facilities. Wal-Mart will avoid producing more than 139,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year through this purchase. Just last month, the Wal-Mart Foundation donated $5.7 million to support the creation of green jobs in the U.S.
They were the first major retailer to offset 100% of their energy use with wind energy credits. In 2008, Whole Foods earned the EPA’s prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance. Theis stores are using 35% less energy than average supermarkets.
Tags: Green Companies