Companies Take LEED with Abundance of Earth Day Initiatives
From new bottles at Evian to carbon offsets for Dole in Costa Rica, firms mark annual observance with variety of environmental programs
By Danielle Lee
Today, April 22, marks the 38th annual celebration of Earth Day, as well as an opportunity for many companies and organizations to announce new green and eco-friendly initiatives.
In celebration, this year:
Rabobank earned LEED Silver certification for its San Francisco office.
Interface, the modular carper manufacturer, released ecometrics for 2007 and reported that net absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are down 82 percent from a 1996 baseline, while total energy intensity (use per unit of output) is down 45 percent from 1996. In addition to typical financial metrics like profit and loss, Interface began tracking ‘ecometrics’ in 1996, measuring energy and water intake, waste streams, GHG and raw materials streams, to evaluate its progress toward sustainability goals.
Evian implemented three new sustainability programs: the Evian Water Protection Institute, which will protect and restore wetlands around the world; the introduction of post-consumer recycled plastics into its most popular bottles; and a partnership with RecycleBank.
Jewel-Osco, a Midwest food and drug retailer, encouraged hundreds of its associates to conduct environmental clean-up projects across Chicago, and raise customer awareness by offering at every store a free reusable grocery bag to the first 200 shoppers that bring in 10 plastic bags to recycle.
Dole’s operating division in Costa Rica, Standard Fruit Company de Costa Rica S.A., stated it will purchase carbon offsets from the Costa Rican government’s program in amounts equal to the carbon dioxide emissions generated by the inland transport of Dole produced bananas and pineapples.
The Pearson Foundation and Nokia announced a global, environmental filmmaking competition that gives young people the chance to share their views on the earth's future and the importance of combating climate change. During the Global Youth Summit, taking place April 19-25 in Orlando, Fla., Pearson and Nokia were providing the tools to empower young people to create and promote environmental videos as a kickoff to the filmmaking competition, which begins June 1, 2008 and ends on Earth Day 2009.
Expedia unveiled its “Going Green” Store (www.expedia.com/gogreen), which provides travelers with the ability to shop for green travel options in one place. The selection includes environmentally friendly hotels, hybrid car rentals, carbon offsets for air travel and sustainable travel resources.