GREENBUZZ :: February 25, 2008

February 25, 2008 News, Tools & Resources from GreenBiz.com
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Taking Care of Business The greening of products is a perennial story. This week, we feature stories on what Toys 'R' Us, Philips, and Henkel are doing to reduce the life-cycle impacts of their products. Green product design is also the theme of our inaugural conference, Greener by Design: Strategies, Tools, and Markets for Product Innovation, to be held June 12-13 in Alexandria, Virginia. The two-day event, produced in association with Global Executive, will focus on green product design -- how companies, both large and small, are harnessing environmental thinking to create innovative products and packaging. At Greener by Design, you'll hear from such companies as diverse as Clorox, DeLoach Vineyards, Dupont, General Electric, Nike, Procter & Gamble, TerraCycle, and Xerox. There will also be presentations by, and discussions with, leading thinkers, such as Robert Shelton on "Making Innovation Work," about how companies can manage for innovation; and Jennifer van der Meer, a leading design strategist. And some innovations, such as "Green Gurus at Play," intimate small-group sessions that allow participants to interact with leading designers and thinkers in green product design. We'll be telling you more in the coming weeks. As a GreenBuzz subscriber, you are eligible for a special 15% discount before March 31. To register, go to www.greenerbydesign.com, or call 800-516-4265. To take advantage of the discount, use the code "greenbuzz" when registering. -- Joel Makower, Executive Editor THIS ISSUE'S SPONSOR Want to be a GreenBuzz sponsor? Click here. Subscribe to GreenBiz.com RSS Headlines The Latest News on Business and the Environment Toys 'R' Us Adopts Tighter Standards for Toxics in Products Amid the growing concern about contaminants in children's toys and products, Toys 'R' Us enacted new standards for lead, PVC and cadmium use in its products. Mumbai's Largest Mall Gets Energy Retrofit Through Clinton Climate Initiative Under the first project through the CCI's Energy Efficiency Building Retrofit Program, run by the Clinton Climate, India's Inorbit Mall will work to cut its energy use. Philips' Green Product Sales Jump by a Third Royal Philips Electronics boosted the sales of its green products by 33 percent in 2007. Green products accounted for 20 percent of the company's revenues last year. Intel Tops List of 100 Best Corporate Citizens CRO Magazine revamped the 100 Best Corporate Citizens list to put more weight on performance related to climate change and the environment. Henkel and ASU to Tackle Life Cycle Impact Analysis Henkel, a Germany-based corporation that makes products such as Soft Scrub and Dial soaps, made a three-year commitment to work with the university's Global Institute of Sustainability to measure product environmental impacts from cradle to grave. U.K. Gov't. Policies 'Block Supermarket Sustainability' Conflicting and poorly enforced government policies and guidance are preventing the development of a sustainable food system in the U.K., an independent advisory body has said. Wal-Mart Joins Group Working to Reduce Pollution Around Ports In the latest of a string of moves to clean up port communities, Wal-Mart partnered with the Coalition for Responsible Transportation, committing to reduce the emissions from ships and vehicles bringing goods destined for its stores. U.K. Campaign Aims to Raise Visibility of Office Waste Envirowise's One Bin Day campaign aimed to make office workers see and think about what their office throws away. Climate Change Causing 'Shift' in Corporate Mindsets: U.N. The U.N. Environment Program's Year Book 2008 illustrates how more business leaders are beginning to view climate change as an opportunity, rather than as a liability, leading to the emergence of a green economy. Portland Named America's Greenest City San Francisco, Boston, Oakland, Calif., and Eugene, Ore., rounded out the top five greenest cities from Popular Science magazine. Green-e to Certify Offsets for Consumers Green-e, the country's first certification program for carbon offsets, will launch a program to ensure that the products sold to offset activities such as flying or driving have been verified at each step. Put GreenBiz news on your site for free! Learn more... > MORE NEWS HEADLINES Featured Resource A Wealth of Hands-On Help How To Operate as an Environmentally Aware Organization The report is a step-by-step guide helping companies evaluate their operations, calculate their carbon footprint and take action. > MORE TOOLS > MORE WEB SITES Columns and Features Insight and Inspiration from the Experts Motivated Employees Make Sustainability Initiatives Sustainable By Tilde Herrera When a company, large or small, decides to assess and improve its environmental performance, having employees on board to support and extend the project can make the difference between success and failure. Five Tips to Reduce Your Fleet's Emissions By Karen Healey Companies of all shapes and sizes are starting to take a serious look at the environmental impacts of their vehicle fleets. Whether you're running 10 hybrids or 10,000 Peterbilts, here are a handful of simple suggestions that can make a big impact. GreenBiz Blogs Joel Makower's Two Steps Forward: Green Corporate Communications > More from Joel Makower Marc Gunther on Corporate America: Tiffany and Staples, Corporate Cops > More from Marc Gunther Wanna write for GreenBiz? GreenBiz is looking for guest and regular columnists and feature writers. We're seeking contributions from business leaders as well as the journalists who write about them. If you're interested, send a brief query to managing editor Matthew Wheeland, at editor@greenbiz.com | Read our editorial guidelines > MORE COLUMNS > MORE FEATURES