February 10, 2016 Comments are off Kellen
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SETTING A GREEN BUILDING STANDARD IN SOUTH CAROLINA – Sealed Air

The University of South Carolina (UofSC), located in the state’s capital city of Columbia, is highly regarded as the state’s number one builder of green buildings. It seems only natural that a higher education institution, one preparing the best and the brightest for their futures, would be on the forefront of innovative practices in their operations. According to the university’s annual sustainability report, their campus features multiple LEED building certifications, ranging from silver to gold to platinum. Just take a walk around campus and you’ll see firsthand the commitment to sustainability in operations, from the buildings themselves to the student organizations leading the way with new ideas.

In an effort to continue their progress toward more sustainable operations, UofSC turned to Sealed Air’s Diversey Care team. University Housing was in search of cleaning products that would create a clean, yet safe environment for students and employees, and support efforts to reduce costs overall. According to UofSC’s Sustainability Report, its Green Cleaning Program, in collaboration with Diversey Care solutions, has been able to show significant savings and efficiencies.  The university has experienced over $10,000 in supply savings and over $19,000 savings in labor. The partnership with Sealed Air’s Diversey Care started as a three-building pilot and now has been expanded to include the cleaning solution in all 25 residence halls on campus. The program has been such a success it was featured in the university’s annual Sustainability Report.

Diversey Care implemented several proven products and solutions for UofSC including:

  • J-Fill® QuattroSelect®, a wall-mounted dispenser that dispenses the proper chemical dose into bottles, buckets or floor care machines
  • TASKI® MicroFit, which retrofits standard 40-gallon trash barrels to enable pre-wet microfiber cleaning
  • TASKI® Quantum™ System, a unique no-touch mopping system featuring an ergonomic handle and double-sided and launderable microfiber mops
  • TASKI® Nano Mobile Work Station, a customizable cleaning cart that holds tools and chemicals to accommodate to the way cleaning staff work
  • TASKI® Crystal Shield™ System, TASKI ProSpeed and various TASKI auto scrubbers, burnishers and carpet care machines
  • Oxivir® Tb Wipes that kill pathogens quickly while still being gentle on surfaces and people

The UofSC and Diversey Care partnership creates healthier, safer and cleaner environments for students and employees while supporting the university’s sustainability goals and lowering overall costs.  It was evident from the start that the university wanted a sustainable cleaning solution that would help reduce water consumption, landfill waste, and indoor pollutants without sacrificing results. The benefits of concentrated cleaning chemicals includes less plastic waste and less transport costs, therefore reducing the overall carbon footprint of cleaning operations. By implementing Sealed Air Diversey Care equipment, concentrated chemicals and tools in the residence halls, UofSC is reducing the overall carbon footprint of cleaning operations and improving the student housing experience.

With more than 1.1 million square feet of green building space, it was simply imperative that UofSC find the right solution for their sustainable cleaning needs. Sealed Air and UofSC have been able to generate savings while at the same time creating a more sustainable footprint through reduced water consumption, reduced indoor VOC’s, and reduced waste to landfill by consolidating the usage of concentrated chemicals and using recyclable containers. Now, with Sealed Air Diversey Care cleaning solutions in place across all campus residence halls, the university is well positioned to retain its leadership reputation in sustainable operations.

Learn more: https://sealedair.com/setting-green-building-standard-south-carolina/

Source: Sealed Air

December 15, 2015 Comments are off Kellen
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Materiality Case Study: Sealed Air

Materiality Case Study: Sealed Air

In 2014, Sealed Air reviewed its corporate sustainability strategy and established long-term goals.   To make sure it wasn’t creating a strategy in a vacuum, the company collected feedback from suppliers, customers, and non-governmental organizations to gain valuable insights and identify the most material issues to the company and its key stakeholders. The results were Sealed Air’s first materiality assessment and matrix.

Working with an outside expert the company leveraged internal and external sources to conduct 57 interviews. The participation rate and highly engaged feedback from partners reinforced the importance of the work.

The materiality analysis helped Sealed Air understand the social and environmental risks and opportunities that stakeholders see as most critical for the company. The results have helped focus resources and guide the development of a powerful, new sustainability strategy. To ensure the success of its greater sustainability strategy, the company outlined three pillars of measureable, aggressive and impactful sustainability goals called ‘The Better Way for Life Plan’. The Plan and goals focus on helping people around the world live better lives, delivering solutions that meet customers’ sustainability needs and reducing the impact of the company’s global operations.

Internal and external perspectives were well aligned and in agreement that the most material issues across Sealed Air’s business include employee safety, product safety, food security, ethical business practices, product stewardship, and transparency. Sealed Air will continue to engage these stakeholders, and use their feedback to guide the company’s sustainability work in the future.  The most exciting part of this process is to see how closely aligned the company’s sustainability strategy is with its overall business strategy. The new sustainability strategy isn’t business as usual; it’s a playbook for the company to live out its vision.

[This case study originally appeared in GEMI’s Quick Guide on Materiality]. 

sealed air materiality

November 6, 2015 Comments are off Kellen
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Saving Water in McDonalds Washrooms in India

McDonald’s India is paying careful attention to its water use given its status in a country with severe water challenges. According to The Water Project, India’s population, which is three times that of the United States, is the second largest in the world.  Due to water contamination, the country experiences significantly high diseases caused by an unsafe water supply and only 33% of the country has access to traditional sanitation. Approximately 1,000 children in India die daily from diseases caused by contaminated water, according to The Economist.  An examination of water risks within restaurants identified the heavily used washrooms as a significant source of water consumption. In looking to address this challenge, McDonald’s asked Sealed Air’s Diversey Care team for a solution to help reduce water consumption in public and staff amenities.

McDonald’s India and Sealed Air Diversey Care teams quickly identified Diversey’s Flush-Me Not program which consists of waterless urinals that provide odor and stain control along with water savings in washrooms. The program consists of a urinal screen with embedded fragrance and a cleaning chemical spray. This program led to McDonald’s India achieving significant reductions in water use in 2014. Through the Diversey program, every urinal can become a waterless version saving up to 60% of water used without using expensive equipment. The solution is affordable and provides significant reductions in water use in washrooms.

The project, a critical component to help McDonald’s reach its water stewardship goals, was implemented at approximately 70 restaurants in India. The results for McDonald’s India were exemplary; approximately 1,700,000 gallons of water were saved from going down the drain over a 12-month period, and McDonald’s is in the process of replicating the program in more of its restaurants. The water saved in one year of the Sealed Air Diversey Care Flush-Me-Not program was enough to provide water for over 33,000 people for one day, a significant impact on India’s water challenge.

To read more about Sealed Air’s sustainability programs, please see our 2014 Sustainability Report.

See more at: http://3blmedia.com/News/Saving-Water-McDonalds-Washrooms-India#sthash.t0C86jaL.dpuf

September 16, 2015 Comments are off Kellen
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On Our Way to 2020

On Our Way to 2020: A Materiality Study

By Dan Daggett, Ph.D., Executive Director, Global Sustainability (Sealed Air Blog)

Earlier this year, we launched Sealed Air’s Better Way for Life Plan and 2020 Sustainability Goals.     As you would expect, a lot of work was done behind the scenes to set such aggressive commitments.  To make sure we weren’t creating a strategy in a vacuum, we collected feedback from suppliers, customers, and non-governmental organizations to gain valuable insights and identify the most material issues to the company and our key stakeholders. The results were Sealed Air’s first materiality assessment and matrix.

We conducted extensive research with both Sealed Air employees and external experts in surveys and interviews. The participation rate and highly engaged feedback from partners reinforced the importance of the work.

The materiality analysis helped us understand the social and environmental risks and opportunities that stakeholders see as most critical for the company. The results have helped focus resources and guide the development of a powerful, new sustainability strategy. To ensure the success of our new sustainability strategy, we outlined three pillars of measureable, aggressive, impactful sustainability goals, called ‘The Better Way for Life Plan’. The Plan and goals focus on helping people around the world live better lives, delivering solutions that meet customers’ sustainability needs and reducing the impact of our global operations.

Internal and external perspectives were well aligned and in agreement that the most material issues across Sealed Air’s business include employee safety, product safety, food security, ethical business practices, product stewardship, and transparency. We will continue to engage our stakeholders, and use their feedback to guide the company’s sustainability work in the future.  The most exciting part of this process is to see how closely aligned our sustainability strategy is with our overall business strategy. The new sustainability strategy isn’t business as usual; it’s a playbook for the company to live out its vision.

GEMI, a leading organization that corporations look to for guidance in developing materiality studies, recently featured our materiality study in their Materiality Quick Guide.  The GEMI Quick Guide on Materiality is designed to help corporations understand materiality and its relationship to sustainability; recognize the importance of materiality in defining an appropriate sustainability strategy; and learn what factors to consider when undertaking a materiality assessment.  It is a compliment and an honor for our work to be featured in the GEMI Materiality Quick Guide. You can view the guide here.