A Bimonthly Update for Australian Retail and FMCG clients. Enjoy!

• CEO’s Update:

• Sustainable Packaging Update:
  Nestle & Danone lead the way in bioplastics

• The GREEN POWER of ADVOCACY GROUPS:
  Greenpeace stirs up sporting goods giants

• Look Down:
  Wegmans and Hopper Group look to their floors to save the earth and cut costs

• GREEN MONDAY interrogates MARKS & SPENCER on PLAN A

Climate Alliance, a not-for-profit business leadership and climate change advocate, is hosting an event next month featuring Australia’s top corporate leaders. The conference examines a post-carbon regulation business landscape and asks “What now?”

With the confusion around the carbon tax impact on retail, this event will help directors and senior executives come to terms with the new rules for business.

Event details: 15 September 2011, 2 - 5 pm, Karstens Conference Centre, Melbourne

Learn more
Download PDF
Register here

A Bimonthly Update for Australian Retail and FMCG clients. Enjoy!

• CEO’s Update: Green gets Red Hot!

Sustainability is moving front-and-centre for retailers and FMCG companies. From the Retail World Sustainability Forum to the carbon tax, Green is starting to sizzle!

• Carbon Tax: The Big Questions for Retail

For better or worse the detail for the planned carbon tax is finally on the table. Now it’s time to consider the impact on our industry and our businesses. Hear from experts on the likely fallout from consumer sentiment to retail margins.

• Going Paperless: US Retailers Eliminate Receipts

An opportunity for Australian retailers to import some smart thinking to benefit the environment, their customers and the bottom line.

• Wind Energy goes Consumer: Home Depot Sells Wind Turbines

Is small scale renewable a growth category for retail?

• Selling Sustainability: Make it a Game!

A joint report from ROI Research and Google reveals that “gamification” is a great way to shift behaviour

Anticipation is heating up for the Retail World Sustainability conference tomorrow with industry media picking up on the event!

Check out these articles:

• Inside Retail (pdf)
• Retail Biz  
• Wardrobe Wonderland
• Climate Alliance

  To learn more after the event, check out our CEO’s update in the July 2011 Sustainability Intelligence Report here

Welcome to Green for Retail’s inaugural  newsletter.  On a bi-monthly basis we will be providing an update on global news that affects Australian retailers and manufacturers as they progress toward a sustainable future.  This is an opportunity to learn from the success and mistakes of others and to keep your finger on the pulse of world’s best thinking on sustainability in the retail and FMCG sectors.  Enjoy!

• Greening Program in Action
• Zara, Whole Foods, Woolworths and more tackle sustainability at RETAIL WORLD Conference  
• Sustainability good for the bottom line
• "Green Marketing" having measurable impact on consumer attitudes and behaviour
• A product centred approach to sustainability
  
  

This year’s Retail World conference features an amazing line up of speakers on the subject of Sustainability and responsibility.  Don’t miss this one!

• Keynote speaker Javier Chércoles, Former Director of Corporate Social Responsibility  Inditex (Zara) for the last 10 years, is at the forefront of thought leadership in sustainability and responsibility.  He will share experiences from hot retailer Zara, and also global lessons from his innovative work in ethical sourcing.
• Keynote speaker Kathy Loftus, Global Leader Sustainable Engineering, Maintenance and Energy at Whole Foods Market (USA), will share examples of sustainability innovations, experience in partnering with community groups on sustainability projects, and insights into some of the barriers they have faced.
• Amineh Mardirossian, Group Sustainability Manager Woolworths, will let us in on some of Woolworth’s sustainability successes.
• Other speakers on sustainability include:  Alexie O’Brien, GM of industry icon sportswear retailer Lululemon ; and Turlough Guerin, former Group Manager Environment at Telstra.

If you are involved in setting sustainability strategies, innovating for a green future or implementing efficiency projects then YOU MUST BE THERE!  Green for Retail is proudly sponsoring this important event and offers you a SPECIAL DISCOUNT. Contact us on 03 9999 11030 for the discount code.
More information: http://www.retail-world.com.au/sustainabilityatretail.html
Download flyer: Retail World Conference Flyer

The Australian Packaging Covenant (APC) has been running Action Plan Workshops in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth through the last half of February. Tara Allsop, Managing Director of Green for Retail, attended the Melbourne workshop this week to represent a number of clients actively working on sustainable packaging plans.

“It was great to see everyone who was anyone in retail and FMCG in Melbourne was represented at the workshop,” said Allsop. “Smarter, sustainable packaging is clearly taking its rightful place on the agenda.”

Allsop reported that the workshops provided excellent basic training for APC compliance, and found the hands on approach constructive. “The task of co-designing innovative packaging solutions at tables got everyone thinking outside their usual paradigms, and provided a process that people could take back to their companies to continue generating innovative solutions.”

Green for Retail recognises APC compliance not only as a meaningful way to move toward sustainable packaging solutions, but also as a strategic advantage providing an opportunity to highlight a company’s sustainability efforts. “We are actively working with our clients to fold their existing sustainability strategies into the APC Action Plan,” said Allsop. “This reduces duplication of effort and ensures that clients are recognised for their achievements.” For more information about the Australian Packaging Covenant, visit http://www.packagingcovenant.org.au

Green for Retail’s best practice Greening Program© is a step-by-step process enabling businesses to audit their current position, establish realistic strategies and implement sustainability action plans. What sets Green for Retail’s approach apart from many other consultancies is the level to which it involves staff in the process.

MD Tara Allsop believes strongly in the value of including all levels of staff in developing and implementing sustainability solutions. Without staff involvement she says Green for Retail risks misjudging how the company operates, which may mean that recommended strategies do not fit the corporate culture. “Potentially more lethal is making recommendations and walking away,” says Allsop. “Without the buy-in of the team even the most brilliant sustainability strategy is doomed to failure.”

A core part of the Greening Program is staff education, awareness and involvement. Once a thorough audit has been completed, the next step is to communicate the results to staff and enrol them in the sustainability journey. “Sustainability workshops touch many team members on an almost emotional level. We not only come out of the sessions with the outline of a sustainability strategy that fits the organisation, but with real advocates who will shepherd the company through the implementation process,” Allsop explains.

Green for Retail has recently completed the Greening Program© workshop process with a number of companies in the sector (it’s been a busy few months!). One industry executive was surprised at the impact. “The Green for Retail workshops really energised my team. As a management team we’ve long recognised the importance of building a sustainable proposition, but I now feel we have 100% commitment at every level. I have renewed confidence that we will make this happen.”

To learn more about the Greening Program and how it can enhance your sustainability position, contact the team on (03) 9999 1103

The first stage in Green for Retail’s best practice Greening Program© is a systematic assessment of a company’s current environmental impacts, including carbon footprint, water, waste, and energy analysis. Business leaders will not be surprised at the concept that understanding the current reality is critical to planning a way forward, but it is particularly valid in successfully creating and implementing sustainability strategies.

Green for Retail’s Senior Consultant Tony Hill explains why: “Understanding a company’s current impacts on the environment and the operating costs associated with waste are critical to focussing the minds of management. Sustainability can be viewed as a soft issue compared to more tangible and immediate business issues until the reality of the opportunities is brought home with hard facts.”

Green for Retail has recently completed audits for a number of companies in the retail sector. One company owner commented “It’s hard to ignore the audit. Green for Retail was able to lay out in black and white the surprising level of waste in our company. Not only is this affecting the environment, it’s hitting my bottom line, especially looking at the electricity costs increasing. There’s no question we are motivated to get our sustainability strategies set and in action.”

To learn more about the Greening Program© and how it can enhance your financial position, contact the Green for Retail team on (03) 9999 1103.

Insights, Telstra’s quarterly magazine for staff and franchisees, recently featured Green for Retail and parent company ECOnomics in a feature story about the profits and perils of innovating.

Green for Retail’s MD Tara Allsop makes a strong case for the importance of tying sustainability initiatives back to solid business metrics, particularly ROI. She also cites some exciting examples of steps retailers are beginning to take to benefit both the environment and the bottom line, such as the use of systems like Smartcool to cut the cost of refrigeration, or the use of video conferencing to stay close to the shop floor instead of hopping in a car.

READ MORE: Click through to article.

Leading marketing logistics firm, Markitforce, has engaged Green for Retail to help kick-start its sustainability journey. Going through the fast track Greening Program, Markitforce will have a whole-of-business sustainability strategy in action before the end of the year.

Markitforce is a high quality specialist in 3rd party 'Marketing Logistics' - promotional campaign execution and POS fulfilment. Their national operation includes warehousing, pick and pack, and distribution services. The company has a strong focus on customer service and has developed a fun, positive culture and work environment. This has allowed the business to build an impressive base of FMCG, retail, and consumer-facing clients. Green for Retail will leverage these strengths and engage strongly with the team to develop the sustainability program.

Markitforce MD, Alan Higgins, whose formal title is Minister for Fun & CFO (Chief Forklift Operator), says, "We are keen to hit the ground running with sustainability – it's the right thing to do and fits in with the way we do business. Green for Retail is a great partner for us – they understand our industry and have a great team of expertise that we can draw on."

To learn more about Markitforce, please go to www.markitforce.com.au

A large department store chain recently approached Green for Retail with a big and potentially expensive problem: how to dispose of a burgeoning supply of used security tags without negatively impacting the environment or blowing the bottom line. This wasn’t a new a problem, it was one that the retailer had been grappling with for some time, and they turned to Green for Retail with a degree of desperation.

Within two weeks, Green for Retail were able to come back to the retailer with a zero cost solution which involved shredding of the tags and delivery to a supplier for remanufacture. Recycling the plastic was a positive for the environment; nil cost was a boon for the retailer.

“The lesson here is in believing that sustainable solutions are possible,” said Tara Allsop CEO of Green for Retail. “This client was looking for months, but deep down they didn’t expect to find a sustainable solution that wouldn’t break the bank. This is where Green for Retail adds real value for our clients – we believe in what we do, and we know where to start looking.”

E-waste (which includes security tags) is a growing problem and is increasing as a proportion of overall waste. It is estimated that electronic waste is responsible for 70% of the toxic chemicals found in landfill. Regulators are highly focused on this waste stream and it is likely that within a few years no e-waste will be allowed in landfill. Solutions for responsible e-waste disposal are available and they don’t need to cost the earth – contact Green for Retail to learn more.

To discuss e-waste, or other tricky sustainability issues, call Green for Retail on (03) 9999 1103

Niche marketing company and retail supplier, Identity Matters, has kicked off the Greening Program process with a goal of establishing itself as an environmentally sustainable supplier within its industry.

Identity Matters is a manufacturer and wholesaler of branded mats, including entrance matting, point of sale mats, and display mats for both floor and counter. They service some of the largest retailers and brands in the country, including: 7-Eleven, Coles Express, and Telstra.

Identity Matters is just at the start of its sustainability journey and will be able to leverage the experience of Green for Retail as they commence this program. As part of this, Identity Matters plans to launch a range of mats made from recycled PET bottles.

“We think Sustainability can potentially add value to our business through efficiency, but there may be even bigger opportunities to help out our customers, many of whom are also introducing their own sustainability programs,” says Identity Matters CEO, Justin Page. “Green for Retail’s Greening Program will enable us to measure our impacts and get our whole team involved as we put together our plan.”

To learn more about Identity Matters, go to www.identitymatters.com.au

This week’s Retail World conference highlighted the fact that retailers are struggling with a lot of issues: growing in a post-GFC world, managing new technologies, juggling supplier partnerships, building sustainability into their organisations.

What stood out at Green for Retail was the recognition that sustainability is a core issue, not a nice to have. A number of the speakers at the conference, which ran from 16-17 June at the Melbourne Convention Centre, provided sound management insight but it was keynote speaker Thomas Bergmark, former Sustainability Manager from IKEA Group in Sweden, who offered the greatest inspiration.

Bergmark spoke about how IKEA have successfully built sustainability into their organisation at multiple levels, and the rewards this has reaped for the organisation. IKEA have tackled energy, water and waste throughout their organisation, focusing on renewable energy, rain water harvesting and recycling, and resulting in tremendous cost savings. They have also worked closely with suppliers to create a more efficient supply chain, again reducing costs and enabling the firm to make good on their promise for lower prices. At another level, IKEA have been innovative in creating products that provide solutions for a sustainable life at home, products that not only give IKEA some positive PR, but also add to their customer appeal and top line.

“Bergmark’s presentation was an exciting example of what is possible when sustainability strategies are aligned with business strategies,” said Tara Allsop, MD of Green for Retail. As Bergmark himself says, “it’s good for business to be a good business.”

For more about the Retail World conference, visit: http://www.retail-world.com.au/

Group Chairman of ECOnomics Group, Mike Farley today announced the appointment of Tara Allsop to the position of Managing Director for subsidiary Green for Retail.

Allsop has been with Green for Retail since it opened its doors in July 2009 and played an integral role in the establishment of the business. She has extensive retail and strategic experience, having worked with Coles Myer and smaller retailers in a range of roles, primarily focusing on innovation and strategy. She subsequently joined Pricewaterhouse Coopers to work on retail strategy with a broad range of clients. In October 2008 she joined former PwC Climate Change partner, Ben Wheaton to establish and launch WheatonBeer Consulting, a sustainability consultancy that successfully established a top end clientele in the midst of the GFC, due to its strong strategic and sustainability credentials.

“Green for Retail will benefit from having someone with Tara’s strength in strategy, retail and sustainability in the leadership role. We are excited about where we think Tara will take this promising business,” said Farley. Allsop says she is looking forward to taking the reins, and to building both the client base and the company’s offerings.

Former CEO and co-founder Ben Wheaton will stay on as a Director of Green for Retail.

ECOnomics Group today announced that they had acquired a 100% share of Green for Retail. The ECOnomics Group Alliance is a partnership of complementary, market leading and environmentally responsible suppliers to the retail and FMCG industries.

Group Managing Director Mike Farley said of the acquisition, “Green for Retail is an important and exciting addition to our group. As with all of our alliance partners they are a market leading supplier to the retail sector. Beyond that Green for Retail will take the lead in ensuring that all of our alliance partners are educated in sustainability issues and have industry-leading sustainability plans in place. This acquisition anchors the ECOnomics Alliance’s sustainability platform.”

This week’s Futures So Bright Green conference featured retailer after retailer offering sustainability solutions, innovations and case studies. To an audience of over 100 delegates representing Australian retail and FMCG, an impressive line up of keynote speakers made it clear: sustainability is good for business.

Wal-Mart’s Director of Sustainable Facilities, Don Moseley explained that sustainability is identified as critical to Wal-Mart’s growth and survival as a business. Leadership in sustainability strategies has come from the very top and the company is prepared to take risks in moving forward. “It is critical that the business is given permission to fail… with good leadership that risk can be budgeted and managed.” Already Wal-Mart has announced their goal to build a comprehensive sustainability index that measures the environmental impact of every product Wal-Mart sells. Yet, Wal-Mart is not nearing the point of completion in their sustainability program, “They often call sustainability a journey – what we’ve found is that the further we go down the road of sustainability, the more we realize how far we aren’t.” Wal-Mart’s commitment signals ongoing action from the US retail sector.

John Rockwell, Sustainability Manager for MacDonald’s US explained that MacDonald’s had been active in the sustainability space for a long time, because efficiency has always been the name of MacDonald’s game. Waste reduction and efficient use of energy is good for the environment, but it’s also critical to MacDonald’s bottom line. “If we can make our franchisees more profitable, we all win,” says John.

Green for Retail’s CEO, Ben Wheaton, presented strategies and successes from UK retailers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Asda and Sainsbury’s. Green for Retail’s US alliance partners Ecoxera put forward cases studies from a range of US retailers. And in an exciting roundtable moderated by Ecoxera’s Justin Doak, Wal-Mart, MacDonalds US, Metcash, Westpac and the US National Marketing Institute discussed their successes and what “Green” means to them and to their customers.

For all delegates, including the team at Green for Retail, the message was clear: sustainability is not a buzz word, it’s a profitable way of doing business that minimizes costs and maximizes brand relevance (oh yes, and it just might save the world as well).

Ben Wheaton will be a key presenter at this month’s The Future’s So Bright Green Sustainability Conference, now Australia’s largest sustainability conference for brands and retailers. Ben will present a series of case studies that link sustainable retail to good business practice and ROI.

Ben Wheaton, CEO and founder of Green for Retail, made the case for ‘YES’ in the special Green Issue of B&T Magazine out today.  The question posed by the magazine is “Does the marketing communications sector have a duty to lead on environmental issues?”  Ben Wheaton argues absolutely yes, “the challenge is to find the courage and drive to refocus marketing communications.”

Click through to article >

On 23 October, The Future’s So Bright Green sustainability conference will take on a critical issue for retailers suffering after the GFC:  how to make money from sustainability.

Taking place this year at the Sydney Convention Centre, the conference hosts an impressive line up of sustainability experts and global retailers ready to share their experiences.  Green for Retail’s alliance partner Ecoxera has been instrumental in luring speakers from Walmart and McDonald’s in the United States. 
Via live interactive video, Walmart’s Director of Sustainable Facilities will share his experiences working toward new store formats that meet Walmart’s tough sustainability targets, and provide an insightful look into the drivers of Wal-Mart’s Sustainable Product Index announced in July. Similarly McDonald’s Sustainability Manager will talk about his role in developing and implementing green building practices for this restaurant colossus.

Other local and international experts, including Green for Retail and their partner company Ecoxera, will provide case studies and advice on how to make sustainability pay. 

This is one conference not to be missed!

Green for Retail announced this month that they have joined forces with Ecoxera, the US-based sustainability experts to the retail and restaurant industries.  The two companies share a common purpose and focus, the execution of sustainability programs specific to the retail industry, so they expect to learn from each other’s experience and gain from their collective expertise.

Ecoxera bring over 25 years of experience in retail sustainability to the relationship.  Ecoxera founder Justin Doak has strong ties with the US Green Building Council and was instrumental in the technical development of the LEED Retail green building programs.  He has also worked with over 40 regional and nation retailers in the US market to integrate sustainability into their built environment.

“This alliance partnership will keep our customers at the leading edge of sustainability thinking,” said Tara Allsop, Director of Green for Retail.  “Ecoxera bring a wealth of practical experience with some of the US largest retailers, that’s learning that can be used to keep our Australian customers ahead of the game.”

It is anticipated that Ecoxera senior management will visit Australia to speak about US practices and to learn from Australian experience in October, 2009.

For further information on Ecoxera visit their website:  www.ecoxera.com.

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Green for Retail officially launched on 1 July, 2009. We believe climate change and sustainability are the defining issues of our time. The retail market now has an opportunity to lead business and consumers towards a more sustainable Australia.

Green for Retail is expanding from its Sydney office to open its doors in Melbourne at Level 11, 484 St Kilda Road.  Feel free to pop in and find out more information on how we can help you.