In the July edition of Set in Stone®, we’re diving into the sustainability of the Paris Summer Olympic Games, learning how Lego is turning to suppliers to tackle Scope 3 emissions, understanding EPR, and thinking outside the box when it comes to traditional board packaging.

OKEANOS ® BUSINESS NEWSLETTER – July 2024

Ready, set, go! Competition is heating up on the banks of the Seine where Olympians from all over the world have converged to compete for the gold. This year’s games are set to break records, and these records have nothing to do with sports!

To make the Paris games the most sustainable yet, let’s take a look at a few of the proactive steps the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is taking:

  • Factoring in their “material footprint” – meaning the impact of everything from tennis balls to chairs has been carefully considered
  • Out of 2 million pieces of sports equipment, ¾ have been rented or provided by sports federations
  • Seats in The Aquatics Centre are made of recycled plastic waste, and solar panels will power the facility
  • Using 100% Renewable energy
  • 80% of the ingredients used for catering throughout the games are being sourced locally
  • 95% of Paris venues are pre-existing or temporary!
  • 90% of the six million assets from tents and building supplies to computers and printers will be taken back and re-used by partners after the games
  • More than 80% of the Olympic venues are situated within 10k of Olympic Village, minimizing travel times and transportation emissions

So, while you’re cheering-on your favorite athletes, see if you can spot some of the IOC’s sustainability efforts! We’ll be highlighting some of the most impressive on our Instagram.

Click to follow along!

 

“We will not be able to meet our sustainability targets alone; we have to work with our suppliers.”

-Annette Stube, Lego’s Chief Sustainability Officer

Brick by brick, Lego has been chipping away at its sustainability targets, but in light of the company’s new sustainability report, the toy giant concluded that it needs to look beyond their Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions to truly make an impact.

Scope 1 and 2 emissions, created within a company’s operations and energy use, are usually the core focus of Sustainability teams. However, Scope 3 emissions, generated downstream by the company’s supply chain, are often the most difficult to tackle. In Lego’s case, 99% of the 119,089 metric tons of CO2 equivalent emissions tracked in 2023, came from outside their operations – including raw materials, products, and machines.

Lego has employed a variety of strategies to push its team to achieve its targets, including tying sustainability performance to executive bonuses and launching a new Supplier Sustainability Program which outlines near-term targets for its suppliers.

In a recent conversation with Plastics News, Lego’s Chief Sustainability Officer Annette Stube, explained: “to put it simply, a net zero world is simply not possible unless we find solutions that are greater than our own operations.”

Working alongside their supply chain, Lego aims to reduce its emissions by 37% by 2032 and achieve net zero by 2050. Did you know Made From Stone can be dropped into your existing supply chain to help reduce your Scope 3 emissions?

Meet your sustainability goals with Made From Stone today!

 

As the impacts of paper, including deforestation and CO2 release, echo in the headlines, demand for paper-based feedstocks is down dramatically. But what if we told you we could offer you a reusable, recyclable, water and grease-proof substitute for coated paper and cardboard, and that it could be made on your existing paper manufacturing equipment depending on the finished product?

It’s all possible with our board substrate material Made From Stone. The same PFAS-free material that is used to make hot and cold drink cups and French fry containers can be used to box your products with a smaller material footprint.

By utilizing existing paper manufacturing equipment, companies can seamlessly transition to this sustainable alternative without incurring additional costs for new machinery.

Moreover, the material’s durability and resistance to water and grease make it an ideal choice for various packaging needs, ensuring your products are well-protected. Adopting Made From Stone not only contributes to environmental preservation but also positions your brand as a leader in sustainability and innovation.

Start thinking outside the box today!

 


Are your ears ringing? It’s because we were talking about you, listeners!  Season 2 of Mastering Sustainability launches September 1st and you’re in for a real treat!

We’ve got some incredible guests lined up to tackle important topics including toxic chemicals like PFAS, how brand marketing steers sustainability, a pulse-check on the Global Plastics Treaty, and much more.

As we plan for Season 2, we’re looking back on some of our best moments from Season 1 with guests including Heidi Sanborn, Founder of the National Stewardship Action Council, Monir Bou Ghanem Policy Advisory to the government of Abu Dhabi, and Claudia Herbert Colfer, Head of Programming at the UN Global Compact. Listen to our Season 1 here!

Can you contribute to the conversation? Contact us to learn about being a guest on an upcoming episode of Mastering Sustainability!

Click here

 

“When the responsibility is placed on the producers and reporting becomes mandatory, collaboration between manufacturers and policy makers becomes crucial.”

You’ve heard the term “EPR” thrown around in recentyears, and you’re about to hear it a lot more, so we asked Estefania Xucla , our Goverment Affairs Manager to break down what EPR means and how it will affect you.

Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy development that shifts the responsibility for the management of the end-of-life of products from the end user or general public to the producer. Under the “polluter pays” principle, the goal of EPR is to make the manufacturers accountable for the whole lifecycle of their products, with a special focus on the final disposal and recycling of the products. As a result, producers are incentivized to design and develop products that have a reduced impact on the environment, while they assume the costs of waste management.

EPR laws are a growing trend and are being enacted in many countries around the world. As with other environmental laws, the European Union has been pioneering the development of EPR laws, which are then used as a guide by other countries. Prime examples of EPR laws are the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which lay out solid extended producer responsibility frameworks for electrical and packaging waste. Other countries including Japan or Canada also have comprehensive EPR programs in place for various products. Although the enaction rate of EPR is slower in some regions, several countries in Africa and Latin America are beginning to adopt the strategy to manage waste more efficiently and effectively.

When the responsibility is placed on the producers and reporting becomes mandatory, collaboration between manufacturers and policymakers becomes crucial to drafting the laws and creates an opportunity to learn best practices from the industry sector. As environmental concerns continue to rise globally, we expect to see more jurisdictions adopting EPR policies to manage waste more sustainably and reduce the burden on municipalities and the environment, while manufacturers are encouraged to think more responsibly about the consequences their choices have on the environment.

 

Are you working to comply with new environmental legislation in your country?

We can help!

 

This month we’re celebrating Rodrigo Serna, Sales Manager in the LATAM region. Read on to learn about how Rodri’s time in the plastic industry motivated his desire to protect the planet.

Can you share a “Eureka!” moment when you realized the potential of Made From Stone’s technology?   

From the first time I heard about Made From Stone, I was intrigued. I’d been working in the plastics industry for 10 years, so sustainability had been a constant concern for me. The “Eureka!” moment for comes for me when we do on-site trials with our customers, and I can see the amazement on their faces when we check the performance of our compounds. Seeing their disbelief when we achieve higher levels of CaCO3 than they thought possible, even in processes where it is not as common such as extrusion blow molding, makes it all worthwhile.

What is the most obvious sign of climate change where you live?

The most evident climate change in Mexico is the temperature changes during the different seasons of the year, each year they are more intense; Many A/C and heating systems are being installed where they were not needed before. In addition, Mexico will be one those countries with the hardest water stress in the world; in contrast, every year we have stronger hurricanes on both coasts, the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean.

How has the conversation around sustainability changed in recent years in Mexico?

In Mexico, the issue of sustainability has gained strength from the differentlegislations in Mexico such as: the energy reform, that allows to produce greenenergy, and the different state laws about Plastics prohibition; however, forthe latter, there is still a lot of misinformation, and poor synergy betweenthe industry and the federal government. Clearly, the big brands are the onesleading the issue under the global trends, trying to follow every local law.

What advice would you give to aspiring sustainability professionals who are lookingto make a positive impact?  

My best advice would be:

  1. Don’t lose sight of the goal. Making a positive impact, especially in LATAM,can be frustrating given the disinterest, trends, and misinformation insociety. However, the satisfaction and peace of mind you get from doingsomething for the planet pays for the hard work.

  2. Be transparent and measure the impact. Rely on science as proof to changepeople’s perspectives. Having the capability to measure the impact of ourtechnology gives you the confidence to continue talking to brands andcustomers, to motivate them to join efforts for the planet.

 

Want to join our Okeanos team?

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