The first ALDI store opened in Germany, 1961 by the Albrecht family. It was considered one of the first discounters in the world and goes by the principle, as stated on the corporate website, that "great quality shouldn't come at a high price; rather great quality should come with everyday low prices". Since its start, ALDI has become an international supermarket chain with over 11,000 stores worldwide. Along with their promise of high-quality goods for low prices, ALDI also has a mission to protect the planet and promote corporate responsibility and sustainability. Following the triple bottom line of sustainability, ALDI strives to incorporate people, profit, and the planet in their business practices.

ADLI believes that the first step to sustainability begins with its relationships with its employees, customers, and surrounding communities. Because of this, ALDI has developed a strong responsibility to the people affected by the company. Within their responsibility to people, they have individual responsibilities to the consumer, the employee, and the community. Beginning with their responsibility to employees, ALDI promises diversity, equity, and inclusion in their workforce. They aim to provide equal opportunity for employees despite age, religion, gender, race, disability, or sexual orientation. This includes training and learning opportunities for a more diverse set of employees and allows for growth opportunities and fair payment. Within the supply chain, ALDI aims to respect human rights and ensure quality living and working conditions. They provide training to limit the occurrence of unethical working conditions, child labor, slavery, and human trafficking. They also do random audits of factories to ensure ethical standards are being met. Along with this, ALDI also provides a toll-free number to ensure that concerns and violations can be confidentially reported at no risk to the party making the accusation. Among their responsibilities to the consumer, ALDI promises high-quality goods for reasonably low prices. They ensure the safety of their product and the health of their consumers by promising the return and/or replacement of products if they do not meet consumer standards. ALDI also labels its products as organic, cruelty-free, BPA-free, etc. to ensure that consumers are able to make an informed choice when they are shopping. Among their responsibilities to communities, ALDI does much to volunteer and fund organizations such as the Red Cross, Feeding America, Action For Healthy Kids, the National Urban League, and other groups. They also donate food to disaster relief programs and food banks to help alleviate food insecurities in struggling communities.

Along with the goal to be a profitable business, ALDI also has a dedication to protect the planet and limit its impacts on the environment. The company has shown great success in this area by working to reduce its carbon footprint, implementing green building in its facilities, consuming less energy, and producing less waste. Possibly one of ALDI's most known sustainable actions is its refusal to offer plastic bags at its checkouts. In ALDI's 'green vision' they are currently focusing on diverting 90% of operational waste by 2025 through recycling, reducing 50% of food waste by 2030 through donation, reducing packaging by 15%, and making 100% of ALDI exclusive packaging reusable, recyclable, or compostable by 2025. ALDI has also installed renewable energy systems on many of its buildings such as solar panels and wind turbines to reduce the company's carbon footprint. Since 2015 the company also only uses natural refrigerants that have a global warming potential of zero. Furthermore, ALDI also works to reduce waste in their business practices by reusing, reducing, and recycling. Packaging materials are recycled by the company, and in 2018 alone, more than 270,800 tons of material was diverted from landfills and recycled. To reduce food waste, ALDI has partnered with the EPA to divert unsellable (but still good) products to food banks and they prevent waste by the careful management of product purchasing and stock levels. ALDI has also begun supporting in-store composting programs at some of their facilities. To ensure that sustainable practices are being met by ALDI suppliers, the company also works hard to only source from sustainable farms and factories. ALDI also implements sustainability education in these areas to promote the practice of sustainable production and is a part of the fairtrade organization and other groups that ensure fair compensation for workers that make the effort to produce in a sustainable manner.

ALDI utilizes the relationships it has with its customers, employees, and community to spread sustainability in an affordable manner. Where the company profits lie is in the loyalty it inspires from the people who interact with it. Because ALDI takes on the responsibility of ensuring customer standards while also pursuing its own sustainable standards it is able to cut the costs associated with non-sustainable business practices and can therefore easily offer its great quality goods for its fair prices. ALDI is always striving to make more improvements in the company. One area that I would like to see more information from them is in firsthand accounts from employees, communities, and its supply chain where I could see clear evidence that ALDI is performing the business practices that they claim to be.

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. was founded in 1921 from a small hardware store in North Carolina. The purpose behind Lowe’s is to help people improve their homes from small projects to large home remodels. Lowe’s also takes into consideration the environmental effect that their products have. Since 2002, Lowe’s publishes their annual sustainability report, called “Framing Our Future”. In these reports, they discuss the important steps that they have taken so far in improving their carbon footprint. Within the last two years, there have been great improvements to Lowe’s sustainability. One of the major principles that are brought up in Lowe’s Sustainability report is to distribute or provide the best quality and safest products to their customers. The company has set goals in place, many of them to ensure that some products are free of harmful chemicals. By 2022, Lowe’s states that pesticides (apart from tree & shrub care) will be free of the chemical, neonicotinoid. Lowe’s has also transitioned into PFAS-free residential rugs and carpeting materials by January 2020. Lowe’s also values sustainable practices within their supply chains as well. Sustainable sourcing is extremely important to Lowe’s. According to the 2019 sustainability report, less than one percent of the lumber shipped to Lowe’s is from high-risk areas. High-risk areas are areas that do not have the trees to support the necessary amounts of lumber. By 2025, Lowe’s expects 100% of its suppliers to have sustainability goals. Lowe’s also plans to responsibly source 100% of its lumber by 2025. Lowe’s is a partner for their customers. Lowe’s wants to help its customers lessen the negative impact on the environment. Customers can lower their energy costs and consumption through purchases, like light bulbs. Lowe’s received the 2019 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award due to saving $40 billion dollars from Energy Start products for their customers. Lowe’s also focuses on eco-products for their customers.

Lowe’s still has areas to improve on, many of them being at small levels. Working at Lowe’s shows the many different ways that Lowe’s contributes to the environment. Lowe’s uses gas power equipment, like forklifts and reach trucks, within their stores. The delivery department uses large box trucks fueled by gas to deliver to their customers instead of being electric. Many of the shipments that Lowe’s receives, come to the stores by gas-fueled Semi-trucks. There is always room for improvements that can benefit the environment.

Anna McCarthy

Campbell’s Soup Company is a global manufacturer of food products that include soups, snacks, sauces, and beverages. It was founded in 1869 in Camden New Jersey which is where the headquarters remains. Its original name was the Joseph A Campbell Preserve Company that produced soups, canned tomatoes, and other vegetables. Campbells is a company that puts a lot of effort into its sustainability practice and principles. They keep track of progress through various reports that they continue to update along with continuous plans and projects for the future. They advocate and make this information available on their website to show what they are currently implementing and what they plan on implementing.

Campbell’s Soup Company puts emphasis on the concept of sustainability and plays a huge role in how the company functions. One of its principles is making sure it is promoting and putting action towards healthy food, people, and communities. Because Campbell’s is such a popular and large business, it has to make sure that what it’s producing is healthy for the customers and the environment around them. This principle closely relates to another one, social and environmental demands. As a big business, negative impacts can happen if proper action is not being taken. Campbell’s strives to protect the environment by improving things like waste management, gas emissions, and other pollutants that the company must manage. Another principle that they hold as a high priority is meeting the expectations of consumers, customers investors, and stakeholders. There are a lot of people who work for, invest in, and are associated with Campbell’s Soup Company, therefore, the company is constantly working at making sure their people are happy. This also includes improving the livelihood of their farmers who make up the most vital part of the company’s operations.

The principles are what the company follows and where ideas for improvement come from. The ideas then turn into practices that they implement into their systems in efforts to promote sustainability. One of these practices is to put action upon sustainable agriculture. This would include things like conserving natural resources, improve the livelihoods of farms and also introduce the latest innovations and technology to keep progress and efficiency going. They also have goals that have been set to go along with these practices that focus on reducing water use, GHG emissions, and advancing farmer’s sustainability efforts. Campbells even partnered with TSC ( The Sustainability Consortium) for pest management for farmers.

Campbell’s Soup Company seems to be doing a phenomenal job at advocating for sustainability. They have all of their progress, future plans, and current plans laid out and are open to improvement in any area. They want to maintain a balance of economic, social, and environmental benefits.

1% for the Planet- Ashley Carver

1% for the Planet is an international organization that aims to solve the world’s most significant environmental issues; whether be food, water, pollution, wildlife, land, or the globe’s most colossal wicked problem- climate change.

The organization began in 2002 when Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, founder of Blue Ribbon Flies, brought together their shared love for the environment. The movement quickly spread across the globe, attaining the support of several brands, some of which including Brushfire Records and Honest Tea.

1% for the Planet functions through their partnerships with environmentally approved non-profit organizations. Both individuals and businesses can provide their 1% by becoming a member, and the organization will help pair the individuals or business with a specific impactful non-profit that shares common values with them. Doing so allows for the creation of a deeper connection with members. This method allowed for member Klean Kanteen to pursue her interest in environmental education for young children, with her support of NatureBridge being one of the longest lasting partnerships. Collectively, through all of the connections that have been made between individuals, businesses, and non-profits, 1% for the Planet has been able to give back over $250 million to the environment- with $27.2 million of which being accumulated in 2019.

Every year, some non-profit organizations are highlighted in the movement’s annual report. These organizations are typically ones that stood out in their efforts to fight against the 6 issues that 1% for the Planet focuses on mitigating. In the 2019 annual report, one partner known as The Alliance for the Great Lakes was noted for their contribution in fighting against invasive species and sewage overflows in the Great Lakes. The non-profit united tens of thousands of people who all participated in volunteering, education, advocacy, and research toward preserving the world’s largest supply of surface freshwater. As for reducing pollution, another partner, Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN) dedicated their time to making college students aware of zero waste alternatives that they can implement onto their college campuses. PLAN connected students with sustainable businesses and waste management professionals, and within 7 years they were able to expand across 390 campuses in the United States. Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) worked to protect the natural habitat of free-roaming non-domesticated buffalo as well as other wildlife native to Yellowstone. BFC’s hopes are to create permanent protection for buffalo and their ecosystem. Another partner, Harlem Grown, made it their mission to increase knowledge and access to fresh food for all Harlem residents. The non-profit made use of abandoned lots by transforming them into urban farms, and 4,257 children joined in on their program in 2019 alone.

There are some familiar names who support 1% for the Planet by acting as committed members such as the “Free Solo” star, Alex Honnold, and well known singer and songwriter, Jack Johnson. Alex Honnold founded the Honnold Foundation, which focused on promoting solar energy practices. The Honnold Foundation assists in funding smaller non-profit organizations that are struggling to find funding on their own, aiming towards community centered organizations. The Honnold Foundation makes communities that are impacted most by climate change their first priority by implementing solar power initiatives into their communities. This allows for more climate resiliency and self sufficiency while also enforcing a clean and sustainable energy source. Along with being the founder of a non-profit member, Alex is also an individual member of 1% for the Planet. Alex gave more than 30% of his annual income to philanthropy before even joining the program- making for a clear dedicated member. Alex has continued to be an active member in the 1% for the Planet community ever since.

Over 17.3 million people have been made aware of the 1% for the Planet foundation, and the number is only growing. This outstanding number was achieved through webpage visits, social media platforms, press mentions, and worldwide events such as the People for the Planet Awards and Global Summits. Awareness was spread to an astounding 27% of United State’s consumers in 2019, while 1% for the Planet received 242 press mentions and approximately 8.36 million coverage views.

Although 1% for the Planet has been around since 2002, the organization’s homepage only contains specific information regarding events, data, non-profit achievements, individual member achievements, etc. from the years 2015-2019. A downside to this lack of information is that the early procedures and methods that the program took in order to become as successful as they are in the present day are unknown. However, I believe that analyzing the program’s more recent years is more prevalent anyway considering the environment’s conditions are much different than they were 10-15 years ago and the world is facing much different sustainability issues nowadays. 1% for the Planet is all about cooperation and togetherness- with individuals, businesses, and organizations all working intertwined to help each other. Collaboration is key within this program, only making for an easier and more efficient to give back to the environment. As long as strong partnerships are being made between people from around the world, 1% for the Planet will continue to make everyone’s 1% heard.

*all information was attained through 1% for the Planet's homepage: https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/

Vans skateboarding shoes started as a California cultural icon but over the years it has progressed to become one of the most well-known shoe brands in the world. The mission of Vans is to enable creative expression and inspire youth culture. Vans recognize that an important aspect of inspiring youth culture is protecting the planet and its resources for future generations, which is why sustainability has become such an important part of the Vans brand. This presentation will look at Vans’ sustainability efforts under the triple bottom line aspects of sustainability; people, profit, and the planet.

Starting with the planet, highlighted on Vans’ sustainability page is its “Green Sole Operations” which refers to its efforts to become more environmentally friendly at the headquarters, distribution centers, and retail store locations. One of the most notable achievements from this page is its headquarters receiving LEED Platinum certification for its sustainable practices. The headquarters building utilizes over 4,000 solar panels that provide more than 50% of the building’s energy needs and is said to prevent at least 440 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. The building itself was constructed with sustainable materials and water-efficient technologies making it 40% more water-efficient than the building code requires. Additionally, Vans has a comprehensive composting and recycling program with the goal of becoming a zero-waste facility. Additionally, the Vans distribution center in Santa Fe became a zero waste to landfill facility in 2013, meaning that the facility recycled over 95% of its waste with the rest diverted to a waste-to-landfill facility. At the distribution center, over 11,000 lbs of cardboard are recycled each day, which is estimated to save enough energy to power the average American household for over a year. Additionally, Vans reuses as many inbound shipping containers as possible which saves an estimated 120,000 lbs of cardboard annually.

The second part featured on Vans’ sustainability page is “Green Sole Product” which refers to its apparel, footwear, and packaging. Though it is important to keep the operational facilities running via sustainable practices, Vans highlights the fact that its operational footprint represents only 10% of its total environmental impact and that its products create at least 90% of its total impact. As stated on its sustainability webpage, “to truly fulfill our commitment to protecting the planet and its resources for future generations, we must change the way we create products”. To follow through with this effort, Vans has made steps towards reducing the impact of its packaging by removing hangers and hangtags on certain apparel products and using 80% recycled paper for shoeboxes as well as soy-based inks. This effort alone saved 400 trees and hundreds of pounds of materials annually while reducing fuel emissions required to ship those materials. For the products, Vans set a goal to source 100% sustainable cotton through the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) by 2025. As of 2017, Vans sourced nearly half of its entire cotton supply sustainably. Additionally, 82% of the leather used in its products is certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG), meaning that the processing facilities are actively reducing their footprint on the environment. Vans set a goal to reach 100% LWG certified leather by 2018, however, its progress has not been updated. Lastly, Vans is a part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, an industry-wide group looking to reduce the environmental impact of footwear and apparel. Through the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Vans is required annually to complete a brand module that assesses sustainability efforts and can be used to make plans for future efforts.

The social aspect of Vans’ triple bottom line approach to sustainability is displayed through its efforts to empower its employees to be the heart of sustainable change by giving them each 20 paid volunteer hours each year to serve organizations that are meaningful to them. Additionally, every year Vans organizes community service projects through the Vans Give Back program which allows over 500 employees from the headquarters location to volunteer their time in communities local to southern California. The program has generated more than 16,000 volunteer hours since the program began in 2012.

Lastly, the profit aspect of the triple bottom line sustainability model is represented by the money saved in the long run through utilizing renewable forms of energy. As mentioned previously, the 4,000 plus solar panels utilized at the headquarters location provide more than 50% of the building’s energy needs. This means that the cost of supplying energy to the building is reduced by 50%, providing more funds to invest in sustainability efforts elsewhere. In addition to solar panels, each retail store is powered by LED lighting. This reduces energy consumption by 40% and lowers the cost of utilities, creating a larger profit margin.

Overall, though Vans is making considerable strides towards sustainability, there is a lot more work to be done. One of the most notable details from my research was that a lot of goals are listed without much follow-up. As I mentioned previously, Vans set a goal to source 100% LWG certified leather by 2018 but failed to update its progress. Additionally, there is little information available to update its progress on sustainably sourced cotton. In order to improve sustainable practices, transparent effort should be put into reducing the amount of packaging used in its stores and increasing the amount of sustainable materials used to create its products.