Agar is a gelatinous substance that is used in a number of fast-moving consumer products as a vegetarian substitute for gelatin - making it an important binding ingredient in products ranging from ice cream to medicine, candy to cosmetics and soft drinks. Produced from red seaweed (agar-agar is the Malay name for red seaweed), the demand for agar has risen dramatically over the past few years.
As part of its 2013 integrated annual report, global paint and chemical manufacturer AkzoNobel created a series of video case studies to highlight its environmental performance.
The traditional public perception of mining probably sees it as one of the least green industries imaginable. It rips limited resources from the earth, and uses large amounts of energy to process the material and transport it.
Acknowledged as a sector leader in sustainability, the US electronics retailer launched its e-waste take back program in 2009, and it has been a major success.
Since 2003, Bon Apetit Management Co. (BAMCO) has been sourcing its chicken and turkey free of antibiotic feed and water, adding its beef sourcing to that list in 2007.
Compass Group’s Cafe Bon Apetit is an on-site restaurant company offering full food-service management to corporations, universities, museums, and specialty venues.
The Campbell Soup Company doesn’t need to look far to see the problems that poor nutrition creates. In its home city of Camden, New Jersey, undernourishment and malnutrition are the root cause of a spike in childhood obesity and hunger.
Juice drink brand CapriSun has partnered with upcycling and recycling company TerraCycle to create the Drink Pouch Brigade - a campaign to get drink pouches reused, while earning rewards for those involved.
In 2014, American fast food restaurant chain Chick-fil-A recently announced that it is committing to removing all traces of antibiotics from its chicken within the next five years.
One of the largest and best known companies to steer away from antibiotics in meat is US- based restaurant chain Chipotle Mexican Grill. An early mover, and not just within the industry, Chipotle has been using antibiotic-free meat since 2001.