Month: June 2023

Looking to the future, Georgia-Pacific is working with key partners to manufacture a recyclable padded mailer that can be tossed into any single source recycle bin. The experiment has exceeded expectations and marks another step forward for Georgia-Pacific’s efforts to innovate and invest in the plastic-to-paper packaging transformation.

This summer, Georgia-Pacific will produce its one billionth EarthKraft™ recyclable padded mailer. It’s a huge milestone for a product line that’s only been in existence since 2020.

What started as a small experiment working with a preferred partner has quickly turned into a thriving business – in large part due to the vision behind it and the people put in place to make that vision a reality.

“We’re doing it because we think it makes the world a better place,” says Adam Ganz, the business leader for the EarthKraft mailers division. “We learn something new, we build our capabilities and we think it’s going to lead to other opportunities.”

A committed preferred partner

Adam has been leading the project since the beginning. He says it came about after having several conversations with Amazon about the different ways it was trying to better serve its customers. They’d noticed that people were getting frustrated with how hard it was to recycle certain packaging products.

“Amazon showed us all these social media mentions, all these frustrated people, and said, ‘This is what we’re responding to. We have to make this better for our customers,’” Adam says.

Eagle-eyed shoppers might have already noticed the look and feel of the small packages that arrive at their doorstep has started to change. Unlike the bubble mailers they got before, these new padded mailers are made with a unique expansive material developed by Henkel, a chemical and consumer goods company, placed between layers of brown kraft paper. Henkel designed the cushioning adhesive material, which contains no polystyrene, to easily separate from the paper. The mailer has earned the “widely recyclable” label by the How2Recycle® program. That means the mailer can be put in any available single source recycle bin.

“You’re taking something that was going to be single use and end up in a landfill and replacing it with something that can be turned into reusable fiber,” Adam says.

Koch has an extensive relationship with Amazon across many of its businesses, including Georgia-Pacific. So, when Amazon came looking for a partner that could help them manufacture the newly developed recyclable mailer, Adam saw it as an opportunity where everyone could benefit.

“We felt like it was a smart thing to do to try be a preferred partner with someone who is going to drive trends in the packaging industry,” he says.

The first line

Georgia-Pacific’s first manufacturing line for the new padded mailer was built in Tolleson, Arizona, near Phoenix. Adam tapped Sam Penas to get it up and running. Like the product he’d be helping to get started, Sam was new to Georgia-Pacific. He’d heard a lot about the culture from current and past employees and was excited to be involved in a startup with a company as well established as Georgia-Pacific.

From the very beginning, Sam and his new crew were confronted with major challenges, including training employees on a new manufacturing process at the same time the world was beginning to shut down in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re trying to train and we’re looking at the machine from six feet away,” Sam says. “So, it’s like ‘Look at this adjustment,’ and then someone steps out and another person steps in and looks and then goes back. It made it interesting.”

The secret to our success

Meanwhile, Amazon and other customers were eager to get as many EarthKraft recyclable padded mailers as possible.

The first line officially began production in June of 2020. By the end of the year, they were already operationally profitable.

“We surpassed a lot of expectations in that first year,” says Ricardo Malagon, a shipping lead in Tolleson who’s been there since the beginning. “That was motivation to do even better the next.”

Sam says the team had to overcome the fear that comes when you’re working on a project without a road map and embrace the idea that it was their job to figure it out. In the end, that empowered a lot of employees to challenge the way things were done in order to find better ways to do it. He says three years into the business they’re still evolving.

After Tolleson showed the concept could be successful, Georgia-Pacific opened up padded mailer facilities in McDonough, Georgia, and Jonestown, Pennsylvania. With the expansion, Georgia-Pacific now offers more sizes to more customers.

“There’s a reason why, today, Tolleson has the knowledge and information we can share with the other facilities, and it’s not because we got it right,” Sam says. “It’s because we made a lot of mistakes. We did a lot of experimentation.”

The future is paper

Adam says he was surprised by how many people across Georgia-Pacific were excited to work on this new product. He thinks that’s in part because it’s something most people will get to see land right on their doorstep. He also thinks it’s because people want to be involved with a project that benefits the plastic-to-paper product transformation.

“Shipping items to consumers in a mailer that can be tossed in the bin with the rest of their paper recyclables is a game changer,” he says.

And this is just the beginning. Georgia-Pacific is working on several other innovative new products that fall in the plastic-to-paper transformation space and right-size packaging.

Some of this work might cut into other parts of their business, but Adam says he’d rather be on the forefront of driving that change and providing the best solutions for their partners than being left behind for being too protective.

“The trend is a clear shift toward all of the plastic mailers that you get with online purchases becoming paper,” he says. “We’re going to look back and say this was one of the first steps to something much bigger.”

HOUSTON, June 2, 2023 /3BL Media/ – The National Diversity Council (NDC) announces its 2023 summer cohort of the NDC Emerging Leaders Internship Program, which bridges qualified diverse college students with valuable internships at major organizations that value diversity, equity and inclusion.

In this 10-12 week paid internship program, the NDC partners with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) to provide college students with an opportunity to work on major projects and showcase their talents to top employers. The NDC looks for students who are ready to take on impactful and challenging projects and gain exposure to various best practices. The NDC partners with companies such as Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Aston Carter, BayCare, CenterPoint Energy, Comcast, Honda, Mercedes Benz USA, and UPMC to bring this internship to fruition.

The NDC Emerging Leaders Internship Program offers an exclusive cohort experience centering around leadership. Interns work with industry-leading professionals and obtain exposure to executive and peer networking, mentorship, career development, team collaboration, and philanthropic opportunities for their future careers. As part of the program, students interact with one another as fellow interns who are in this unique journey together.

“Our interns leave this program with the knowledge and experience of working in a team-oriented environment, delivering innovative results and solutions that ultimately impact the bottom line,” said Cynthia Rocha, Manager of Education and Internships at the NDC.

If you are interested in helping advance equity for our future generations of leaders via the 2024 Internship Program and/or simply to learn more, please contact Cynthia Rocha at cynthia.rocha@nationaldiversitycouncil.org or visit: https://emergingleaders.nationaldiversitycouncil.org/.

About The National Diversity Council

A non-profit organization committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow in their knowledge of diversity. The council affords opportunities for organizations to share best practices and learn from top corporate leaders in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion. More information about the National Diversity Council is available at: www.nationaldiversitycouncil.org.

Media Contact:

Kamaria Monmouth
Sr. Communication Specialist
National Diversity Council
kamaria.monmouth@nationaldiversitycouncil.org

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Originally published by GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative

Microbusinesses are defined as companies with fewer than 10 employees, a unique domain, and an active website.  

The Big Facts

Single moms run one in three women-owned businesses in the U.S. More than half (69%) of single-mom entrepreneurs aspire to own a small, mid-size, or corporate business, compared to 52% for owners without children, according to the GoDaddy Venture Forward National Survey February 2023.

Most single moms are also new at the game: 51% started their business in the last three years, compared to 39% for the entire sample. 
 They were far more likely to start their business while continuing to work at an existing employer. 
 Single moms are more optimistic: 88% say their business outlook for the next six months is more positive, compared to 73% for the entire sample.

Parents overall tend to be an ambitious bunch, with 66% of them aspiring to build a bigger business.

Single mom Samuelle Dilla – based in Minneapolis – was inspired by her mother’s hard work and perseverance to start her makeup artist studio. She hopes to instill that same drive in her daughter Sloan. “The reason I do the amount of work I put in,” she said, “is to show Sloan that she too can fulfill her heart’s desire and dreams.”

“The reason I do the amount of work I put in is to show Sloan that she too can fulfill her heart’s desire and dreams.”

– Samuelle Dilla

The Survey

GoDaddy’s Venture Forward initiative began in 2018 to quantify the impact of online microbusinesses on their local economies and provide a unique view into the attitudes, demographics, and needs of these entrepreneurs. The U.S. national survey started in 2019 and occurs twice a year, typically capturing responses from over 3,500 entrepreneurs per instance to identify and explore trends, as well as deliver insights to advocates of microbusiness entrepreneurs.

GoDaddy looks at more than 20 million online microbusinesses in the U.S. who have a unique domain and active website. While these microbusinesses may be small, their impact on the U.S. economy is outsized even though they are often too informal or too new to show up in government statistics.

The Whole Picture

Women comprise the largest microbusiness ownership segment, increasing from 49% to 52% in the last three years. Motivation among business owners varies, but achieving financial and career independence are common goals. Samuelle is an example of someone who broke out to find success on her own.

The top two reasons women and single moms start a business are to be their own boss and support a cause or hobby. 
 80% of women start a business for opportunity. 20% of women start a business out of necessity.

Location, Location, Location

With all the downtime Samuelle had during the pandemic, she used her creativity to create a beautiful website for her business, and she’s not alone. The most common channel microbusiness owners use to conduct business is a website.

55% of people conduct business on their website, and creating a website is the first step for 28% of single moms who start microbusinesses.

Venture Forward

Since 2018, GoDaddy’s Venture Forward research initiative captures the outlook, needs and demographics of microbusiness owners and quantifies the outsized economic impact of over 20 million microbusinesses, down to the zip-code level. Venture Forward publishes for download its national survey data for the US and UK, and updates its US Microbusiness Density, US Microbusiness Activity Index and US Microbusiness Industry and Commerce datasets via the Microbusiness Data Hub on a quarterly basis.

In recognition of Pride Month, AEG’s LA Galaxy donated $17,434 to Covenant House and Rainbow Labs, two Los Angeles-based non-profit organizations that provide resources and support to LGBTQ+ youth. The donation was the equivalent monetary value of the club’s attendance numbers during its home game against Charlotte FC at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA on May 27, 2023.

Prior to the Pride Game match, Galaxy fans had the chance to participate in a Pride Pregame Party at the stadium hosted by Jax Taylor from “Vanderpump Rules” and Heidi Montag and Audrina Patridge from “The Hills”.

Throughout the game, Pride Night was on full display with Dignity Health Sports Park decorated in rainbow colors via goal nets, corner flags and the Berm palm trees. Additionally, fans were able to purchase a Pride Night Pack, which featured a Pride Scarf and a ticket to the match. Additionally, the first 10,000 fans that arrived at the match received LA Galaxy Pride pins, courtesy of Alaska Airlines.

On the pitch, LA Galaxy players wore adidas 2023 Pride Pre-match tops during pregame warmups on the field, which were signed by each player and later auctioned off to benefit the LA Galaxy Foundation, which uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change throughout Southern California communities.

Covenant House envisions and works toward a world where every young person has a safe place to sleep and the love, respect and support they deserve, and need, to thrive.

Rainbow Labs is committed to ensuring that the next generation of LGBTQ+ youth find their community, peers, and safe spaces earlier on while gaining a sense of empowerment to propel them into bright futures.

Yum China, the largest restaurant company in China, is making significant strides toward decarbonizing its business. Given the increasing impact of climate change on the global food system, the restaurant industry has been actively promoting climate action to mitigate the risks associated with climate change. Yum China is committed to reaching net-zero value chain GHG emissions by 2050 and has set near-term GHG emissions reduction targets based on the leading climate scientific consensus, which were officially approved by SBTi in 2022, marking Yum China the first restaurant company in China to reach this milestone.

To achieve these targets and drive progress, Yum China has developed a low-carbon transformation roadmap based on SBTi suggestions, focusing on energy efficiency improvement, renewable energy investment, and supplier engagement.

Renewable Energy Investment

Yum China recognizes the importance of utilizing renewable energy to bolster its climate resilience and support its low-carbon transition.

The company is actively collaborating with partners to explore affordable, reliable, and scalable renewable energy opportunities. Yum China is evaluating and piloting the application of Distributed Photovoltaics (DPV) for company-owned restaurants and logistics centers, as well as for strategic leased locations. The green power generation capacity of these DPV projects in 2022, including completed and ongoing projects, is expected to reach 2,400 MWh per year.

Yum China is also exploring China’s green power trading scheme as another way to invest in renewable energy. The company is working with business partners to gain an in-depth understanding of market practices and assess the feasibility of green power purchase agreements (PPAs). In December 2022, Yum China signed a PPA with a local power trading company to achieve 100% renewable energy for two company-owned restaurants in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.

As part of its efforts to explore new energy vehicles to support its extensive distribution system, Yum China has piloted a small-scale electric vehicle (EV) for logistics fleets in its Shenzhen logistics center. The company is also exploring emerging low-carbon energy sources such as hydrogen applications. In 2022, at the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Yum China announced a partnership with Beiqi Foton Motor and Air Products to support the development and investment in the hydrogen energy industry value chain. Together, the companies developed demo application scenarios for hydrogen fuel logistics vehicles, with Yum China aiming to pilot the operation of hydrogen logistics vehicles in 2023.

Low-carbon Supply Chain

More than two-thirds of Yum China’s Scope 3 GHG emissions are from its purchased goods, making it essential to promote low-carbon transformation throughout the value chain to achieve the net-zero GHG emissions goal by 2050. Yum China is committed to reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods 66.3% per ton of goods purchased by 2035 from a 2020 base year. Yum China’s supply chain is complex across a wide range of categories and with different stages of readiness for low-carbon operations among suppliers. The company works with suppliers through a ‘3E’ management method, including engaging suppliers to promote participation in GHG emissions reduction, educating suppliers to help build their capacity in dealing with climate risks, and empowering suppliers’ low-carbon development.

Yum China firmly believes in the role of business leaders as stewards of the environment. Guided by the 4R principle of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Replace, the company integrates sustainable development into its daily operations, from raw materials sourcing, logistics and warehousing, and restaurant operations to distribution services. Yum China also strives to use natural resources more efficiently and mitigate negative impacts on the environment, ultimately minimizing the environmental footprint of the entire value chain.

To learn more about Yum China’s ESG efforts, visit: http://www.yumchina.com/respIndex