Month: March 2024

Life-changing Innovations

Innovation is the heart of Essity, maker of the Tork brand. We continuously strive to create cutting-edge solutions, improving hygiene, health, and well-being, setting new standards for a better tomorrow. 

Watch a replay of Essity’s webcast on Innovation: Innovating for profitable and sustainable growth 

To learn more, download the Essity report, “Innovating for Profitable and Sustainable Growth” here.

ST PAUL, Minn., March 25, 2024 /3BL/ – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data submission period for manufactured or processed asbestos bearing material is drawing to a close. The data submission period runs from February 24, 2024, to May 24, 2024.

On March 18, 2024, the EPA announced the finalization of a rule to prohibit ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos currently used in or imported to the United States. This represents the first rule finalized under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), receiving near-unanimous support in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.

Asbestos, a known carcinogen, has long posed severe health risks, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer, contributing to over 40,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.

The ban targets chrysotile asbestos found in various products, including asbestos diaphragms, sheet gaskets, brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes/linings, and other gaskets. While asbestos use has been declining for decades and is banned in over 50 countries, its import for the chlor-alkali industry persisted, with imports into the US as recently as 2022. The majority of consumer goods that previously included chrysotile asbestos have been discontinued.

Under the new rule, EPA has set compliance deadlines to transition away from each use of chrysotile asbestos, ensuring both a reasonable transition period and robust workplace safety measures. Additionally, the rule addresses other asbestos-containing products, reinforcing EPA’s commitment to comprehensive chemical safety evaluations.

For more information on compliance deadlines and to read the EPA’s full press release, click here.

Questions? Antea Group is ready to help. Whether you need environmental remediation support for asbestos, industrial hygiene support, or help with disposal, our teams are ready to answer your questions.

About Antea Group

Antea®Group is an environment, health, safety, and sustainability consulting firm. By combining strategic thinking with technical expertise, we do more than effectively solve client challenges; we deliver sustainable results for a better future. We work in partnership with and advise many of the world’s most sustainable companies to address ESG-business challenges in a way that fits their pace and unique objectives. Our consultants equip organizations to better understand threats, capture opportunities and find their position of strength. Lastly, we maintain a global perspective on ESG issues through not only our work with multinational clients, but also through our sister organizations in Europe, Asia, and Latin America and as a founding member of the  Inogen Alliance.

By Bettina von Hagen, CEO and co-founder, EFM

EFM, the forestland investment company I co-founded, is celebrating its 20-year anniversary next year. And yet, the premise upon which we started EFM – that commercial forests could and should be valued and managed for the full range of goods and services they produce – timber, carbon, biodiversity, water provision, recreation, scenic values, tribal and indigenous values and rural livelihoods – is as enduring and critical today as it was twenty years ago. In many ways, it is more so, because the world has caught up with the critical truth that healthy, intact and functioning ecosystems – particularly forests – are fundamental to the earth’s life support system at the very moment that these ecosystems are unraveling due to climate change and human pressure.

Moreover, there is broad recognition that any hope we have on limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees celsius is predicated on protecting and expanding the capacity of forests (and other natural systems) to store carbon and enhance resilience in the face of climatic change, such as increased fire incidence. As the world decarbonizes, expanding the capacity of forests, grasslands and oceans to sequester and store carbon is estimated to provide 37% of needed emission reductions in the next decade.

Today EFM has over $250M of assets and 150,000 acres of forestland under management and advises clients globally on investments in natural climate solutions. We have established three co-mingled forest investment funds and are launching our fourth fund, along with expanding our advisory work on natural climate solutions. Our approach is to purchase forests in ecologically significant landscapes, restore them to greater productivity and health, and lock in the improvements through conservation easements, carbon contracts, habitat banks, and selective sales to tribal and community entities. These strategies provide cash flow while the forest continues to grow.

Read Bettina’s insightful article here – https://greenmoney.com/climate-smart-forestry-from-niche-to-mainstream

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Originally published on Built From Scratch

Sustainable forestry is an important component of our continued supply of wood products and building supplies. Our commitment to biodiversity also extends to many of the gardening products that we offer.

We promote our vision of sustainable landscapes on a smaller scale by encouraging our customers to adopt responsible gardening products and methods. Our partnerships with local growers enable us to offer healthy, environmentally beneficial plants and support businesses in the communities we serve.

SIMPLE STEPS TO ORGANIC GARDENING

BUILD A FOUNDATION
Organic soils and low-impact supplements support healthy ecosystems. Kellogg Garden Organics All-Natural Garden Soil for Flowers and Vegetables revitalizes your native soil, organically.CHOOSE YOUR PLANTS
Organic plants help promote ecological balance and biodiversity. Bonnie Plants Organics are USDA-certified organic and give you a head start on your harvest.NURTURE WITH NATURE
Natural fertilizers use organic ingredients to promote growth. True Organic Bone Meal with nitrogen and phosphorus helps produce larger organic fruits and vegetables.SELECT SUSTAINABLE MAINTENANCE
Insecticides and weed retardants for organic gardening keep garden spaces green. Garden Safe Houseplant/Garden contains botanical insecticides that defend against pests, indoors and outdoors.

Growing Organic
We offer more than 30+ varieties of organic, non-GMO vegetable and herb plants grown according to methods approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program. Only products that have been certified as meeting the USDA’s organic production and handling standards may carry the USDA Organic seal.

Native Plants
Our growers work closely with U.S. states’ departments of agriculture to identify invasive plants that may threaten local native plants.

Supporting Local Growers
We are proud to partner with more than 135 plant growers who balance the impact of their production with local environmental issues and growing conditions in their regions.

The Home Depot partners with our growers and suppliers in advance of each growing season to offer trees, blooms and edible plants that support local environments and pollinators. Our gardening product offerings are informed by our understanding that backyards, balconies and patios are well-being retreats for our customers and mini ecosystems that have an impact on their surroundings.

We are committed to its three environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars – focusing on our people, operating sustainably and strengthening our communities. Learn more about product circularity in the latest ESG Report.