Author: sHq_LoGiNz

Over 1,500 miles from the Kingsburg CEC, in Texas, sustainability takes shape in the form of used phones being given a second life.

T-Mobile’s Reverse Logistics facility in Dallas plays a vital role in the company’s circular economy strategy and has a long-standing commitment to sustainability.

Rusty Johnson, Senior Director of Reverse Operations and Partner Management, brings 20 years of experience in the field of reverse logistics. His team oversees the refurbishment, repair, and recycling of returned devices — and their work was spotlighted in T-Mobile’s latest Corporate Responsibility Report. In 2024 alone, the company prevented 11 million used devices from ending up in landfills.

“The reverse logistics team builds and manages a vendor network that delivers post-sale processes and support for devices, accessories, and home internet products,” Johnson explains. “By repairing and refurbishing products, fewer items are discarded, reducing both waste and the greenhouse gas emissions that would result from their decomposition.”

Johnson notes this effort is an important contributor to one of T-Mobile’s biggest sustainability milestones: reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint by 14% in 2023 alone.

“By minimizing waste we’re also reducing the need to mine for precious metals found in devices such as gold, palladium, nickel and copper.”

Rusty Johnson, T-Mobile’s Senior Director of Reverse Operations and Partner Management

Over the years, Johnson’s team has built a system rooted in exceptional efficiency. In October 2024 alone, the facility received around 1 million devices, which were processed for resale through steps such as reconciling, triaging, repairing and re-kitting. With the help of new automation tools, most devices are ready for reuse within just 7 to 12 days. Impressively, 97% of them are certified by UL ECOLOGO and EPEAT— ensuring the products meet rigorous third-party environmental standards through comprehensive testing and auditing.

“I’m glad to see such a strong, company-wide focus on something we’ve taken seriously in the reverse logistics team for more than two decades,” says Johnson. “Currently, 97% of all the devices we handle can be reused instead of ending up in landfills — which also means less need to mine the valuable materials they’re made from — like gold, palladium, nickel, and copper.”

Across T-Mobile, this commitment to sustainability fuels a sense of purpose. Johnson says it motivates his team, renews their passion for the work they’ve long championed, and inspires them to strive for even greater impact moving forward.

Looking ahead, T-Mobile is focused on managing its environmental footprint in ways that drive efficient, sustainable business growth — all while empowering the people behind that progress. Whether through smarter commuting options, more efficient facilities or forward-thinking device reuse strategies, the company continues to embed innovation into how it operates — proving that long-term resilience starts with everyday actions.

At T-Mobile, doing good isn’t just a mission — it’s a mindset.

*33% Reduction in total Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions since 2020 using market-based Scope 2 emission figures and excluding Scope 3 indirect use-phase emissions.100% Renewable Electricity: T-Mobile matches its own annual electrical usage with renewable energy from a portfolio of sources including: virtual power purchase agreements, a green direct program, renewable retail agreements, community solar agreements, and unbundled REC purchases.

Volunteerism is a cornerstone at the Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Through its skills-based and non-skills-based employee volunteer program, SPARK™, the company is committed to giving back to the communities where it operates. Employees are able to volunteer up to 16 hours of paid volunteer time annually, supporting causes they care about through a wide range of activities. These include the company’s own science education programs, science expos, site tours, civic events and its annual global food drive.

“Since launching SPARK™ in 2016, we have seen a significant growth in employee participation and engagement,” said Melissa Hackmeier, Global Head of Employee & Community Engagement, Sustainability & Social Business Innovation at MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. “Volunteering not only strengthens our communities, but it also helps our people grow as leaders, collaborators and changemakers.”

In 2025, SPARK™ continues to ignite curiosity. In just the first half of the year, the program has reached over 55,000 students in 26 countries, thanks to the dedication of 2,600 employees who have contributed 14,439 volunteer hours. Through hands-on science education and community engagement, SPARK™ is inspiring the next generation of scientists and reinforcing the company’s commitment to building a more sustainable future.

Curiosity Cube

In the first half of 2025, 684 employees from the company volunteered 4,051 hours at the Curiosity Cube, a mobile science lab designed to bring hands-on STEM experiences directly to students. This innovative lab has helped 18,223 students envision themselves as STEM professionals. This year, SPARK™ volunteers are introducing students to the world of artificial intelligence (AI). The Curiosity Cube also expanded its reach beyond North America and Europe to a new continent, Africa, bringing science education to even more communities. 

“One of the best parts of volunteering with the Curiosity Cube is showing students that STEM careers are within their reach,“ said Natalie Randolph, Curiosity Cube Manager at MilliporeSigma. “In the mobile science lab, they see scientists who look like them, and they start to picture themselves in these careers.”

Curiosity Labs^®

SPARK™ volunteers are also making an impact through Curiosity Labs^® bringing hands-on science to life in classrooms around the world. This year, they’re offering 11 options from the Curiosity Labs^® lesson library, including a new lesson on AI in Drug Discovery. Since the beginning of the year, 491 employees have delivered 416 lessons, reaching 9,189 students. Volunteers are also making use of the newly opened Curiosity Labs^® STEM Center at the company’s Darmstadt, Germany headquarters, which offers the Curiosity Labs^® lessons on site.

Volunteer, Renée Laliberte, Engineer and Business Manager at MilliporeSigma, helped with a school visit to the company’s Lenexa, Kansas facility. During the visit, Laliberte brought students into the world of a scientist for the day. When asked what she enjoyed most about the experience, Laliberte said, “This experience went well beyond teaching science, it fostered the students’ curiosity, confidence and problem-solving skills that they can use every day.”  

GirlStart and SPARK™

MilliporeSigma employees are helping guide girls towards STEM futures through their continued support of Girlstart, one of the company’s Signature Partners. Signature Partnerships are large-scale, long-term collaborations designed to create meaningful, lasting impact in the communities where employees live and work. 

Earlier this year, Khadija Ben Hammada, Member of the Executive Board and Chief People Officer at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, joined her Human Resources team at the company’s Burlington, Massachusetts facility for a team building event to create STEM kits for local Girlstart campers.

“Partnering with Girlstart through SPARK™ is a meaningful way for our employees to help empower young learners to explore STEM,” said Hammada. “By assembling STEM kits, we’re fueling hands-on experiences that spark curiosity and make science more accessible at a formative age.”

2025 Goals

By the end of 2025, the company aims to have over 5,000 employees across 30 countries, contributing 35,000 volunteer hours and engaging more than 115,000 young minds.

To learn more about SPARK™ and other employee volunteer initiatives from MilliporeSigma, visit the company’s sustainability & social business innovation page.

EMERYVILLE, Calif., September 24, 2025 /3BL/ – SCS Standards and Assurance Systems is pleased to announce that version 5.0 of the SCS-106 Verification Standard for Recycling Operations is now available for public review.

SCS-106 has been updated from its previous 2014 version as a verification standard, rather than a certification standard. The standard has been restructured and simplified overall and now looks at the previous 12 months of data for recycling operations to verify that a recycling facility is diverting waste from landfill, incineration, or permanent storage by processing waste (reclaimed material) into usable material (recycled output). As a result, the name has changed from SCS-106 Recycling Program Standard, to SCS-106 Verification Standard for Recycling Operations.

SCS-106 fits into the larger ecosystem of SCS’ circularity standards, complementing the SCS Certification Standard for Zero Waste (SCS-110) and the SCS Certification Standard for Recycled Content (SCS-103).

The public is welcome to comment on the SCS-106 version 5.0 updates until November 5th, 2025. To submit comments, please reach out to standards@scsstandards.org, or please visit our website.

About SCS Standards and Assurance Systems

SCS Standards and Assurance Systems is an organization committed to the development of standards that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Standards are developed in alignment with best practices and guidelines provided by internationally recognized bodies to ensure a robust, transparent, and collaborative approach. SCS Standards and Assurance Systems is the official standards development body for Scientific Certification Systems, Inc. For more information, visit www.SCSstandards.org.

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Originally published by comPETence Magazine

The constantly shifting weather can degrade sunny skies into storm clouds in a single minute. Wind gusts tear at the cliff wall. Some steps are across bottomless gaps onto nearly sheer rock face. One wrong move sends you freefalling — down, down, down. The elevation is past 20,000 feet, but you keep going beyond thinning air and labored breathing because the view is worth the climb.

There’s no doubt that mountain climbing isn’t for everybody. And people who work in the packaging industry would probably make good mountain climbers, because this industry isn’t for the faint of heart. That’s especially true for the sustainable PET packaging industry.

We all know well the shifting regulatory environment. Every link in the packaging value chain is grappling with change because packaging regulations in the EU and other countries are tightening to force a circular economy. We need more rPET in food and beverage packaging, and we need to use fewer fossil resources for new materials. Regulations are requiring it, surveys and buying behaviors are telling us that consumers are demanding it, and we all want to do the right thing for the planet. The hard reality, however, is that the quality of mechanically recycled rPET fluctuates and degrades over time, impacting color, mechanical properties and hydrolysis resistance.

As a veteran of the food and beverage packaging industry, Dovydas Stulpinas knows this climb and dizzying view well. He is CEO for Doloop*, a Lithuania-based company with decades of experience in preforms and PET bottles. In recent years, Doloop has established a reputation for pursuing regenerative PET packaging solutions.

“I’m proud of the strides our company has made toward more sustainable packaging, and for that matter, I’m proud of the sustainability efforts by brands and converters across the industry,” Stulpinas said. “But here’s the reality: We can’t achieve a circular economy for beverage packaging without new recycling innovations, because mechanical rPET alone can’t meet circularity and quality goals. Our industry must have a new solution. Doloop has found an innovation partner in Eastman. Together, we have a beverage packaging solution that can help us take that next step toward a circular economy, and we look forward to showcasing it at drinktec 2025.”

Eastman’s solution: Renew recycled PET with no compromises

At drinktec , Doloop and Eastman will showcase a 100% rPET beverage bottle** produced from Eastar™ Renew EN031, a chemically recycled PET from Eastman that performs like virgin resin. This collaboration not only signals what’s next in sustainable beverage packaging but also offers brands a scalable path to 100% recycled content that works in real-world systems.

Eastman is a world leader in recycling innovations that can help build a more sustainable future, one where plastic waste could become a thing of the past. A Fortune 500 company, U.S.-based Eastman operates one of the world’s largest polyester chemical recycling facilities at its headquarters in Kingsport, Tennessee.

Through a recycling innovation that uses methanolysis technology, Eastman is able to process complex polyester waste — such as colored PET packaging, carpet fiber facing and thermoforms — that would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled. Because of the complex plastics that can contaminate the PET waste stream and the complexity of sorting, much polyester isn’t viable or economically feasible for mechanical recyclers to handle.

Eastman refers to its process, which uses methanolysis technology, as molecular recycling because recycling is done at the molecular level.

Eastar Renew EN031 is part of Eastman’s family of Renew PET. Through methanolysis, Eastman can process hard-to-recycle polyester an infinite number of times with no loss in quality, ensuring quality rPET for years to come.

For sustainably minded beverage companies, Eastar Renew EN031 is a breakthrough that delivers the attributes brands need:

• Food-safe rPET that delivers clarity, purity and color on par with virgin PET
• Regulatory compliance with a sustainable material that meets EU regulations for food contact and safety, contributing to brand reputation and consumer confidence
• Processibility, as Eastar Renew EN031 requires no retooling and has consistent yields through standard injection molding processes. Because of the technical readiness of Eastar Renew, Doloop can convert the Eastman material into fully approved, bottler-ready preforms.

The necessity and value of collaboration

Eastman began operation of its molecular recycling facility in early 2024 and is partnering with dozens of leading brands to build a recycling system for the modern age. With a heritage more than 100 years old and decades of history in methanolysis recycling, which it pioneered in the 1980s, Eastman is a world leader in the production of Eastman Renew recycled polymers and other specialty materials. Eastman’s commitment to tackling the plastic waste crisis and bringing circular materials into the mainstream led to the development of Eastman Renew materials with certified recycled content.*

“Innovation has positioned Eastman to lead, but collaboration is essential for plastic packaging to become circular,” said Eric Dehouck, Managing Director for Eastman’s circular economy platform. The Doloop relationship illustrates how supplier partnerships play a key role in preparing a market to address not only existing regulations but also those on the horizon.

“Doloop is a wonderful partner that has demonstrated the qualities we value and the world needs: collaborative, sustainability-focused and forwardthinking,” Isaac Rosenberg, Sales Manager Circular Packaging, EASTMAN, said. “No one company can do this alone. No one recycling technology is enough with the complexity of today’s plastic waste streams. And that underscores a very important point. Molecular recycling, or chemical recycling, isn’t a replacement for mechanical recycling. We’re looking to complement and work alongside mechanical recycling. The world needs both.”

Marius Gembutas, Head of Business Development of Doloop, points to a specific example in Scandinavia, where Doloop has partnered extensively. Sweden has one of the world’s most advanced deposit return systems, operated by Returpack, with around 87% of PET bottles collected in 2023.

However, a 2025 report from RISE Research Institutes of Sweden /1/ raised issues. About one-third of PET bottles in Sweden currently contain 100% recycled PET, which negatively impacts the quality of the material.

In the study, Returpack observed that optical quality issues — darkening, yellowing, and a decline in transparency — began to appear in the PET stream, even with only approximately 33% of bottles in the system made from 100% rPET. Though these observed changes were cosmetic, they signaled early-stage degradation that can impact brand perception and value of the recycling stream. Sweden provides a good example for the EU to consider for the impact of 65% minimum recycled content standards on rPET quality.

Again, collaboration is the answer. Launching Renew PET will improve the quality of the rPET stream, and a solution that combines material from both technologies would benefit material innovators like Eastman, molders, brands and consumers. A mix of up to 80% rPET from mechanical recycling with at least 20% rPET from chemical recycling would be ideal, Gembutas said.

In partnership with Eastman, Doloop plans to launch a pilot program of Renew PET in Scandinavia, with production trials followed by technical validation in commercial beverage applications.

“We’re excited to partner with Doloop to showcase Eastman Renew materials in a region where deposit-return systems are strong and consumer expectations are high, because we’re confident we can meet those expectations,” Rosenberg said.

Doloop’s Gembutas is excited to prove that solutions the packaging industry needs are here — and they’re real.

“What begins in Scandinavia isn’t meant to stay in Scandinavia,” Gembutas said. “The products we’re launching with Eastman are designed with scalability in mind to serve as a replicable model for circular packaging across Europe.

“In the meantime, we look forward to drinktec. We invite everyone to stop by and see the bottle’s clarity and feel, and Eastman experts will be there with us to answer questions about Renew PET. We feel this is more than a product launch; this is a collaboration to show the industry what’s possible. This is an opportunity for every brand, packaging engineer and sustainability officer to see that chemically recycled content equivalent to virgin is here, proven and ready to scale.”

/1/www.pantamera.nu/globalassets/documents/ report-recycling-of-pet-bottles-v2-2023-11-03_ signed.pdf * DOLOOP operated as Putokšnis until 26 November 2021 ** Via ISCC certified mass balance allocation

Doloop @ drinktec: Hall C6, 242

Southwire Company, LLC, North America’s leading wire and cable manufacturer, has entered a partnership with Foundation Current/OS, a global non-profit partnership foundation promoting direct current (DC) safety, standards and advancement across the electrical industry.

This unique partnership positions Southwire at the forefront of advancing DC technologies, a critical piece of progressing the company’s strategic verticals in key fields.

“DC systems are key to unlocking the next generation of resilient, efficient infrastructure—from data centers to microgrids,” said Axel Schlumberger, Southwire’s Senior Vice President of Research and Development, Wire and Cable. “The partnership is a step forward in shaping future grids—advancing standards and scaling adoption of DC technologies across industries.”

Current/OS has united leaders in the electrical industry with the mission of amplifying safety, establishing standards and enhancing energy resilience in DC technologies. The organization gives manufacturers and stakeholders a seat at the table to learn and share ideas in emerging fields powered by DC.

“Direct current power is one of many tools we must leverage to achieve a successful energy transition and deliver greater resiliency when the grid is under strain,” said Yannick Neyret, Current/OS President. “Developing a shared standard for DC power distribution is a collective effort—and we’re grateful to partners like Southwire, whose expertise in wiring, cabling, and microgrid systems helps demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of DC in real-world projects.”

In this partnership, Southwire is helping shape future grid standards while promoting innovation through its research and development (R&D) efforts. By joining Current/OS, Southwire will be able to use its expertise as an industry leader to accelerate scalable adoption of DC systems across in use cases like data centers, hybrid architectures and microgrids.

Thanks to the company’s deep knowledge and experience in electrification, industrial services and utility modernization, Southwire will have a place in the foundation’s technical, marketing, education and certification working groups.

“Our partnership with Current/OS is a powerful alignment with our Grid of the Future vision and a catalyst for Southwire R&D to drive innovation, impact and thought leadership across the energy ecosystem,” said Schlumberger.

To learn more about Current/OS, visit currentos.org. For the latest sustainability news and information from Southwire, visit southwire.com/sustainability.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

Everyone has habits built into their day. Think of getting up in the morning and stumbling to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, or getting home after work to wind down with a good book. Repetition might reduce these habits to background noise, but they can actually be the stepping stone to self-improvement.

But how can a familiar habit help upgrade daily life? The answer is habit stacking. Habit stacking is the practice of attaching a new habit to a current one, which helps strengthen the connection. Both physical and mental well-being can be positively impacted.

It can even help with tasks that are more mundane or where procrastination could set in because it seems stressful to get started. Making the most of your insurance benefits might seem like a daunting task, for example, but habit stacking can help, and open enrollment is a perfect time to get started. Let’s break it down into simple tasks to get started and habits you can implement to help create a fun new routine:

Actions to get started:

• Start with researching benefits offerings. While you’re brewing that first cup of coffee, spend a few moments reviewing trusted resources online. Or make it a social event by setting up a coffee date with a friend and researching benefits together. If any questions come up during the research process, reach out to an insurance agent or an HR professional at work. After sending the email or making a phone call, grab a favorite treat as a reward.
• It’s also important to look into medical history or review the past year. What coverage would be most beneficial when considering family medical history or your own? Are there any events from last year where certain insurance coverage would have helped? After making those notes, take a bubble bath or enjoy a relaxing hobby like knitting.
• Next comes the actual enrollment process. Try including your colleagues to make it more fun for everyone — create a game in the group chat. When everyone has completed open enrollment, you can order donuts to the office. If enrollment feels like more like a solo venture, make it a cozy one. Grab a blanket, light a scented candle, and get comfy on the couch while getting started on matching the right coverage to your needs.

Habits you can stack:

• Once coverage is in place, make the most of your benefits by building health care-related habits into your routine. Start with a routine that occurs regularly. Follow a simple mental formula to remember to link these habits: “After I put the coffee pot on, I will pick out a recipe to make tonight.” A few other examples include:
  • In between flossing and brushing your teeth, take a moment to schedule a dentist appointment — or after you’ve laced up your shoes for a walk, make sure you have an upcoming doctor appointment on the calendar.
  • While you run a load of laundry, take a moment to plan healthy meals for the week.
  • Do yoga while listening to a podcast, or clean the living room with an audiobook playing.
  • Practice deep breathing between each step of a skincare routine.

Dedicating time to better understanding and fully leveraging your benefits is an important habit to form, and habit stacking makes it easier. Habit stacking requires dedication to work, but it can yield great results which can help improve multiple areas of life at once, including taking care of mental and physical health — now and into the future.

For more inspiration on how to make supplemental insurance coverage a new habit, visit Aflac.com and discover how the confidence of coverage can help protect daily life.

Aflac coverage is underwritten by Aflac. In New York, Aflac NY coverage is underwritten by Aflac New York.

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