Author: sHq_LoGiNz

by Erlinda Lee

In the age of artificial intelligence, geopolitical instability, and tariff turbulence, sustainability has never been more challenging to get right. The rules are changing. As sustainability expectations grow and regulations evolve, the industry does not need more disconnected systems. It needs greater alignment around credible approaches, shared measurement, and common expectations.

Cascale’s origins are all about collective action. Today, we help organizations reduce duplication, improve efficiency, navigate regulatory complexity, and make more informed business decisions through common measurement, shared tools, pre-competitive industry collaboration, and shared progress on climate action and decent work.

By bringing companies together around credible frameworks and practical solutions, we help members spend less time navigating fragmentation and more time driving measurable progress across their value chains.

Our 2026 offerings address every level of sustainability ambition while giving a clear sense of ownership, flexibility, pricing transparency, and stronger alignment.

In this upcoming blog series, we’ll walk through some of these pathways in greater depth. For now, here’s what prospective members need to know.

Explore Pathways to Impact

How You Can Join Us

• At any level of sustainability knowledge, Cascale membership enables scaled industry ambitions.
• Members now have greater flexibility in how they access tools, services, and community support, with clearer choices and pricing transparency.
• With a focus on measurement, the new Associate membership offering helps members build a credible baseline and reduce duplication.
• Refined Corporate membership helps members align with the industry and accelerate progress at scale.
• Affiliate membership remains unchanged for the upcoming member cycle.

At a glance, there are three unique sustainability offerings, which were shaped in consultation with 110 Cascale members. Affiliate membership remains a dedicated pathway for nonprofit, academic, public-sector, and other non-corporate organizations to contribute expertise, perspective, and partnership to Cascale’s mission. Associate membership is designed for organizations primarily focused on measurement, reporting, and building a credible sustainability baseline.

Corporate membership is designed for organizations ready to go further — beyond measurement — and actively engage with the industry to help shape shared priorities and drive collective progress, while strengthening owned sustainability performance and business resilience. Across all pathways, Cascale membership brings the industry together to set shared priorities and turn alignment into measurable progress.

Like-minded Community 

No matter what stage you are at in your sustainability journey, Cascale membership offers a like-minded community and a place to pre-competitively scale impact. Cascale’s role in stewarding and governing the Higg Index framework and methodology remains, as does our commitment to member guidance, value, pricing transparency, and community. That’s why we went straight to the source when redesigning these offerings (thank you to all who supported this transformation).

These new plans further emphasize member and prospective member needs, so that together we can drive systems change in consumer goods. You don’t have to do it alone. By working through common frameworks and pre-competitive collaboration, you can help reduce duplication, strengthen consistency, and move the industry from fragmented action toward shared progress.

Guidance Along the Way 

For anyone curious about Cascale – no matter your sustainability ambition – we encourage you to get in touch. And for members, the May member webinar (available now on Cascale Connect) captured all of the updates, including unchanged Affiliate plans, new Associate offerings, and refined Corporate membership. As Jeremy Lardeau (our newly appointed senior vice president, industry activation and growth) shared in the webinar: many members will actually see reduced pricing this year.

That’s a reflection of the renewed flexibility, transparency, and differentiated offerings we committed to delivering to our members.

Whether organizations are establishing foundational sustainability practices or helping shape industry-wide solutions, the goal remains the same: enabling meaningful progress through shared action. No single company can transform the consumer goods industry alone, which is why Cascale membership has become an imperative.

New to Cascale? Fill Out the Become a Member Form

Erlinda Lee is Senior Director, Member Development at Cascale

by Erlinda Lee

In the age of artificial intelligence, geopolitical instability, and tariff turbulence, sustainability has never been more challenging to get right. The rules are changing. As sustainability expectations grow and regulations evolve, the industry does not need more disconnected systems. It needs greater alignment around credible approaches, shared measurement, and common expectations.

Cascale’s origins are all about collective action. Today, we help organizations reduce duplication, improve efficiency, navigate regulatory complexity, and make more informed business decisions through common measurement, shared tools, pre-competitive industry collaboration, and shared progress on climate action and decent work.

By bringing companies together around credible frameworks and practical solutions, we help members spend less time navigating fragmentation and more time driving measurable progress across their value chains.

Our 2026 offerings address every level of sustainability ambition while giving a clear sense of ownership, flexibility, pricing transparency, and stronger alignment.

In this upcoming blog series, we’ll walk through some of these pathways in greater depth. For now, here’s what prospective members need to know.

Explore Pathways to Impact

How You Can Join Us

• At any level of sustainability knowledge, Cascale membership enables scaled industry ambitions.
• Members now have greater flexibility in how they access tools, services, and community support, with clearer choices and pricing transparency.
• With a focus on measurement, the new Associate membership offering helps members build a credible baseline and reduce duplication.
• Refined Corporate membership helps members align with the industry and accelerate progress at scale.
• Affiliate membership remains unchanged for the upcoming member cycle.

At a glance, there are three unique sustainability offerings, which were shaped in consultation with 110 Cascale members. Affiliate membership remains a dedicated pathway for nonprofit, academic, public-sector, and other non-corporate organizations to contribute expertise, perspective, and partnership to Cascale’s mission. Associate membership is designed for organizations primarily focused on measurement, reporting, and building a credible sustainability baseline.

Corporate membership is designed for organizations ready to go further — beyond measurement — and actively engage with the industry to help shape shared priorities and drive collective progress, while strengthening owned sustainability performance and business resilience. Across all pathways, Cascale membership brings the industry together to set shared priorities and turn alignment into measurable progress.

Like-minded Community 

No matter what stage you are at in your sustainability journey, Cascale membership offers a like-minded community and a place to pre-competitively scale impact. Cascale’s role in stewarding and governing the Higg Index framework and methodology remains, as does our commitment to member guidance, value, pricing transparency, and community. That’s why we went straight to the source when redesigning these offerings (thank you to all who supported this transformation).

These new plans further emphasize member and prospective member needs, so that together we can drive systems change in consumer goods. You don’t have to do it alone. By working through common frameworks and pre-competitive collaboration, you can help reduce duplication, strengthen consistency, and move the industry from fragmented action toward shared progress.

Guidance Along the Way 

For anyone curious about Cascale – no matter your sustainability ambition – we encourage you to get in touch. And for members, the May member webinar (available now on Cascale Connect) captured all of the updates, including unchanged Affiliate plans, new Associate offerings, and refined Corporate membership. As Jeremy Lardeau (our newly appointed senior vice president, industry activation and growth) shared in the webinar: many members will actually see reduced pricing this year.

That’s a reflection of the renewed flexibility, transparency, and differentiated offerings we committed to delivering to our members.

Whether organizations are establishing foundational sustainability practices or helping shape industry-wide solutions, the goal remains the same: enabling meaningful progress through shared action. No single company can transform the consumer goods industry alone, which is why Cascale membership has become an imperative.

New to Cascale? Fill Out the Become a Member Form

Erlinda Lee is Senior Director, Member Development at Cascale

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., June 3, 2026 /3BL/ – Last week, WK Kellogg Co announced the national roll out of its SPOONS on-pack nutrition framework. SPOONS is an evidence-based tool designed to make it easier for consumers – who are increasingly seeking more function from their foods – to identify, understand and choose cereals according to their nutrition priorities.

SPOONS will be applied to classic brands, including Kellogg’s All-Bran, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies throughout the United States.

Consumers will see the new information on the back of cereal boxes using the SPOONS acronym, including:

• S – Simple ingredients: Many Kellogg’s cereals are made with ingredients you’d find in your pantry – cooked in a similar way you’d make grains at home, just in larger batches! In fact, 75% of Kellogg’s cereals are simply puffed, toasted, flaked or shredded.
• P – Protein: Cereal and milk bring grains and protein together to offer an easy, effective solution for building meals to help manage hunger and support wellness. In fact, a bowl of cereal and milk has as much (or more) protein as an egg.¹
• O – Outstanding fiber: Wellness starts with fiber, yet almost 95% of people don’t get enough.² Our fiber-focused cereals can help people close that gap. We have more than 140 options that are at least a good source of fiber with 3-17g per serving, making it easy to find your fiber fix.
• O – Other nutritious foods: Cereal makes it easy to create balanced meals, bringing whole grains, fruit and dairy together to give people choices they can feel good about.
• N – Nutrients you need: Cereal provides essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients – such as fiber, whole grains, iron and folate – that most people don’t get enough of in their daily diet. With most cereals being consumed with milk there is the added benefit of calcium and vitamin D.
• S – Single-digit sugars: Cereal offers a variety of sugar levels to fit your lifestyle, including options with single-digit added sugar, so you can enjoy great taste and nutrition. Nearly half of our cereals have 10 grams or less of added sugar per serving.

The architect of SPOONS, Chief Wellbeing and Sustainable Business Officer Sarah Ludmer, RD, says the attributes, messages and visual presentations were tested with consumers to ensure they could easily understand and trust the information SPOONS provides.

“We gained a great deal of consumer insight from the SPOONS work, including the fact that cereal eaters were surprised and excited about the simplicity, fiber content and single digit sugars of our cereals,” said Ludmer. “As more people are looking for simple, high nutrition foods – especially when it comes to fiber and protein – this provides a clear and compelling way to re-introduce people to a beloved and trusted food that’s been in Americans’ kitchens for more than a century.”

SPOONS is the latest initiative in WK Kellogg’s long legacy of pioneering cereal transformation. In addition to creating the first cereal flake, the company was among the first to:

• Create a nutrition label identifying key nutrients on pack
• Hire a full-time dietitian to help guide the formulation and nutrition of our food
• Include recipes, in particular fiber recipes, on back of cereal packages

SPOONS is part of the company’s overall business strategy to surge growth of the $10B US cereal category. Chief Growth Officer Doug VanDeVelde says cereal is still one of the most popular household staples – with 50 million boxes purchased every week – and now is the time to be deliberate and disruptive in continuing to make cereal culturally relevant.

“Cereal has been an American favorite for more than 120 years,” said VanDeVelde. “This year we’ve really dialed up our marketing by leaning into fiber with humor in our big game ad, launching SPOONS and introducing new innovations into our portfolio. As a newly private company we have a lot of runway to do big things and we are highly optimistic about the future of the category and our brands.”

About WK Kellogg Co
At WK Kellogg Co, we bring our best to everyone, every day through our trusted foods and brands. Our journey began in 1894, when our founder W.K. Kellogg reimagined the future of food with the creation of Corn Flakes, changing breakfast forever. Our iconic brand portfolio includes Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes^®, Rice Krispies^®, Froot Loops^®, Kashi^®, Special K^®, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran^®, and Bear Naked^®. With a presence in the majority of households across North America, our brands play a key role in enhancing the lives of millions of consumers every day, promoting a strong sense of physical, emotional and societal wellbeing. Our beloved brand characters, including Tony the Tiger^® and Toucan Sam^®, represent our deep connections with the consumers and communities we serve. Through our sustainable business strategy, Feeding Happiness™, we aim to build healthier and happier futures for families, kids and communities. We are making a positive impact while creating foods that bring joy and nourishment to consumers. For more information about WK Kellogg Co and Feeding Happiness, visit www.wkkellogg.com.

Sources:

1. 1 large egg contains 6 grams protein; a bowl of cereal with ¾ cup milk provides upwards of 6 grams protein
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service. What We Eat in America: Nutrient intakes from food by gender and age. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-10.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., June 3, 2026 /3BL/ – Last week, WK Kellogg Co announced the national roll out of its SPOONS on-pack nutrition framework. SPOONS is an evidence-based tool designed to make it easier for consumers – who are increasingly seeking more function from their foods – to identify, understand and choose cereals according to their nutrition priorities.

SPOONS will be applied to classic brands, including Kellogg’s All-Bran, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes, Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran and Kellogg’s Rice Krispies throughout the United States.

Consumers will see the new information on the back of cereal boxes using the SPOONS acronym, including:

• S – Simple ingredients: Many Kellogg’s cereals are made with ingredients you’d find in your pantry – cooked in a similar way you’d make grains at home, just in larger batches! In fact, 75% of Kellogg’s cereals are simply puffed, toasted, flaked or shredded.
• P – Protein: Cereal and milk bring grains and protein together to offer an easy, effective solution for building meals to help manage hunger and support wellness. In fact, a bowl of cereal and milk has as much (or more) protein as an egg.¹
• O – Outstanding fiber: Wellness starts with fiber, yet almost 95% of people don’t get enough.² Our fiber-focused cereals can help people close that gap. We have more than 140 options that are at least a good source of fiber with 3-17g per serving, making it easy to find your fiber fix.
• O – Other nutritious foods: Cereal makes it easy to create balanced meals, bringing whole grains, fruit and dairy together to give people choices they can feel good about.
• N – Nutrients you need: Cereal provides essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients – such as fiber, whole grains, iron and folate – that most people don’t get enough of in their daily diet. With most cereals being consumed with milk there is the added benefit of calcium and vitamin D.
• S – Single-digit sugars: Cereal offers a variety of sugar levels to fit your lifestyle, including options with single-digit added sugar, so you can enjoy great taste and nutrition. Nearly half of our cereals have 10 grams or less of added sugar per serving.

The architect of SPOONS, Chief Wellbeing and Sustainable Business Officer Sarah Ludmer, RD, says the attributes, messages and visual presentations were tested with consumers to ensure they could easily understand and trust the information SPOONS provides.

“We gained a great deal of consumer insight from the SPOONS work, including the fact that cereal eaters were surprised and excited about the simplicity, fiber content and single digit sugars of our cereals,” said Ludmer. “As more people are looking for simple, high nutrition foods – especially when it comes to fiber and protein – this provides a clear and compelling way to re-introduce people to a beloved and trusted food that’s been in Americans’ kitchens for more than a century.”

SPOONS is the latest initiative in WK Kellogg’s long legacy of pioneering cereal transformation. In addition to creating the first cereal flake, the company was among the first to:

• Create a nutrition label identifying key nutrients on pack
• Hire a full-time dietitian to help guide the formulation and nutrition of our food
• Include recipes, in particular fiber recipes, on back of cereal packages

SPOONS is part of the company’s overall business strategy to surge growth of the $10B US cereal category. Chief Growth Officer Doug VanDeVelde says cereal is still one of the most popular household staples – with 50 million boxes purchased every week – and now is the time to be deliberate and disruptive in continuing to make cereal culturally relevant.

“Cereal has been an American favorite for more than 120 years,” said VanDeVelde. “This year we’ve really dialed up our marketing by leaning into fiber with humor in our big game ad, launching SPOONS and introducing new innovations into our portfolio. As a newly private company we have a lot of runway to do big things and we are highly optimistic about the future of the category and our brands.”

About WK Kellogg Co
At WK Kellogg Co, we bring our best to everyone, every day through our trusted foods and brands. Our journey began in 1894, when our founder W.K. Kellogg reimagined the future of food with the creation of Corn Flakes, changing breakfast forever. Our iconic brand portfolio includes Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes^®, Rice Krispies^®, Froot Loops^®, Kashi^®, Special K^®, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran^®, and Bear Naked^®. With a presence in the majority of households across North America, our brands play a key role in enhancing the lives of millions of consumers every day, promoting a strong sense of physical, emotional and societal wellbeing. Our beloved brand characters, including Tony the Tiger^® and Toucan Sam^®, represent our deep connections with the consumers and communities we serve. Through our sustainable business strategy, Feeding Happiness™, we aim to build healthier and happier futures for families, kids and communities. We are making a positive impact while creating foods that bring joy and nourishment to consumers. For more information about WK Kellogg Co and Feeding Happiness, visit www.wkkellogg.com.

Sources:

1. 1 large egg contains 6 grams protein; a bowl of cereal with ¾ cup milk provides upwards of 6 grams protein
2. U.S. Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Research Service. What We Eat in America: Nutrient intakes from food by gender and age. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2009-10.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, June 3, 2026 /3BL/ – DP World has been recognized with a 2026 Blue Circle Award by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), earning distinction in the Energy Action Program category for its ongoing efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions across its terminal operations in Vancouver and Fraser Surrey.

The VFPA’s Energy Action Program, launched in partnership with BC Hydro, supports terminal operators and tena nts in implementing energy conservation initiatives across port lands. Since its inception, the program has helped deliver more than 80 energy conservation projects, generating over 135 gigawatt-hours of energy impact — enough to power more than 15,500 homes annually.

The annual Blue Circle Awards celebrate terminals, tenants, marine operators, and shipping and cruise lines operating at the Port of Vancouver that demonstrate environmental leadership through initiatives focused on energy conservation, emissions reduction, and sustainability innovation.

The recognition marks the third consecutive year that DP World’s Vancouver terminal has received a Blue Circle Award and the second consecutive year for DP World Fraser Surrey, underscoring the company’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and continuous improvement across its Canadian operations.

In a VFPA media statement, Peter Xotta, President and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, said: “Those operating at the Port of Vancouver are showing that growing trade and environmental leadership can go hand in hand. Our Blue Circle Awards recognize port partners who are embracing environmentally responsible trade and driving real progress. The work the port community is pioneering today to move more goods and people in a more sustainable way will benefit us all for generations to come.”

Doug Smith, CEO of DP World in Canada, said: “Receiving a Blue Circle Award is a meaningful recognition of the work our teams are doing every day to advance more sustainable operations across our Canadian terminals. This continued recognition reflects our long-term commitment to environmental stewardship and operational excellence. As global supply chains continue to evolve, we remain focused on investing in technologies and initiatives that reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and help build a more resilient and sustainable trade ecosystem for Canada’s future.”

DP World has continued to prioritize sustainability throughout its Canadian operations, including investments in lower-emission equipment, operational efficiencies, and infrastructure improvements that support the decarbonization of global trade.

The 2026 Blue Circle Awards were presented by the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority on June 3, 2026, recognizing organizations that are helping move Canada’s trade more sustainably while protecting the environment.

– END –

For more insights into how DP World is reshaping global trade, visit our website: www.dpworld.com

For media enquiries, please contact:

Melina Vissat, Head of Communications 
M: (+1) 704-605-6159 
E: melina.vissat@dpworld.com

About DP World

DP World is reshaping the future of global trade to improve lives everywhere. Operating across six continents with a team of over 125,000 employees, we combine global infrastructure and local expertise to deliver seamless supply chain solutions. From Ports and Terminals to Marine Services, Logistics and Technology, we leverage innovation to create better ways to trade, minimizing disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door.

In the Americas, DP World operates with a team of over 16,000 people across 12 countries, driving excellence through a robust network of 14 ports and terminals and more than 40 warehouses. By harnessing our global reach and local expertise, we simplify logistics, enhance operational performance, and redefine the boundaries of what’s possible in global trade.

WE MAKE TRADE FLOW.

Originally published on Aflac Newsroom

For more than 20 years, Dr. Heather Bittner Fagan has been practicing and teaching family medicine in Claymont, Delaware, a medically underserved area where disparities in cancer outcomes mirror those in communities across the country. But her influence extends far beyond a single exam room. Through nationally recognized research and leadership at the intersection of primary care and cancer prevention, Dr. Fagan has helped shape how regular cancer screening reaches patients who have may have otherwise been left behind.

A family physician grounded in cancer prevention

A practicing family physician, Dr. Fagan has built her career on a simple but powerful idea: Primary care doctors are important, trusted messengers within vulnerable populations.

“The data and our experience tell us that patients really listen to their primary care doctors — they trust us,” Dr. Fagan said. “Cancer prevention is a team sport. We need to work together, within and outside of patient visits and across specialties, to do everything we can to help all of our patients access evidence-based screening. Working together, we can create more birthdays.”

That philosophy has guided a national body of research examining how evidence‑based screening guidelines can be translated into real‑world primary care practice. Dr. Fagan has published extensively in leading peer‑reviewed journals with studies that look at simple, practical ways primary care doctors can help more patients get screened for cancer, such as guiding patients through the process, having clearer conversations about screening and making it easier to fit screenings into routine care.

It is because of her work to help improve cancer screening rates across the country that Dr. Fagan has been honored as an Aflac Check for Cancer Champion.

Influencing care guidelines within the community and across the country

Colleagues describe Dr. Fagan as a bridge‑builder — someone fluent in both the language of frontline care and national policy. She is firmly rooted in her community-based practice in Claymont, but her reach extends far beyond that.

One of Dr. Fagan’s most influential areas of research has been around lung cancer screening, a lifesaving tool that remains underused nationwide with national screening rates remaining low — only about 1 in 5 eligible individuals (18.7%) in the U.S. are up to date with this important screening, according to the American Cancer Society. Dr. Fagan’s work has tackled that gap head on, studying practical strategies like helping patients make decisions over the phone and finding ways for primary care teams to lead outreach efforts.

Her expertise led to her selection as a consultant to the American Cancer Society, where she provides input on the organization’s lung cancer screening guidelines. In that role, she helped ensure that evolving recommendations were not only scientifically rigorous but also feasible in everyday primary care settings, particularly those serving vulnerable populations. Dr. Fagan has also served as an invited member of the National Lung Cancer Roundtable, further amplifying the voice of primary care in national cancer prevention conversations.

It is her dual role — as clinician and researcher — that has made her work both credible and impactful. And in recognition of this leadership, Dr. Fagan has received numerous honors, including the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Control Career Development Award, a distinction reserved for emerging national leaders in cancer prevention and control.

As cancer prevention continues to evolve, Dr. Fagan remains focused on the same throughline that has defined her career: equity. By looking at the daily realities of primary care, she has helped ensure that advances in cancer screening and early detection are not limited to those with the fewest barriers, but extended to communities that are in great need. And that makes her a true Aflac Check for Cancer Champion.

The Check for Cancer Champions program is part of Aflac’s Check for Cancer initiative, a bold, national movement to increase cancer screenings by 10% over 10 years. Learn more about the Check for Cancer movement by visiting Aflac.com/CheckForCancer.

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^{Aflac WWHQ | 1932 Wynnton Road | Columbus, GA 31999}

^{Z2600335   EXP 5/27}

Éxito en el mercado de productos certificados de madera y pulpa: Certificación FSC de Cadena de Custodia con SCS Global Services

22 de junio de 2026

11:00 a. m. CST | 12:00 p. m. ET | 9:00 a. m. PT

Inscríbete aquí

¿Su empresa está pensando en certificar su cadena de suministro? Participe en nuestro seminario web gratuito para descubrir todo lo que su empresa necesita saber sobre la certificación del Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) y las ventajas de certificarse según la norma de Cadena de Custodia (CoC).

Lizbeth Ruiz, gestora de cuentas internacionales de SCS Global Services, y Rafael Ferreiro, especialista técnico en cadenas de custodia, junto con Israel Martinez de BIO PAPPEL, tratarán los siguientes temas:

– Qué diferencia al FSC de otras certificaciones
– La importancia y el valor de la certificación CoC
– Una hoja de ruta para la certificación según la norma CoC del FSC
– Y mucho más

Al final del seminario, habrá una ronda de preguntas y respuestas.

Inscríbete aquí

Meet Tim Mawby, a Principal ESG Consultant at Antea Group UK!

Tim Mawby

• Practice Area: ESG
• Area of expertise: Energy & Carbon
• About Me in 140 Characters: I’m a Principal ESG Consultant keen on supporting anyone who is looking to continue or get started with their energy, carbon and net-zero journey.
• Favourite Thing about Being an ESG Practitioner: The range of clients! As anyone can strive to improve their carbon footprint, no two days are the same.

What is the most interesting project you’ve ever worked on? 

I’ve worked with a virtual reality company in estimating the emissions savings associated with the creation of a VR car showroom as opposed to the construction and operation of an actual showroom. Definitely something different!

What’s your favorite part of your job? 

Working with a wide range of clients and getting stuck into the numbers to find creative ways to help them reduce their emissions.

What do you consider your biggest professional achievement so far? 

Achieving my ESOS Lead Assessor status and helping over 50 large businesses with their ESOS compliance and energy reduction plans.

Just for Fun…

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

Either a footballer or a cricketer, I keep on telling myself that there’s still a chance…

If you had one month off, where would you go or what would you do? 

You’d find me in South Africa or the Caribbean, following the England cricket team in the sun.

If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be? 

Anything Italian. I could live on any type of pasta or pizza.

June 3, 2026 /3BL/ – The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Houston Methodist to its Healthcare Facility Advisory Board (HFAB).

Houston Methodist comprises a leading academic medical center in the Texas Medical Center and seven community hospitals serving the Greater Houston area.

“Houston Methodist has been a strong partner of HPRC for many years now,” shared Tracy Taszarek, Executive Director of HPRC and facilitator of HFAB. “Their support has been crucial to our Houston Healthcare Plastics Regional Recycling Initiative, and we are thrilled to welcome them as an official advisory board member and to further our collaboration.”

Houston Healthcare Plastics Regional Recycling Initiative began in 2024 with the goal of establishing a regional healthcare plastics recycling program in Houston. It is a collaborative effort with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) and the Vinyl Institute, starting with the Houston Methodist healthcare network. The goal is to create a model program that showcases effective collaboration and responsible plastic recycling practices within a network of hospitals that can serve as a blueprint for other regions.

“I’m honored to join the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council’s Hospital Facility Advisory Board and represent Houston Methodist in advancing sustainable healthcare practices,” said Jason Fischer, director of the office of sustainability at Houston Methodist. “We are strengthening recycling and landfill diversion efforts through collaborative partnerships to drive meaningful impact. A practical hospital recycling playbook will be key to scaling solutions and advancing circularity. While progress has been made to reduce plastic use, more work is needed to improve recyclability and invest in new materials. Together, we can build a more sustainable healthcare system.”

In their role on the Healthcare Facility Advisory Board, Houston Methodist will help provide additional perspective into hospital barriers to recycling, share advice to support HPRC’s mission and vision, offer insights on how HPRC can better enable plastics recycling, and identify high value needs and opportunities for action.

About HPRC

HPRC is a private technical coalition of industry peers across healthcare, recycling, and waste management industries seeking to improve the recyclability of plastic products within healthcare. Made up of more than 30 brand-leading and globally recognized members, HPRC explores ways to enhance the economics, efficiency, and ultimately the quality and quantity of healthcare plastics collected for recycling in support of a circular plastics economy. HPRC is active across the United States and Europe working with key stakeholders, identifying opportunities for collaboration, and participating in industry events and forums. For more information, visit www.hprc.org and follow HPRC on LinkedIn.

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, AEG’s LA Galaxy partnered with the Kids Mental Health Foundation, with support from Purina, students from Ambler Avenue Elementary to Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday, May 20th for an immersive youth-focused mental health experience.

The program featured a conversation with LA Galaxy defender Chris Rindov alongside a licensed mental health professional. Together they created an open dialogue for students, addressing topics such as managing expectations, coping with pressure, and maintaining emotional balance both on and off the field.

By sharing his own experiences as a professional athlete, Rindov helped demystify mental health challenges, reinforcing that seeking support and building healthy habits are critical to success at every stage of life.

Following the discussion, students participated in hands-on activities designed to promote mindfulness and stress management. These included guided body scan exercise and small-group breakout sessions, and interactive sessions where participants developed personalized stress management plans. Students also created kindness cards for their peers, reinforcing themes of connection as an essential component of mental wellbeing.

“We’re proud to create a space where young people feel supported and empowered to talk about their mental health,” said Mariah Rodriguez, Manager, Community Relations and LA Galaxy Foundation. “By bringing together partners, players and students, we can help normalize these conversations and provide tools that make a lasting impact.”

The event underscores the LA Galaxy Foundation’s ongoing commitment to advancing youth mental health through meaningful community engagement. By leveraging the influence of professional athletes and trusted partners, the program aims to normalize conversations around mental health and equip young people with practical tools to navigate challenges with confidence.

The Kids Mental Health Foundation plays a vital role in this effort, working to improve the mental well-being of children by providing accessible resources, educational programs, and research-backed tools for families, educators, and communities. To learn more about the organization, click here.