Tag: 3BL

You won’t find Monty Stauffer behind a desk. This industrial designer spends his days exploring our factories, sifting through drains and waste bins, in search of something he can use—something destined for far more than the landfill.

KOHLER WasteLAB® takes landfill-bound materials left over from the manufacturing process and converts them into functional products of style and beauty.

Through this exploration, we’re able to take a step toward building a sustainable circular economy, one in which we reuse, rethink, and repurpose our waste streams to create beautiful, thoughtful products. From 2019 through 2021, sales of KOHLER WasteLAB tile have diverted more than 54,000 pounds of waste from landfills, exemplifying Kohler’s commitment to achieving net-zero waste to landfill by 2035.
 
On Earth Day and beyond, we celebrate Monty’s passion for innovative sustainability, his imagination for transforming manufacturing waste into beautiful products, and his pursuit of a better future.
 
Learn more about his work in the KOHLER WasteLAB.

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., April 26, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Affirming its global leadership in advanced decarbonization, sustainability and resilience solutions, Black & Veatch announces that the Engineering News-Record’s (ENR) latest “Top 500 Design Firms” Sourcebook again ranks it among the world’s leaders in power, telecommunications and water.

Basing its rankings on the company’s operational revenue, the Top 500 Design Firms Sourcebook lists Black & Veatch’s power business No. 3. Black & Veatch comes in at No. 5 for telecommunications while its water business ranked eighth, underscoring the company’s standing as an innovative expert in solving humanity’s critical infrastructure challenges.

“As megatrends such as electrification, decarbonization, digitization and resilience reshape the world, we remain deeply committed to leveraging our clean energy innovations for an increasingly diverse client base,” said Mario Azar, Black & Veatch’s Chairman and CEO.

“Our position as an industry leader stems from more than a century of expertise in the design and execution of critical infrastructure solutions – and our ability to lead with disruptive technology and innovation to deliver integrated sustainability, resilience and reliability solutions that our clients demand,” Azar added.

Over the past year, the company said, the definition of – and demand for – critical infrastructure services and solutions has continued to evolve for Black & Veatch’s client base that ranges from Fortune 1000 companies to utilities, developers and local, state and national governments.

Black & Veatch continues to drive innovation across critical infrastructure markets:

As alternative fuels offer new solutions for a carbon-free future, global Hydrogen Council member Black & Veatch is serving as the owner’s engineer for the Intermountain Power Agency’s effort to retire its original coal-fueled facility in Utah and replace it with an 840-megawatt natural gas-fueled combined cycle power plant. The project is among the earliest installations of combustion turbine technology designed to use a high percentage of green hydrogen. Black & Veatch also is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for what will become the world’s biggest industrial green hydrogen production and storage facility, adjacent to the IPA power plant. Black & Veatch is a Center for Hydrogen Safety executive member.Black & Veatch served as the EPC contractor for Florida Power & Light’s Dania Beach Energy Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Completed last year on a brownfield site, the center is a combined-cycle power plan that generates 1,200 megawatts.In California, Black & Veatch is helping propel San Diego’s ongoing, multi-phase “Pure Water” program that will provide nearly half of that city’s water supply by the end of 2035 by purifying recycled water, providing a reliable, high-quality supply of 30 million gallons per day. Along with its joint venture partner Parsons, Black & Veatch is managing several active construction projects with a combined value of more $700 million. Construction of the actual state-of-the-art demonstration facility will begin this year.As an expert in deploying distributed infrastructure at scale in major cities, Black & Veatch is helping Los Angeles in a transformational “StreetsLA” push to add 3,000 upgraded bus shelters as high-tech mobility hubs. Smart mobility and curbside management operator Tranzito and leading transit advertising specialist Vector Media will carry out this large-scale overhaul.Black & Veatch recently completed its EPC work on two utility-scale solar projects in central Texas – Crown and Sol – for energy-focused BAES Infrastructure, featuring more than 600,000 photovoltaic modules that have a capacity to deliver 500,000 megawatts of green electricity. At the time construction started, the solar projects were Black & Veatch’s largest ever.In Georgia, Silicon Ranch – one of the nation’s largest independent power producers – chose Black & Veatch as its EPC contractor for what now is DeSoto I solar farm, spanning more than 2,000 acres with over 1,000 acres under solar panels delivering 125 megawatts to the grid, intended to generate clean energy for the next four decades.Needing a more efficient, sustainable treatment plant to adequately serve its growing population and meet new discharge regulations, Johnson County Wastewater (JCW) in the Kansas City metro area turned to Black & Veatch for engineering and construction inspection services to help expand its Tomahawk Creek treatment facility built in 1955. The project, the county’s largest ever, began in 2018 and was completed in early 2022 on time and on budget.

About Black & Veatch 
Black & Veatch is a 100-percent employee-owned global engineering, procurement, consulting and construction company with a more than 100-year track record of innovation in sustainable infrastructure. Since 1915, we have helped our clients improve the lives of people around the world by addressing the resilience and reliability of our most important infrastructure assets. Our revenues in 2022 were US$4.3 billion. Follow us on www.bv.com and on social media.

Media Contact Information:

JIM SUHR | +1 913-458-6995 P | SuhrJ@BV.com 
24-HOUR MEDIA CONTACT | Media@bv.com

By Steven Essick, President Henkel North America

As sustainability leaders, Henkel is focused on transformational impact for the good of generations. Throughout our long history, we’ve developed innovative products and manufacturing processes that conserve natural resources and reduce waste. And we’ve made a commitment to transparency along the way.

In fact, back in 1992 (long before it was the norm), Henkel became one of the first companies in Germany to publish an environmental report. With the 2022 Henkel Sustainability Report hot off the presses, Henkel is showcasing its 2030+ Sustainability Ambition Framework, which spans three key dimensions:

Regenerative Planet, Thriving Communities and Trusted Partner.

Below are a just few highlights from our 2022 Sustainability Report — stepping stones in our ongoing journey of sustainability, and how we are implementing action here in North America.

REGENERATIVE PLANET

At Henkel, we continuously transform our processes, products, and use of raw materials to provide relief for our planet. Using more renewable ingredients in our products and packaging and leveraging energy efficiency technology at our manufacturing sites are two effective strategies. For example:

Here in North America, a 5-year collaboration with Shell will replace up to 200,000 tonnes of fossil-based feedstocks used in the manufacture of laundry surfactants (an ingredient that helps lather and lift dirt) with feedstocks that are based on renewable raw materials. The renewable-based surfactants will be used in many varieties of Persil®, Purex® and all® brands.Across our North American manufacturing sites, Henkel is committed to sustainability progress. For example, in 2022, our adhesive plant in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, installed a new, energy-efficient cooling system that will save an estimated 18,000 cubic meters of water every year. In addition, an overhaul to a more efficient thermal oxidizing process resulted in annual natural gas savings of approximately 1,100 MWh and a significant positive climate impact due to lower emissions.

THRIVING COMMUNITY

Through our business and brands, Henkel directly contributes to quality of life around the world. Beyond that, our desire to create sustainable change for customers and communities makes social engagement a driving force at Henkel. We support sustainable social projects around the world through volunteerism; social partnerships; emergency aid; and brand engagement. Here are just a few examples:

To cultivate curiosity and build science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills in young people, Henkel Researchers’ World (known as “Forscherwelt” in German) provides a research and development-based educational curriculum that has reached more than 81,000 children around the world since 2011. Here in North America, we launched the Henkel Researchers’ World program in Stamford, Connecticut, in 2021, in partnership with local nonprofit Mill River Park. The program has already reached more than 1,000 children. We look forward to expanding the program to reach more children — who may one day bring their STEM skills to the Henkel team.Another signature program, Make an Impact on Tomorrow (MIT), supports thriving communities through employee volunteerism. Celebrating its 25th year in 2023, the MIT program provides financial and other resources to support the causes closest to our employees’ hearts. 

Since the MIT initiative was launched in 1998, Henkel has provided $41 million to support over 17,000 charitable projects in more than 100 countries. In 2022, the work of Henkel volunteers in North America impacted the lives of more than 110,000 people.

TRUSTED PARTNER

From the companies we collaborate with to customers, consumers and investors, Henkel has earned the trust of stakeholders through our long history of integrity, transparency and best-in-class products and solutions. Today, we view every aspect of our business through an environmental lens. And we report on sustainability progress openly to further build trust with stakeholders who share our concern for the environment. Here are two ways we are partnering to better the planet:

Through a long-term partnership with Novoenzymes, we have developed new variants that increase the concentration of key enzyme outputs in detergents and cleaning agents by up to 40%. This enables us to eliminate about 1,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.Celebrating 10 years of partnership, Henkel and Solidaridad recently announced a grant from personal care brand Dial to help create 35,000 acres of farmland for certified sustainable palm oil production in Colombia and provide 250 farmers with training and access to additional financial support.

These are just a few of the ways our sustainability strategy is creating measurable, meaningful change. For more information about our efforts, please check out our 2022 Sustainability Report, or our sustainability page on the Henkel North America website.

While we are proud of our successes at Henkel, we know that we need to stay full speed ahead when it comes to sustainability. Henkel continues to bring that same pioneering spirit to create a more sustainable world for future generations. There’s no area where innovation is more important.

Building on the incredible success of last year’s celebration, Paramount has signed up to empower voters to cast their ballots early by celebrating Vote Early Day again this fall.

Last year, Paramount joined nearly 3,000 businesses, nonprofits, campus groups, election officials, media companies, and many others who came together to celebrate Vote Early Day. National partners like Patagonia, Lyft, The League of Women Voters, MTV, Snapchat, YMCA, NAACP, and more inspired voters to avoid Election Day obstacles and share their voices by voting early. On the ground, local nonprofits, businesses, campus groups, election leaders, and libraries organized in all 50 states to increase the number of ballots cast early.

Organizations, big and small, held nationwide events that spread this message about the power of voting early. Paramount’s Vote Early Day PSA (here) was played over 725,000 times nationwide across digital and linear channels, connecting voters with critical voting information. Rapper Gucci Mane performed at a get-out-the-vote concert in Atlanta on Vote Early Day, while Tee Grizzley inspired Pistons fans to vote at a civic-themed halftime show in Detroit. Across social media, 322 celebrities and influencers like Steph Curry, Viola Davis, and Reese Witherspoon joined thousands of everyday voters in posting about the holiday to their shared followers, numbering over 576 million!

Vote Early Day 2022 saw over 3,000,000 votes cast – the highest number of early ballots cast in October, according to the U.S. Elections Project. The total number of Americans voting early in person or by mail grew by 5,766,671 votes in 2022 versus the last midterm election in 2018, marking a 4.6% increase!

Together we met the moment and helped millions of Americans gain the knowledge and tools to vote early. Partners built impactful celebrations that pulled voters off the sidelines and made a real difference, but the work is far from over. 

In 2023, we must keep up the momentum to ensure that the voices of every American voter are heard. That’s why we are calling on organizations to join us as Vote Early Day partners this fall. 

Sign up to be a Vote Early Day partner!

[Sign up as a National Organization]

[Sign up as a Local Organization]

The work we do together will ensure we can rise to the challenge of uplifting voters in the presidential election next year. Every event, post, forum, and conversation that takes place on Vote Early Day will set up our country to continue breaking early voting records.

If you are as inspired to help Americans vote early as we are, we invite you to join this growing civic holiday at www.VoteEarlyDay.org

The SAC is pleased to be a Content Partner for ReThink HK, Hong Kong’s most ambitious business event for sustainable development. Join us on September 14-15, 2023 at the HKCEC for the 4th edition of this large-scale, cross-sector platform that champions ESG transformation and showcases game-changing innovation.

With 500+ expert speakers across eight themed Stages, ReThink HK will provide unparalleled insights into six key sustainability themes, including net zero & nature positive, circular transition, innovation & technology, people & purpose, sustainable buildings & facilities, and sustainable finance & supply chains. Plus, get challenged to solve sustainability issues at the newly added ReThink Roundtables.

As part of this partnership, the SAC will host a Roundtable session. Join Joyce Tsoi, Director of Collective Action Programs at the SAC for a guided and interactive experience focused on “Rethinking Textiles & Apparel”. This session will gather industry representatives to explore Scope 3 Decarbonization challenges and identify key solutions and opportunities for cross-sectoral collaboration associated with reducing carbon emissions throughout the value chain, identifying and mitigating risks associated with climate change and sustainability issues, and improving ESG performance through responsible and sustainable business practices.

Register today to take advantage of super-early bird passes; no discount code required. As a member of the SAC community, enjoy an exclusive discount to this event by using the discount code SACP23 for tickets purchased between June 6 and August 14.

Patients diagnosed with platinum-resistant Ovarian Cancer (PROC) often face poor prognosis due to the limited treatment options. Watch this video to learn more about PROC and why clinical trials are critical for researching potential options.

CAMDEN, N.J., April 26, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Building on its reputation for being More than a Car Company®, Subaru of America, Inc. today announced it was named one of the top brands on Forbes’ Best Brands for Social Impact 2023 list. Subaru is the number one brand listed in the automotive category.

To create the list, Forbes partnered with HundredX to survey more than 100,000 consumers and rank the 300 brands respondents rated most highly in four categories: overall brand values and trust, social stances, sustainability, and community support. Close to four million ratings were gathered across more than 2,000 unique brands. The list features brands that are most admired for doing good across sectors including the environment, social issues, and their local communities. Subaru placed in the top six in all four of the categories in the survey.

“Giving back is at the core of everything we do at Subaru, and it exemplifies our efforts to be more than a car company, and we’re honored to be recognized for that work,” said Alan Bethke, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Subaru of America, Inc. “The causes that we invest in and partner with are very close to our hearts, and we take pride in our passion for helping others.”

The Subaru Love Promise is the vision that guides the company and its retailers in making the world a better place. The pillars of Earth, Care, Help, Learning, and Pets, as well as the Subaru Share the Love® Event, spread that love and philanthropy across a diverse group of partners and causes including The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®), Make-A-Wish®, Meals on Wheels America and the National Park Foundation.

Respondent feedback to the survey indicated that Subaru not only produces excellent vehicles that are built to last, but that customers appreciate what the automaker does on both a national and local scale for their community, and support causes its owners care about.

For more information about America’s Best Brands for Social Impact, visit here. Learn more about Subaru giving back by visiting here.

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About Subaru of America, Inc. 

Subaru of America, Inc. (SOA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subaru Corporation of Japan. Headquartered at a zero-landfill office in Camden, N.J., the company markets and distributes Subaru vehicles, parts and accessories through a network of more than 630 retailers across the United States. All Subaru products are manufactured in zero-landfill plants and Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc. is the only U.S. automobile manufacturing plant to be designated a backyard wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation. SOA is guided by the Subaru Love Promise, which is the company’s vision to show love and respect to everyone, and to support its communities and customers nationwide. Over the past 20 years, SOA and the SOA Foundation have donated more than $300 million to causes the Subaru family cares about, and its employees have logged nearly 88,000 volunteer hours. As a company, Subaru believes it is important to do its part in making a positive impact in the world because it is the right thing to do.

For additional information visit media.subaru.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Dominick Infante
Director, Corporate Communications
(856) 488-8615
dinfante@subaru.com 

Diane Anton
Corporate Communications Manager                               
(856) 488-5093
danton@subaru.com 

Promoting Literacy

International Paper is a proud sponsor of Rally to Read 100, a six-month initiative launched in September 2021 to inspire children across the U.S. to read 100 books over the school term. Organized by nonprofit Reading is Fundamental, which champions children’s literacy, the inaugural event engaged more than 64,000 children who pledged to read a total of 272,000 books.

Tackling Hunger

Through our long-standing partnership with Feeding America, we contributed more than $890,000 to food banks in each of our more than 200 U.S. communities. The contributions helped support millions of people through the distribution of over 7.9 million meals they need to thrive every day and in times of disaster. We also continued to support the Global FoodBanking Network (GFN). In the final year of our 4-year, $1 million commitment, our contribution helped GFN support 175 food banks across Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Spain Italy and Guatemala distributing 1.5 million kilograms of food to people in need.

Addressing Period Poverty

We doubled our feminine care kit packing program to address Period Poverty, with more than 14 facilities packing kits to donate in their communities. We put in place plans to continue to expand this program in 2022 in conjunction with International Women’s Day and Menstrual Hygiene Day.

Offering Disaster Relief

In 2021, locally and internationally, our teams helped build resilient communities:

Our team in our Europe, Middle East and Africa Region provided €10,000 in disaster relief funding following July’s devastating flash floods in Germany and Belgium, as well as 12,000 Euros in disaster relief funding after the devastating volcano eruption in La Palma/Canary Islands, Spain.
Through the IP Foundation, the Savannah, Georgia, Mill donated $15,000 and partnered with local agencies and businesses to prepare 1,500 buckets of emergency supplies ahead of hurricane season
In Orange, Texas, our team donated pallets of water and personal care items to assist local communities impacted by Hurricane Ida
More than $200,000 was donated in response to disasters to Feeding America, American Red Cross, United Way Worldwide and Team Rubicon for disasters including winter storms across Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, and tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest

Trees play an immeasurable role in the health of our ecosystems. They produce oxygen, improve air quality, store carbon, stabilize soil and offer wildlife a home. In addition, as a walk in the park will attest, they also make humans feel better. Yet, today, trees face more threats than ever.

The Morton Arboretum is a tree champion. Over the last century, the Chicago-area arboretum has built a 1,700-acre living collection of nearly 5,000 different kinds of plants that offer a forest of opportunities for people to understand the vital role trees play in our ecosystems. Its STEM Pathways Program opens the door for young people to appreciate, learn about and protect trees, perhaps through a lifetime career.

The Arboretum STEM Pathways Program serves a broad constituency, from pre-school through high school and college students to parents, educators, and conservation and horticultural professionals. Engaging its audience through day programs, summer camps, classroom resource bins, college-level botany courses, teacher training and more, its aim is to increase plant knowledge and improve science literacy through hands-on planting and caring for trees, working in natural areas and, for students, exploring STEM as a future career path. For example, its Youth Volunteer Program engages young people in experiences to support the Arboretum’s summer family program while also providing citizen science education, opportunities to explore STEM careers with Arboretum tree science staff and community service hours. Over a five-year period, 211 youth volunteers, most volunteering multiple years, contributed more than 15,000 hours (about 3,000 hours each year).

International Paper’s contributions to the Morton Arboretum STEM program include:

Supporting 165,000 engagements with children and youth focused on creating lifelong connections to trees and nature
Expanding staff capacity to build and deliver new experiences for Arboretum visitors
Helping to shape the next generation of STEM professionals.
Donating more than $240,000 since 2014

About International Paper
International Paper (NYSE: IP) is a leading global supplier of renewable fiber-based products. We produce corrugated packaging products that protect and promote goods, and enable worldwide commerce, and pulp for diapers, tissue and other personal care products that promote health and wellness. Headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., we employ approximately 38,000 colleagues globally. We serve customers worldwide, with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, North Africa and Europe. Net sales for 2021 were $19.4 billion. See how we’re building a better future for people, the planet, and our company at internationalpaper.com/Vision-2030.

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As part of our Earth Day celebration, Regions is highlighting ways that our associates, customers and community partners are making life better by helping to protect our environment.

Big things can come in small packages.

For Regions, the latest example is the bank’s new branch in Franklin, Tennessee, where modern banking and customer service meet environmental stewardship.

Opened April 3 in the 600-acre Berry Farms community of Boyle Investment Co., near Nashville, the branch is the first to feature Regions’ new design which will be used for all future branch construction.

“We’re looking at our designs constantly and always asking how we can create an even better experience that represents shared value for everyone,” said Stephen Griffin, director of retail distribution planning.

“That’s what drove our new ‘hybrid’ Nexus design concept,” he said. “This new branch maximizes the space to give customers a great place to bank and for associates to serve them. It’s good for the environment while costing more than $500,000 less to build than our original Nexus design – also important with rising construction costs coming out of the pandemic.”

“Our new Nexus hybrid design is a win for everyone,” he added.

And it all comes in a 1,904-square foot package. That’s 34% smaller than the first Nexus branches Regions began building in 2018.

Eco-friendly Features

By strategically using clear insulated Low-E glass that protects against heat gain, LED lighting, automated controls and heat-absorbing shades, the Franklin branch leverages energy efficiency to keep the space warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

“We’re maximizing the lighting coming through windows by light harvesting, and powering up the LED lighting as that goes away,” said John Earley, Regions’ senior construction manager for retail projects. “We’ve also reduced the size and number of the displays we use for digital signage while still maximizing our brand.

“At the end of the day, energy consumption is a key way to reduce cost and environmental impact,” he said. “As we’ve evolved the Nexus design to this third generation, we’ve kept our focus on the environment.”

Other eco-friendly features of the new branch include drought-resistant shrubs and other plants, a drip irrigation system, low-flow toilets, and furniture and carpet with recycled content as well as low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) for cleaner air and emissions.

A Modern, Stylish Look

Along with the environmental benefits, Berry Farms Branch Manager Lance Hayes appreciates the design tweaks that have enhanced service – like angling the pods where bankers sit so everyone has a clear line of sight to the door and can see, greet and serve customers, minimizing any possible delays.

The branch manager’s office was also relocated in the Nexus design update to open up more space for customers who continue to enjoy Wi-Fi, charging stations and the privacy of the pods as well as from the partitions and privacy glass.

“From the furniture size and placement to the bathrooms and break rooms, the design makes the space feel bigger than it is,” Hayes said. “You can tell the working space has been amplified while everything else — the mechanical/electrical/maintenance space — has been minimized.

“We love the modern, stylish look and the way this branch and design fits in perfectly with the rest of Berry Farms and what we’ve always been about as a company: making life better for each other, our customers, shareholders and communities.”

About Regions Financial Corporation
Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $155 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

Fifth Third Bank Finance Academy® students saw their knowledge about entrepreneurship topics increase by 67% during the 2021-2022 school year. Scores increases from 52 in a pre-course assessment to 86 out of 100 in a post-course assessment.

Key learning gains included:

Building a Budget knowledge increased from 51 to 82.Awareness of how to plan and building a business improved from 40 to 87.Knowledge of how to create a Business Snapshot increased from 40 to 91.

Further, 72% of Finance Academy students were at least somewhat interested in owning their own business in the future. Most students see value in entrepreneurship and desire to support it, even if they don’t have their own plans to become an entrepreneur themselves. Thirty-five percent of learners felt more prepared to understand the risk involved in a business venture after taking the course and 56% of learners felt more prepared to identify business opportunities.

Fifth Third Finance Academy is one of the Fifth Third Bank L.I.F.E. (Lives Improved through Financial Empowerment®) programs offered at no charge to people at every age and stage of life. Other signature programs include the Fifth Third Bank Young Bankers Club® and the Fifth Third Financial Empowerment Mobile, or eBus, a financial empowerment classroom on wheels, that takes financial access and resources directly into underserved communities.