Claims of Greenwashing in New Zealand
Consumer NZ, a consumer watchdog e-zine based in New Zealand reports that several companies advertize misleading claims of green performance of the textile products made from bamboo. The February edition of its magazine reported that most clothing sold in shops labeled as being made of bamboo was actually made out of rayon, or viscose. Rayon, or viscose, is a fiber made from plants and trees, including bamboo, through a chemical process that includes sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide, both substances can result in high sulfur emissions.
Consumer NZ states “Companies that label clothing as ‘made from bamboo’ are misleading consumers. Most bamboo textiles are rayon and should be labeled as such.”
Last year, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a statement saying, “Bamboo-based textiles, actually made of rayon, are not antimicrobial, made in an environmentally friendly manner, or biodegradable.” The FTC charged four US companies with deceptively labeling and advertising textile items as made of bamboo, when they were made of rayon. It also noted “rayon does not retain any natural antimicrobial properties of the bamboo plant”.
The FTC recommends “if you sell clothing, linens, or other textile products, you’re responsible for making truthful disclosures about the fiber content. If your product isn’t made directly of bamboo fiber — but is a manufactured fiber for which bamboo was the plant source — it should be labeled and advertised using the proper generic name for the fiber, such as rayon, or “rayon made from bamboo.” Any claims a company makes about their textile products have to be true and cannot be misleading. As the seller, it must have substantiation for each and every claim — express and implied — that are made.
The New Zealand Commerce Commission spokeswoman Felicity Connell was quoted saying that there was no specific legislation governing bamboo. “The New Zealand regulations are not as specific as fiber derived from bamboo cellulose must be labeled as ‘rayon’.”
The original article from Consumer NZ can be found here: http://www.consumer.org.nz/reports/bamboo-clothing/introduction
Job Posting:Sustainable Systems Engineer
Affliated Engineers, Inc., Seattle, Washington and Walnut Creek, California
Affiliated Engineers, Inc. (AEI) is currently seeking a Sustainable Systems Engineer for its Seattle, WA and Walnut Creek, CA offices. AEI is one of the nation’s leading MEP design firms. AEI provides engineering consulting in the areas of traditional MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing) as well as IT, fire protection, architectural lighting and sustainable design. The bulk of its work tends to be focused on large and complex projects, both nationally and internationally. The demands of these projects present unique opportunities for innovative design and the potential to make large impacts on energy consumption and MEP design practice.
The roles of this individual are diverse, ranging from the design of complex building mechanical systems to the building simulation and detailed analyses necessary to evaluate innovative and forward thinking designs. The collaborative nature of the position provides an opportunity to develop the necessary engineering and analytical background essential to the design and understanding of high-performance building systems. Advanced understanding of major tenets of sustainable design including life cycle assessment, renewable and alternative energy strategies, daylighting, embodied energy, indoor environmental quality, material composition, pollution (air, water, ground), water efficiency, and urban planning. The engineer will also work to educate clients, architects and engineers on new technologies and innovative solutions.
Candidate should have a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in HVAC, Mechanical Engineering, Architectural Engineering or Energy Engineering with 4 years experience using building information modeling (BIM) or a Master Degree with 2 years experience. Professional registration or the ability to become register preferred.
The candidate will have strong knowledge of eQUEST; DOE-2; Transys; Computational Fluid Dynamics (Fluent Airpack); and/or Energy+. Candidate should be a creative thinker with effective communication and teamwork skills. The person would ideally beenvironmentally minded with an understanding of energy and climate change issues.
To apply for this position, visit the AEI website career webpage: http://www.aeieng.com/opportunities/
Job Posting: Research Associate/Business Analyst
GoodGuide, San Francisco, CA
GoodGuide organizes the world’s product information to help consumers, purchasers and retailers make better decisions. GoodGuide provides free information to the public about the health, environmental, and social impacts of products and companies via GoodGuide.com, mobile applications, and a network of distribution partners. We also provide businesses with subscription-based access to detailed ratings and a suite of sustainability analysis tools. We are an innovative “for benefit” company that has won numerous awards, including “startup most likely to make the world a better place.” We are well-funded, with backing from Draper Fisher Jurvetson, New Enterprise Associates and Physic Ventures. We are located in the Financial District of San Francisco.
GoodGuide is looking for a Research Associate to help us evaluate the environmental and health impacts of a wide variety of consumer product categories, ranging from home cleaning products to consumer electronics. We are seeking a Masters level environmental scientist familiar with supply chain and life-cycle assessment techniques to guide our entry into new product categories. The individual will work collaboratively with the other members of our science team, which includes PhDs in environmental health science, environmental engineering and nutrition.
DUTIES
• Research new product categories for ratings development: identify existing rating systems in use in a category, characterize the impact landscape of that category, and acquire relevant data;
• Develop screening-level criteria for evaluating and scoring key impact categories and assist in the development of GoodGuide product and company ratings;
• Utilize the impact assessment and ratings methods developed by GoodGuide’s science team;
• Assist in the development of user-friendly presentations of complex data;
• Engage external stakeholders, including academics, NGOs, government officials, and industry.
REQUIREMENTS
• Masters degree in environmental science discipline relevant to product impact assessment;
• Experience with some or all of the following research methods: life cycle assessment, environmental impact assessment, or multi-attribute decision analysis;
• Superior analytical prowess to distill complex data into user-friendly information;
• Strong multi-tasking capabilities with the ability to work well under pressure in a deadline-driven environment;
• Willingness to tackle complex technical problems with rigorous, but flexible methods;
• Creative thinker and problem solver who applies science to solving real-world problems;
COMPENSATION:
• Competitive salary, benefits, and early stage equity.
GoodGuide is committed to building a culturally diverse team and strongly encourages applications from women and minority candidates.
To apply to this position send your resume to: science@goodguide.com
Position posted on goodguide website: http://www.goodguide.com/about/jobs/research-associate
LCA of Drinking Water Alternatives & Consumer Beverage Consumption in North America
Nestle Waters North America commissioned the project to better understand the environmental aspects of bottled water and available alternatives, and to explore ways to further reduce its own footprint. The intentions of the project were to
- identify and compare the environmental impacts of consuming bottled water and several prominent alternatives; and
- identify the environmental impacts of a consumer’s total beverage consumption and evaluating the influence of changing bottled water consumption habits.
The methodology applied was life cycle assessment (LCA), is an internationally accepted method for measuring the environmental impact of products, services and other systems. It included a comprehensive scope, which ensured that environmental impacts were not simply being shifted to other parts of a system’s life cycle or to other environmental impact categories. This study was peer-reviewed by an independent panel of LCA experts.
LCA of Packaging Systems for Milk
WRAP (the Waste & Resources Action Programme) post results of their LCA on milk packaging systems. Backround from the WRAP website is summarized below and can be found HERE along with the associated reports:
In 2007, WRAP commissioned Environmental Resources Management Limited (ERM) to carry out a study to review the environmental performance of various milk containers and the environmental benefits that can be achieved through recycling initiatives and lightweighting. Milk containers have been specifically selected due to a need to understand the effects and potential effects of recent innovations in milk packaging, as well as existing packaging options for milk.
Two studies were produced, considering milk containers used through a retail system and a doorstep delivery system. The studies have been critically reviewed by an external panel of experts to ensure that they are in line with ISO standards on life cycle assessment (ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006).
The packaging systems reviewed were: glass bottles; HDPE bottles; PET bottles; pillow pouches, including serving jug; stand-up pouches; cartons with screwcap; and gable-top cartons.
Each format was, where feasible, assessed for: 100% virgin content; for up to two variations on the technically feasible recycled content; and for a lightweighting scenario.
A number of conclusions that can be drawn from the study apply across the milk packaging systems. The extraction or growing of raw material and the processing of these into packaging formats, whether this be the primary or secondary or transit packaging, is found to contribute the most to the environmental profile of the milk container systems. This means that the largest relative environmental savings are to be achieved through the improvement of these elements of the packaging life cycle.
Ways in which all formats could be improved have been identified, and the benefits of such measures quantified.
Reuse of glass bottles is shown to be a practical way in which their environmental impact can be minimised. Lightweighting containers and increasing recycled content had benefits for all systems where this was feasible, including glass containers, rigid plastic containers and pouches.
Every tonne of HDPE recycled back into milk containers avoids an estimated 1 tonne of CO2 equivalent compared to sending the material to landfill, and over 2 tonnes compared to energy recovery. For PET, the figure rises to 1.7 tonnes CO2 equivalent per tonne recycled back into milk containers. For glass, the saving is around 0.3 tonnes CO2 equivalent, in line with earlier studies.
Overall, the findings are found to support the waste hierarchy; reducing use of materials provides the greatest potential savings, followed by recycling, energy recovery and finally landfill.
The data collected is insufficient to allow comparisons between materials, and cannot support switching packaging formats. Data gaps exist for all materials. In addition, there are a number of limitations to the studies; for example they do not consider any variation in milk shelf life resulting from use of different packaging materials, and do not consider economic issues or issues associated with public perceptions of the different formats. However, the studies provide an important insight into a range of environmental impacts associated with milk packaging systems, and as the first assessments published in the UK since 1972, represents an update to previous publically available information.
World Steel Releases New LCI
Press release: February 3rd, 2010
Brussels – The World Steel Association (worldsteel) has released its 2010 global steel life cycle inventory (LCI). The datasets provide the most accurate and comprehensive data on the environmental profile of 16 key products, representative of the spectrum of steel production.
The LCI datasets are used for material selection and product design. They are available free of charge to everyone, from worldsteel members and customers to researchers, life cycle assessment (LCA) practitioners and policymakers.
For more information see press release on World Steel Association website HERE
Job Posting: Marketing Manager – Consumer Products
RockTenn is seeking a Marketing Manager for their Consumer Packaging Division in Norcross, GA. This individual will identify, develop and execute marketing plans, as well as provide strategic and tactical support to acquire new business and retain customers, contributing to the division’s profitable sales growth. He/she will interact closely with others in the marketing group, sales organization, and individuals throughout folding, coated paperboard and other divisions and functions of the company.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement marketing plans/strategies and value propositions for, folding market segments, bleached and recycled paperboard products, emerging technologies, and new product/service capabilities and offerings.
- Develop and coordinate division activities related to sustainable packaging, including fiber certification, recycling, and recycled content, product labeling, packaging optimization, bio-based materials, compostability, extended producer responsibility, scorecards, carbon footprint and life cycle assessment.
- Provide marketing/sales support as expertise is needed, and interact with customers, and cross-functional teams, directing projects to timely completion.
- Develop and train internal and external audiences regarding sustainability and paperboard topics.
Other marketing projects as assigned.
See more information in their career section of their website: http://www.rocktenn.com/careers/career-jobs.da
Job Posting: Principal Engineer – Packaging
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) is a leading global medical technology company that develops, manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems and reagents. The Company is dedicated to improving people’s health throughout the world. BD is focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the quality and speed of diagnosing infectious diseases and cancers, and advancing research, discovery and production of new drugs and vaccines. BD’s capabilities are instrumental in combating many of the world’s most pressing diseases. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs approximately 28,000 people in approximately 50 countries throughout the world. The Company serves healthcare institutions, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, the pharmaceutical industry and the general public.
For more information, please visit www.bd.com.
- Bring expertise in designing for green and life cycle analysis in identifying & evaluating materials, designs, and configuration of primary, secondary, and other packaging levels, as applicable, optimizing carbon footprint, customer benefit and the supply chain requirements
- Identify, evaluate & recommend new packaging materials for cost effectiveness, recyclability & re-usability
- Development and Validation (per design control requirements) of packaging components, designs and processes/technologies for various sterilization modes preserving the safety and efficacy over the shelf life
- Evaluates new packaging concepts and technologies using engineering first principles
- Create prototypes, drawings, specifications, test instructions for customer approval, external testing and tooling requirements.
- Work directly with suppliers to qualify new materials / designs
- Visit / interview external customers to gather Voice of customer related to packaging
- Proactively develops and maintains technical knowledge in specialized area(s), remaining up-to-date on current trends and best practices. Actively teach and promote learning.
- Provide Project Leadership to cross-functional teams comprising QA, purchasing, product R&D, MA, RA, marketing, manufacturing engineering, sterilization sites.
- Independently plan, implement, delegate, monitor and deliver designated tasks and deliverables.
- Effectively lead and direct the work of other engineers and laboratory technicians to achieve objectives.
- Ensure compliance with BD quality policies, procedures and practices as well as with all local, state, federal and BD safety regulations, policies and procedures.
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Minimum: MS degree in Materials Science, Industrial Design or other technical discipline (Polymers, Design, Mechanical, Packaging) with at least 4 – 6 years direct, relevant experience.
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Experience in the medical device or pharmaceutical industry is preferred.
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Ph.D. in above disciplines with 2 years relevant experience is preferred
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Lean / Six Sigma preferred
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Design packages for green consideration
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Experience developing packaging green strategy
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Life cycle analysis and strategic tradeoff between materials/ design
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Experience in at least one environmental sub-field, such as carbon accounting, life cycle assessment, sustainable materials, or waste management
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Experience with rigid and flexible forming materials and technologies (corrugate, paper board materials, F/F/S, Flow wrap)
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VOC analysis
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Experience with Package processing equipment & process development package loading
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On line labeling & printing experience
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Familiarity with blow molding, injection molding, and film extrusion
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Leading Lean/Six Sigma projects preferred
- Fundamental package design principles & techniques
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Packaging design software (e.g. TOPS, CAPE, ArtiosCAD)
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Excellent cross-functional influencing skills
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Understanding of disciplined product development processes
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Strong Organization skills
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Sound technical judgment
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Working knowledge of ISO, FDA and international regulatory and quality requirements applicable to Medical Device Packaging
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Knowledge of environmental science principles and ecological impacts
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Design and statistical analysis of experiments
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Project planning
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Value stream analysis, preferred
Job Materials Engineering
Primary LocationUS-New Jersey-Franklin Lakes
Job Posting: EH&S Manager
Avery Dennison
| Job Title: | Environmental Health & Safety Manager |
| Function: | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Business Unit: | Corporate North America |
| Company: | Avery Research Organization |
| State: | California |
| City: | Pasadena |
| Relocation Available: | No |
| Key Job Responsibilities: | POSITION OVERVIEW:
The EHS Manager will be based at the Avery Research Center with primary responsibilities to serve as the Center’s chemical hygiene officer, provide EHS regulatory and environmental impact expertise to global product development teams, and ensure compliance with EHS policies and programs. The EHS Manager will also provide oversight for the implementation and maintenance of the EHS programs for three other southern California offices: PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES: • Ensure EHS compliance at the company’s primary research and development facility, and drive EHS integration into the product development ‘stage-gate’ process. |
| Position Requirements: | • Undergraduate degree in business, engineering, or technical discipline, with a minimum of five (5) to eight (8) years environmental, industrial hygiene, safety or product stewardship experience. Demonstrated knowledge of EHS/OSHA requirements and regulations; previous experience as a chemical hygiene officer, or in the control/disposition of chemicals preferred. • Knowledge of New Product Development and required EH&S assessments. • Experience in the life cycle analysis of products required. • Advanced certification in environmental, health, safety or related field. • Proven leadership skills – able to influence and motivate others to quickly achieve results. • High energy and passion for excellence, bias for action, adaptability, and resilience. • Effective oral and written communication skills; ability to effectively present complex topics in a concise manner. • Effective interpersonal skills dealing with people at various levels and in a variety of functions. • Critical thinking skills and ability to constructively resolve conflicts. • Broad understanding of business issues, metrics, organizational linkages, and customer value. • Ability to challenge the organization in a manner that maintains trust and respect. • Self-confident, ability to accept and respond to challenges in a positive manner. • Ability to travel as required at least twenty-five (25) percent of the time. • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources. |
| Physical Work Location: | Pasadena, CA |
For more information visit the Avery Dennison Website: HERE
Job Posting: Environmental Analyst
National Interest Security Company
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NISC serves the national interest of the United States and our partners by offering customized technology and information management solutions, strategic consulting services, and integrated program management expertise. Our NISC team consists of highly qualified, knowledgeable, and motivated individuals with diverse experiences and backgrounds. We believe in selecting enthusiastic people with a strong desire to be part of a growing company dedicated to innovative and differentiated solutions and services for our National Security, Energy, Federal Health, and Federal Civilian clients. By providing our employees with customized professional development, a professional work environment, encouragement for individual initiative, and a robust compensation and benefits package, we have and continue to successfully build a strong NISC team. If you are Mission Focused and Performance Driven, then NISC is the place for you. |
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This position is for a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to join our client/team that is located in Pittsburgh, PA. This is a full-time hands-on position working with a LCA team dedicated to life cycle analysis for energy systems, analytical data, life cycle modeling and, technical and cost feasibility analysis of ongoing and potential power grid and transport fuels (fossil & bio) and technologies. The successful candidate will evaluate greenhouse gases emissions and criteria pollutant emissions from the life cycle of power grid and transportation fuels (including fossil and bio). Desired qualifications are background in up-stream and down-stream data collection and analysis, life cycle and economic modeling and process analysis efforts, including detailed analysis of energy systems and processes to establish the basis of life cycle and economic analyses. The candidate will lead the development of strategies to lower emissions of greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants from energy and fuel production processes; provide technical expertise in energy technologies, project management and business-related expertise for major projects; participate in technology assessments, review programmatic goals and objectives; promote technology transfer, and participate in crosscutting technical teams and administrative teams, as appropriate. Applicants must be familiar with ISO standards and knowledge about economic, regulatory, and policy issues affecting energy supply and conversion systems.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
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Minimum B.S. or B.A. degree in an environmental/chemical engineering field with preference for a life cycle analysis work. Preference will be given to Masters Degree or significant professional experience in life cycle assessment and modeling.
US Citizenship required. Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. |
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| Apply for this job: HERE |