 Mobilize the Earth
Forty-two years after its inception, Earth Day continues to be a global day of action for millions. In 2012, April 22 will be a day to "Mobilize the Earth" -- this year's Earth Day theme. The goal is to unite people to speak in one voice, with one message, and to work with leaders worldwide to put the planet on the path to sustainability.
Earth Day Network, the organization behind Earth Day, continues to work toward its goal of registering one billion "Acts of Green" by June 2012. Earth Day Network hopes to expand on the world's largest environmental service project to date by bringing the millions of individuals and groups around the world together under A Billion Acts of Green!(R). Add your voice at www.earthday.org.
Keep Our Waterways Pristine
So what do you do with those unused prescription and over-the-counter medications that have expired? Disposing of unused or unwanted pharmaceuticals is a complex issue. Waste pharmaceuticals include a wide variety of items, including over-the-counter and prescription pills, capsules, creams, liquids and aerosols, and even medications for pets.
For many years, people were advised to flush excess pharmaceuticals down their toilets or drains. While this practice is effective in keeping medications safely out of the hands of children, wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are generally not designed to process these substances.
A study published 10 years ago by the U.S. Geological Survey found that many medications can remain in the water supply, raising concerns for humans and aquatic species alike. How can you help to safely dispose of waste pharmaceuticals? See the text boxes on this page for information about ShopRite's take-back programs. If you don't have access to one, here are some ways you can help reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals entering our waterways.
Reduce Waste
Use all antibiotics as prescribed by your doctor. Not using every dose of an antibiotic could lead to development of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria, as well as leaving you with waste to dispose of.
For over-the-counter medications, buy only as much as can be used before the expiration date.
Properly Dispose
Take waste pharmaceuticals to a pharmaceutical or household hazardous waste collection facility or event.
Or... Dispose of waste pharmaceuticals in the trash, but first:
remove or mark over all labels that identify the materials as pharmaceuticals or that could provide personal information about you, including prescription information that someone could try to refill;
render them unattractive to children and thieves by dissolving them in a small amount of water or alcohol, or by grinding them up and mixing them with coffee grounds or kitty litter;
and put them in a second container or small plastic bag and hide them in your trash.
What NOT To Do
Never burn pharmaceuticals or personal care products. Uncontrolled burning can create air pollutants.
Never flush pharmaceuticals down the toilet or sink. This age-old advice is now considered to be the least desirable alternative.
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Several ShopRite stores participate in the biannual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with the assistance of local organizations. The events, established in September 2010, are designed to safely collect unwanted and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications so that they do not end up in the hands of abusers or in waterways where they can contaminate drinking water.
"We are so pleased to be working with ShopRite. The ShopRite pharmacists are all very engaged in the program and work closely with us to ensure that these pharmaceuticals are safely managed," saids Becky Carlson, assistant director of the Center for Prevention and Counseling in Newton, N.J., one of the organizations working with DEA and New Jersey ShopRite locations in Byram, Newton and Montague.
The next event is Saturday, April 28, 2012. Visit www.dea.gov or call 1-800-882-9539 for drop-off locations. Last year's October event collected 188.5 tons of unwanted or expired medications at 5,327 take-back sites across the country. To date, Take-Back Days have collected nearly 500 tons of medications.
"The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public during the past three Take-Back Day events speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs," says DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart. |
TakeAway Environmental Return System
Select ShopRite locations in New Jersey have successfully tested the Sharps Inc. TakeAway Environmental Return System as a viable and discreet way for customers to safely manage their unwanted medications. The system allows customers to mail unused medications, including pills, any solid-form substances, and liquids of less than four ounces, from their home by simply picking up a prepaid shipping envelope at their local grocery store, filling and sealing it, and sending it via regular mail to a treatment/disposal facility.
"Our customers have looked to us for safe ways of proper medication disposal, and we're proud to finally have the TakeAway System available. The TakeAway bags are safe and easy to use, without any privacy concerns. Most of all, customers love it because it's protecting our planet!" says Rose Dickison, Corporate Health and Wellness at ShopRite of Hunterdon County. |
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ShopRite's 2011 recycling efforts included:
119,500 tons of cardboard -- Up 8.2% over 2010!
3,218 tons of plastic film, bags and hard plastic -- Up 17% over 2010!
2,073 tons of waxed corrugated -- Up 5% over 2010!
825 tons of newspaper -- Up 1.6% over 2010!
404 tons of office paper -- Down 6.9% from 2010!
ShopRite Stores on the Road to Sustainability
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Store Receives U.S. EPA GreenChill Award, Hatfield, Pa.
Jim Madanci, operations director (above left), said the store's innovative refrigeration system uses carbon dioxide and glycol rather than ozone-depleting refrigerants. Madanci said, "The system is virtually leak-proof and will require less maintenance. Kevin Sheeler, store operations supervisor (above right) added, "This [system] is the first to be installed in Pennsylvania and illustrates our commitment to sustainability. We are proud of the EPA GreenChill certification we have earned." GreenChill is a U.S. EPA partnership with food retailers to reduce refrigerant emissions. |
Making the Switch to LED Lighting, East Norriton, Pa.
Brown's ShopRite of East Norriton recently showed its continued commitment to sustainability when the entire store was retrofitted with energy-saving LED lamps. LED lighting conserves energy and improves visibility throughout the store. "This is one of the first supermarkets in the country to move to 100 percent LED lighting, which will significantly reduce energy costs and our environmental impact," said Ron Carr, store director (pictured above). |
Electric Car Charging Station Now Available, Niskayuna, N.Y.
Earth-friendly features in this new store include energy-efficient LED lights, décor made from recycled lumber, and an electric car charging station. "It's just the responsible thing to do to make sure that we lessen our environmental footprint," said Charles Culver, director of energy and sustainable development (above right). Shannon DeFreese, human resources area specialist (above left), added, "Customers love what we are doing for the community and the environment." |
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters: Brewing a Better World
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| GMCR buys from about 200 fair trade cooperatives in 14 countries around the world. Ed Canty (above left), GMCR's fair trade and organic coffee buyer. |
Organic coffee beans growing in South America. |
In 2010, Fair Trade USA named Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (GMCR) the largest purchaser of Fair Trade products in the WORLD! But GMCR prefers not to boast about this. Instead, the company and its employees focus on continuing their journey toward improving the world through initiatives in fair trade, energy conservation, social responsibility and community volunteerism, just to name a few.
GMCR opened its doors in 1981 as a small café in Waitsfield, Vt. Now headquartered in nearby Waterbury, the company, which went public in 1993, has three business units: Specialty Coffee, including Green Mountain Coffee, Newman's Own(R) Organics, Tully's Coffee(R), and other coffee and beverage brands; Keurig, where the Keurig(R) Single Cup Brewing system was created; and GMCR Canada, which is responsible for all GMCR sales in Canada. More than 100 coffees are sold under the Green Mountain Coffee and Newman's Own Organics brands, including the largest selection of Fair Trade Certified™ coffees in the country.
Besides creating the "ultimate coffee and beverage experience" for its customers, GMCR is also dedicated to social and environmental responsibility. These efforts began with a small environmental committee formed by employees in the 1980s, and has since evolved into a holistic way of doing business with 5 percent of pretax profits earmarked for social and environmental causes. That equated to $15 million for fiscal year 2011 alone!
The company's 5,000+ employees also volunteered more than 30,000 hours last year through its CAFE (Community Action for Employees) program. The company's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program -- "Brewing a Better World" www.brewingabetterworld.com -- is based on a six-pronged philosophy that involves the environment, local communities, vendors, employees, customers and the general public.
One of the most important aspects of GMCR's heritage is the fair trade movement. Fair trade certification ensures that farmers are paid a fair wage for their goods and are working in safe conditions. The company became a licensee of Fair Trade USA, the certifying agent in the U.S., in 2000. In 2010, GMCR purchased 26 million pounds of Fair Trade Certified(TM) coffee. Fair trade activities are interspersed through several prongs of the company's CSR philosophy, since fair trade certification considers social, economic and environmental criteria. Certified products must meet these stringent criteria designed to improve the lives of producers around the world.
As part of the fair trade system, coffee farmers have formed into cooperatives that manage the sale of their products worldwide. GMCR buys from about 200 fair trade cooperatives in 14 countries. Since the start of its relationship with Fair Trade USA, GMCR's Fair Trade Certified coffee purchases have delivered more than $9.8 million in community development funds to coffee farmers.
Green Mountain Coffee's largest source of coffee is Colombia, South America. Ed Canty, GMCR's fair trade and organic coffee buyer, recently visited producer cooperatives there. Green Mountain Coffee is proud of the cooperatives it works with, continuing to do business with them and sometimes funding additional projects in the farm communities around food security and household income. "We have seen producer organizations pull themselves out of poverty to build strong businesses that will support their communities now and into the future," says Canty.
 Canty described the improvements in living conditions he's seen in villages with cooperatives over the years. Extremely rural villages that had no infrastructures at all may have schools and municipal leaders just a few years later, all due to the ability to sell their products for a decent price without compromising the environment.
GMCR believes that its financial success goes hand in hand with its ability to make a difference in the world.
"Shoppers are thinking more about products and realizing that their purchasing decisions have a broader impact," said Sandy Yusen, director of public relations at Green Mountain Coffee. "Our fair trade involvement benefits farmers directly but also benefits customers because the farmers can invest back into their product and their land to grow the best quality coffee."
"We hope to continue to increase our purchase of fair trade coffees both by working on the producer side to increase supply and by increasing the number of consumers seeking it," said Yusen. "In our minds, awareness equals action."
ShopRite offers a broad assortment of Green Mountain Coffee products, including Colombian Fair Trade Select, as well as Breakfast Blend, Hazelnut and Colombian Decaf. ShopRite also offers 24 varieties of coffee and other beverages in K-Cup(R) packs for the Keurig(R) brewing system that are part of GMCR's family of brands, including Green Mountain Coffee, Tully's Coffee(R), Barista Prima Coffeehouse(R), Caribou Coffee(R), Newman's Own(R) Organics, Cafe Escapes(R), and Donut House(R). See all of GMCR's offerings at www.greenmountaincoffee.com. |
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