U-M alum: Brewery Vivant sustains people, planet, profit BY GRETA GUEST ANN ARBOR—When Kris Spaulding started Brewery Vivant, she did so mindful of the possibilities to create a sustainable business with inspiration sparked at the University of Michigan. “At Michigan,...
Sustainable Brands held its flagship annual conference in Vancouver in June, with the Erb Institute as a strategic partner. Erb and SB had teamed up for the SB17 conference in Detroit, recognizing that our missions and sustainability-related goals were closely...
While in London recently, Erb Institute Managing Director, Terry Nelidov sat down with Ian Welsh at Innovation Forum to discuss trends in how companies approach their social license to operate, and why it is increasingly regarded as essential. Click play below and...
People may be more willing to pay for clean energy and strategies that dramatically reduce emissions than previous studies have suggested, according to new research by Michigan State University Professor Douglas Bessette and University of Michigan Professor Joseph...
The buyer-supplier relationship is changing in more ways than you might imagine. Consumers and retailers are increasingly demanding that suppliers demonstrate their sustainability: How are buyers and suppliers collectively adapting to changes in the market, as well as...
A self-proclaimed “complexity junkie,” Monique Oxender, Keurig Green Mountain’s Chief Sustainability Officer, doesn’t bat an eye at tackling big, complicated issues. From the future of coffee to the recyclability of Keurig’s pods, Oxender and her team have provided...
By Sudhir K. Sinha “Satyagraha” is Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of determined but nonviolent resistance—a sort of peaceful war. Now, CSR Satyagraha is a peaceful war being waged in India on corporate social responsibility (CSR), to fight the manufactured euphoria and...
Report: Dell: Upcycling Ocean Plastics Through Supply Chain Innovation (.pdf abstract) Purchase the full report on WDI Publishing (Case study #7-949-121) – published 06/2018, 30 pages Developed by: Daniel Partin, Luke Sawitsky, and Allison Ward. This case was...
What does an apparel company do when it’s already a leader in environmental manufacturing and has summited the peak of sustainable clothing? If it’s Patagonia, it decides to not only become carbon neutral by 2025 but also build a plan that inspires change across the...
Activists and industry For many people, the combination of activists and industry brings to mind images of protestors chanting while marching with signs and banners in front of a company’s store, headquarters or production facility. For others, it suggests the...