January 2010 

Letter From Casey

Letter from Casey: Energy Drives RSI Casey Chroust, Executive Vice President, Retail Operations, RILA RSI gears up for even more progress on the sustainability front with a new committee structure, an upcoming goal-setting meeting and being personally driven by President Sandy Kennedy as it seeks a new vice president of sustainability. More >>

Executive Profile

Executive Profile: Susan Ghertner Susan Ghertner, Director, Environmental Affairs, H-E-B H-E-B's Susan Ghertner talks about the challenges and opportunities within the retail sustainability movement, and the importance to continuing to educate others. She also shares her current reading list and time spent climbing Mt. Fuji. More >>

Feature Articles

The Sustainability Index: Driving Transparency and Innovation Rand Waddoups, Senior Director, Corporate Strategy & Sustainability, Walmart On July 16, Walmart shared its plans for the future of sustainability when CEO Mike Duke announced a goal that "is audacious, aspirational and, unfortunately, somewhat misunderstood." Rand Wadoups explains in more detail. More >>

PetSmart Engages Graduate Students in Doghouse Design Competition Jessica White, Corporate Communications, PetSmart From colorful modern “dog pods” to the “bark-o-lounge” that doubles as furniture to the guard-en doghouse that incorporates living plants into its design ASU students rise to PetSmart's challenge to update the traditional doghouse. More >>

EPA's Retail Industry Portal: A Resource for Compliance and Sustainability Tracy Back, , U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA's Retail Portal provides one-stop access to the many programs and resources available to help prevent and resolve environmental issues at retail establishments. RILA helped the agency in developing this crucial resource. More >>

Keep Your Eye on the Ball Ruth Kinzey, Corporate Reputation Strategist, The Kinzey Company The Climate Change Conference may have grabbed media attention, but the best advice for retailers is to focus on domestic legislation and the EPA to see how legislative and regulatory changes could impact costs and operation. More >>

RILA Update

EPA Moves to Regulate Four Chemicals Used in Consumer Products Stephanie Lester, Vice President, International Trade, RILA In December, as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s comprehensive approach to enhancing the Agency’s current chemicals management program under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the EPA posted action plans on four chemicals. More >>

Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Rule Environmental Protection Agency, , More >>

Legislation Regulating Cadmium Proposed After AP Report Showed the Heavy Metal in Children's Items Stephanie Lester, Vice President, International Trade, RILA Last week, the Associated Press released the results of a study regarding cadmium in children’s jewelry. More >>

FMCSA Launches Hours-of-Service Listening Tour; Potential Impacts on CO2 Emissions Kelly Kolb, Vice President, Global Supply Chain Policy, RILA More >>