July 2009 

Letter From Laura

Letter from Laura: Momentum Is Building Laura Gerlach, Vice President, Retail Operations, RILA With less than three months until the 2009 Environmental Sustainability & Compliance Conference, excitement is building -- with store tours and informative presentations on the agenda. More >>

Executive Profile

Executive Profile: Michael Hewett Michael Hewett, Manager, Environmental Services, Publix Super Markets Michael Hewett, manager of environmental services for Publix Super Markets, shares trends in corporate attitudes toward sustainability, why he decided to pursue a career in sustainability and his ideal dinner party. More >>

Feature Articles

Obtaining Funding Dollars for Energy Efficiency Jonathan Dierking, Energy and Sustainability Program Manager, Shaw Group Leading retail organizations are actively mobilizing to identify new capital resources available for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects as a result of funding made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. More >>

RCRA Compliance for Retailers Tom Carney, General Manager, StrongPak Retail establishments generate some amount of hazardous waste. RCRA requires that all businesses properly dispose of any waste that is defined as hazardous. Learn some common misconceptions about RCRA. More >>

Solar Gains in Stormy Times Mike Russo, Professor, Sustainable Management , University of Oregon's Lundquist College of Business Pushing new green initiatives in this environment is a tough sell. But for Staples, going forward with solar modifications on leased buildings proved to be a win-win proposition. More >>

Retailers Work with the U.S. Department of Energy to Reduce Energy Consumption of Retail Buildings Dru Crawley, Ph.D., Team Lead, Commercial Buildings, U.S. Department of Energy The Department of Energy’s Retailer Energy Alliance is an informal association of owners and operators of retail buildings who work to change the energy performance of retail buildings and yield bottom-line savings for retail businesses. More >>

Building Government Partnerships Ruth Kinzey, Corporate Reputation Strategist, It is possible to pass positive and productive legislation and make constructive regulatory changes when both companies and the government view their relationship as a partnership. More >>

Real-World Green: The Role of Environmental Savings in Retail Brian Kilcourse, Managing Partner, RSR Research, LLC In RSR's recent benchmark study, Real World Green: The Role of Environmental Savings in Retail, one a differentiators between Retail Winners and their underperforming peers is in their overall approach to environmental sustainability. More >>

RILA Update

RILA Applauds Release of Lacey Act Consensus Document Stephanie Lester, Vice President, International Trade, RILA Last month RILA applauded the release of a consensus statement on the Lacey Act amendments signed by importers, non-governmental organizations, and domestic wood and paper producers. More >>

New Sessions for RILA’s Environmental Sustainability & Compliance Conference Announced Sarah Walczewski, Retail Operations Coordinator, RILA Three great sessions added to the ESCC program: Water Stewardship: The Coca-Cola Story; The Evolvoing Consumer: Expectations & Insights in Green Retailing; Meaure Before You Manage: Finding New Efficiencies with Energy Audits. More >>