Multinational corporations need to have reusable packaging strategies in place as part of risk management, according to Kelly McBee, circular economy senior coordinator at As You Sow, to comply with a Global Plastics Treaty deemed by the United Nations aimed to end single-use plastic production and usage by 2024 under an international legally binding agreement. Read More →
Read MoreHow would that small change make a big impact on the amount of plastic going into our oceans? As You Sow is a shareholder advocacy company that posed those very questions to Micky D's themselves. How did the colossal cuisine company respond? Read More →
Read MoreThis year, As You Sow filed a new proposal requesting McDonald’s report on the environmental benefits of reusable packaging, but withdrew it ahead of the company’s annual meeting after McDonald’s told them it would publish such a report. A McDonald’s spokeswoman said the company had planned to carry out its study before the As You Sow proposal. Read More →
Read MoreBut in recent years, the company has backslid, according to reports from other environmental nonprofits. In 2020, the advocacy group As You Sow gave the company an ‘F’’ for its plastic packaging policies — ranking it below many companies which boast a far less sustainable public image. Read More →
Read MoreCalifornia is taking aim at the plastics industry in an effort to reduce pollution and tackle climate change. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the nation's toughest rules on plastics reduction into law last week, requiring all packaging in the state to be recyclable or compostable by 2032, cutting plastic packaging by 25 percent in 10 years, and requiring 65 percent of all single-use plastic packaging to be recycled in the same timeframe. Kelly McBee, Waste Program Coordinator at As You Sow, explains the potential impact this law could have on reducing plastic pollution across the country. Read More →
Read MoreEven since 2021, Conrad MacKerron, As You Sow’s senior vice president, said that he’s observed a significant jump in support for plastics-related shareholder resolutions. “We saw a real shift,” he told Grist, including a 14 percent spike in yes votes for this year’s Amazon resolution compared to a similar proposal filed last year. Read More →
Read MoreKelly McBee, waste program coordinator at As You Sow, answers this question and others to help peel back the filmy layers that cloud companies’ sustainability stories and bring more clarity. As You Sow advocates for environmental and social corporate responsibility on behalf of companies’ shareholders. Read More →
Read MoreBased on these findings, Microsoft will be taking actions to enable greater repairability of its devices by the end of the year, as stipulated in an agreement the tech company reached with investor advocacy nonprofit As You Sow last fall. Read More →
Read More“We are pleased to see the company increase its commitment to reusable bottles as a proven method to reduce single-use plastic waste and promote a circular economy for packaging,” said Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president at As You Sow, which declared the move “industry-leading” among consumer conglomerates.
“We agree with the company that reusable packaging is among the most effective ways to reduce waste, use fewer resources and lower carbon emissions,” he said.
Read MoreGreen Century and activist investor As You Sow filed a shareholder proposal urging Coca-Cola to reduce single-use plastic. They are now considering whether to withdraw their proposal. Read More →
Read MoreKelly McBee, waste program coordinator for As You Sow,, said she expected other manufacturers to follow in Apple and Microsoft’s footsteps. “I absolutely think we will see more of a domino effect,” she said. “These are two of the greatest players in this space, and they have set a new bar for their competitors.” Read More →
Read MoreAt Apple and John Deere, shareholder resolutions have already been filed and, thanks to the success of this one from As You Sow, more filings are likely on the way, says Wiens. Read More →
Read MoreAs You Sow represents broad social interests for shareholders, but their listed priority groups don't explicitly include right-to-repair. Read More →
Read More“There has been this history of making big, grand promises on recycling and not following through,” says Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow, an organization that prods big corporations on environmental performance. Read More →
Read MoreAccording to As You Sow, Microsoft has committed to launching a third-party study to evaluate the matter. But perhaps more importantly, the company is also promising to “expand the availability of certain parts and repair documentation beyond Microsoft’s Authorized Service Provider network.” Read More →
Read More“The company has set a significant initial goal to reduce the use of virgin plastic,” says Conrad MacKerron, senior vice president of As You Sow “We encourage other companies to step forward and make bolder, larger absolute cuts in overall plastic packaging. Reducing virgin plastic use is a good start, but cuts in total plastic use have a greater impact. We need hundreds of companies to make significant cuts in single-use plastic packaging if we are to make meaningful progress in reducing the flow of plastic wastes into oceans.” Read More →
Read MoreYesterday, Microsoft has agreed to increase consumers’ options to repair their devices by the end of 2022, and in response, As You Sow withdrew the shareholder resolution. Read More →
Read MoreAs You Sow, a shareholder activism nonprofit group, brought a resolution with Microsoft about its repair restrictions. On Thursday, the group withdrew its resolution. “This is an encouraging step,” said Kelly McBee, waste program coordinator for the nonprofit. Read More →
Read More"Microsoft positions itself as a leader on climate and the environment, yet facilitates premature landfilling of its devices by restricting consumer access to device reparability," Kelly McBee, waste program coordinator at As You Sow, wrote in the filed resolution. Read More →
Read MoreAs You Sow calls Microsoft’s commitment “an encouraging step,” but it’s worth keeping in perspective that it is just a step — what Microsoft has actually done today is said that it’ll have a study done and then use it to “guide” its “product design and plans for expanding device repair options,” according to a statement emailed to The Verge by a Microsoft spokesperson. Read More →
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