Bowling Green, Ohio — Specialty chemical and equipment manufacturer Betco® Corporation has entered into a binding acquisition agreement for key environmental management intellectual property and clients from BiOWiSH Technologies, Inc., serving the hydrocarbon remediation, odor control, waste management, surface and wastewater treatment industries. This acquisition, pending customary closing conditions and adjustments, marks Betco’s third in the bioaugmentation space under its wholly owned subsidiary, EnviroZyme®. As a world leader in microbial biotechnology, EnviroZyme specializes in end-to-end manufacturing of sustainable solutions for diverse environmental, water and waste treatment applications. Headquartered in Cincinnati, …
waste management/recycling
Minneapolis — Alissa Partee, chief people officer (CPO) at Restaurant Technologies, has transitioned into a new role as the company’s chief operations officer (COO). In her previous role, Partee led the human resources team at Restaurant Technologies and joined the company as CPO in 2020. During her tenure, the company grew from 1,000 employees to over 1,500 nationwide. In addition to her role as CPO over the last year, Partee led the implementation of a new 9-person operations excellence team — a team that she will continue to lead in …
Holiday Prep for Retail Success: Why Maintenance Matters Before the Holidays
The holiday season can present an existential challenge for retailers, testing the skills and endurance of marketing and sales teams in a six-week race to reach revenue targets by the end of the year. It is not a time to inconvenience customers and staff with building maintenance or repairs. “There’s a reason they call it Black Friday,” says Bill Schaphorst, vice president of business development at MaintenX, a commercial facility maintenance and repair company. “Because of the surge in traffic and sales on the fourth Friday in November, that typically …
Atlanta — Better Earth, a leader in sustainable foodservice packaging solutions, has acquired Betterbin, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that optimizes recycling and composting education for consumers, retailers and businesses. This acquisition bolsters Better Earth’s mission to create a regenerative circular economy by providing seamless, tech-driven solutions that divert food packaging waste from landfills, improve compliance with solid waste regulations and meet local sustainability goals. With only around 5% of plastics currently being recycled in the United States, the need for smarter waste solutions is more urgent than …
Louisville, Ky. — On Oct. 8, Yum! Brands, Inc. released its annual Global Citizenship & Sustainability Report, detailing its advancements in reducing carbon emissions, improving packaging and more. The company has a longstanding dedication to responsible business practices, investing strategically in its three priority pillars of People, Food and Planet. “In 2023, we experienced a year of remarkable growth and remained focused on greenhouse gas reduction, sustainable packaging and having a positive community impact,” says David Gibbs, CEO of Yum! Brands. “Our ‘Good Growth’ strategy has propelled our sales and …
Orlando, Fla. — Filta Environmental Kitchen Solutions (Filta), an industry leader in providing efficient, environmentally forward services to commercial kitchens, has reached a significant milestone: the recycling of 1 billion pounds of used cooking oil into biodiesel fuel. This achievement underscores Filta’s commitment to sustainability and its innovative solutions that have transformed tens of thousands of commercial and restaurant kitchens across North America since the brand began franchising in 2002. Filta’s unique service model enhances commercial kitchen operations by micro-filtering cooking oil, deep cleaning fryers and offering bin-free waste oil …
Exhaustive Analysis
— By Christopher Collins, AIA, NCARB — The good, the bad & the ventless …exhaust hoods. The look of dismay on the chef’s face told me everything I needed to know: the vent hood was not cutting it and big money was going to be burned trying to remedy his woes. The issue was the ventless hood that was used for the cooking appliances. And not really the exhaust type that was being employed, but more of the expectations around that piece of equipment. That’s when I realized what ventless …
— By Ray Hatch — The shocking truth about food waste: how businesses can drive positive change. Each year, a significant portion of the United State’s food supply goes unsold and uneaten, leading to about 145 billion meals ending up in landfills annually. This accounts for 38% of all food in America, with over half of the food waste originating from the food and grocery industry. As consumers are increasingly seeking environmentally friendly practices and a diverse range of high-quality food options, this puts pressure on food purchases, inventory management …
San Francisco — Williams-Sonoma, Inc. has published its 2023 Impact Report. The annual report highlights Williams-Sonoma, Inc.’s progress towards the company’s industry-leading sustainability and social impact goals. In 2023, Williams-Sonoma, Inc. focused on operational efficiencies and the adoption of innovative solutions to drive progress towards the company’s sustainability goals. The company also launched GreenRow, a new sustainability-focused home furnishings brand and strengthened commitments to worker wellbeing programs that positively impact communities around the world where Williams-Sonoma, Inc. business is conducted. “The progress we have made towards our sustainability goals reflects …
Sustainable Retail
— By Andy Anderson — The business case for prioritizing environmental responsibility. While the retail industry plays an indispensable role in our society, bringing valuable — and often essential — products and services to consumers, and serving as a major source of employment and economic growth, it also takes a significant toll on the environment. In fact, the industry accounts for roughly 25% of global emissions, with much of these emissions occurring in the retail value chain. From the energy-intensive demands of brick-and-mortar stores to the packaging and transportation waste …