Sustainable OM – OM in the News

A Carpet That Reduces Footprints…Carbon Footprints, That Is.

The next time you step on a commercial market, you may be walking on stored carbon dioxide.

Interface, a maker of commercial flooring, has developed carpet tiles that have a negative carbon footprint. Their design involves the infusion and storage of carbon dioxide, and the processes to manufacture them are more energy-efficient. Other manufacturers are betting on this innovation to produce environmentally friendly plastics, fuels, concrete, and even fish food. The concept is attractive but it faces multiple obstacles before it […]

By CMKaruppan|2021-07-14T22:44:15+00:00July 15, 2021|Tags: carbon footprint, product design, recycling, sustainability, value analysis|

Home Depot’s Dallas DC: Running on Hydrogen

Home Depot is partnering with Plug Power to build a 1.5 million square foot distribution center in Dallas, Texas. The new distribution center will use Plug Power’s zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell systems to power material handling equipment such as forklifts.

The fuel cell systems also become the infrastructure for storing, compressing, and dispensing hydrogen fuel. The partnership is heralded as a fulfillment of Home Depot’s sustainability commitment to its supply chain and operations.

Video Spotlight:

How does a […]

By Anita Lee-Post, Ph.D.|2021-03-31T20:04:27+00:00April 1, 2021|Tags: distribution, social and environmental responsibility, supply chain strategy, sustainability|

Maersk to Launch Carbon Neutral Cargo Ship in 2023

Maersk is the largest container shipping company in the world. The company plans to launch the first carbon neutral cargo ship in 2023. The company has plans to be carbon neutral by 2050.

The issue is that this new vessel will operate on methanol produced from sustainable biomass or renewable sources. Critics point out that biofuels are not a scalable fuel solution at this time.

Mass adoption of biofuels may not be the answer given this would lead to water scarcity and […]

By David Little, Ph.D.|2021-03-25T21:34:27+00:00March 26, 2021|Tags: logistics, shipping, sourcing, sustainability, technology, transportation|

Walmart and Target Search for Better Bags

The debate on paper versus plastic bags to carry your items from the store to home has gone on for decades. Reusable cloth bags have been touted as an environmentally friendly alternative.

Paper bags are extolled as coming from renewable resources, and being biodegradable. However, they consume more energy in the production process than plastic bags.

Plastic bags consume less energy in production, but are not biodegradable. Moreover, much has been made recently about plastic pollution, especially in our oceans. Incredibly, the […]

By Ross L. Fink, Ph.D.|2021-03-25T20:51:31+00:00March 25, 2021|Tags: life cycle analysis, product design, recycling, sustainability|