Green Wins: Intro
Welcome to Play It Green’s weekly sustainability news, your source for the latest “Green Wins” every Monday. Today, we’re thrilled to share three more positive actions, driving change towards a sustainable future.
It’s brilliant to see how individuals and communities are helping push change within the business world. Through their actions and unwavering commitment to sustainability, they are inspiring companies to embrace eco-friendly practices and redefine their approach.
Discover the success stories of businesses that have undergone remarkable transformations. Not only do these changes =reduce their environmental impact but they also contribute to their long-term success and reputation.
Communities play a vital role in this process by demanding sustainable products and services. Their collective voice and consumer choices shape the direction of businesses, encouraging them to prioritise environmental responsibility and social impact.
Join us as we delve into this week’s sustainability. Together, we can continue to drive these Green Wins and create a better, more sustainable future for all. Read on to be part of the movement.
Green Wins: Mastercard Begins Recycling of Bank Cards
In a significant stride towards sustainability, Mastercard is leading the charge in recycling plastic credit and debit cards worldwide. With the aim of preventing billions of cards from ending up in landfills, the organisation launches a project to recycle plastic cards globally.
The initial partnership with HSBC Holdings Plc in the UK will see Mastercard providing shredding machines capable of holding 10,000 cards each This amounts to 50kg of plastic. Once filled, the machines will be transferred to plastic recycling facilities.
Ajay Bhalla, president of cyber and intelligence at Mastercard Inc, said: “We are inviting all card issuers around the world to partner with us, no matter what region they are in, and offer card recycling to their customers.”
During the six-month pilot project, customers will have the opportunity to recycle any plastic cards. Furthermore, this will contribute to the reduction of plastic waste. It is estimated 3.1 billion cards are currently in circulation. Not only that, but the industry produces around 600 million cards annually. Because of that, this initiative holds immense potential for positive change.
Plastics have a significant environmental impact, generating 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 alone, according to the OECD. Globally, over 430 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, with a substantial amount becoming waste.
Plastic waste not only pollutes our oceans and soils but also poses health risks. Join us as we delve into more inspiring Green Wins. Read on to discover how individual and collective efforts are shaping a more sustainable future.
Green Wins: The Church of England Drops Oil & Gas Investments
Our next story shows another positive step move towards sustainability. The Church Commissioners for England, are custodians of the Church of England’s £10.3bn endowment fund. They have decided to exclude all remaining oil and gas majors from their investment portfolio. By the end of 2023, they will also exclude other companies primarily engaged in oil or gas. Included in this is exploration, production, and refining, unless they align with a 1.5°C pathway.
The Church Commissioners previously excluded 20 oil and gas majors in 2021. However, now BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, and other notable companies have been added to the list. The decision was made based on assessments by the Transition Pathway Initiative. This found these companies to be misaligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Archbishop Justin Welby, Chair of the Church Commissioners, said: “The climate crisis threatens the planet we live on, and people around the world whom Jesus Christ calls us to love as our neighbours. It is our duty to protect God’s creation, and energy companies have a special responsibility to help us achieve the just transition to the low carbon economy we need”.
While this decision was not taken lightly, the Church remains open to reconsidering its position. However, only if companies demonstrate alignment with its criteria in the future. The criteria are companies working within parameters that meet the requirements of the Paris Climate Agreement.
Stay tuned as we bring you the final of our three green wins that exemplify the growing momentum towards a greener future. Read on to discover how collective efforts are shaping a world that prioritises the well-being of our planet and future generations.
Green Wins: ASDA Begins to Green its Fleet
Get ready for your final ‘Green Win’ as Asda takes a significant step towards sustainability! The supermarket chain has introduced electric delivery vehicles at three of its stores, with two more to follow in the coming months.
Shoppers at Asda’s Gillingham Pier, Old Kent Road, and Sheffield Chaucer stores can now enjoy the convenience of online orders being fulfilled using eco-friendly electric delivery vehicles. This move is part of Asda’s ambitious plan to eliminate diesel transportation from its e-commerce service by 2028.
By the end of 2023, Asda’s Cardiff Bay and Leith stores will join the initiative. This ensures grocery deliveries are made using a fully electric fleet. Furthermore, these electric vehicles can travel up to 120 miles on a single charge, with a recharge time of seven hours. The introduction of these vehicles is estimated to save over 400,000 kg of CO2 emissions per year.
Simon Gregg, Senior Vice President of e-commerce at Asda, expressed enthusiasm for the positive impact of electric vehicles, stating:
“Using electric rather than diesel delivery vehicles will lead to huge reductions in our emissions and go a long way to achieve our goals of halving our greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and becoming carbon net zero by 2040.”
This transition to electric vehicles aligns with Asda’s commitment to sustainability. In fact, the company has already pledged that its fleet of staff vehicles will consist solely of electric cars by 2025. By making this shift, Asda expects to eliminate 2,411 tonnes of CO2 emissions over four years.
That’s a Wrap
Congratulations to Asda, Mastercard, and the Church Commissioners for their remarkable green wins! These actions are leading the way in sustainability, and making impactful changes towards a greener future. Their initiatives can inspire us all to take action and make a difference.
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