Retailers and Experts Talk Compliance & Sustainability

RETAILER ENVIRONMENTAL ROUNDTABLE

On September 9-10, nearly 90 attendees, including over 60 RILA member representatives convened in Washington, D.C. for the 2024 Retailer Environmental Roundtable. After individual Environment & Waste Compliance and Sustainability Committee meetings, members came together to hear from solution providers and industry experts, benchmark with peers on leading practices, and discuss collaboration opportunities to advance more sustainable and environmentally conscious business practices.

Agenda Highlights:

Political & Policy Outlook RILA’s Government Affairs team provided political and legislative updates on key priorities for the retail sector, including potential impacts of the November elections. Senior Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, Michael Hanson, gave attendees his perspective on the future of both the House and Senate, and how that may impact retailers. Courtney Titus Brooks, Vice President of Tax provided insights on Congress and the Administration’s tax priorities and potential impacts of the election. Director of Government Affairs, Sarah Gilmore discussed the Biden Administration’s transportation sustainability initiatives, supply chain challenges and the impacts of possible port strikes.

EPA Current & Upcoming GHG Measurement Resources

Industry experts from the U.S. EPA, Ga-Young Park and James Critchfield addressed attendees on the development and application of EPA’s public greenhouse gas emissions reporting resources, including a forthcoming practice paper.

Case Study: RILA-Optera Direct-Use Product Emissions Database (DPED)

Tim Weiss, CEO and Co-founder of Optera, discussed the Direct-Use Product Emissions Database, a helpful tool that was launched in May 2024 to fill current gaps in reporting on sold products and align how retailers measure, compare and communicate GHG emissions. The database was developed by RILA members and Optera.

Unpacking State Packaging Developments: From EPR to Recycled Content to Source Reductions

Dylan de Thomas, VP of Public Policy & Government Affairs, The Recycling Partnership, Andriana Kontovrakis, Director of Compliance Services, Reverse Logistics Group (RLG), Nikki Waxman, Associate, Beveridge & Diamond, PC, and RILA’s Senior Manager of State Affairs, Townsend Brown, engaged in a panel discussion on packaging policies and legislation, providing insight on compliance best-practices, challenges for retailers, and opportunities to shape state and local legislation. The group also discussed ways to best engage with Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs) in various states.

Accelerating Reuse as an Everyday Norm: Driving success through brand collaboration and city-wide messaging and nudges

Kate Daly, Managing Partner, Closed Loop Partners, shared three case studies that advanced reuse as a common customer practice. The case studies highlighted partnerships between retailers and municipalities in Denver, Tucson, and Petaluma through city-wide messaging campaigns and simple marketing tactics.

Case Study: Uncovering Hidden Treasure in Packaging Data: How to Use Data to Reduce Waste, Decrease EPR Fees, and Improve Environmental Outcomes

Rebecca Schwartz Altholz, EPR Data Consultant, RLG, briefed attendees on the importance of collecting and leveraging EPR data, as this data can be used to identify sources of increased fees, find ways to take advantage of eco-modulation policies, and scope out alternative packaging methods and/or suppliers.

Regulatory Outlook for 2024

Elizabeth Richardson and Aaron Goldberg, Principals, Beveridge & Diamond highlighted how recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions may alter how agencies approach rulemakings and how Congress formulates legislative text, as well as judicial review of agency action. Goldberg and Richardson explored how these implications may impact ongoing and future regulatory developments around li-batteries, PFAS, refrigerants/AIM Act regulation of HFCs and other key environment and sustainability issues.

Case Study: Waste Compliance During Loss Prevention Events

Scott DeMuth, CEM, President, g2 Revolution, shared examples of how recycling can be properly leveraged to reduce waste from end-of-life disposal of unsellable consumer products during or after loss prevention events, such as natural disasters, recovered stolen goods, or emergency situations.

Case Study: Best Practices to Empower Suppliers to Help Advance Sustainability Aims

Cheryl Baldwin, VP of Sustainability, Pure Strategies, and Ame Igharo, Senior Director of Sustainability Strategy, Ulta Beauty, discussed ways that companies and organizations encourage and empower suppliers to enhance their sustainability practices and goals. The presentation included examples from climate, sustainable chemistry, and sustainable packaging programs.

Case Study: Empowering Retail Recycling: Harnessing Technology for In-Store Solutions

Ethan Adams, Project Manager, UL Solutions, was joined on stage by Scott DeMuth, g2 Revolution, to discuss the ways that technology can enhance retailers recycling and sustainability efforts, especially at the store level.

Case Study: Collaborating on Carbon Impact

Annette Quincy, Global Director of Industry Sector Initiatives and Gracee Shorter, Strategic Account Executive from EcoVadis shared the learnings and insights from collaborating across 12 sectors to meet climate commitments and reporting requirements across their value chains.

Breakout Sessions & Peer-Benchmarking:

Throughout the two-day meeting, attendees had the opportunity to engage in smaller group discussions, either building on general session topics or digging into supplemental issue areas. This included sessions on:

Corporate GHG Reporting
Fostering Collaboration between Retail Government Relations & Environmental Teams
Direct-use Product Emissions Database
Brand Collateral and Marketing Materials Sustainability
All things Hazardous Waste
Packaging EPR Compliance Readiness
Source Reduction
Recycled Content Challenges
Supplier Empowerment
“Disaster-proofing” to meet Waste Obligations / Goals
Film & Flexibles Sustainability Collaboration

If you are interested in copies of any materials shared at the Roundtable or more information, please contact Allie Sauers, Director, Retail Compliance & Regulatory Affairs.