I watched a commercial on T.V. the other night where a dad organized the local Easter egg hunt. He went to the store and purchased black and green paint and then individually painted the eggs in a camouflage pattern before hiding them. It was hilarious watching the kids wander around looking for the eggs. I think one egg was actually found by accident. The guy’s wife was not very happy with him. Depending on how you look at it, maybe the father did the kids a favor.

After all, he did use real eggs because he knew that he could not confirm that the plastic ones he first looked at did not contain BPA or Bisphenol A.  So, he moved on tot the local grocery store and bought fresh eggs. He had heard of BPA, but had never been exposed to Salmonella and was not aware of the number of recalls in the recent past of fresh eggs.

I guess the point is I could go on and write about paint products, pesticides on the lawn, multiple kids picking up the same egg or a variety of other issues confronting parents today that we just did not think about 40 or 50 years ago. It’s a shame.

The above does however point out the diligence required by sourcing professionals when buying for resale products and how these products cross paths and interact as well as impact the consumer. We are making progress but not enough for me to eat one of those eggs anymore. At least until I’ve washed it.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

I was reading USA TODAY this morning and there was an article by Wendy Koch titled Study: Eating fresh food lowers BPA in systems. The article actually addresses BPA and DEHP and the impact that a fresh diet has on their levels within a person system.

Although I love my vegetables, I’m not sure I can move to a completely fresh diet, but the Silent Spring Institute that conducted the study does offer the following six steps that individuals can take to limit their risk.

1. Fresh is best
2. Eat in
3. Store it safe
4. Don’t microwave in plastic
5. Brew the old-fashioned way
6. Take action

For more detail on each of these items, visit the following Silent Springs link.

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A first step for companies is to develop an SOP that includes evaluating your existing and potential new sources supply. A good way to begin this process is to author a GREEN RFI prior to all e-negotiation events. Eliminate the suppliers that don’t seem to have any SOP’s in place based on their RFI responses.  Upon event completion hold low bid suppliers accountable by visiting those suppliers’ facilities prior to the actual award of business and base your final decision on RFI result confirmation. During the RFI process make insure that the following types of questions are included with which to evaluate your existing and new sources supply.

1. Please list all of your companies CSR initiatives.
2. Does your company support TBL reporting?
3. What environmental permits and certifications are in place?
4. Do you have readily available audit results? 
5. Please list all of your pollution prevention controls.
6. What are your hazardous materials handling process.
7. What is your waste management plan?
8. What do you do to insure clean air emissions?
9. Does your company maintain product formulas and content traceability?
10. Please list your product safety plans and certifications.
11. Do construction projects follow LEED?

Once suppliers have been retained or selected, offer to train them as to how to include this process with their own sources of supply and other business partners. This may include offering how your trace the overall benefits of being a green company to your bottom line (TBL) as well as other initiatives you have taken internally with associates and other stake holders to support your internal CSR initiatives.

We look forward to and appreciate your comments.

ISO has published a brochure providing a basic introduction, as its title indicates, to Environmental management – The ISO 14000 family of International Standards. The 12-page, color brochure is the most current edition of a successful publication first released in 1998, two years after the launching of the first standards in the ISO 14000 family

The International Organization for Standardization widely known as ISO, is an international standard -setting body composed of representatives from various national standards organizations. Founded on February 23, 1947, the organization promulgates world-wide industrial and commercial standards. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. While ISO defines itself as a non – governmental, its ability to set standards that often become law, either through treaties or national standards makes it more powerful than most non-governmental organizations. In practice, ISO acts as a consortium with strong links to governments.

The SafeSourceIt™ Supplier Database holds it suppliers accountable to many ISO standards including 14000, 7002, 9001 and 22000.

How do you hold your suppliers accountable?

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The?SafeSourceIt? global? supplier database includes more than 35 safety and environmental standards and certifications?that suppliers are vetted against. The Certified Humane Raised and Handled? program is one of them.

The Certified Humane Raised and Handled? program is a certification and labeling program that is the only animal welfare label requiring the humane treatment of farm animals from birth through slaughter.? The goal of the program is to improve the lives of farm animals by driving consumer demand for kinder and more responsible farm animal practices.? When you see the Certified Humane Raised and Handled? label on a product you can be assured that the food products have come from facilities that meet precise, objective standards for farm animal treatment.
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The Certified Humane Raised and Handled? label assures consumers:
??That the producer meets our standards and applies them to animals from birth through slaughter.
??Animals have ample space, shelter and gentle handling to limit stress.
??Ample fresh water and a healthy diet of quality feed, without added antibiotics or hormones.
??Cages, crates and tie stalls are among the forbidden practices, and animals must be free to do what comes naturally.? For example, chickens are ale to flap their wings and dust bathe, and pigs have the space to move around and root.

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