NIKE Adopts The Natural Step

The Nike Environmental Action Team (N.E.A.T.), formed in 1993, is in charge of Nike’s worldwide environmental efforts, and introduced the company to The Natural Step (TNS). Six months ago, senior management approved N.E.A.T.’s corporate sustainability policy, rooted in the principles of The Natural Step. Nike has committed to making the principles of The Natural Step a common language and mental model for all 22,000 employees. The company mission statement focuses on creating closed-loop systems by eliminating waste, developing “cradle to cradle” product life cycles, and recognizing the value of employee learning and capacity-building. Nike switched from petroleum to water-based adhesives in most shoe styles, and saved $4.5 million dollars and 1.3 million gallons of solvent in the process. It saves half a million trees each year simply by using two shoe box designs made from 100 percent post-consumer cardboard (reduced from 18). The “Reuse-A-Shoe” program reclaims worn and defective footwear and grinds them into granulated rubber for sports surfaces and carpet padding, keeping 7.5 million shoes out of landfills. Nike’s environmental initiatives: [sorry this link is no longer available]

Read More