Global corporations catch green fever
Reduction of environmental footprint by big business is goal of sustainability movement
Lauren Sigel
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
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On Feb. 26, the director of innovation and waste matters for Nike's Considered team, Jim Goddard, visited OSU and gave a lecture on how Nike is reducing its environmental footprint and incorporating sustainability into its products.
Goddard came in place of Lorri Vogel, the general manager of Considered products for Nike who was the originally scheduled speaker. Vogel was unable to attend due to the flu.
Goddard is part of Nike's Considered team, comprising a dozen staff members with an average of 11 years of Nike experience, mostly in product sustainability. The group's mission is to combine innovation and sustainability in Nike products without sacrificing performance and aesthetics.
"As a company, Nike looks at maintaining sustainability through energy, waste, toxics and water," Goddard said. "Our operations and facilities set leadership goals around sustainability."
For OSU the sustainability movement is a familiar subject. With programs such as the Student Sustainability Initiative in place at OSU and the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition working with over 80 businesses and organizations throughout the city, the green movement was locally underway long before environmental ethics became a global trend.
"OSU has one of the top recycling programs in the U.S. as far as universities go," said Peter Lepre, OSU's recycling program manager. "We pretty much recycle anything that can be recycled, including tapes and CDs.
"During the school year, we fill a 30-yard container with bottles and cans once a week. Every 2.5 weeks, we fill a 53-foot truck with 3,000 to 3,500 pounds of office paper."
Like Nike, the SSI works to promote sustainable ethics through energy, waste and toxics.
"There are a few key ways in which OSU is working to conserve energy. One of the more visible ways is the occupancy sensors we're putting in Milam and Ballard halls," said Brandon Trelstad, OSU campus sustainability coordinator.
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