Going green: Green Action Fund supports student-driven sustainability projects

In the middle of the Sahara desert on the western border of Algeria, refugee camps hosting tens of thousands of people rely completely on humanitarian aid: Water, food, and other basic supplies come in on trucks. Trash, on the other hand, doesn’t really leave; until recently, all the waste from the camps was dumped nearby in the desert into an ever-growing pile of plastic. But at a new recycling center at one of the camps, refugees are now turning that plastic trash into furniture and other products that they can use.  Precious Plastic, an organization with a DIY recycling system developed by a Dutch designer who wanted to make recycling more accessible, helped set up the center after the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, put out a call for solutions to help with the waste challenge at the camps.

If you worry about all the waste generated by the annual rush of holiday shopping and gift giving, it is nothing compared with the mountains of discarded packaging that comes from a single event in China.  On Nov 11 each year, the world’s biggest consumer market goes into overdrive as e-commerce giants like Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com lure shoppers with huge bargains during the Singles’ Day sale.
On Nov 11 each year, the world’s biggest consumer market goes into overdrive as e-commerce giants like Alibaba Group Holding and JD.com lure shoppers with huge bargains during the Singles’ Day sale.

Good for the planet. Good for business. We are working to minimize environmental impact and operate more sustainably because it is the right thing to do—for our employees, our customers, our business, and our planet. From production improvements designed to conserve water to efforts that recycle nearly 100% of the plastics used in production, CooperVision is prioritizing environmentally responsible practices across four key areas: water, energy, recycling, and people. Saving water Working continuously to reduce consumption, increase conservation, and protect vital resources. Learn more » Conserving energy Finding ways to minimize energy consumption, utilize clean energy resources, and share best practices with like-minded companies. Learn more » Reducing, reusing, recycling Minimizing our impact by using less and recycling more of the materials needed to make and distribute our products. Learn more » Empowering people Supporting our employees and local communities through programs that encourage individual stewardship and promote an environmentally conscious workplace. Learn more » Earning Prestigious LEED Certification in Costa Rica Our 100,000 square-foot contact lens manufacturing facility in Alajuela, Costa Rica has been awarded the prestigious LEED Silver certification for its environmentally-conscious design and operation. Learn more » BREEAM Certified in the UK Our United Kingdom facility is rated “Excellent” by BREEAM UK, a third-party certifying body that recognizes sustainable and socially responsible places to work. Our goal is simple: Do better every day. From award-winning conservation efforts in Puerto Rico, to earning sustainability certifications in Costa Rica, Spain and the UK, to operating with 100% renewable electricity resources at three Rochester, NY area sites, we’re making sustainability a priority in the many places where we do business. CooperVision sustainability measures may vary from facility to facility, owning to site-dependent external and internal factors.