FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Source 44 LLC, the world’s leading provider of supply chain sustainability data services and Product Footprint Data Sheets, trademarked as PFDS, has joined the Sustainability Consortium, an independent organization of diverse global participants that work collaboratively to build a scientific foundation that drives product sustainability innovation. The consortium, co-directed by the University of Arkansas and Arizona State University, comprises some of the world’s leading retailers, such as Walmart, Best Buy, Disney and Safeway, and such leading consumer product manufacturers such as Alberto Culver, MillerCoors, General Mills and Proctor and Gamble.
“The opportunity to join the consortium and partner with an impressive list of members is a very critical and exciting development for Source 44,” said Jess Kraus, president and CEO. “We are committed to providing companies with a practical, cost-effective roadmap to true product sustainability, transparency and corporate social responsibility. The Sustainability Consortium’s mission is perfectly aligned with our vision, and we’re honored to have the opportunity to partner with this collection of companies, organizations and individuals equally dedicated to the cause.”
Kraus said he was also impressed with the consortium’s global focus. “The consortium’s international membership, and their focus on exploring the complexities of worldwide supply networks from a global life cycle perspective, fit perfectly with our global focus,” Kraus said. “Most of our clients have global manufacturing operations, and each of them presents a unique supply chain sustainability challenge. I look forward to sharing our observations and experiences with other members, and to creating a collaborative tool kit of global best practices.”
The Sustainability Consortium is jointly administered by Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas. The organization focuses on driving scientific research and the development of standards and information-technology tools, through a collaborative process, to enhance the ability to understand and address the environmental, social, and economic implications of products.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Source 44 into the Sustainability Consortium, and we look forward to developing and expanding a very productive partnership with them,” said Jon Johnson, co-director of the Sustainability Consortium and executive director of the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center. “Source 44 has broken new ground in the field of product sustainability, and we look forward to leveraging their work for the benefit of all our members. Source 44 will contribute an experienced team of experts to the consortium, and together we will work to help ensure that product sustainability is a practical, accessible and leveragable reality for all companies.”
Jennifer L. Kraus, Source 44 co-founder and chief scientific officer, sees this as a natural expansion of the sustainability work she and her team have done over the years with leading academic institutions. “I see this as a very unique opportunity to share our academic body of work with the consortium’s members,” Kraus said, “and at the same time have the chance to explore new perspectives and approaches with the consortium membership and staff.”
According to Mike Fraser, executive vice president and chief development officer for Source 44, the company sees the consortium as the preeminent forum for the continued development of tools and methodology for embedding sustainability within a company’s best business practices. Focusing on the ultimate tangible benefits of sustainability, Fraser said, provides the best hope for the future.
“One of the most rewarding outcomes of our work – which focuses on the supply chains of some of the world’s leading companies – has been our ability to uncover tangible cost-reduction opportunities while foot-printing these products,” Fraser said. “We see the consortium as a tremendous collaborative platform for expanding this approach to all members and stakeholders, allowing these firms to demonstrate that the ‘greening of products’ can most definitely be green to the their bottom line.”
About Source 44 LLC
Source 44, based in Solana Beach, Calif., with offices in San Diego and Dallas, is the industry-leader in product sustainability. The company is the top purveyor of sustainability information, with a specific focus on their clients’ Supply Chain. Their trademarked Footprint Data Sheets are adapted from the Material Safety Data Sheet, which enables the clear and consistent display of complex sustainability information.
Source 44 provides a hosted, online sustainability subscription service, which enables its retail customers to ensure they have complete knowledge of the products they sell, while providing their suppliers with an online dashboard to help identify sustainability and savings opportunities.
Source 44 derives its name from the molecular weight of carbon dioxide – 44 – the measuring stick of Greenhouse Gases.
About The Sustainability Consortium
Co-administered by Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas, the Sustainability Consortium researches and publishes findings on the life cycle impacts of various product categories. The consortium provides decision makers and policymakers with a broader understanding of how new and innovative organizational strategies and technologies can assist in meeting various environmental, economic and social objectives. The Sustainability Consortium is a part of the Global Institute of Sustainability at Arizona State University and the Applied Sustainability Center at the University of Arkansas. You can find more information about these institutes at http://sustainability.asu.edu and http://asc.uark.edu. Learn more about the Sustainability Consortium at www.sustainabilityconsortium.org.