Making Sustainability Standard Practice
Vol. 12       No. 6      June 2018 
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TopFrom the President's Desk
Recycling Solutions
By Rob Andrejewski, ISSP-SA, Director of Sustainability, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA

In a decidedly unscientific poll I conducted this year at a Minneapolis brewpub, I confirmed my suspicion that sustainability professionals have an ambivalent relationship with recycling. Make no mistake, everyone agreed that recycling is essential to achieving resource conservation and waste reduction. Unlike energy or greenhouse gas emissions, it is tangible, immediate, and has a strong brand identity. Nobody argued against it.
 
However, the ubiquity of the chasing arrows perpetuates an enduring misconception that recycling is equivalent to sustainability. While recycling is a brilliant entry point to systems thinking and the circular economy, it is also an end-of-use disposal method that by itself does not address the larger issues within which it is embedded, such as production and consumption.  (Con't.) 


Introducing Our New Multimedia Sustainability Resources Webpage 
This week we launched a new Multimedia Sustainability Resources page on our website,  where we're showcasing multiple forms of media to convey the current sustainability narrative. The collection is intended to feature the people and themes that are headlining our field. We've included music videos, recordings of lectures, webinars, animations, podcasts, and cartoons. 

Please take a moment to submit your suggestion for new content and topics. We'll add new resources to the page as they become available, so check back often! And for traditional book-based sustainability resources, see our Sustainability in Print page.

We also recently unveiled  a curated list of resources to learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), their implementation strategies, impact and especially the programs being developed to achieve them.

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Thank You, Taylor!
Taylor Recela (right) with ISSP Board Member Neil Drobny

Internships are designed to gain valuable work experience as you begin your sustainability career, however, we often learn more than we teach and ISSP's experience working with Taylor Recela was no exception. As an ISSP intern, Taylor was not only instrumental in getting the Ambassador program up and running last summer but she also continued to manage the program this year while maintaining a full course load in Logistics Management with a minor in Environment, Economy, Development, and Sustainability (EEDS) at The Ohio State University. Next, Taylor is applying her ability to maximize system efficiency while incorporating her passion for sustainability as an intern with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Thank you Taylor for all you have done for ISSP! We can't wait to watch you change the world!

Interested in becoming an ISSP Ambassador? Click here to learn more.

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Want to know if you have what it takes to join the over 400 ISSP credential holders who have earned recognition for their sustainability knowledge, skills, and abilities? Check out the sample questions for both the ISSP-SA and ISSP-CSP credential exams to find out! They are now available in the latest version of the Candidate Handbook.

The Handbook is also the best resource for information about the exams, eligibility, and the credentialing process. If you have further questions, reach out to us at certification@sustianabilityprofessionals.org.

Profile: Melanie Crepin, ISSP-SA
This month's profile subject is an entrepreneur and permaculture-enthusiast who is working towards starting her own sustainability business! Melanie Crepin spoke to us about her journey through the sustainability field, which included moving from Europe to Australia in pursuit of conservation-related volunteer opportunities.

"My first volunteering experience was with Conservation Volunteers Australia straight when I arrived in the country for the first time in 2012," Melanie told us. "We drove two days out of Darwin on a dirt road and across creeks, ended up staying two weeks in the complete outback, and witnessed a massive bushfire that surrounded and passed us while we stayed completely safe in a small clearing under the knowledgeable guidance of the aboriginal rangers."

Hear the rest of Melanie's story on our  ISSP Member Profiles page .

By Janet Charnley

Seattle area members of ISSP hosted the second Puget Sound Sustainability Professionals social, knowledge and networking event. We welcomed over 30 sustainability professionals and college students interested in sharing and learning from one another. The event was held at Sellen Construction in Seattle with Jennifer Frey, Sellen Sustainability Program Manager, hosting the gathering. We invited attendees of the event to share a valuable lesson they learned in their work, including:
  • Jennifer Frey, from Sellen Construction, presented Sellen's Sustainability Journey, sharing strategies the general construction contractor used to build good stewardship practices, reduce their impact through salvaging of materials, using healthy building materials, improving air quality inside and out, and maintaining their salmon safe accreditation by aiming to have zero run-off and pollutants into the environment.
  • Jacqueline Drumheller, Alaska Airlines Sustainability Manager and ISSP Board Member, presented Counting the Cans:  Lessons Learned in Inflight Recycling, sharing the challenges and successes of implementing recycling and reducing waste on Alaska Airlines flights.
All attendees had the opportunity to introduce themselves with plenty of time to network as they came from a variety of businesses and organizations, including Nordstrom, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle Public Schools, Green Building Consultant Firm, Antea Group, Sustainable Business Consultants, and Turner Construction, to name a few. The Seattle group is planning on another event late summer/early fall.

Course: Life Cycle Assessment | The Basics
Begins June 13th at 12:00pm PT / 3:00pm ET

Life cycle assessments (LCA) are gaining traction as a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the true impacts of the goods and services that we produce and consume every day. But just what is an LCA, how do they work, and how can we use them to move the needle on sustainability?

Taught by Jeff Yorzyk, veteran sustainability consultant and former President of the ISSP Board of Directors, this two-week course is designed for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of life cycle assessment. If you're thinking about hiring an external LCA firm, looking to expand your consulting toolbox, or considering entering the LCA field yourself, this is the course for you!

Join us to gain an understanding of the scope, challenges, and possibilities in applying life cycle assessment to decision-making processes. Classes start June 13th - reserve your spot today!

1-Day Course: Sustainability ROI Workbook
July 17th at 9:00am PT / 12:00pm ET 

Sustainability initiatives can be important assets for the companies that pursue them, but what's the best way to calculate the initiatives' ROIs? ISSP's upcoming course presents the Sustainability ROI Workbook, an open-source resource designed to give sustainability professionals the tools to make a business case for sustainability that their CFO will love!

Taught by corporate sustainability strategy expert and author Bob Willard, the 1-day workshop will present participants with the third edition of Bob's framework for a comprehensive and compelling cost-benefit analysis applicable to any sustainability initiative. In addition to being a useful way for participants to bolster their own marketability, the Sustainability ROI Workbook is geared towards helping sustainability professionals, consultants, and even company staff present a business case for sustainable proposals to important decision-makers.   Register today!

Upcoming ISSP Chapter &
Regional Learning Network Events
ISSP Chapters and Regional Learning Networks bring together local communities of practice to network, share resources, and provide professional support. Get involved in your local ISSP community with these upcoming events.

6/5 - 1:00pm CEST European Regional Learning Network Meeting -  Join other ISSP members in Europe to learn how sustainability is being applied to the supply chain for 4.5M refugees in Turkey.  Free for ISSP members.

6/11 - 12:00pm ET Mid-Atlantic Regional Learning Network Meeting  -  The Pennsylvania and Greater DC areas are joining forces to connect sustainability professionals throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and discuss how to build effective sustainability teams and share related experiences and resources. Free for ISSP members.

6/26 - 12:00pm ET Eastern Canada Regional Learning Network Meeting  -  Join us for our virtual meeting of sustainability professionals in Canada's Eastern Provinces to learn more about the Peace and Biodiversity Dialogue Initiative, UN Biodiversity.  Free for ISSP members.

9/23-27 ISSP Colorado ChapterCome and experience new tools to elevate your work, the power of sharing a common experience with colleagues, an experienced and engaging faculty, and the reinvigorating connection to the very heart of why you do the work you do.

If you are interested in having a RLN meeting in your region, fill out the
survey form.


ISSP Out and About
ISSP board members and associates can be found sharing their kno wledge, sharpening their skills and networking at sustainability gatherings around the world. Reach out and introduce yourself to the ISSP members listed below if you too are planning to travel to one of the many sustainability conferences going on this spring through fall. Let us know where you're headed by dropping a note to  execdir@sustainabilityprofessionals.org .

June 4-6  Bangkok, Thailand. ISSP Board Member Maria Dian Nurani is attending.

June 4-7  Sustainable BrandsVancouver, BC.

June 13-14 Responsible Business Summit Europe, London, UK.


The International Society of Sustainability Professionals (ISSP) is the world's leading professional association for sustainability professionals. ISSP is a member-driven association committed to moving the profession of sustainability forward through building strong networks and communities of practice.