Tag: sustainability

  • Switzerland Poised to Ban Disposables

    Switzerland Poised to Ban Disposables

    Photo: twinsterphoto

    Swiss lawmakers voted on June 12 to ban sales of disposable vapes, reports the Swiss Broadcasting Corp.

    The motion calls on the government to amend the Federal Act on Tobacco Products and Electronic Cigarettes so that single-use vapes may no longer be offered for sale in Switzerland.   

    “’Puff bars’ are attractive to young people due to their many flavors and bright colors and are therefore becoming increasingly popular, said Green Party parliamentarian Christophe Clivaz, using the brand name of a popular vape brand to refer to all cigarettes.

    Switzerland imported 10 million units in 2022, he added. 

    Clivaz lamented the environmental impact of improperly disposed vapes and the addictive nature of nicotine products. Clean-up efforts cost millions and the health effects of disposable cigarettes have been insufficiently researched, he noted.

    Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider voted against the House of Representatives’ motion, which the Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive body, considers premature.

    The proposal will now move the Senate.

  • French Vote Paves Way to Disposable Ban

    French Vote Paves Way to Disposable Ban

    Credit: Laurence Soulez

    France has moved one step closer to a ban on disposable vapes. The Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to ban pre-filled, disposable e-cigarettes.

    “The marketing of these products is intended to attract young people with colors, fruit [flavors] and aromas, and low price,” Labour and Health Minister Catherine Vautrin told the chamber.

    While the Senators approved the law, they modified the National Assembly’s text to clarify the ban, according to media reports.

    The text would ban the “manufacturing, marketing, sale, distribution or offering for free” of the products and prohibit owning them with the intent to sell or distribute them, with a fine of up to €100,000 ($108,000).

    The two chambers will now need to combine their text and approve that version before it is sent to the European Commission, which will have six months to hand down an opinion.

    The government has said it hopes the ban will come into effect in September.

    Meanwhile, vaping and other recent smoking innovations are expected to be high on the agenda as country representatives gather in Panama City on Monday, tasked with revising the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the first treaty ever adopted under the auspices of WHO, entered into force.

  • Patent for Biodegradable Filter

    Patent for Biodegradable Filter

    Image: Greenbutts

    Greenbutts has received a Canadian patent for its biodegradable filter tow technology.

    The patent adds to Greenbutts’ proprietary technology stack, offering an all-natural, biodegradable and water dispersing cigarette filter. Previously, Greenbutts obtained patent recognition in the United Kingdom and the United States.

    “Greenbutts’ mission started 12 years ago, at a time when the phrase ‘single-use plastic’ was not used as often as it is today,” said Greenbutts CEO Tadas Lisauskas in a statement. “Our dedication through extensive R&D with our world-class scientific team is now being recognized on a global scale as governments, industry and consumers are all in alignment with a green, clean future.”

    According to Lisauskas, Greenbutts’ biodegradable cigarette filter is compatible not only with traditional combustible smoking products but also with heat-not-burn products. In August 2021, Greenbutts signed an agreement to supply its biodegradable filters to Poda Lifestyle and Wellness.  

    “This patent has strategic importance to our organization as it comes in full alignment with the Canadian government’s decision to ban the manufacture and importation of harmful single-use plastics, a historic move for North America,” he said. “Our technology is a viable and sustainable alternative to cellulose acetate filters while maintaining the sensory experience, delivering the high-performance filtration capability of a traditional filter.”

    “The granting of this new IP by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office is another demonstration that the company is advancing in becoming the most strategic partner to catalyze the tobacco industry to, once and for all, migrate from single-use plastic to a planet friendly, consumer-aligned and government-supported solution,” said Greenbutts’ chief strategy officer, Luis Sanches.

  • JT selected for inclusion in the DJSI Asia/Pacific

    Japan Tobacco (JT) has been selected for the second consecutive year for inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Asia/Pacific Index (DJSI Asia/Pacific), the worldwide index for socially responsible investment, the company announced Sept. 13.

    The DJSI is a collaborative initiative by S&P Dow Jones2 Indices of the United States and RobecoSAM3 of Switzerland. It assesses the sustainability performance of companies based on economic, environmental and social criteria.

    From among approximately 600 major companies in the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan, 145 companies (62 of which are Japanese companies) were named to the DJSI Asia/Pacific this year.

    In accordance with its management principles, the JT Group, which sells its products in more than 120 countries and regions, balances the interests of consumers, shareholders, employees and society; fulfills its responsibilities to them; and aims to exceed their expectations. With this in mind, the JT Group carries out various initiatives in countries where it operates, and plans to continue to contribute to sustainability through its businesses.

  • RAI in sustainability index

    Reynolds American has been awarded membership in the 2014-2015 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, effective Sept. 22, 2014.

    Reynolds American is one of only 149 North American companies on the index, which is used by many investment portfolio managers when making investment decisions. Previously, the company was a member of the index from 2009 through 2013.

    Companies are selected based on an extensive evaluation of many criteria, including corporate governance, risk management, energy consumption, climate change strategies, supply chain standards and human resources development.

     

  • PDL unveils biomass boiler

    boilerPDL Cigarette Papers has inaugurated a new biomass boiler at its Papeteries des Vosges (PDV) site in Laval-sur-Vologne, France.

    With 6.5 MW of power, the boiler can produce up to 10 tons of steam per hour and will supply enough steam to meet more than 50 percent of the PDV’s demands. The rest will be provided by two gas boilers which have been operating since December 2013.

    The new boiler comprises a wood storage facility that can hold up to 1,000 cubic meters of wood, allowing it to run on its own for 3.7 days. Each year it will be supplied with 20,000 tons of untreated and unfinished wood, wood chips and residue from sawmills, including bark. All wood will be sourced from local industries.

    Using this renewable energy will reduce the firm’s carbon dioxide output by 8,000 tons per year. The project cost €8 million ($10.9 million), € 2.3 million of which was provided by the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management.

    The construction of this new wood-fueled boiler is in keeping with PDL Cigarette Papers’ sustainable development approach and energy conservation efforts, which have been in place for several years now.

    “Our new biomass boiler means that we can honor our sustainable-development commitments while monitoring the changes in energy prices, therefore reducing costs as well as our carbon footprint,” says Bruno Delesque, PDL Cigarette Papers’ sales and marketing director. “Prior to this, Papeteries des Vosges sourced its steam from the neighboring industrial site, which operated on natural gas. Using wood seemed to be an optimal solution as a source of renewable energy.”

    In January 2013, PDL Cigarette Papers started a biomass boiler at its Papeteries du Léman facility. The investment has decreased greenhouse gas emissions by 32 percent over the year in comparison with 2012.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • RAI re-qualifies for Dow Jones sustainability

    Reynolds American Inc. has been awarded membership in the 2012-2013 Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index, effective Sept. 24, 2012. This is the fifth consecutive year that the company has been recognized this way.

    Reynolds American is one of 140 North American companies on the index, which is used by many investment portfolio managers when making investment decisions.

    Companies are selected based on an evaluation of many criteria, including corporate governance, risk management, energy consumption, climate change strategies, supply chain standards and human resources development.