Resolutions

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of AbbVie request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, reviewing the company’s existing policies for safe disposition by users of prescription drugs to prevent water pollution, and setting forth policy options for a proactive response, including determining whether the company should endorse partial or full industry responsibility for take back programs by providing funding or resources for such programs.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of AbbVie request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, reviewing the company’s existing policies for safe disposition by users of prescription drugs to prevent water pollution, and setting forth policy options for a proactive response, including determining whether the company should endorse partial or full industry responsibility for take back programs by providing funding or resources for such programs.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareholders request that Amazon.com’s Board of Directors prepare a report, at reasonable cost and excluding confidential information, on the company's policy options to reduce potential pollution and public health problems from electronic waste generated as a result of its sales to consumers,  and to increase the safe recycling of such wastes.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Shareowners of Amazon.com request that the board of directors issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continued use of foam packing materials, including quantifying the amount that could reach the environment, and assessing the potential for increased risk of adverse health effects to marine animals and humans.

Our 2012 shareholder resolution with Colgate-Palmolive requested they explore the feasibility of adopting an EPR policy for post-consumer product packaging as a means of reducing carbon emissions and air and water pollution resulting from the company's business practices. As You Sow withdrew the proposal at Colgate-Palmolive in exchange for a commitment by the company to ensure that as much of its post-consumer packaging as possible is recycled and to set and disclose goals in support of this commitment within one year.

BE IT RESOLVED: That Costco's board of directors prepare a report, at reasonable cost and excluding confidential information, on the company's policy options to reduce potential pollution and public health problems from electronic waste generated as a result of its sales to consumers, and to increase the safe recycling of such wastes.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group request that the board of directors adopt a comprehensive recycling strategy for beverage containers sold by the company and prepare a report by September 1, 2015 on the company’s efforts to implement the strategy. The strategy should include aggressive quantitative recycled content goals, and container recovery goals for plastic, glass and metal containers. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.

Shareowners of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group request that the board of directors adopt a comprehensive recycling strategy for beverage containers sold by the company and prepare a report by September 1, 2014 on the company’s efforts to implement the strategy. The strategy should include aggressive quantitative recycled content goals, and container recovery goals for plastic, glass and metal containers. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group request that the board of directors adopt a comprehensive recycling strategy for beverage containers sold by the company and prepare a report by September 1, 2016 on the company's efforts to implement the strategy. The strategy should include aggressive quantitative recycled content goals, and container recovery goals for plastic, glass and metal containers. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.

RESOLVED: Shareowners of Dunkin’ Brands request the board of directors to prepare a report on the feasibility of developing a comprehensive recycling and reuse policy for food and beverage packaging to conserve resources, and reduce water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Dunkin’ Brands request the board of directors to prepare a report on the feasibility of developing a comprehensive recycling policy for on-site food and beverage packaging to conserve resources, and reduce water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions by the end of 2016. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.

Shareowners of General Mills request that the board of directors issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, by February 1, 2012 assessing the feasibility of adopting a policy of Extended Producer Responsibility for post‐consumer product packaging as a means of reducing carbon emissions and air and water pollution resulting from the company’s business practices,and describing efforts by the company to implement this strategy.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Johnson & Johnson request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, reviewing the company’s existing policies for safe disposition by users of prescription drugs to prevent water pollution, and setting forth policy options for a proactive response, including determining whether the company should endorse partial or full industry responsibility for take back programs by providing funding or resources for such programs.

RESOLVED: Shareowners of Johnson & Johnson request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, reviewing the company’s existing policies for safe disposition by users of prescription drugs to prevent water pollution, and setting forth policy options for a proactive response, including determining whether the company should endorse partial or full industry responsibility for take back programs by providing funding or resources for such programs.

In 2012, we filed a proposal asking Kraft Foods (now known as Mondelez International) to explore the feasibility of adopting an EPR policy for post-consumer product packaging. A quarter of investors supported our resolution, a very strong initial vote. Other social issue-focused proposals at the meeting received less than 10% support, respectively, demonstrating that Kraft's shareholders consider EPR to be a priority issue.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Shareowners of Kraft Heinz request that the board of directors issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continuing to use non-recyclable brand packaging.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Kroger request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continuing to use unrecyclable brand packaging.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Kroger request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continuing to use unrecyclable brand packaging.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Shareowners of McDonald’s request that the board of directors issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continued use of polystyrene foam-based food service ware, including quantifying the amount that could reach the environment, and assessing the potential for increased risk of adverse health effects to marine animals and humans.

BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Shareowners of McDonald’s request that the board of directors issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continued use of polystyrene foam beverage cups, including quantifying the amount that could reach the environment, and assessing the potential for increased risk of adverse health effects to marine animals and humans.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of Merck & Co. request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, reviewing the company’s existing policies for safe disposition by users of prescription drugs to prevent water pollution, and setting forth policy options for a proactive response, including determining whether the company should endorse partial or full industry responsibility for take back programs by providing funding or resources for such programs.

WHEREAS: Mondelēz International’s environmental policy states the company “is committed to reducing the environmental impact of our activities, preventing pollution and promoting the sustainability of the natural resources upon which we depend…” yet a significant amount of brand product packaging is not recyclable and new studies suggest plastic packaging that degrades in waterways is toxic to marine animals and potentially to humans. The environmental cost to society of consumer plastic products exceeds $139 billion annually, according to the American Chemistry Council. Mondelēz’s use of plastic materials incurs an estimated $115 million in annual environmental costs. Our iconic brands like Oreo and Chips Ahoy are increasingly packaged in flexible film or other plastic packaging, such as pouches, that are not recyclable. A September 2017 cleanup of plastic waste in Manila Bay found pouches from our product Tang to be among the most frequently found waste packaging. Using non-recyclable packaging when recyclable alternatives are available wastes valuable resources and contributes to plastic pollution. Only 14% of plastic packaging is recycled. Billions of discarded plastic wrappers and pouches representing significant amounts of embedded energy are incinerated or lie buried in landfills. These products could be sold in recyclable packaging. Non-recyclable packaging is more likely to be littered and carried into waterways. In the marine environment, plastics break down into small indigestible particles that birds and marine mammals mistake for food, resulting in illness and death. An assessment of marine debris by the Global Environment Facility concluded that an underlying cause of debris entering oceans is “design and marketing of products internationally without appropriate regard to their environmental fate or ability to be recycled in the locations where sold…” If no actions are taken, oceans are expected to contain more plastic than fish by 2050. Scientific studies suggest a synergistic effect between persistent toxic chemicals and plastic debris. Plastics absorb toxics such as dioxins from water and transfer them to the marine food web and potentially to human diets, increasing the risk of adverse effects to wildlife and humans. Making all packaging recyclable to the extent possible is the first step to reduce the threat posed by plastic debris in waterways. Colgate-Palmolive, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, and Walmart have set public packaging recyclability goals. Companies who aspire to corporate sustainability yet use these risky materials should explain why they use so much non-recyclable packaging. Companies should also work with recyclers and municipalities to assure that more recyclable packaging actually gets recycled. BE IT RESOLVED THAT: Shareowners of Mondelēz International request the Board to issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continuing to use non-recyclable brand packaging. SUPPORTING STATEMENT: Proponents believe the report should include an assessment of the reputational, financial, and operational risks associated with continuing to use non-recyclable brand packaging, discuss investments in packaging recycling technologies, and to the extent possible, goals and a timeline to phase out non-recyclable packaging.          

RESOLVED: Shareowners of Mondelēz International request the Board to issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continuing to use non-recyclable brand packaging.

As You Sow filed a proposal with Procter & Gamble asking the company to issue a report assessing the feasibility of adopting a policy of extended producer responsibility (EPR) for postconsumer product packaging. EPR shifts accountability for collection and recycling from taxpayers and governments to producers. P&G and other companies that put packaging on the market would be totally or partially responsible for the financing of collection and recycling of post‐consumer packaging.

RESOLVED: Shareowners of Pfizer request that the board of directors issue a report, at reasonable expense and excluding proprietary information, reviewing the company’s existing policies for safe disposition by users of prescription drugs to prevent water pollution, and setting forth policy options for a proactive response, including determining whether the company should endorse partial or full industry responsibility for take back programs by providing funding or resources for such programs.

Shareowners of Safeway request that the board of directors issue a report by September 1, 2014, at reasonable cost and omitting confidential information, developing a policy position on the company's responsibility for post-consumer product packaging of its private label brands, and assessing whether alternative approaches could lead to substantially increased packaging recycling.

As You Sow is concerned that Starbucks lags beverage industry peers on recycling and recycled content policies for its beverage containers – paper cups, plastic water bottles, and glass and metal coffee containers. Our proposal asks the board of directors to adopt a comprehensive recycling strategy for beverage containers. We request that the strategy include aggressive recycled content goals and container recovery goals for plastic, glass, paper and metal containers. We ask the board to prepare a report by October 2010 on company’s efforts to achieve this strategy.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareholders request that Starbucks issue a report to shareholders, to be prepared at reasonable cost and omitting proprietary information, fulfilling its environmental leadership commitments by scaling up efforts through a comprehensive policy on sustainable packaging.

RESOLVED: Shareowners of Target request that the board of directors issue a report at reasonable cost, omitting confidential information, assessing the environmental impacts of continued use of foam packing materials, including quantifying the amount that could reach the environment, and assessing the potential for increased risk of adverse health effects to marine animals and humans.

Product packaging is a significant consumer of natural resources and energy, and a major source of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Half of U.S. printed paper and packaging, worth $11.4 billion, is landfilled or burned rather than recycled. Packaging debris migrates to oceans where it damages fisheries, tourism and marine life. The U.S. packaging recycling rate for aluminum is only 35%, for glass 33% and for plastic just 12%.

Discarded food service and product packaging is a source of waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a significant consumer of natural resources and energy, and implicated in the impairment and death of marine animals. More than half of U.S. product packaging is discarded rather than recycled. Only a negligible amount of food service packaging is recycled in the U.S. Just 12% of all plastic packaging is recycled. The value of wasted packaging is estimated at $11 billion annually.

BE IT RESOLVED: Shareowners of YUM! Brands request that the board of directors adopt a comprehensive recycling policy for on-site food and beverage packaging. The board shall prepare a report on the company’s plans to implement this policy by the end of 2016. The report, to be prepared at reasonable cost, may omit confidential information.