Apply for the working group revising FSC’s complaints and appeals procedures

Since 2009, Best Buy has voluntarily operated the most comprehensive e-waste recycling service in the United States. We remain an industry leader and the only national retailer to provide this service. We are fully committed to being a convenient local resource for people to safely dispose of their consumer electronics and appliances. From time to time, though, we will make changes to ensure the service itself is sustainable, including charging fees to recycle certain products for which recycling costs have risen sharply. And we will continue to work closely with the consumer electronics industry to develop more and better recycling options. Our goal has always been to simply break even on our recycling program, and we’re not there today. The new fees will help cover the increasing cost of managing TV and monitor disposal through our network of stores, distribution centers and recycling partners. E-waste volume is rising, commodity prices are falling and global outlets for recycled glass, a key component of TVs and monitors, have dramatically declined. More and more cities and counties have cut their recycling programs for budget reasons, limiting consumer options even further. While providing recycling solutions for our customers is a priority, Best Buy should not be the sole e-cycling provider in any given area, nor should we assume the entire cost.

Derik Frederiksen has been selected as the president of Forest Stewardship Council US, concluding an extensive national search process conducted by executive search firm Odgers Berndtson on behalf of the FSC US Board of Directors. An Alaska Native from the Tsm'syen Nation of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia, Derik brings to the role decades of business experience, a deep commitment to forest conservation and a lifelong passion for helping advance Indigenous culture to protect ancestral homelands. “As we got to know Derik, we were so impressed by the way he has tied together commitments to forests and people throughout his career,” said Sarah Billig, FSC US board co-chair. “Coupled with his business experience at Sealaska, Derik’s vision and demonstrated ability to successfully grow organizations is the right fit for a moment when FSC is presented with so much opportunity.” Derik has spent much of his career at Sealaska, the Native Corporation for Southeast Alaska. He founded Sealaska Environmental Services, growing the organization over 11 years to 110 employees with contracts valued at more than $1.3 billion. Most recently, Derik served as Sealaska’s vice president, leading corporate communications, shareholder services and education, and workforce development. During this time, Derik helped develop a 165,000-acre forest carbon bank that generated 9.3 million tons of carbon credits.

AptarGroup, Inc. released its 2023 Corporate Sustainability / Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Report entitled Progress Takes Shape. Aptar’s report highlights key milestones of its global sustainability strategy across the company’s global operations focused on three key pillars: *Care – operating with care for employees, communities and the environment by continuously improving our impact and reducing our footprint; *Collaboration – innovating alongside customers, suppliers, industry coalitions and nonprofits to enable progress toward their goals – as well as for better outcomes for people and our planet; and *Circularity – helping the industry advance system-scale change that will benefit people today and for generations to come by addressing climate change and the waste crisis. “Our keen focus on ESG, both in the way we run our business and in the solutions we provide, affords us a strong competitive advantage. Our solid ESG credentials and reputation serve as powerful assets. We are a company that stakeholders want to engage with, and our employees are proud to work for,” said Stephan B. Tanda, Aptar President and CEO.