Retail Merchandiser

This retail association’s second annual “green” conference promises to pack an even bigger punch by centering on specific issues retailers can use to make their businesses more environmentally sustainable.

As Retail Industry Leader’s Association (RILA) prepares for its second annual Environmental Sustain-ability and Compliance Conference, Casey Chroust, executive vice president of retail operations, is excited to put the conference’s new plan into action.

“Our objective is for every attendee to leave this conference with real solutions they can put into practice when they get home,” said Chroust.

After a successful gathering of “green” retail leaders at last year’s conference, this year’s sessions will dig into specific issues affecting retailers while covering retail sustainability from a 30,000-foot view, ensuring retailers, suppliers, and manufacturers find something they can use.

“For this year’s conference, we will have tracks that center around compliance, energy, external communications, product stewardship, and water management,” said Chroust. “We want to put an offering on the table that is comprehensive and strategic yet offers enough deep dives to cover sustainability and compliance issues in depth.”

In addition to several general sessions, the Environmental Sustainability and Compliance Conference will offer a series of in-depth breakout sessions. Led by industry experts, the breakout sessions will cover topics such as best practices, product stewardship, greenhouse gas regulations, energy management, water conservation, state energy programs and green tax incentives, and new strategies to educate consumers. Each of the tracks will follow the same model.

What makes RILA’s conference unique is the way in which it is developed and its direction decided. Rather than relying on inhouse experts alone, the conference planning committee comprises leading sustainability and compliance executives across the retail industry that are committed to not only developing the content, but also selecting the speakers that will present at the conference.

By approaching the conference (which last year included more than 300 retailers, consumer product manufacturers, and environmentally-focused service suppliers) in this way, RILA ensures the event will live by the mantra of being for retailers by retailers. “We want this conference to be relevant and meaningful, and the committee ensures this is the case,” Chroust said. “These experts have their fingers on the pulse of the retail industry as it relates to environmental sustainability and compliance.”

Gaining green momentum

RILA is also leading the charge in promoting sustainability in retail. At the organization’s three-year strategic planning session in 2007, it developed the RILA Sustainability Initiative (RSI) to make a measurable impact in the retail community. Since its development, RSI has continued to gain momentum by adding new retailers to the initiative that identify and implement action-warranted projects that benefit their companies and the industry at large.

RSI’s newest project, currently in the pilot stage, was developed in partnership with the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and focuses on facilitating recycling in malls around America. “Right now, mall-based retailers do not have enough volume individually to drive recycling efforts and make them work,” said Chroust. “We are working with developers and mall landlords to offer recycling to all of their retail tenants, allowing our retailers to incorporate sustainable recycling practices into their store operations.”

One of the most important pieces retailers need to remember when dealing with any sustainability issue—and specifically recycling, energy efficiency, and waste reduction—is that there are often financial benefits. Chroust said the success of a recycling program comes down to efficient management and an ability to hone in on the value proposition inherent to recycling.

“Some of our lead retailer members are also industry leaders in recycling,” he said. “They have found a way to recycle so that it is not a cost center but rather a profit center for them. Our goal is to build a program that produces the same outcome.”

RILA acts as a facilitator in bringing together retailers to share ideas and create new ones, equipping those ready for action with the tools, resources, and thought leadership to execute their business plans in an environmentally friendly way. According to Chroust, with the leadership of RILA’s innovative members, RSI thrives as common ground for leaders in retail environmental sustainability. Additionally, Chroust applauded retailers for their individual efforts to identify sustainable objectives and opportunities that improve processes and operations overall.

Retailers sit at the top of the industry food chain and at the end of the industry supply chain. The decisions they make and the efforts they put forth have a ripple effect as retailers hold some of the best positions to influence the masses, not only consumers but also employees, business partners, manufacturers, and manufacturers’ employees. By working together and taking ideas back to their companies, retailers are setting the industry—and the planet—up for long-term success.

“Retailers can make a real-world difference by driving pragmatic and workable solutions into their organizations and supply chains,” said Chroust. “RILA helps to ensure great ideas and tangible results are coming from retailers. This is a team sport, and they can and are working together through RILA to affect change in the sustainability realm.”

To become an RSI member or to learn more, visit http://www.rila.org/sustainability/RSI/Pages/default.aspx O