APRIL 2016 WORKING GROUP UPDATES
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CONTENTS 
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Draft 2 Posting, Commenting, and Workshops
Draft 2 of Batch 12 Toolkits is scheduled to post on May 9 with the commenting period running through June 9. You should have received the invitations for the virtual workshops taking place the week of May 23. If not, contact Alli Chlapaty. 

Stop by the Draft 2 Drop-in Sessions during this week's Summit in Washington D.C. to get a preview of Draft 2 and provide early input.
 
Animal Welfare Toolkits Update
Due to the great interest and expanded scope for the Animal Welfare Toolkits in Batch 12, a pair of workshops has been scheduled on June 8 and 9th.  Draft 2 of these Toolkits will post on May 30, and we have planned for the standard four weeks of commenting (through July 1). 
 
Commodity Toolkits Update
Please note that the commodity Toolkits planned for Palm Oil and Rice have been integrated back into the existing Palm and Vegetable Oils (formerly Seed Oils) and Grains Toolkits, respectively. These Toolkits have been updated to reflect the new KPIs that were previously published in Draft 1. The Soy Toolkit will remain separate.
 
Social sustainability strategy meeting
The Social Sustainability Toolkit is being placed on hold due to low user interest and to allow staff to concentrate on the several other Batch 12 Toolkits under development.  We will instead convene members for a Social Sustainability Strategy meeting on May 31 to identify the activities and tools that maximize TSC impact on social sustainability. 

Batch 12 Production Timeline

R&D activity
Dates
Member Action
Call for literatureNov - Jan 18, 2016Submit scientific sources to TSC researchers. To get connected, email Alli Chlapaty.
Scope commenting
Jan 4 - 15Review and comment on scopes here.
Scope workshop
(virtual)		Jan 12Join via WebEx.
Draft 1 commenting
Feb 25 - Mar 25
Log into the Member Portal to review & comment.
Draft 1 workshopsWeek of Feb 29Join via WebEx. 
Draft 2 preview
(in-person)
April 21
Drop-in sessions occurring during the Summit on April 21. Learn more here.
Draft 2 commentingMay 9 - Jun 9Log into the Member Portal to review and comment.
Draft 2 workshop (virtual)Week of May 23Calendars will be sent mid-April
Quality AssuranceJuly 5 - Sept 29No action needed

Batch 12 Sustainability Toolkits

Product Category Toolkits:
  • Leather Goods (CFT)
  • Refrigerating appliances and washing appliances (Electronics)
  • Vitamins and supplements (FBA)
  • Disposable paper food and drink containers (PPF)
  • Laundry Detergent (HPC - change request)
Specialty Toolkits:
  • Animal-based food 
  • Animal welfare (extended timeline)
  • Complex foods and beverages 
  • Electronics 
  • General merchandise 
  • Generic product 
  • Generic service 
  • Paper and wood products 
  • Plant-based food 
  • Seafood
  • Soy
  • Textiles
Take Advantage of Your Membership!

Opportunities are available to use TSC Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and other tools. TSC KPIs are going beyond use by retailers. You can start measuring and assessing supplier sustainability performance in your supply chain today by scheduling a demonstration with TSC staff and the SAP Product Stewardship Network (PSN) team. 
 
Need help training your teams in preparation for upcoming sustainability assessments?  TSC staff is happy to host trainings for your teams to help you build capacity across your organization so that you can make progress in product sustainability.  

To learn more about setting up a demonstration of PSN or training for your team, contact Jessica Ginger.
Approved Provider Registry Steering Group

To help drive adoption of TSC tools, TSC is developing the Approved Providers Registry; a program to give customers and users access to high quality and reliable third party assistance. We are convening a Steering Group to provide guidance and review as we develop the program. The group's monthly meetings started on January 14 and will continue through May 2016.

To take part in this leadership opportunity, email Christopher Cooke or Sarah Lewis.
Common Chemical Criteria Task Force (CCCTF)

The Home and Personal Care Sector Working Group members will convene during TSC Summit on April 21 in Washington D.C. to discuss the Common Chemical Criteria Task Force (CCCTF).  In preparation for that meeting and in an effort to ensure ample opportunity to contribute to the framing and outcomes of the project, an email interview was sent in March to gather feedback on the goals and objectives of the project and to draft criteria to gain clarity on the potential deliverables of the project.  

During the in-person member meeting on April 21st, we will share the outcomes of that email interview and work towards building clarity on the goals and objectives of the project. Pre-read material will be sent ahead of the April 21st meeting. No webinar capabilities will be available, so we hope that you'll be able to attend in person!  

We will reconvene the full task force the week of May 9th to continue the discussion. 

We really appreciate your continued engagement in the Home and Personal Care Sector and in this special project that the sector has undertaken. 

For questions, please contact Chris Helt, Ph.D. or Sarah Lewis, Ph.D.
Cold Water Wash Initiative (CWWI)

The next Cold Water Wash Initiative meeting will be held during TSC Summit on April 21 in Washington D.C. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet CCL Brands, the firm selected for leading consumer message development to increase awareness of the benefits of using lower temperatures for clothes washing, and provide input on the preliminary ideas for the campaign. No webinar capabilities will be available, so we hope that you'll be able to attend in person!  

For questions, please contact Carole Mars, Ph.D.
TSC Field To Market Alignment 

TSC Field to Market Alignment task force met on March 24. Case studies from Unilever, General Mills, Kelloggs, Triple Bottom Line Commodities, Bayer Cropscience, Land O'Lakes, and Coca-Cola were presented.  The outcomes are helping to guide the harmonization efforts between TSC and Field to Market as well as inform the day-long agriculture metrics workshop TSC Summit on April 20 in Washington D.C. 

Members can view the case studies here and the March 24 meeting minutes here.

The next meeting date is TBD after TSC and Field to Market staff meet to review the case study outcomes in more detail.

TSC Summit Agriculture Metrics Workshop Follow-up
A follow-up discussion to share the outcomes and develop next steps from the workshop "How to get sustainability data flowing in agriculture supply chains" is planned for Tuesday, June 7 at 10am CST.  Mark your calendars!

For questions, please contact Christy Slay, Ph.D.

TSC Summit begins this Wednesday! If you will be joining us in Washington, D.C., 
we can't wait to see you there. Download the TSC Summit app to your phones for 
the latest summit and agenda updates. Be sure to tag your tweets from the summit with #TSCsmt.

If you are unable to join us, follow along with our summit live through our Twitter account and by following the summit hashtag #TSCsmt.

Thank you to our 2016 Summit sponsors! If you're interested in sponsoring other opportunities please contact Carolyn Baltz. There are multiple opportunities for event and project sponsorship.

Sustainable Brands '16 San Diego - Mobilize your brand to succeed in the 21st century economy. Discover how brands and business leaders are Activating Purpose with sustainability-led innovation that creates and scales positive impact. SB'16 San Diego, CA, June 6-9, 2016. Learn more!
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