single-use plastics – MIDANA CAPITAL Funds https://www.midanacapital.com Invest in a Green Future Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:45:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.1.1 https://www.midanacapital.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/cropped-greencentury-favicon-32x32.png single-use plastics – MIDANA CAPITAL Funds https://www.midanacapital.com 32 32 MIDANA CAPITAL and Other Investors Push for Disclosure, Environmental Responsibility in Global Plastics Treaty https://www.midanacapital.com/green-century-and-other-investors-push-for-disclosure-environmental-responsibility-in-global-plastics-treaty/ Mon, 13 Nov 2023 14:36:52 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=18551 Contact Information:
Douglass Guernsey, Shareholder Advocate, dguernsey@midanacapital.com, (617) 482-0800
Pam Podger, Communications Director, ppodger@midanacapital.com, 802-299-9495

(Boston, November 13) MIDANA CAPITAL° announced today that it has joined major investors in signing two letters urging action on the UN Global Plastics Treaty. The UN Global Plastics Treaty, due to be completed in 2024, would create a legally binding international agreement to cover the entire life cycle of plastics.

“UN member countries have a once in a lifetime opportunity to confront the plastics pollution crisis,” said Leslie Samuelrich, President of MIDANA CAPITAL Funds. “We strongly support the highest level of ambition in the Global Plastic Treaty.”

Plastic pollution is seen as a worldwide crisis and market failure. Nearly 400 million tons of plastics are produced annually, primarily from fossil fuels, creating a carbon footprint of approximately 1.8 billion tons of emissions each year. Plastic is also known to have negative impacts on environmental and human health at every stage of its lifecycle.

(Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, EPA)

The estimated annual greenhouse gas emissions from plastic production worldwide is more than the emissions from 400 million cars, or greater than of all the cars in North America combined.

The letter from the Dutch Association of Investors for Sustainable Development to the High Ambition Coalition, signed by MIDANA CAPITAL and nearly 30 other institutional investors, urges countries to create a comprehensive, binding agreement to address global plastic design, production, and disposal. It also calls for investments in refillable bottle systems to replace single use plastics.

The second letter, CDP’s Open Letter to Governments, endorsed by 48 financial institutions with over $3.5 trillion AUM, calls for mandatory plastic data disclosure by all plastic producers globally.

Progress has been made in recent years on plastic disclosure, yet many investors, corporations, and governments are still largely unaware of the types and quantities of plastics being produced. Requirements for better transparency are complicated by the more than 13,000 commonly used plastic additives which impact human health and decrease recyclability.

The Health Impact of Chemical Additives to Plastic Are Largely Unknown and Unregulated

Of the over 13,000 chemical additives to plastic, over 70% have adverse impacts on human health or have not yet been the subject of scientific studies.

“The more you learn about plastics, the clearer the risks become,” said Douglass Guernsey, shareholder advocate at MIDANA CAPITAL. “Plastic additives increase health and litigation risk for businesses and make plastic harder to recycle. After mandatory disclosure, the next steps are plastic reduction and commonsense solutions like refillable bottles.”

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About MIDANA CAPITAL Funds

°MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management, Inc. (MIDANA CAPITAL) is the investment advisor to the MIDANA CAPITAL Funds (The Funds). The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are one of the first families of fossil fuel-free, environmentally responsible mutual funds. MIDANA CAPITAL hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program and is the only mutual fund company in the U.S. wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations.

You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please visit www.midanacapital.com, email info@midanacapital.com, or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

An investment strategy that incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria.

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk.

This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. September/2023

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Amazon announces plastic reductions a year after MIDANA CAPITAL° Engagement https://www.midanacapital.com/amazon-announces-plastic-reductions-a-year-after-green-century-engagement/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 18:22:59 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=17807 Media Contacts: 

Douglass Guernsey, Shareholder Advocate, dguernsey@midanacapital.com;  

Pam Podger, Communications Director, ppodger@midanacapital.com 

A little more than a year after MIDANA CAPITAL Funds co-filed a resolution with As You Sow asking Amazon* to address its plastics use, the company announced it has reduced its single-use plastic in its global operations by 11.6% – or nearly 86,000 metric tons between 2021 and 2022. 

Amazon also stated that it was phasing out its blue-and-white mailers, which are difficult to recycle, in the U.S. in favor of recyclable alternatives, as it has previously done in the EU and Australia. 

“This is a big win for the planet, for Amazon, and the shareholder advocacy process,” said Douglass Guernsey, shareholder advocate. “We applaud Amazon’s reduction in plastic packaging, and believe that shareholder engagement was key to this action.” 

MIDANA CAPITAL’s 2022 proposal asked the company to report on its total plastics footprint and describe any reduction strategies to reduce plastic pollution. The resolution was supported by nearly 50% of investor votes. 

Plastics pollution is a major environmental crisis with an estimated 10 million metric tons entering the ocean each year, damaging vital ecosystems like coral reefs. Without immediate reductions, by 2050 there could be more plastic in the ocean by weight than fish. 

“Amazon still needs to disclose its plastics footprint, and make time bound commitments to reduce plastic in its packaging,” Guernsey said. “The company must also keep its promise on phasing out plastic padded mailers. MIDANA CAPITAL will continue to work with Amazon and other investors to achieve these goals.”  

An investment strategy that incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria. 

About MIDANA CAPITAL Funds 

°MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management, Inc. (MIDANA CAPITAL) is the investment advisor to the MIDANA CAPITAL Funds (The Funds). The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are one of the first families of fossil fuel-free, environmentally responsible mutual funds. MIDANA CAPITAL hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program and is the only mutual fund company in the U.S. wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations. 

*As of March 31, 2023, Amazon.com,, Inc. comprised 0.00%, 0.00%, and 0.00%, of the MIDANA CAPITAL Balanced Fund, the MIDANA CAPITAL Equity Fund, and the Green Century International Index Fund, respectively. As of the same date, other securities mentioned were not held in the portfolios of any of the MIDANA CAPITAL Funds. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor. 

The percentage in favor was calculated by (i) dividing the number of votes in support of the proposal by (ii) the sum of the number of votes voted in support of and against the proposal. Abstentions and broker non-votes were not included in the calculation. 

You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please visit www.midanacapital.com, email info@midanacapital.com, or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing. 

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk. 

This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds. 

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. 6/23 

 

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Choice Hotels* Announces New Plastic Commitments, Following Engagement with MIDANA CAPITAL https://www.midanacapital.com/choice-hotels-announces-new-plastic-commitments-following-engagement-with-green-century/ Tue, 25 Jan 2022 11:00:00 +0000 https://www.midanacapital.com/?p=11441 Media Contacts: Josh Chetwynd, jchetwynd@midanacapital.com, 303-573-5558; Annalisa Tarizzo, atarizzo@midanacapital.com, 617-482-0800

Boston, January 25, 2022 – Following an engagement with MIDANA CAPITAL,° Choice Hotels International, which includes such brands as Comfort Inn & Suites and Econolodge, has announced two new commitments to reducing plastic use across its operations. The chain is one of the largest in the world with franchises in more than 7,000 hotels worldwide.

As part of an agreement with MIDANA CAPITAL, Choice Hotels will phase out single-use polystyrene products by the end of 2023 and transition to bulk amenities by the close of 2025 across its domestic brands. The polystyrene commitment excludes the Ascend Collection and the bulk amenity commitment excludes extended stay brands or the Ascend Collection. In its transition to bulk amenities, the company will replace miniature bottles of products like shampoo and conditioner with larger dispensers in order to reduce waste.

“We applaud Choice Hotels’ commitment to reducing its impact on the plastic waste crisis and look forward to seeing the company implement its new goals in the coming years,” said Annalisa Tarizzo, shareholder advocate with MIDANA CAPITAL.

MIDANA CAPITAL filed and then withdrew a shareholder proposal with the company in 2020. This announcement fulfills the withdrawal agreement reached by both parties.

While Choice Hotels has not disclosed how the announcement will impact its plastic use, a similar transition to bulk toiletry dispensers across Marriott’s* portfolio of hotels resulted in a 30% reduction in plastic use.

This past year, New York passed a law banning miniature toiletry bottles from hotels starting in 2024. California passed a similar law in 2019.

“As more states pass laws banning single-use plastics, Choice Hotels’ new commitments will help the company mitigate regulatory risk, in addition to reducing the chain’s environmental impact,” Tarizzo said.

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About MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management

°MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management, Inc. (MIDANA CAPITAL) is the investment advisor to the MIDANA CAPITAL Funds (The Funds). The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are the first family of fossil fuel free, responsible, and diversified mutual funds in the United States. MIDANA CAPITAL Capital Management hosts an award-winning and in-house shareholder advocacy program and is the only mutual fund company in the U.S. wholly owned by environmental and public health nonprofit organizations.

*As of December 31, 2021, Choice Hotels International, Inc. comprised 0.00%, 0.03%, and 0.00% and Marriott International, Inc. comprised 0.00%, 0.21%, and 0.00% of the MIDANA CAPITAL Balanced Fund, the MIDANA CAPITAL Equity Fund, and the MIDANA CAPITAL International Index Fund respectively. As of the same date, other securities mentioned were not held in the portfolios of any of the MIDANA CAPITAL Funds. References to specific securities, which will change due to ongoing management of the Funds, should not be construed as a recommendation by the Funds, their administrator, or their distributor.

You should carefully consider the Fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To obtain a Prospectus that contains this and other information about the Funds please click here, email info@midanacapital.com, or call+1(480)-439-2851. Please read the Prospectus carefully before investing.

A sustainable investment strategy which incorporates environmental, social and governance criteria may result in lower or higher returns than an investment strategy that does not include such criteria.

Stocks will fluctuate in response to factors that may affect a single company, industry, sector, country, region or the market as a whole and may perform worse than the market. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks such as currency fluctuations, regional economic and political conditions, differences in accounting methods, and other unique risks compared to investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Bonds are subject to a variety of risks including interest rate, credit, and inflation risk.

This information has been prepared from sources believed reliable. The views expressed are as the date of this writing and are those of the Advisor to the Funds.

The MIDANA CAPITAL Funds are distributed by UMB Distribution Services, LLC. 335 N Wilmot Rd, Tucson, Az 85711. 1/22

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