Featured Post from Scheller College of Business - Georgia Tech

Banning single use plastics – grasping at political straws or a realistic first step toward a healthier planet?

Jun 18, 2019

2 min



There’s no question about it – our planet has a problem with plastic. Though simple, cheap, convenient and often necessary, the reality is single use and non-reusable plastics like straws, plastic bags, wrapping and most containers are causing problems.


There’s no hiding or ignoring the evidence – plastic is everywhere from landfills, to our rivers and streams and even occupying its own land mass in the ocean.  


Recently Canada proposed a ban on single use plastics to come in to effect in 2021. The country joined the likes of France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and the European Union who are all implementing similar policies.


The United States, however – has not. Here are some facts from the Center for Biological Diversity.



There is no doubt plastic is a serious problem in America – but will the country join in?


  • What will it take from an industry point of view?
  • Will costs outweigh the benefit?
  • Is this a matter of regulation and do Americans have the appetite to make this a political issue?


There are a lot of questions and that’s where our experts can help.


Dr. Beril Toktay is Professor of Operations Management, Brady Family Chairholder and ADVANCE Professor at Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business. She’s the founding Faculty Director of the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business. She’s an expert in the areas of sustainable operations and supply chain management, with a special focus on the circular economy.  Beril is available to speak about this issue with media – simply click on her icon to arrange an interview.



You might also like...

Check out some other posts from Scheller College of Business - Georgia Tech

1 min

Privacy Issues in Using Facial Recognition Software by Law Enforcement

The Atlanta Police Department is just the latest in criminal investigation units  across the U.S. that have adopted facial recognition software to assist in police investigations. But privacy experts are cautiously watching the acceptance of this type of software for possible infringements of a citizen's privacy. The software uses a person’s photograph to search the internet including social media accounts for additional images of a suspect. The process is called “scraping” and Deven Desai, associate professor for law and ethics at Scheller College of Business at the Georgia Institute of Technology expresses concern over the use of the controversial technique, which is becoming more commonly used by hundreds of police departments across the U.S.  “The issue becomes one of what we like to call “technical accountability,” said Desai, who cites the reliability of the software, the privacy of citizens, and the length of time images are stored by the departments as just a few factors to consider. How long will a person's photograph be kept and for what means? These are just a few of the questions that continue to raise concerns among some experts who see this new technology as a potential for harm to the public at large. Before fully embracing facial software, the accountability for using this form of spying should be studied in more detail before the practice is adopted widely.

2 min

Changing Demographics Create Growing Rental Market Cites Scheller College of Business Professor Barry Branch

Professor Barry Branch, Ledbetter Professor of the Practice at Scheller College of Business was a featured author in the article “National Rent Report for January 2020 Shows Growing Number of Renters” in the online magazine RENTCafe. Branch discussesd national trends that are leading more young people to rent rather than purchase a single-family home. “Young professionals are increasingly attracted to multifamily projects near their jobs. These buildings are attractive if they offer cutting edge technology that enables residents to work from home; attractive amenities that provide a healthy lifestyle and greater interaction with others; proximity to a variety of retail, food and entertainment attractions as well as public greenspaces; a significant reduction in their reliance on automobiles and access to public transportation; and greater flexibility to adjust to job changes and changes in their personal circumstances,” he said. In the piece he acknowledges the stable economy but notes that increased uncertainty in national, political, and economic environments may lead many people to resist the commitment to purchase a home. However, Branch points to the possibility that a larger demand for rental units may provide less inventory and therefore, an increase in rent prices. He states that “an offsetting factor among renters is the current trend towards rapidly increasing rental rates in many markets, which threatens their ability to manage their cost of living.” To offset these adverse factors, he cites low-interest rates that will incentivize developers to build more units and government programs for creating affordable housing as just a few factors that will continue to keep the rental market thriving. Are you a journalist looking to know more about this topic? Then let our experts help. Barry Branch is Sr. Professor of the Practice of Real Estate Development at Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology. He is co-founder of The Branch-Shelton Company, LLC, a private investment management and financial advisory firm. Barry is available to speak with media regarding this important topic – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview.

2 min

Scheller College of Business Privacy Expert Peter Swire Summarizes Recent Privacy Ruling in Facebook Case

In the latest round of legal decisions on the enforcement of international privacy laws between the EU and the U.S., Peter Swire, professor of Law and Ethics at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, and associate director for Policy of the Georgia Tech Institute for Information Security and Privacy looks at how the EU may examine foreign intelligence surveillance in his article “Foreign Intelligence and Other Issues in the Initial Opinion in Schrems II” in Lawfare. The Schrems II case is the subject of the recent opinion from Advocate General (AG) Henrik Saugmandsgaard Øe before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). In the case, Austrian lawyer Max Schrems challenged Facebook’s ability to transfer personal data from the EU to the United States using the standard contractual clauses, which exist where a company such as Facebook follows EU-level privacy standards when private data is transferred outside of Europe. Schrems’s specific claim is that he cannot access any files that the National Security Agency (NSA) may have collected about him and lacks legal redress for any violation of his rights under EU law. Swire writes that the case examines the transfer of an individual’s personal data from the European Union to the United States using the standard contractual clauses and the Privacy Shield, which was negotiated in 2016 by the U.S. and the EU for privacy data transfers to the United States specifically. Facebook’s headquarters are in Ireland, and the Irish High Court ruled in favor of Schrems and certified 11 broad questions to the CJEU. The AG opinion published this week concerns this appeal in Schrems II from the Irish High Court.  If Schrems wins this appeal, then many flows of personal data from the EU to the U.S. may become illegal. Swire’s expertise in U.S. privacy laws is extensive. He is a sought after privacy expert and he has been highlighted in Bloomberg Law, Le Monde, LawFare  and numerous scholarly publications. He has appointments by courtesy with the College of Computing and School of Public Policy and is Senior Counsel with Alston & Bird, LLP. If you are a reporter covering this topic and would like to speak with Professor Swire – simply click on his icon to arrange an interview or email  media@scheller.gatech.edu.

View all posts
Powered by