There are few issues guaranteed to make environmentalists' blood boil quite like packaging and food waste. From single bananas in plastic wrapping to giant bags of produce that spoil within days, packaging and food waste remain one of the most visible symbols of resource inefficiency and a source of deep frustration for green campaigners and mainstream shoppers alike.

As private equity has expanded over the last 20 years, being able to make a profit from companies has become more difficult. Gone are the days when a good purchase price, a touch of financial engineering and finding a bigger buyer were all it took to make a profit.

A new survey by researchers at the University of Arkansas indicates that the healthcare industry's supply chain lags behind the retail industry supply chain and could benefit significantly from adopting several of retail's best practices.

DHL Supply Chain is constructing a state-of-the-art logistics center for the Tom Tailor Group in Hamburg. The two companies have been working together successfully since 2008 and are now looking to consolidate the partnership in the longer term.

Construction has begun on a three-year $1.6bn overhaul of the largest container port in Australia, with Victorian state government saying the work is necessary to avoid capacity constraints and adding that it will create around 1,100 jobs.

UHC announced that its member academic medical centers achieved record supply chain savings and value of $400m in 2012. The saving amount represents five percent of UHC members' record aggregated spend of $8.1bn and includes cash returns as well as operational savings.

Supply chain and logistics service provider ModusLink Global Solutions plans to move its operations in The Netherlands from Apeldoorn to a new location in Venray.

The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, have partnered once again to bring the retail real estate industry The University of Shopping Centers, on the campus of the Wharton School, March 4-6, 2013, in Philadelphia. The program will feature three new learning tracks, including the Executive track, taught by Wharton professors.