M&S announced the launch of its inaugural sustainability innovation challenge for start-ups on Tuesday, with the retailer saying it’s looking to work with tech-focused partners in its efforts to build a sustainable future and achieve its net zero by 2040 goal.
Alongside the innovation and investment firm True, M&S’s Ignite team says it’s looking for ideas and technologies that can encourage more sustainable behaviours amongst its customers, as well as solutions that can help M&S achieve further efficiencies in its agricultural supply chains.
M&S says the innovation challenge is the latest example of how it is taking action on the biggest sustainability challenges, including its focus on becoming a net zero scope 3 business.
Start-ups and scale-ups can apply to one or both of the two tasks: sustainable agriculture challenge and changing customer behaviours towards sustainability challenge. The supermarket chain says the top solution chosen for a proof of concept will be trialled across M&S, with scope for further rollout.
Head of Ignite programme at M&S, Stuart Ramage, said: “Calling all start-ups, we’re on the hunt for your latest innovation or technology, which will help us reduce our impact on tomorrow’s world.
“In return, we can turn an idea into reality and offer a trial backed by the scale of M&S as a global retailer, with support from our dedicated Ignite innovation team along the way. We’re really excited to hear all of your ideas as we continue to drive a culture of innovation across M&S.”
Arsenal players promote aluminium recycling with trick shot challenge
Arsenal defenders Rob Holding, Nuno Tavares, and Takehiro Tomiyasu perform drinks can-based trick shots to promote aluminium recycling in social media videos.
The defensive trio and football freestyle influencer Harriet Pavlou featured in a three-part trick shot challenge held at the club’s London Colney training ground with the videos now released on the club’s Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Arsenal says the series celebrates its partnership with the Ball Corporation which became an Official Partner of Arsenal in October 2020.
In the videos, Harriet Pavlou asks the Arsenal players to answer multiple choice recycling-based questions.
The winning player then gets the opportunity to be the first to attempt a series of trick-shot challenges inside the Hertfordshire Arsenal Training Centre.
Sustainability and Logistics Manager at Arsenal, Michael Lloyd, said: “We are committed to using the power and reach of Arsenal to inspire our global communities and push each other towards a more sustainable future.
“Together with our partners, we’ve already implemented a number of environmentally friendly practices across the club and we are delighted to work with Ball Corp to highlight the sustainable versatility of aluminium.”
ASOS launches second circular design collection and trial partnership with Thrift+
Online fashion retailer ASOS has launched its second circular design collection featuring over 40 pieces of clothing and accessories for the Spring/Summer season, alongside a trial partnership with resale service Thrift+.
ASOS says the new circular design collection includes over 40 products which meet ASOS’ circular design criteria and are all made from recycled, renewable, or innovative2 materials. The fashion retailer says this is a further step toward ASOS’ 2030 Fashion with Integrity strategy and its key pillars, including the goal to Be More Circular.
The online fashion retailer says each of the styles in the circular design collection meets ASOS’ circular design criteria, which is based on the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s vision for a circular fashion economy.
ASOS says that all products in the collection are made from recycled, renewable, or innovative materials.
ASOS says the trial partnership with clothing resale service, Thrift+, will allow customers to sell their old clothes to earn credit which they can spend on Thrift+, donate to charity, or redeem as ASOS vouchers.
Commercial Design and Visual Director at ASOS, Vanessa Spence, said: “To have a successful commercial future, the fashion industry needs to be both sustainable and circular.
“Of course, design is just one piece of the circular puzzle – and to be truly circular, products must pass through circular systems as well as meet our circular design criteria.
“While resale is just one such system, we’re proud to be launching a new trial in collaboration with Thrift+ today, to extend the life of products by enabling them to easily and conveniently be resold.”
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners launches its sustainability report 2021
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) says the report pulls out a number of milestone achievements for CCEP against its This is Forward sustainability strategy.
The report follows last month’s announcement of Coca-Cola Great Britain (CCGB) in partnership with CCEP’s introduction of new attached caps to its plastic bottles, which they say makes it easier to recycle the entire package and ensure no cap gets left behind.
CCEP says the report includes a suite of progress updates from the business across packaging, communities, people, water, supply chain and climate; and you can read the full report here.
The report says CCEP removed 232K tonnes of sugar from our soft drinks in Europe.
As part of the report, CCEP highlighted the increase in the amount of recycled plastic material in smaller bottles from 50% to 100%, which it says will help save more than 29,000 tonnes of ‘new’ non-recycled plastic across its operations in Great Britain every year.
The report also featured information on CCEP’s work in communities saying it supported more than 300 young people through the fourth iteration of ReachUp with UK Youth, which it says aims to empower young people with the confidence and skills to help them prepare for the workplace.
The report also says that CCEP replenished 3.7 billion litres of water in 2021 as a result of projects in partnership with WWF, The Rivers Trust and Norfolk Rivers Trust.
CCEP’s report highlights the company’s transition from gas to battery powered forklift trucks across its production facilities in GB, which it says will reduce CCEP carbon emissions in Great Britain by more than 1,500 tonnes each year.
Pet food supplier Purina launches its first “designed to be recyclable” pouch ranges in the UK
Purina says it’s rolling out the new mono-material pouches, which are “designed to be recyclable”, on two of its biggest brands: Felix and Gourmet.
The pet food supplier says the transition to the mon-material pouches for the Gourmet Mon Petit and Felix Soup ranges builds on Purina’s promise to introduce reusable or recyclable packaging by 2025
The pouches can withstand heating and sterilisation processes, replacing the non-recyclable, multi-layer alternatives of the past, Purina says.
Gourmet, the European super-premium wet cat food, will debut the new mono-material packaging with the relaunch of its Mon Petit range. Purina says the move builds on a successful year-long pilot study under the Felix brand in the Netherlands.
Purina says the new packaging will be introduced in more than 20 countries across Europe, including the UK, Ireland, Belgium, and Italy, and will be available in stores from mid-May.
