This months’ pick is a mixed bag of stories, some made national headlines while others flew slightly under the radar. We think both are worth a shout out for their lateral, inclusive thinking and genuine positive impact.
If you want to stay up to date on the biggest brand news, just text ‘purpose’ to 07367897583 to receive our daily WhatsApp broadcast.
John Lewis Partnership to offer paid leave to all foster carers
In May, John Lewis Partnership announced it would offer all new and existing foster carers additional paid leave as part of its wider programme designed to recognise and support people who have experience with care, Building Happier Futures. It’s good to see the programme, which included it’s latest Christmas ad featuring new foster carers, also providing a range of practical suppirt initiatives for employees.
Click here for more info – https://bit.ly/432MhfH
Mars bar wrappers changed from plastic to paper in UK trial
In a UK trial, Mars is switching plastic for recyclable packing for it’s iconic Mars Bar. Throughout May the bars were available in 500 Tesco stores. The chocolate company brought forward the trial to explore different types of packaging and how they would work in everyday life. It follows a similar move by Quality Street late last year, which replaced the traditional foil and plastic wrappers for recyclable paper. Let’s see if this one turns into a long term change.
Read more here – https://bit.ly/3BZH0tW
Dove partners with Superdrug and Beauty Banks to tackle hygiene poverty
Unilever is partnering with Superdrug and Beauty Banks to provide personal care products to people in the UK who are living in hygiene poverty. The campaign, which started in April, donates one Dove product to the campaign for every two purchased at Superdrug. This project comes after it was reported that in 2022, 3.2 million adults in the UK were affected by hygiene poverty because they couldn’t afford the products. Beauty Banks was launched by the journalist Sali Hughes, who has used her influence to tackle an issue that wasn’t widely recognised across the industry or by the public. The growth of the charity is a pretty inspirational story of using what power and influence you have for good.
Read more here – https://bit.ly/3Vxnkqh
Wahaca ditches all steak from its menu to improve carbon footprint
The month of May also saw Wahaca become one of the first major restaurant chains to stop serving steak to reduce its carbon footprint. The decision comes after the restaurant chain, owned by Thomasina Miers, started showing the carbon footprint for each dish. As a result, the worst offender, the chargrilled burrito steak got the chop. For now, the restaurant will still be serving some meat dishes like slow-cooked beef tacos, but with the positive publicity generated as a result of of the decision, it will be interesting to see if the Wahaca continues to make strides reducing the carbon impact of it’s menu, not just relying on customer choices.
Explore more here – https://bit.ly/3LjtQxr