April 2021 was another month for the history books. It was a month which saw the passing of HRH Prince Philip, the trial of Derek Chauvin, the Leaders Summit on Climate – attended virtually by 40 world leaders – and, of course, all that an ongoing global pandemic entails. Brands also provided big news across April with Earth Day alone bringing stories ranging from Unilever’s laundry capsules made from industrial carbon emissions to Ikea’s £3.4billion investment in renewable energy. Elsewhere, Channel 4 introduced the world’s first pregnancy loss policy which includes paid leave, counselling and flexible working.
Continue reading to find out what big brand news stood out to us in April and sign up for our daily Whatsapp broadcast by texting ‘Purpose’ to 07367897583.
Morrisons & Co-op to remove plastic carrier bags from sale
In March, we put a spotlight on Tesco for its sustainability drive in launching nearly 200 soft recycling points. This month, Morrisons and Co-op have demonstrated further valuable action from supermarkets by removing plastic carrier bags – including plastic bags for life – from sale. Morrisons was the first supermarket to make this decision, leading to the removal of almost 100 million plastic bags and saving 3,200 tonnes of plastic a year. Co-op’s move will save another 870 tonnes of plastic each year. We’re looking forward to seeing whether other supermarkets will follow this trend.
Find out more about Morrisons here – https://bbc.in/3mvJDLs
more on Co-op here – https://bit.ly/3aOWBiE
Morrisons gives out free sanitary products to those in need if they ‘ask for Sandy’
Morrisons has had a busy April, featuring again in our standout stories for the month but this time for tackling period poverty in the UK. A discreet service (launched by local Morrisons staffers, apparently) allows those who are in need to obtain an envelope with free sanitary products if they simply ask for “Sandy”. Bloody Good Period, has highlighted an increase in period poverty since the start of the pandemic so we’re hopeful that this becomes an official store-wide initiative.
Read more here – https://bit.ly/2QO6Qg7
Sure introduces world’s first inclusive deodorant for people with disabilities
April also brought the launch of the world’s first inclusive deodorant by Sure. Sure Inclusive is specifically designed to make it more practical for use by people with visual impairments and upper limb motor disabilities. Its features include a braille label, a hooked design enabling easier single-handed use and a magnetic closure which makes the cap simpler to both remove and replace. With more than one in five Brits living with a disability, we hope more products will show an awareness of their needs.
Find out more here – https://bit.ly/3aQU07U
H&M launches suit rental service to help men on the job hunt
H&M has launched One/Second/Suit initiative to support men who do not have access to smart clothing when going to job interviews. The initiative allows customers to rent a suit for 24 hours for free when they have a scheduled interview, enabling them to make a strong first impression. The One/Second/Suit initiative has been launched at a crucial moment to boost confidence and aid prospects for people out of work.
Read more here – https://bit.ly/3sCQKmK