Here are some of our highlights for the month of August, kicking off with a bold move from Ben and Jerry’s.
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Ben & Jerry’s hits out at Priti Patel over ‘inhuman’ treatment of migrants
In a rare case of brands challenging Governments, Ben & Jerry’s spoke out directly to Home Secretary Priti Patel about her department’s ‘inhuman’ treatment of migrants. The ice cream brand shared a series of messages, addressed to Priti stating that ‘people cannot be illegal’ and urged her to talk to expert organisations, including charity Refugee Action. The post was shared more than 6,000 times within four hours and many praised Ben & Jerry’s for speaking out and demanding equity, opportunity and justice for migrants (part of their Cone Together mission). Read more about their actions here – https://bit.ly/2DNodYn , https://benjerrys.co/2YPQJj9
Morrisons kickstarts UK supermarkets to ban plastic ‘bags for life’
In August, Morrisons announced plans to become the first UK supermarket to remove all plastic carrier bags at checkouts. The decision came after research revealed that reusable plastic bags were being thrown away after one use. The food retailer is running a trial throughout August and September, which will see sturdy, reusable paper bags offered at checkouts instead. Morrisons has announced that removing standard plastic bags for life across all stores would save 90 million from being used, and would remove 3,510 tonnes of plastic a year. Waitrose followed shortly after by banning all bags for life. Find out more about both initiatives here and shout out to our former colleague Sophie, ‘the face’ of the Morrisons campaign! – https://bit.ly/32dvPvB, https://bit.ly/3kUu9j0
Selfridges to offer clothing rental in environmental push
As the demand for ethical retail grows, Selfridges has launched ‘Project Earth’. The project will focus on three primary areas: addressing the materials used in products sold by the retailer, exploring retail models such as rental, repair and resale, and engaging with partners, brands and customers to encourage a shift in shopping behaviours. As part of this initiative, Selfridges announced last month that it will start offering clothing rental. Discover more about their announcements here – https://bit.ly/2YVJAOm , https://bit.ly/34PKNL2 , https://bbc.in/3kRC9kK
Kellogg’s donate food to fill the holiday gap
And finally, Kellogg’s announced it would donate one million servings of food to FareShare to help families who were struggling financially over the Summer holidays. Boxes of Kellogg’s cereal and cereal bars have been donated to FareShare and redistributed to over 100 frontline community groups in Manchester. The cereal will feed children who would usually rely on school breakfast clubs and free school meals during term time. Kellogg’s has supported school breakfast clubs for the past 22 years and extended its support to holiday projects in Manchester over the last six years. https://bit.ly/3adFky5