January was a bumper month of responsible New Year’s resolutions for brands and consumers alike, with record sign ups for Veganuary and some major brands including Sainsbury’s and Microsoft commiting to Net Zero deadlines. Read on to discover some of our other January highlights or go one better and text ‘purpose’ to 07367897583, for your daily dose of goodness.
Quorn becomes the first major food firm to add CO2 labels to its products
To kickstart the year, Quorn announced that it will become the first major brand to add carbon labelling to its products. The new labels aim to help consumers understand the environmental impact of their shopping and will be rolled out on supermarket products from June this year. By the end of 2020, Quorn pledges to have the “farm to shop” carbon footprint data, certified by the Carbon Trust, displayed on their 30 best-selling products. The decision comes after recognising that 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food. Discover more here – http://bit.ly/2FykT0q
Colgate launches ‘first ever’ recyclable toothpaste tube
Straight on the back of the recyclable toothbrush last month, we’re giving Colgate a second shout-out for going all in to tackle the disaster that is bathroom plastics. This is the first recyclable toothpaste tube from a major brand. Most toothpaste tubes can’t be recycled through conventional means as they are made from aluminium sheets sandwiched between layers of mixed plastics. Smile for Good uses only high-density polyethylene which is 100% recyclable. The brand has also announced it will share its tube technology with competitors in a bid to help make recyclable tubes an industry standard. Read more about the new toothpaste here – http://bit.ly/30igFne
Lush launches Koala soap to raise money for the Bush Animal Fund
Before you go ahead and buy your usual hand soap, consider the koala. This is the latest product launch from Lush which aims to raise money to help animals and protect habitats affected by the Australian bushfires. The “All The Things Wild” soap is cut in the shape of a koala and contains natural ingredients such as eucalyptus oil and lemongrass. Each soap is £5, with all the proceeds forming the Bush Animal Fund. This fund is open to grassroots organisations supporting wildlife welfare and habitat restoration, who can apply for grants. Find out more here – http://bit.ly/36tuhh6
Asda introduces a new ‘sustainability store’, where shoppers can fill their own containers with products
Asda is taking another step to reduce plastic packaging, this time with the launch of a ‘sustainability store’ where shoppers can fill their own containers with products. From May, the Asda store in Leeds will have a section where you can refill packages with own-brand coffee, rice, and pasta, as well as Kellog’s cereals such as Coco Pops and Rice Krispies and PG Tips tea. This means that rather than buying a new container each time you run out of those essential items, you can just refill an old one or bring along a nice jar, tin, bucket – whatever you fancy. The store will also sell plastic-free flowers and loose vegetables free of plastic packaging, in further attempts to be more eco-conscious. Discover more here – http://bit.ly/2R0Fyku
ASOS launches online tool that shows clothes on different body types
This canny commercial move from ASOS is also a good step towards making fashion move inclusive. The retailer has launched a new augmented reality tool, “See My Fit”, that creates a simulated view of how the items will look on bodies of different shapes and sizes. To do this they have partnered with Israeli AR company Zeekit and are trialling 800 dresses online. Consumers will be able to see each of those dresses on a range of 16 models in sizes 4 to 18. Read more here – http://bit.ly/38hJbbk