Weleda praised for sustainability efforts in new report

A new report shining a light on initiatives inspiring and influencing consumer attitudes towards biodiversity and sustainability has singled Weleda out for praise.

The Positive Luxury Predictions Report 2020 explores the loss of biodiversity, with input from thought leaders and case studies on sustainability in the luxury industry.

Weleda’s new YOU ARE NATURE campaign is highlighted as an example of how a beauty brand can connect with the consumer to inspire change. Weleda also features in a further three-page Q&A interview with Ann Driessens, the company’s Head of Global Marketing, about Weleda’s new UEBT Sourcing with Respect certification and its significance for both consumer and company.

“As a brand, Weleda wants to reconnect people with nature and celebrate that we too are nature. Those values have never been as relevant to consumers as in today’s world where we are most of the time disconnected from nature,” Driessens commented.

The new 78-page report was launched at Davos at the World Economic Forum annual meeting, Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.

Positive Luxury is the organisation behind the Butterfly Mark, awarded to luxury brands and businesses in recognition of their commitment to creating a positive impact on both people and planet.

In other Weleda news, the company is championing the protection of orangutans threatened with extinction. In order to help these primates and to protect local biodiversity, Weleda is joining forces with the non-profit organisaton, Borneo Orangutan Survival (BOS). The project will run for 20 months initially, supported by Weleda with a contribution of 100,000 Euros. An important aspect both for BOS and Weleda is to take account of and to support all aspects of sustainability (ecological, social and economic) with this aid project in the Mawas area.

The focal point for the BOS and Weleda project is the village of Mantangai Hulu, with around 2,000 inhabitants, south of Mawas. Plans are drawn up to enable the population to develop sustainable sources of income so that the local community can live and work in harmony with nature in an economically and legally secure manner.

As well as being a member of the RSPO, Weleda is also a member of the Forum for Sustainable Palm Oil (FONAP), an association established in 2013 to raise certification standards for sustainable palm oil still further. As of 2015, Weleda has taken a very active role in the FONAP Steering Committee.

Vegan pizza brand adds gluten free to credentials

One Planet Pizza has announced the launch of its heavily anticipated Gluten Free Three Cheezly Margherita.

The multi-award winning vegan frozen pizza company has used its new gluten free base, melty vegan cheese topping, alongside the classic homemade pizza sauce and buffalo tomatoes to create the new addition.

After months of searching for the ultimate gluten free recipe, One Planet Pizza is certain that free from customers will be delighted with the high quality, fluffy textured base the team has managed to secure. They worked with free from experts from Lab Pizza, which created a hand-stretched, artisan base.

One Planet Pizza co-founder, Joe Hill, half of the father and son team behind the Norwich-based vegan brand, commented: “We truly care about our customers and see them more as part of our team, that’s why we’ve always wanted to create a free from pizza, to make sure that nobody has to miss out on some seriously cheezy goodness! We’ve been working behind the scenes for some time now (as you could tell from following our socials) and we’re incredibly excited for everyone to taste this new pizza, which is an absolute game changer – you won’t believe it’s gluten-free!”

Bira launches hub to support independents through Coronavirus crisis

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has announced the launch of a new hub dedicated to supporting businesses through the Coronavirus pandemic.

The hub, which can be found at www.bira.co.uk/coronavirus, is designed to guide members and the wider retail community through the crisis, acting as a one-stop shop featuring a wealth of information and advice. It is being updated every day, throughout the day. Information on the hub includes:

• The list of businesses still allowed to trade, and those being asked to close.
• How and where to access emergency Government support, including the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans.
• Details of local authority support.
• Employee/employer guidance including details on sick pay allowance.
• The latest legislation with regards to ‘relaxed’ trading

There are also guides to wellbeing, as well inspirational stories of what our members are doing to adapt to the current situation.

Andrew Goodacre, Bira’s CEO, commented: “Everyone at Bira has been working hard to ensure that our members and the wider retail community receive the support they need at this time. Our focus has been to provide accurate guidance based on information we have received for the various government departments. The dedicated hub on our website will updated on a regular basis.”

Campaigners welcome Sainsbury’s pledge to be net zero in 20 years

Friends of the Earth has described news that Sainsbury’s plans to become net zero by 2040 as encouraging.

The supermarket giant announced that its business and operations will become net zero in line with the goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, the highest ambition of the Paris Agreement. It will focus on reducing carbon emissions, food waste, plastic packaging, water usage and increasing recycling, biodiversity and healthy and sustainable eating. In its statement, Sainsbury’s added that it will work collaboratively with suppliers and ask for their own carbon reduction commitments. It says it has committed to investing £1bn over 20 years towards becoming a net zero business across its own operations by 2040, aligned to the highest ambitions of the Paris Climate Change Agreement and a decade ahead of the UK Government’s own target. The retailer will work with the Carbon Trust to assess emissions and set science-based targets for reduction, publicly reporting on progress every six months.

Mike Coupe, CEO of Sainsbury’s, commented: “We have over 27m customers each week and almost 180,000 colleagues and we hope that we can collaborate across industries and sectors to help create momentum and drive meaningful change. Only when the trajectory for global warming slows to a maximum of 1.5 degrees will we all know that we can truly live well for less now and in the future.” Commenting on the news, Friends of the Earth’s Head of Policy, Mike Childs, commented: “It’s encouraging to see Sainsbury’s stepping up to the plate on the climate emergency – the rapid transition to a net zero economy is urgently required. Supermarkets have a huge influence on our personal carbon footprints, so the more they can do to embrace and encourage greener lifestyles, the better for us all. Encouraging and supporting the switch to a more plant-based diet is particularly important – eating less, but better quality, meat and dairy would be healthier for people and the planet.”

He continued: “The influence supermarket chains have over suppliers is also huge – they must use that to encourage better environmental standards while ensuring a fair deal for farmers.”

Suma unveils greener packaging for Ecoleaf brand

Ecoleaf by Suma has undergone a makeover to now boast a cleaner look and greener packaging.

The leading supplier of vegetarian and sustainable products has announced that the range’s bottles will now be made of post-consumer recycled packaging (PCR) – plastic that has previously been used in a product that is then reprocessed and remade into something new. Products made from post-consumer plastic close the loop, diverting plastic from landfill and allowing it to be recycled into something else.

Ecoleaf’s paper products will be wrapped in paper, which is 100 per cent recyclable, and offers an alternative to brands which wrap their toilet and kitchen rolls in plastic. The outer packaging will also be 100 per cent home copostable.

All Ecoleaf by Suma cleaning products are made in the UK, vegan and never tested on animals, plant-based, biodegradable and made using non-hazardous ingredients.