A team of three first year Durham University students has been crowned champions of Unilever’s Sustainable Business Challenge, a competition open to all current UK and Ireland university students in order to engage the next generation of business leaders in
South African vegetarian food producer, Fry’s Vegetarian, has switched from sourcing palm oil to sunflower oil in a bid to enhance its environmental credentials. Founder Tammy Fry said: “We were buying sustainable palm oil and the sustainability has come under
Tesco has expanded its online hub, which encourages suppliers to collaborate on reducing their carbon emissions. The ‘Knowledge Hub’, which is managed by 2degrees is now claimed to be the world’s largest ever on-line collaboration between retail suppliers. The Tesco
Swedish fashion retailer H&M has published its 2011 Conscious Actions Sustainability Report, marking 10 years of sustainability reporting at H&M. Highlights from the report are: More than 442 000 workers in Bangladesh have been trained on their rights by H&M since 2008
Danone reports it has reduced its carbon footprint by 22% since 2008 and is on target to achieve its four-year goal of a 30% reduction by 2012 by integrating measurements within its IT systems. Danone has teamed up with SAP
Erlenbacher, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of premium frozen cakes and desserts for the food service industry, reports it is working to make its business more sustainable. The company has teamed up with the German Centre for Sustainable Corporate Management
Leading food and grocery companies have removed 204m heavy goods vehicle (HGV) miles from the UK’s roads, according to new data published by the IGD. The equivalent of around 3,500 lorries have been taken out of the transport system as
Asda has launched an online hub for its meat, produce and bakery suppliers to collaborate on improving their water, energy and waste efficiency. Working with the online community of sustainability experts, 2degrees, Asda has set up the The Asda Sustain
Waitrose is to open a biomass energy centre at its new Bracknell store, which it claims will reduce carbon emissions by more than 1,000 tonnes a year. MITIE, the strategic outsourcing and energy services company, has started work on the
The Carbon Trust Advice Line has launched a guide, which sets out how a range of industrial, commercial and public sector organisations can cut their energy bills by rolling out an effective energy management strategy. Working with companies on good
Verbatim has added five products to its range of energy-friendly LED lamps. The new lamps are targeted at retail shop environments and are reported to offer a typical operating life of 25,000 hours, or around 25 times that of conventional
Pets Corner is installing LED lighting in all new and existing stores in the UK. The company currently operates 63 stores based in garden centres and supermarkets plus company-owned sites and is targeting 200 stores with up to 15 store
Green chef and eco-entrepreneur, Arthur Potts Dawson, has teamed up with the utility company, Good Energy, to produce a kitchen guide, featuring energy efficient cooking tips and recipes. According to the guide, the kitchen accounts for over a third of
The Midlands Co-operative Society is claiming an industry first by diverting all food waste and packaging at its 172 food stores from landfill. The retailer piloted a landfill-free total waste solution at six Midlands Co-operative stores in April 2010, using
Tesco has created an online hub for its suppliers to collaborate on reducing their carbon emissions as part of its target to reduce its supply chain carbon footprint by 30% by 2020. Working with an online community of sustainability professionals,
Sustain Lincolnshire, a programme led by Lincolnshire County Council, which aims to help local businesses become more competitive and reduce their carbon footprints, has developed a 10 Quick Wins plan for food and drink manufacturers looking to cut back on
The Co-operative Group is set to reduce the packaging of its own-brand cordial range by around 40% by moving from ordinary to double concentrate squash. According to the retailer, the move will not affect the taste or quality of the
Convenience store refrigeration specialist DCI Refrigeration has launched a test plant and training facility for the greener refrigerant, CO2. DCI has invested over £100,000 in the new facility, which combines a live convenience store and plant room plus a training
The Co-operative Group has been named the UK’s most responsible retailer for the fourth year running at the Oracle Retail Week Awards 2011. The judges were impressed by the depth of retailer’s commitment to being a responsible business and the
The Energy Saving Trust is hosting a free event on engaging the public in energy efficient initiatives at the Commonwealth Club in London on 30 March 2011. The Selling Green: Delivering what you promise follows the publication of Home Economics,
The Co-operative Group is launching a three-year corporate ethical plan, which it claims will spearhead its membership drive from 6m to 20m members by 2020 and help build a more sustainable economy. It includes operational carbon reduction targets, which it
Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy has called on governments around the world to work with private companies to ensure innovation in low-carbon growth is not hindered by red tape. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Sir Terry
Butcher’s Pet Care (BPC), a leading UK family owned pet food business, has opened a new manufacturing and distribution facility in the Midlands, which incorporates sustainable design features. The site has been developed in partnership with Gazeley, a global provider
Sustainability is the biggest challenge for Nestle, according to its CEO Paul Grimwood. Speaking at the 2010 IGD Convention this week, Grimwood highlighted dramatic climate and population change forecasts and water scarcity. Grimwood revealed calls to its business relating to
Roger Burnley, Sainsbury’s retail & logistics director, revealed the retailer’s latest environmental initiatives at the 2010 IGD Convention. They included packaging developments; logistical savings; a reduction in food waste; energy efficiencies at store level; plus Make the Difference Days, where
