Business & Industry
Sustainable Living Q1 2023
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The effects of air pollution and how to improve air quality at schools
Air quality at schools affects not only the environment but the health of students and teachers. Poor air quality can lead to health problems such as asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Air quality at schools is a serious issue. Poor air quality can cause a range of health issues, such as asthma, allergies and other...
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How single-use packaging will actually unlock the circular economy
Science has spoken. There is no ‘one size fits all’ for all packaging requirements. Reuse is not better just because it ‘feels’ better. In January 2021, the European Paper Packaging Alliance (EPPA) appointed Ramboll to conduct a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study between a paperboard single-use dishes system and equivalent multiple-use dishes in Quick...
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To effectively scale a circular economy, we need to redesign ‘design’
Our current economic model, built on a broken linear system, doesn’t work — not for people, not for businesses and certainly not for nature. Tackling the interconnected challenges of the climate crisis and biodiversity loss is more urgent than ever. The good news? Momentum towards a circular economy — eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products...
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Reusable packaging contributes positively to achieving a circular economy
Reusable and refillable packaging has the potential for significant environmental benefits. However, we must ensure these solutions do not lead to unintended harm. In the waste hierarchy, which ranks waste management options based on what is best for the environment, reusable packaging is the second-best option — after prevention — in terms of its environmental...
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How UK savers can assess their investments to better align with their values
Consumers in the UK have begun to look more closely at where their investments are going and what impact their money is having. In August last year, Ipsos MORI asked voters to identify the most important issue facing Britain, and 23% of respondents said pollution and the environment. UK consumers have begun to look more...
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Redesigning our food system can allow nature to thrive
A circular economy for food could safeguard production without degrading our natural resources. Within the hills of South Devon countryside, volunteers at Riverford’s Wash Farm have been planting 600 metres of new hedges. Once fully grown, these lines of native hawthorn, blackthorn and dog rose will act as a windbreak to protect new walnut trees...
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Embrace reuse consumption for modern times and reduce plastic pollution
The proliferation of plastic pollution is harming our planet, people and economies. Half of global plastic production is for single-use, and in a business-as-usual scenario, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050. Currently, 14% of plastics globally are collected for recycling, with only 2% considered closed-loop recycling. Production of...
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Sustainability certification is the first step on a business’s path to net zero
Businesses increasingly understand that sustainability certification can drive brand value and put them on the path to net zero. Some companies may have thought of third-party sustainability certification as a tick box exercise: something they needed to pay lip service to society. Those days are long gone, says Jonathan Withey, Director of Transformation and ESG...
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Clearing the air on environmental claims: what to look for and what to avoid
As consumers become more conscious of their carbon footprint, it’s important to understand the terms, claims and labels that will help us purchase from brands taking genuine climate action. According to a consumer survey undertaken by YouGov in the US and Europe, two out of three consumers are more positive about brands that take concrete...
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Why impact investing can be a financial win — and the right thing to do
Impact investing is a way to flow capital towards underserved environmental and social issues, says Ben Constable-Maxwell, Head of Impact Investing, M&G. How is impact investing different from other types of sustainable and responsible investing? Sustainable and responsible investors primarily seek good financial returns, but they also avoid ‘bad actors’ or invest in companies that...