Today Indira will help us unpack that and generously shares her own (very informed) opinion on the matter.

> In Focus

Plastic vs. Glass Packaging: Material and Environmental Comparison

Let’s dive into the current heated debate on packaging: is plastic or glass the most suitable material in terms of sustainability, considering its weight and recyclability? What are the opportunities for glass, now that it has to pay higher overall EPR costs despite having a lower EPR price per tonne?

As a reminder: Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a policy approach designed to add the environmental and management cost of processing product waste into the product’s lifecycle, mainly by putting that cost on the producers.

As an advocate of reusable packaging, my preference will become pretty clear at the end. Of course, the ideal scenario is that we have the right infrastructure to support it, but we know it won't be an easy journey to get there. As you read, the suitability of both materials will always depend on the purpose as well as the existing infrastructure available to treat them, so there may be occasions when one material is better suited than the other.

First, let’s break down the differences between plastic and glass as materials

Glass is mainly made of silica, which is a natural substance (silica dioxide makes up 59% of the Earth’s crust) that is less likely to cause pollution compared to plastic. However, glass production requires very high temperatures, leading to higher CO2 emissions released during its manufacturing, which can be up to eight times more than those of plastic.

Glass is also referred to as a material that can be infinitely recycled, as the glass cullets can be melted down and used to produce more glass. The average glass recycling rate is 76% compared to 41% for plastic packaging. Similarly to the emissions produced during its production, the recycling of glass is also energy-intensive, as remelting glass to glass cullets requires high temperatures.

On the other hand, plastic is a material derived from natural gas, oil and coal. Plastics are made synthetically, meaning they are manufactured using chemicals. Molecules are chemically linked to form long chains known as polymers. The melting point of plastic depends on the type of plastic being used, but it is generally much lower compared to glass. They are also robust and can be used for a long time, and are lighter than glass, which leads to better fuel efficiency during transport. These reasons make plastic a more appealing material of choice for packaging.

Plastics are often linked with being easily recycled and that we have many recycling facilities for plastic. However, plastics can only be recycled once or twice, each time losing its structure, so they are downcycled into other materials. Only 9.5% of products are recovered for recycling, and we still face many issues with plastic being mismanaged, taking hundreds of years to decompose and releasing microplastics.

This then prompted brands and producers to use glass packaging for environmental reasons. Yet, economic pressure from regulations like the pEPR is increasing.

The impact of EPR

Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (pEPR) regulations aim to shift the financial burden of packaging waste management from local councils to producers. The fees are typically based on factors such as material type, recyclability, and especially weight, an approach that has direct implications for the glass vs. plastic comparison.

With the UK’s latest EPR scheme update just a couple of days ago, glass packaging will face a base fee of £192 per tonne, compared to £423 per tonne for plastic. At first glance, this suggests that plastic is more expensive. However, for the same volume and dimension, a plastic bottle may weigh only a few grams, whereas a glass bottle weighs hundreds of grams. This means producers that use glass will end up paying higher overall EPR costs.

Unfortunately, this can lead producers to revert to lighter, cheaper packaging. Plastic still remains the primary material for packaging despite the impacts discussed above. Some glass bottles used for beverages are considering switching to paper bottles. Returning to the caveat about the best material depending on its purpose, these alternatives often have limitations, as paper tends to absorb moisture and requires inner linings of plastic or foil, making them harder to recycle and unsuitable for long-term storage of liquids.

This, in theory, can lower their EPR fees due to the paper; however, with the ecomodulation rating of fees (adjusting fees based on the environmental impact of packaging), which will also be assessed based on their recyclability, it could then become more expensive. Even without the fees, the additional linings and configuration of the paper bottle innovation can potentially hinder the recycling process, making the packaging unrecyclable and therefore failing to meet environmental goals.

This is an opportunity for glass to step up the waste hierarchy chain, to reuse, as a long-term advantage.

The importance of context

The issue related to these materials often does not stem from the material itself, but rather from consumer behaviour that is so conveniently reliant on single-use items. Plastics are initially introduced because of their long-term durability but have been treated in a single-use manner, polluting the environment. But the way we have been using it is what is causing the problem.

Considering the emissions produced during the manufacturing of glass, which is designed to be durable enough for multiple reuse cycles, this presents an opportunity for glass to be reused to offset its initial energy and carbon footprint. Refillable and reuse systems (such as returnable beer bottles) allow a single glass container to be used repeatedly, significantly decreasing the environmental impact per use. Additionally, glass can often be largely exempt from EPR burden once it enters a documented reuse cycle, providing a strong financial incentive to invest in return systems and durable packaging design. Over time, this results in a cost advantage for glass that grows with each reuse, making it not just more sustainable but also more economically competitive in the long term.

Plastic, on the other hand, is not really designed for reuse. With each use or exposure to heat, plastic can degrade, releasing microplastics and chemical residues. While plastic may currently offer short-term savings, in the long run, the impacts will become more visible, making it more costly to use this material later on as the initially unseen effects start to emerge. Regulations shift to prioritise reusability and carbon accounting, and plastic-heavy brands will eventually face higher costs and limited compliance options; they will inevitably need to transition to more sustainable circular materials.

In conclusion…

The key criterion for packaging material is clear: it should be designed for reuse and made from durable materials. But as I hinted at the start, it depends on the specific application and purpose. You might consider biodegradable materials next, but is it truly sustainable given that we lack the necessary infrastructure to handle its end-of-life? Ah, another story for another time!

It’s a lot to consider, and the issue is still evolving. If you are a brand deciding between using plastic, glass, or other materials and would like to share your thoughts with us, please feel free to do so!

Leave a comment

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Launched with a mission to "clean up the way we clean up," Seep is challenging the status quo of everyday cleaning accessories. From home compostable sponges to plastic-free cloths and brushes, their products are not only designed to work brilliantly and look great on your sink side - they’re also made without plastic. At the heart of it all is a drive to reduce the environmental impact of an industry that sees Brits spend over £5 billion a year on products that often end up in landfill.

We chatted with Laura to learn more about her journey in founding the certified B Corp company, why she believes cleaning products are long overdue for a rethink, and how the brand is contributing to a cleaner future - one sponge at a time.

Read on for the full interview…

8 questions with Laura Harnett, Founder of Seep

Let’s start with the basics - why are non-plastic cleaning products better for us and our planet?

The materials in most plastic cleaning tools like sponges, cloths and brushes are made to last hundreds of years but we often throw them away after just a few weeks [as they disintegrate/get increasingly soiled]. That disconnect was always really jarring to me. These plastic cleaning tools don’t just sit in landfills or end up in incineration, they release microplastics each time they’re used that end up in our waterways, soil and even our bodies. At Seep, we’re focused on simple swaps that perform just as well as the traditional products (goodbye green and yellow plastic washing up sponge), but they don’t release microplastics. They’re designed with end-of-life in mind so that they can be endlessly recycled or composted and they’re designed to look great next to your sink.

You recently recertified as a B Corp - congrats! Was there anything you learnt from the process this time around?

Thank you. The first time you certify, it’s exciting. The second time, it’s more sobering - because you’re not starting from scratch, you’re being asked, “Have you improved?” especially while you’re trying to scale the business. This time around, it pushed us to think more deeply about our supply chain - not just in terms of materials, but the people behind them. It also made us think about how we were giving back to the community and country we all live in, beyond just selling products which is why we partnered with Foodcycle.

Can you take us behind the scenes of a product decision that didn’t make the cut - and what that taught you about staying true to your values?

We spent a really long time developing a cloth that was a great alternative to the commonly-used microfibre cloth which are all made of polyester. We wanted all-natural materials that performed just as well as microfibres and that were easily recycled. We really struggled to find one that hit the brief and were seriously tempted by a viscose (made of plant fibres) and bio-plastic blend that performed really well, was cost-effective and great for printing on. But we felt that it was a serious compromise. The addition of bioplastic makes it difficult to recycle compared to a pure blend and we felt it was greenwashing. It took us a further 12 months to launch our bamboo fibre cloth.

Your latest Impact Report leans into community and partnerships as much as data - what have you learnt about collaboration in sustainability, especially as a growing brand?

Collaboration is the only way this has worked for us. In the scheme of things, we’re still tiny - we couldn’t have gotten this far alone. We’ve teamed up with other brands, NGOs, suppliers, partners and customers who care right from the start and that’s what’s helped us to build momentum. The best part? It also feels less lonely. Sustainability work can be overwhelming and depressing. Challenges are often complicated to navigate to do the right thing and nearly always much more expensive, but shared knowledge and shared energy go a long way. We’ve learnt loads from other B Corps, and our customers who hold us to account. That push and pull makes us better.

Sustainability reporting can be quite technical - how do you keep your storytelling clear and relatable, especially for customers who aren’t deep in the climate space?

We talk like humans, one of our values is to be “straight up”. We speak to our community like we’re speaking to a friend over coffee and avoid corporate or technical speak wherever we can. We’re honest about where we’re making progress and where we’re stuck or have had to compromise. I think people respond to transparency and us explaining the rationale behind our decision-making. This often means us holding our hands up to say that we haven’t always got the perfect sustainable solution but it’s a better solution and we’ll hopefully get better over time. We’ve also realised that not everyone is that interested in climate and sustainability topics. They want to do the right thing for the planet, but they mostly want a great-looking product that really works. Our products then have the extra bonus that they’re plastic-free and thoughtfully produced.

⏲️Quickfire Round

• One sustainability myth you’d love to bust:
  That “eco” has to mean compromise [on price and quality]. If your sustainable choice doesn’t work - no one sticks with it. We put performance first, always and have recently got Good Housekeeping Institute approval on our best-selling sponge scourers which we’re really proud of.

• One tool or framework that helped shape your sustainability work:
  The B Impact Assessment. It’s rigorous, practical, and free. It’s like therapy for your business - uncomfortable, but necessary.

• A brand you admire right now:
  Wild. They’re a B Corp and have a genuinely more sustainable solution but have made a product that is really desirable and Insta-worthy across multiple generations. They’ve also shown that you can grow a sustainable brand really quickly even when up against the big boys like Unilever [NB: Unilever acquired Wild earlier this year]. Hats off to them, they have blazed a trail for the rest of us.

A huge thanks to Laura for her insights and time! Which brands would you like us to chat to next?

Looking to try some plastic-free cleaning products yourself? Seep has kindly gifted Following the Footprints readers with a 15% discount code* -FOOTPRINTS15

(*Disclaimer: This interview was not sponsored).

> The Good(s) News

🎯 Perfectfit, a 100% organic, super-soft, biodegradable bamboo pads from Bali, are now available to purchase to celebrate Plastic Free July in 99 Ranch Market stores in Indonesia. Their mission is to provide effective period care for women and to design products that takes care of the planet.

🎯 Trakke Ltd announced that they are now B Corp certified, continuing their commitment to ensure their sourcing of materials and where they make their products, to their REMADE and Lifetime Guarantee schemes.

🎯 The Happy Pear announced that they are now B Corp Certified, marking their milestones of over 20 years of journey trying to build a healthier, happier world through food, community, and connection.

🎯 Shellworks announced that they have developed the world’s first fully home-compostable pipette dropper for products in the beauty and wellness sectors. Its solution is to manufacture droppers with its Vivomer material, in which plants and other waste biomass are fermented into a ‘plastic-like’ material. Vivomer is believed to be free of plastics, petroleum, and toxic additives.

⭐️ Reckitt, GSK and EDEKA announced that they have joined a new initiative designed to accelerate the restoration and protection of the world’s freshwater ecosystems, providing a framework for businesses to reduce water-related risks, support restoration projects and align with national water strategies. The programme aims to restore 300,000 kilometres of degraded rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030.

⚡️Urban Ocean Network announced seven new city projects tackling plastic pollution and building urban resilience—from upstream strategies, such as behavior change and refill systems, to downstream solutions, including recycling infrastructure and the cleanup of polluted waterways, and more. This project is implemented in cities across Asia and Latin America, where Resilient Cities Network Ocean Conservancy and The Circulate Initiative jointly implement the programme.

Follow us on LinkedIn for a fresh digest of Good News every Friday. Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

We also deliver a mega-edition of our weekly Good(s) News, so you’re up-to-date on all things great across the climate x consumer goods industry.

Let’s dig in…

> In Focus

From Waste to Wonder: The Truth About Upcycled Ingredients

Recycled, upcycled, by-product — we’ve all encountered the terms at some point. If you’re anything like me however, even if you know they don’t quite mean the same thing, you struggle to put your finger on exactly what the differences are.

Deep down I know it wouldn’t be accurate to describe the leather in my leather jacket as “upcycled” but how would I describe it? And what do they mean when they talk about “upcycled pineapple leather”? Is that what my next leather jacket should be made of?

Defining upcycled (it's as tricky as you think)

Upcycled in particular is experiencing a real boom, but for consumer brands the line between genuine innovation and greenwashing has never been thinner. That’s why understand what we truly mean by upcycled matter.

Here are some key principles:

• An upcycled ingredient is derived from a material or product that would otherwise have gone to waste.

• Through that process, its value increases in such a way that the upcycled ingredient is worth more than the original material.

This distinguishes it from:

• By- and co-products in that the creation of the waste product was not intentional. Back to my leather jacket: it's not upcycled because both ingredients were intentionally created as part of the slaughter process. There was “certainty of use” when it came to the leather.

• A closed-loop recycling system (like aluminium) which aren't considered upcycling because no value is added compared to the original material.

Upcycled ingredients are the result of the creative transformation of waste products. When someone decided to explore using discarded pineapple fibers to create leather-like fabrics they were onto something. In the last couple of years, its market has been growing rapidly.

That's actually when it becomes tricky: the more established the upcycling process becomes, the less likely it's to still fall into the "upcycled" category.

Orange peels are a good example: orange peels from juice production used to be sent to landfills. In the late ‘90s essential oil extraction appeared as an upcycling innovation and essential oil made from orange peels became a popular upcycled ingredient. From the late 2000s, it had dedicated processing facilities and predictable supply chains integrated into juice production operations, achieving “certainty of use” and becoming a by-product of the juice industry.

When it comes to my leather jacket though, we can still talk about upcycled: to put it simply we’re not growing pineapples for their leaves yet. However as demand formalises and growers can increasingly predict the waste will be taken up its gets closer to gaining by-product status.

Is it such a bad thing? No, ultimately the normalisation of those processes is something we should all work towards. The more established these processes are, the easier it is to collect the waste which can heighten the environmental benefits of upcycled.

The environmental case for upcycled

When done well, upcycling can bring some tangible environmental benefits:

• Produce less waste — the waste is transformed into a marketable ingredient. It’s a virtuous circle too, the higher the value of the upcycled ingredient, the less incentive to waste and the increased incentive to create alternative routes.

• Carbon reduction gains — when organic matter goes to landfills, it releases potent greenhouse gases. Keeping these ingredients out of landfills means we're recycling the carbon they contain and reducing the greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere.

• Resource conservation — upcycled ingredients reduce the need to harvest and process fresh botanicals that are grown on land that could be put to much-needed food crop production.

• Economic benefit redistribution — this can represent additional income for farmers if they reap some of the economic benefits, whether value is created at source or redistributed.

But these benefits aren’t automatic, to ensure you’re not making empty upcycled claims, you'll need to dig a bit deeper into the supply chain.

Avoiding the greenwashing trap!

As a sustainability professional, before incorporating upcycled ingredients, ask suppliers these essential questions.

1. What was the primary reason for harvesting the raw material? Was it fully diverted from a waste stream, what percentage of it gets diverted today?

2. Through what processes was it transformed? Was an lifecycle assessment conducted to compare it to alternatives ?

3. Can you provide a complete supply chain map from source to my ingredient? Are there any audits or certifications in place at any stage?

4. How do you ensure consistent availability and quality from a waste stream?

You’ll want to publish some of your findings too, as a conscious shopper trying to decide whether I should get a pineapple leather jacket I look for some stats comparing its impact to other leather alternatives.

So how do you explain that choice to your shoppers? Consider answering these questions as you set off to draft your marketing copy:

• How established is it in the industry? If the practice is common be clear about it. Don't pretend you've saved it from landfill if that's not true. Use the term "byproduct" instead to avoid making it sound like you diverted waste.

• Tell the whole story and make sure you don't over-exaggerate the benefits of using that ingredient.

• Provide defensible evidence for sustainability claims: Make sure you can prove the source and supply chain.

• Finally, consider the concentration of the upcycled ingredient in your product — make sure you don't overstate the impact of the ingredient.

So about that upcycled pineapple leather jacket?

The upcycled ingredients story is compelling, but like many sustainability narratives, it requires careful navigation between genuine innovation and marketing opportunity.

The key lies not just in using these ingredients, but in understanding their true place in your supply chain story and deciding whether they are right for your brand, so I can decide whether it belongs in my wardrobe.

> Follow up with…

1. Brand doing it right: Patagonia

2. Brand doing it right: Rubies in the Rubble

3. To explore certification: Upcycled Food Association

> Last week in consumer goods x climate…

The Good(s) News

🎯 INKEY | B Corp released its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting key milestones such as achieving fully recyclable packaging with an average of 55% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and launching its first product in 100% PCR packaging. The B Corp-certified company also focused on reducing its carbon footprint by optimizing warehouse storage and transportation.

🎯 Flawsome! Drinks | B Corp™ has partnered with Change Please to stock nine wonky fruit drinks across ten London locations, combining efforts to tackle food waste, support farmers, and fight homelessness.

🎯 LIVSN, the outdoor apparel brand, announced that it is now B Corp certified, achieving a score of 111.3.

🎯 Dr. Bronner's launched its new soap refill carton made with 86% less plastic than their 32oz recycled bottles. The cartons use FSC-certified paper and are fully recyclable through paper milk carton streams. Read our write-up of Dr Bronner’s here.

⭐️ Decathlon relaunched its No Tent Left Behind summer pledge, allowing customers to return any Decathlon-brand tent purchased between June 9th and September 14th, 2025, for a full refund via gift card if returned before September 14th. The returned tents will be refurbished and resold through their Second Life program, supporting circularity and reducing landfill waste from abandoned festival gear.

⭐️ CHANEL launched NEVOLD (short for "Never Old"), a new B2B company focused on developing high-quality materials from recycled textile and leather waste. Created by Chanel and open to all industry players, NEVOLD unites companies such as L'Atelier des Matières, FILATURES DU PARC, and Authentic Material to advance circularity.

⭐️ Salomon released its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting major progress in product circularity, community inclusion, and employee engagement. They launched a locally made carbon-fiber supershoe, introduced the first fully recyclable ski/snowboard helmet, and partnered with CARBIOS to create the world’s first fiber‑to‑fiber biorecycled T‑shirt.

⭐️ Albert Heijn became the first major Dutch retailer to launch hybrid dairy and plant-based milk products, blending 60–70% traditional dairy with plant ingredients to offer a lower-carbon alternative. Developed in partnership with Farm Dairy and PlanetDairy, the new range is now available throughout the Netherlands in skimmed, semi-skimmed, and whole varieties at standard milk prices.

⭐️ MANGO have partnered with Circulose, the recycled pulp production company, to become the first brand to integrate its recycled cotton pulp into production since the company’s restart. This move supports Mango’s goal to use only lower-impact fibres by 2030 and advances its circular fashion strategy.

⚡️The French Senate voted to approve new legislation targeting ultra-fast fashion, including a plan to gradually ban advertising and introduce an environmental surcharge on low-cost garments, in a move to curb the sector’s environmental impact. Fashion companies will be required to to inform customers about the environmental impact of their products.

⚡️ Giki launched their free SME Sustainability Services Ecosystem Map tailored for UK SMEs, mapping 100 organizations that provide key sustainability tools and services such as emissions software, consulting, standards, and offsets.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

This isn’t the first time we’ve written about V7. Almost a year and a half ago we talked about some of the more significant changes that were announced and we did a little dive into two of the environmentally focused topics.

If you asked me back then I would have said B Corps and aspiring B Corps would already be certifying on V7 now. That hasn’t come to pass and, to be honest, I think with the speed this has been moving it will be a win if companies can certify or re-certify on the new standards 12 months from now. At one point, the delays frustrated me. However, now that we have the final version of the requirements in the public domain, we can at least get cracking on hitting them.

This week we’re picking out 5 things that are new in the B Corp V7 Standards. Let’s dig in…

> In Focus

5 things you should know about the new B Corp standards

Not everyone has time to read a 1000+ page document to get familiar with the new standards. Especially not sustainability managers who have carbon accounting, supplier engagement, impact reporting and customer ESG questionnaires to get on with. Luckily for you I a) love it and b) have selected five headline changes to share with you.

Before that, a super quick recap of the key changes from Version 6 to Version 7:

• Bye-bye points system: The 80 points minimum threshold for certification has been replaced by a series of requirements. You need to meet all applicable requirements to certify as a B Corp (make sure to check what size you fall into now). It’s no longer good enough to focus on your strengths and ignore your weaknesses.

• Bigger human rights focus: Elements on human rights only really became significant for companies of 1000 employees or more in V6, human rights due diligence plays a massive role in V7.

• Controversial industries: B Lab got themselves into a little bit of a quagmire trying to have an official position on all controversial industries. The new standards were meant to solve this problem and hopefully release some potential B Corps out of a long period in limbo while they waited to learn their fate.

• Continuous improvement: The Version 6 points system made it difficult to tell if a company had improved between certifications. The points gave an indication but didn’t tell a story.

So now we are up to speed. What else has changed?

1. Requirements are spread across three certification cycles

Though the requirements vary depending on the size and nature of the business (e.g. factories have more environmental requirements than small office-based service companies), all companies will have certain requirements to meet in their first certification on V7, additional ones to meet three years later and then a few more in the fifth year. That’s regardless of whether you are certifying for the first time or re-certifying! This means that the requirements can reflect progress over time.

2. Missing pieces

There are two elements you won’t find in the hefty V7 standards documents: Impact Business Models (IBMs) and “Exceeds Requirements”. IBMs have long been a way to demonstrate what is exceptional about your business, what sets you apart from other B Corps. What part IBMs will play in the new standards is as yet unclear. You can take part in the next stakeholder consultation to let B Lab know what you think. In the draft version of the standards, it was said you could meet or exceed the minimum requirements. The exceeding part has now been scrapped. I think rightly so… the complexity of creating a second layer of standards on top of the ones they have finished would be a mammoth task.

3. B Lab is concerned about the Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (ECGT) Directive

This directive has been passed by the EU and Member States must implement and enforce all regulations by September 27, 2026. It says that sustainability labels must be supported by credible, robust third-party verification to ensure they accurately reflect a product's environmental performance. At the moment, B Corp is not yet third-party verified (more like second-party). The new standards and verification approach will solve this. If you sell consumer goods with the B Corp logo to European customers you should make yourself known to your regional B Lab and get some legal advice. It might be that you need to re-certify earlier than expected.

4. You’ve got to do your homework

While V7 is very comprehensive and builds on best practice across a whole range of respected standards across each topic, it will not be spoon-feeding you on what exactly you need to act on. To meet the requirements you will need to do some detailed research into your social and environmental impacts and set your own goals to mitigate them.

5. Risky or controversial industries

If your company is one of the ones that has been waiting patiently (or impatiently) to be contacted about whether you are eligible to certify because of your industry or your clientele, then there is light at the end of the tunnel. But there are still a lot of unknowns. The explicit rules on which companies are ineligible to certify will be reduced under V7 but we know there will be a new ‘Risk Profiling Tool’ released in 2026 that will let you know what additional due diligence you will need to carry out to certify. That is not to say that battery chicken farms, for example, are now free and clear to certify. One of the minimum requirements lay out animal welfare practices that need to be in place, so it’s still possible to be technically eligible but fall at the first hurdle.

Keep up to date with latest developments

Apart from keeping in the loop with FTF, I recommend regularly checking the FAQ on the B Impact website. This appears to be the main source of detailed information during the evolution of the standards. Other than that, keep up to date with your regional B Lab’s emails, check out their webinars or get in touch with me!

> Follow up with…

1. The Standards: Download V7 of the B Corp Standard, B Lab

2. Short Video: New Standards. New Tools, B Lab

> Last week in consumer goods x climate…

The Good(s) News

🎯 Rubies In The Rubble announced that they have saved 10 million wonky fruits and vegetables from going to waste. They make condiments using surplus ingredients, meaning produce that are rejected due to its shape and sizes.

🎯 Ocean Bottle announced that they have hit a new milestone in collecting 2 billion plastic bottles, taken place in over 400 coastal communities and supported by over 9,000 plastic collectors.

🎯 Agua de Madre announced that they are now B Corp certified.

⭐ Shake Shack UK announced their partnership with Wildfarmed, using their regeneratively grown flour in their signature potato buns, aiming to reduce carbon and minimising water pollution.

⭐ Co-op announced that it is removing over 100 tonnes of plastic annually from its own-brand products' packaging, spanning across categories including bakery, produce and meat.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

A few months ago we connected with Hayley Brace, Marketing Director at Pixeled Eggs. When they say they’re passionate about human-centered, and more sustainable, web design - they really mean it. They mean it SO much they created a guide just for FTF readers, to break down the overwhelming task of ‘making a website more sustainable’. We, for one, didn’t know where to start. Pixeled Eggs are saving the day.

Let’s dig in…

> In Focus

🖥️ FTF x Pixeled Eggs: Cutting Carbon, Boosting Performance

The internet produces approximately 1 billion tons of greenhouse gases annually, which accounts for 2-4% of overall global emissions. With an increasing number of websites added every day and rising usage, the internet’s carbon footprint has already doubled compared to a decade ago. When you consider an entire website, the cumulative impact becomes substantial.

This is especially crucial for FMCG and consumer brands because their websites can be resource-heavy with lots of media and rich content and generate a lot of traffic.

The team at Pixeled Eggs have broken down what you can do into a nifty 6-page guide:

VIEW GUIDE

In this guide, they share pearls of wisdom like:

• How to learn about green hosting, one of the quickest ways to reduce your website’s carbon footprint.

• The importance of knowing the difference between DPI, PNG, JPEG and more. Turns out, size matters.

• Tools like this one, for speedy optimisation.

• Evidence to show how removing auto-play videos causes a 53% increase in organic traffic to your homepage.

• Best practices for you and your developers to follow, like WES-G.

• How to get buy-in from your team to make these changes…

…and so much more!

We won’t spoil it all! To see the full guide, click below…

READ THE FULL GUIDE

> Last week in consumer goods x climate…

The Good(s) News

🎯 Every Man Jack released their 2024 Impact Report with some highlights including the redesign of its deodorant packaging. The new design utilizes 50% post-consumer recycled content and is fully recyclable, eliminating over 500,000 pounds of virgin plastic annually. Additionally, the company increased its use of FSC-certified paper from 25% to 50%, with plans to reach 100% by the end of 2025, and partnered with the National Forest Foundation to plant 25,000 trees.

🎯 FlannelGo launched a initiative to repurpose their leftover production fabrics into accessories like hairbands, coasters, and tote bags, aiming to reduce waste and promote environmental responsibility.

🎯 Celtic & Co., a Cornish clothing and footwear brand, announced that they are B Corp certified. They achieved a score of 87.9 points.

🎯 Nobody's Child have partnered with Reskinned and eBay to launch a resale channel for pre-loved garments. Through this collaboration, the brand collects second-hand clothing from customers and staff, which Reskinned then repairs and lists on eBay, aiming to reduce textile waste.

⚡️ Defra's Director of Circular Economy, Emma Bourne OBE, spoke at the 2025 Festival of Circular Economy, reaffirming the UK's commitment to developing a comprehensive circular economy strategy. She provided updates on Phase One roadmaps targeting key sectors - agri-food, built environment, chemicals and plastics, transport, and electronics - and highlighted the Circular Economy Taskforce's role in supporting businesses through this transition.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

  • PureFuel, [Remote, UK] Sustainability Packaging Specialist

  • Muller UK & Ireland, [Market Drayton, UK] Sustainability Coordinator

• Events

  • 📆 5th June: [Virtual] Perspectives Across the Supply Chain - Altruistiq

  • 📆 11th June: [Virtual] The Business Case for Nature - UNGC

  • 📆 18th June: [Virtual] Pursuing Net Zero in 2025: Turning Targets into Action & Career Pathways - Work on Climate x OnePointFive

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

We’re also curious - what do you want to know about EPR? Rumour has it there’s an update in our article pipeline. I, for one, would like the topic of glass to be more transparent….Drop us a comment with your thoughts, questions, hopes and dreams!

Leave a comment

> In Focus

Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR): What you need to know about the Packaging Regulation…!

Earlier this year, the EU took a significant step towards a circular economy with the formal entry into force of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in February 2025. While enforcement won’t begin until mid-2026, this ambitious regulation is currently on the mind of businesses, busily working to ensure their products and packaging are going to be compliant.

What is the PPWR?

It is a regulation that sits within the Circular Economy Action Plan alongside other key regulations like the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), helping to push for climate neutrality by 2050. The goal of this regulation is simple yet transformative: minimise packaging waste, reduce the use of primary raw materials and create a harmonised approach to circular packaging design across the EU. By targeting packaging at all stages of its life cycle - from its production phase to the end-of-life - the PPWR aims to tackle a major source of waste and pollution.

On the subject of packaging, another regulation that cannot ignored is EPR regulation, or Extended Producer Responsibility. This regulation shifts the cost burden of waste management from the public sectors to the producers, extending their responsibility to take care about the waste they have generated. Producers will pay fees based on the amount of packaging they put in the market (psst, look out for our article in the next few weeks talking about this…) meaning better packaging design will equal lower fees.

While EPR incentivises producers to reduce packaging waste through the financial pressure, the PPWR sets regulatory requirements for packaging design to ensure responsible and sustainable packaging.

Who is affected under the PPWR?

If you are a business that places packaged goods on the EU market, you are affected.

There are no general exemptions based on company size (in contrast with EPR which has certain thresholds), though some sector-specific rules exist (e.g. medical products, due to health and safety concerns). Whether you are a manufacturer, importer, distributor or an e-commerce seller, it is time to start preparing.

What does PPWR regulate?

There are lots of articles and sections covered in the regulations, with some details and calculation methodologies to be introduced by 2028, but here are some of the main elements of the regulations:

• Substances of concern: Packaging that contains harmful substances, in particular PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, usually known as ‘forever chemicals) will be limited. This chemical is usually used in food packaging.

• Recycling (D4R): By 2028, all packaging must be designed for recycling. This packaging will be assessed using the recyclability performance grades per packaging unit, accounting for how easily packaging can be sorted, separated and recycled - and this design criteria and standards is called D4R (Design for Recycling). Moreover, in 2035, not only it has to be ‘designed’ for recycling, it should also be recycled at scale, meaning it can be processed in the standard recycling systems across the EU.

• Recycled content: Packaging must adhere to the binding targets for recycled content in plastic packaging.

• Harmonised labelling: There will be new standardised labels to help consumers correctly sort their packaging waste, providing information on packaging’s recyclability, reusability and potentially its recycled contents. We would love to be sharing those labels with you now but it looks like the timeline on these is still a bit further out.

• Reuse and refill: My favourite article - enabling packaging to be used as its intended purpose, a temporary tool for us to transport our product from purchase location, to us. This regulation sets new requirements across the beverage bottles and transport packaging, as well as putting requirements for allowing customers to refill and bringing their own containers at no extra cost for purchasing takeaway food and drinks.

• Empty space limits: Ever ordered a small item online and received it in a box five times too big? Say goodbye to oversized packaging, as by 2028, ecommerce and retail packaging will be subject to strict rules capping empty space at a maximum of 50%. This also includes the use of the fillers or bubble wraps inside of the box.

So, what can you do now?

This regulation is dense and compliance will be complex - but it does not have to be if you start taking action today. Here are some few starters…

1. Map your packaging footprint: Understand what materials you are using, where they are sourced and where they end up. This can help you with transparency and understanding if there’s any substances of concern in your packaging.

2. Review design for recycling (D4R): Get ahead of the D4R by checking if your packaging can be easily separated into recycling streams! Has it been designed to be mono material, containing less glue and using less colouring? Are there any other components that can hinder its recyclability?

3. Engage with your suppliers: Work together with your suppliers to improve the quality of your packaging and understand how you can explain your packaging disposal process for the new labelling requirements.

4. Start testing reusable models: If you have invested so much for your beautiful packaging, why not extend the use cycle of those packaging before chucking it away? Particularly if you are selling beverages in glass packaging, it would be an opportunity to start testing reusable models.

No doubt you are already considering all the implications a regulation can have, it’s a complex system we are trying to improve. With that in mind, keep your eyes peeled over the next couple of years as more direction is given on this regulation.

> Follow up with…

1. Guide: PPWR Survival Guide

2. Article: What is PPWR?

> Last week in consumer goods x climate…

The Good(s) News

🎯 When in Rome announced the launch of their latest impact report, highlighting key areas such as cutting carbon footprint by 10% by moving their production location closer. They are also planning to reduce at least another 20% this year.

🎯 Swapfiets announced their latest impact report, reporting on their CO2 emissions throughout the year 2024. They also reported that across Europe, their riders saved a total of 6,460 tonnes of CO2e.

⭐️ innocent drinks and the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), along with a number of charity partners, announced that they have published an open letter to launch a new campaign to improve public access to fresh fruit and vegetables. The letter calls for a collaborative approach, involving local authorities, charities, and the food industry to make nutritious foods available for all.

⭐️ Burts Snacks Ltd announced their new packaging for crisp packet made from 55% recycled plastic, which will be rolling out across a selection of its flavours and pack sizes of 40g and 150g.

⭐️ Too Good To Go announced that Morrisons have now saved over 3 million Surprise Bags through their partnership, helping Morrisons’ commitment to halving food waste by 2030.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

  • PureFuel, [Remote, UK] Sustainability Packaging Specialist

  • Muller UK & Ireland, [Market Drayton, UK] Sustainability Coordinator

• Events

  • 📆 28th May: [Virtual] Forest loss in 2024: what’s at stake ahead of COP - World Resources Institute

  • 📆 5th June: [Virtual] Perspectives Across the Supply Chain - Altruistiq

  • 📆 11th June: [Virtual] The Business Case for Nature - UNGC

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

As usual - a chunky roundup of this week’s Good(s) News and a reminder of one of our most recent AND most popular articles-that-you-may-have-missed at the end.

Let’s dig in…

6 questions with Maddy Jacobs, Senior People Partner at smol

Hello! We’d love the non-LinkedIn lowdown on who you are, what is smol focused on, and what you were doing before you were making the planet cooler (both meanings intended)?

I’ve had what people might call a ‘squiggly’ career, having worked mainly in communications in lots of different industries, from advertising to brewing. If truth be told, before I joined smol I was pretty burnt out and knew I wanted to try something different. I wanted to help people, work for a company that was mission-driven and feel I was doing something good in the world, so joining the team at smol was a bit of a no brainer. I’m very lucky that they welcomed me in and helped me find a home in their People Team three years ago now!

Since 2018, smol has made sustainable cleaning swaps effortless, accessible and affordable so everyone can join in; that way, we see the greatest change. We set out to challenge the sea of single use plastic we saw in supermarket aisles and are all about creating high-performance, innovative cleaning products that work brilliantly in your home and are better for the planet.

When it comes to our people and the work that I personally do, we work really hard to make sure our team has a voice, that we’re creating a safe, happy and rewarding environment for them, and modelling a way of showing up at work that is human - definitely not perfect, but trying our best.

How does smol think about sustainability? How is smol cleaning up our planet?

It’s really easy to feel completely overwhelmed when you look at what’s going on in the world, and wonder what difference you can really make. At smol, we’ve always taken inspiration from zero-waste chef, Anne Marie Bonneau, who said “we don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly”. The revolution starts smol, but together we can have a BIG impact.

The belief that business can benefit the planet, its workforce and customers is in our DNA. We became B Corp certified in 2023, and love being a part of this movement because it drives us to be better.

We’re cleaning up the planet by:

• Ditching single-use plastic, using refillable bottles-for-life, cardboard packs and refill-cartons.

• Reducing carbon emissions by shipping straight to customers’ doors and using lightweight refill tablets where possible or concentrated liquids to avoid the pointless transportation of water.

• Scrapping unnecessary chemicals and never, ever testing on animals. All our products are vegan and Leaping Bunny certified.

• We’ve also donated 2.5 million laundry capsules to The Hygiene Bank charity and our Suds in Schools initiative provides free-to-use mini laundrettes in over 100 UK schools to help clean up child hygiene poverty .

Sustainable impact is hard to quantify but smol communicates not just the carbon savings associated with using your products, but the plastic, chemicals, animal fat, water savings and washes donated. Do you have any advice to other brands on how to quantify their impact savings?

For us, impact is embedded in our business and sits at the centre of everything we do, rather than just being an afterthought.

It’s important to really know your industry and your product (which hopefully any brand does!) and know what it is that you want to do better or differently. That will tell you what it is you want to measure and help you quantify the savings. We rely heavily on the Life Cycle Assessments that we do for each of our products to get this all important impact data. As part of this, brands should be having transparent dialogue with their suppliers - engaging them in the work that you’re doing and using surveys to get key data points from them.

We’ve also started to work with a third party, Greenly, to calculate our wider carbon footprint as a business. This is in the early stages of being set up to incorporate all of our LCAs, but once it’s going it will help to keep us even more accountable and find areas for improvement.

Internally, we use regular pulse surveys and an annual diversity and inclusion survey to measure our impact for our team and look at how we can make improvements. We try to give the team a voice as much as possible, and use that data, both quantitative and qualitative, to make our decisions, rather than assuming we know what they want. For example, last year we did a benefits survey and introduced schemes according to what mattered most to the team, this included doubling secondary caregiver’s leave to six weeks fully paid, introducing a fertility policy with paid leave for people undergoing treatment, or the partners of people undergoing treatment and partnering with Self Space to provide mental health training to all managers.

Ultimately, as a team at smol we are just doing our best. We’re absolutely not perfect and are always striving to improve our impact for the better of the planet, our people and our community.

Ok, magic wand time; if we could grant you wish for a more sustainable world, what would they be?

I feel boring saying this, but hopefully the Following the Footprints community will be a receptive audience! If I had a magic wand I’d definitely be fixing the recycling systems all across the world: making them simpler and more consistent from place to place… and everyone would innately know how/what/where to recycle, so there’d be no more ‘wish-cycling’ and contaminated bins which end up sent to landfill or incinerated. Recycling rates are falling in the UK and our system clearly isn’t working.

Finally - We’d love some recommendations; one climate-related resource, one person to follow online and one consumer brand that’s killing it!

• HURR - I’m very much in the thick of the cycle of weddings and always rent my outfits from HURR. It’s such a brilliant concept and so easy. I highly recommend people try renting their next event outfit! There’s lots of similar companies now and many of them have retail spaces where I live in London, so there’s the opportunity to try on, as I know that’s a blocker for some.

• Andrea Cheong - Another fashion-related resource - I love Andrea’s approach to consumerism, educating her audience to look at the quality of individual products by looking at the care labels rather than thinking about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ brands.

• The Nature Conservancy - This is a US organisation who do brilliant work, but the reason I’m sharing is because their Instagram account always feels really hopeful - and I think we all need a bit more of that!

> The Good(s) News

🎯 JUBEL & Wildfarmed announced their partnership to pioneer the switch of JUBEL's beer to regenerative barley. This switch helps to deliver carbon savings of over 50% for JUBEL.

🎯 Groupe Clarins announced that they are now B Corp certified, continuing their journey toward sustainable beauty.

🎯 Adolfo Domínguez announced that they are now B Corp certified, the first major Spanish textile fashion company to be certified.

🎯 Circular&Co. announced their partnership with Pret A Manger UAE to launch reusable coffee cup, offering incentives for customers who choose to reuse their coffee cups.

🎯 Urban Farm-It announced their latest innovation, organically certified UK-grown dried Lion's Mane mushrooms. The mushrooms are packaged on-site using 100% recyclable sustainably sourced packaging.

⭐️ Asda announced that their customers have recycled over 3 million coffee pods since the start of 2025 through their partnership with Podback. Plastics and aluminium pods are recycled in the UK, and the coffee grounds are transformed by anaerobic digestion into renewable energy and soil improver.

Follow us on LinkedIn for a fresh digest of Good News every Friday. Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Events

  • 📆 15th May - Water Literacy - Water Literacy Programme (online)

  • 📆 16th May - The Recharge: Lunchtime Series for Sustainability professionals - Black Leaders in Sustainability Spaces (online)

  • 📆 21st May - The Power of Standardised PCF Exchange - Altruistiq (online)

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

Eagle eyes at our Patagonia x Following the Footprints 4 year birthday bonanza in February, in Manchester, would’ve seen Joe and I reunite - this time in person! He’s now leading sustainability at N Brown Group, and the Future Fashion Fair has grown and grown since we first met. Wow how time flies. I feel old.

As usual - a chunky roundup of this week’s Good(s) News and a reminder of one of our most recent AND most popular articles-that-you-may-have-missed at the end.

Let’s dig in…

Do you enjoy reading FTF? We would love your support! Please subscribe, share this newsletter with your colleagues and let us know what you think!

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> A message from this week’s sponsor…

They’ve supported brands like MOTH, JUBEL, and MOJU on their climate journey — and now they’ve launched a new ESG reporting tool to simplify disclosures, including for frameworks like B Corp.

Zevero's ESG Reporting Tool

Explore the tool to streamline certification and make reporting easier than ever.

6 questions with Joseph Mountain, Sustainability Manager at N Brown Group & Founder of Future Fashion Fair.

Hello! We’d love the non-LinkedIn lowdown on who you are and the scope of your work at N Brown Group?

I’m Joseph (Joe) Mountain, Sustainability Manager at N Brown Group, a UK digital retailer that owns brands such as JD Williams, Simply Be, and Jacamo. My role is primarily focused on product and supply chain sustainability, drawing on my background in fabric development and textile innovation. But it’s broader than that, I also work on ethical compliance, ESG strategy, reporting, and risk… all the fun stuff!

If I had to define myself, my job would probably be a big part of it (sadly), as I’m slightly obsessed with making fashion more sustainable, and I’m not joking.

That said, I do have a life outside of work. Cooking food is my happy place, a good glass of wine, and running. I’m the youngest of five boys, grew up with just as many dogs, and was surrounded by the Yorkshire countryside, so being outdoors and playing sports has always been a big part of who I am. I also have a love-hate relationship with Manchester United (controversial for a Yorkshireman), which takes up more brain space than I’d like to admit. But above all, I value spending quality time laughing, loving, and making memories with my friends, family, and partner.

Talk to us about your work at N Brown Group - what are you working on at the moment? Any challenges that are particularly hard to chew? Our readers might be able to help….

At the moment, like most brands, it’s digging into the mess of Scope 3 emissions, taking off the lid and getting to grips with what’s inside. We were a bit late to the party as a business, I started 3 years ago with some degree of a blank canvas, so we’re playing catch-up, which means working at speed is critical!

We built our ESG strategy to align with the Paris Agreement, mapped our biggest impacts against planetary boundaries and made sure our commitments lined up with the UN SDGs. But in fashion, nothing moves without supplier engagement, and we need that now.

When we did our scenario analysis, which informed our transition plan, it showed (no surprise) that the biggest emissions sit within supply chain renewables. And that’s the real messy, expensive, long-game stuff we have to tackle. It’s not something you can fix quickly or cheaply.

So while we’re working on that, we’ve been going after the low-hanging fruit, yes, we’re making material transitions to lower-impact fibres, running circular design workshops, and trialling circular business models. That kind of ‘run’ work can be done with some pace, but to fully integrate you have to be pragmatic, because if the business itself isn’t financially sustainable, then the environmental impact doesn’t get a chance to land. The market is challenging at the best of times, now we are seeing big retailers make cuts, sustainability can't be fulfilled without resources, and just like life, requires a balance.

One thing I’m really proud of though is our zero-waste packaging. We developed a dissolvable polymer (kind of like a dishwasher tablet) for the polybags that our products get delivered in, which breaks down in about 30 days in the environment, or instantly in hot water. It was a huge win for us, and we were the first large UK retailer to roll out something this technical at scale across global operations.

I’ve definitely learned a lot (often the hard way), but honestly, I’m not disheartened. It’s just a challenge that needs proper problem-solving. And if that’s your thing, weirdly, it becomes part of the fun.

You’ve also set up a Manchester-based event series called Future Fashion Fair during your time at the University of Leeds, which is still running. Tell us about the vision there, and how readers can get involved!

I think like most young enthusiastic people wanting to make a difference and make their mark, you say yes to everything, even if you do not have the time and have no idea what you are getting yourself into… Future Fashion Fair started as a way to bring sustainable fashion markets, events, and pop-ups to Manchester and to be honest it was exciting and also slightly chaotic but that’s what made it all the more fun. In 2022, we became a CIC and evolved our focus towards supporting and promoting what we call "Localised Circular Fashion Ecosystems." These ecosystems connect key elements of the product lifecycle, businesses, events, designers, and communities, to build an ‘infrastructure’ that supports circularity in Greater Manchester.

Our goal is to make these ecosystems accessible, adaptable, and appealing (the three A’s!). Without these, circular fashion struggles to gain traction, something we see across the industry today. But when built with the right energy, creativity, and collective spirit, place-based circular systems can truly thrive.

A big focus for us has been swap shops, not just their role in reducing fashion waste, but also their social impact. So, we created a toolkit to help others set them up in their own communities. We also host workshops on how to launch swap shops and run our own to support their growth in community hubs like schools, churches, and local centres.

TAKE JOE'S SWAP SHOP SURVEY

Ok, magic wand time; if we could grant you three wishes for the fashion industry, what would they be?

1. Press the Reset Button - Let’s be honest, the fashion industry is fundamentally broken from both a social and environmental perspective. It’s not fit for the future, and trying to retrofit it feels like a losing battle. We’re in 2025, and we’re producing, consuming, and wasting more than ever. This wasn’t the plan but let's face it, brands / retailers were not going to stop without the legislation and that's also taking too long, because well… just like anything legal, it's complicated. Let me just press a reset button and brands could choose how rebuild with the scenarios laid out in front of them.
   

2. Make Sustainability Fun Again (Personal Rant Pending) - Selfishly, I just want sustainability to be fun again. Governance, measuring, and tracking are all important, but right now, risk management dominates everything and ironically that’s a huge risk... Words are cheap, and if brands are spending most of the time not actually doing the do, what’s the point?
   
   The unfortunate reality is that people have figured out how to make money off the reporting, standards, and governance structures, which means the more time we spend figuring this out, the more they profit. Meanwhile, the actual work that reduces impact gets deprioritised. That needs to change.
   

3. Conscious Consuming - I’d love for people to consume fashion with purpose. It’s something I talk about a lot on our Substack, Responsible Planet (shameless plug!), but it’s something I deeply believe in.
   
   In many ways, consumers already purchase with conviction, based on occasion, price, and style but we need to go deeper! Not just thinking about sustainability in the traditional sense (materials, recycled content, etc.), I actually don’t think it’s fair to place the responsibility of “sustainable shopping” on customers, brands should be held accountable for that.
   

   But what we can do is encourage people to engage more with their clothes, to buy less and invest more. Not just financially, but emotionally. When people buy with more intention, they actually spend less in the long run, choose better-quality pieces, and wear them more. Culturally, I think society has to evolve this way to align with future scenarios, but this shift could transform the fashion industry into a healthier market, one where customers have better options, better quality, and more meaningful relationships with their clothes.

   
   And if I can’t have this as a wish? Well, I’ll make it my mission to push this idea further!

Finally - we’d love some recommendations; one climate-related resource, one person to follow online and one consumer brand that’s killing it!

• 🔎 Resource: In my world, it’s WRAP (Textile 2030) and UKFT, feeding high-quality research into everything textile and fashion-related. From circular design, durability, wet processing, and textile sorting, they’re leading the charge to deliver a sustainable UK fashion market. Loads of great resources on both sites.

• 💙 Brand(s): Both as a brand and an online figure, front.office.co is next level—an Australian brand focused on research and development, taking product concept, storytelling, and referencing to a whole other level. They share great content on the history of fabrics, garments, and styles (if you're into that kind of thing, of course). Also, Story MFG - I didn’t have to think hard about this at all. Yes, I know it’s luxury and costly, but in my view, worth every buck! I just love the clothing stories, the craftsmanship, the references, and the process through weaving, dyeing, and manufacturing. It's a joy to witness a brand grow so organically and do it right from day one. Finally, another personal favourite of mine is @_we_love_you__ - very wholesome.

• 👋 Person: @seth.hughes for thought-provoking storytelling on how to be more connected with nature.

Huge thanks to Joseph for joining us today, and taking the time to answer our questions! Have thoughts? Reach out to him…

Connect with Joseph!

🎯 Skin Formulas, the Irish skincare brand, announced they are B Corp certified.

🎯 SURI released its 2024 impact report. Milestones included collecting half a tonne of used toothbrush heads for recycling and reducing Scope 3 emissions per unit by 17.7%. The brand is also working with Greenly on its carbon reduction strategy, looking to prioritize insetting emissions.

🎯 Ollie Dog Food partnered with rePurpose Global to remove 37,500 pounds of plastic waste during Earth Month. This is part of their goal to reduce the environmental impact of their operations.

🎯 Lawson's Finest Liquids released its 2024 Impact Report, celebrating over $2.5 million donated to 399 nonprofits since the inception of its Social Impact Program and reducing resource use across all categories, including achieving a 97.2% waste diversion rate at their Vermont-based brewery.

⭐️ Cotopaxi released its 2024 Impact Report, highlighting its achievement of using only recycled, repurposed, or certified materials for all core fabrics and expanding its Guaranteed for Good™ program to repair nearly half of returned products. The brand recommitted and progressed its science-based targets with the goal of 42% reduction in Scope 1+2 emissions by 2030 and 90% reduction in Scope 3 by 2045.

Follow us on LinkedIn for a fresh digest of Good News every Friday. Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

Katherine loves impact reports as much as the next person who is deeply obsessed with sustainability…but even she can’t and won’t read them all! So what makes it onto her radar? What does a report need to have to make it one of the few that Katherine wants to read it cover to cover?

Let’s find out…

Cover image credit: Pieminister 2024 Impact Report

> A message from this week’s sponsor…

They’ve supported brands like MOTH, JUBEL, and MOJU on their climate journey — and now they’ve launched a new ESG reporting tool to simplify disclosures, including for frameworks like B Corp.

Zevero's ESG Reporting Tool

Explore the tool to streamline certification and make reporting easier than ever.

> In Focus…

How to write an Impact Report People Actually Want to Read

by Katherine Hartzenberg

Once the domain of NGOs and charities, impact reports have evolved into essential tools for businesses of all shapes and sizes - becoming nearly synonymous with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) efforts. While financial reports offer bottom-line updates, impact reports provide a stage for companies to highlight the milestones they’ve hit beyond revenue: reducing emissions, supporting employees, transforming supply chains, and more.

Today we’re going to spotlight the brands that have nailed their impact reporting - and why it’s worth every company’s time to invest in telling their story well. Because when done right, impact reports don’t just inform. They inspire. Read on to find out how you can make your next report kick ass.

So, what makes a good impact report… impactful?

For starters, presentation matters. High-quality images and clean design go a long way in making your report digestible and inviting. Take a cue from Monica Vinader’s 2023/24 Impact Report, which uses bold, digestible visuals, while staying true to the elegance of the brand, to communicate key metrics on carbon and supply chain transparency. Think annual coffee table book, not tax document. Aim for tens of pages, not hundreds - nobody wants to slog through 140 slides to find the good stuff.

The content needs to balance wins with honest reflection. Don’t shy away from challenges faced or goals missed. Transparency builds trust, especially when paired with clear intentions for the year ahead. In Pieminister’s 2023/24 Impact Report, the brand not only celebrated its waste and carbon reductions compared to its baseline but also openly discussed areas still under review using their unique pie-traffic light system to identify the goals which are on track, making some progress or requiring a deeper focus.

Celebrate your wins: maybe you reduced plastic packaging, relocated operations for better community impact, or made strides in team wellbeing. Everything counts, and readers want to know where your values show up in action. The Uncommon does this with their “big wins” - including mention of their wine having the lowest carbon footprint on UK shelves - and “big whines”, noting where goals were missed and where they can improve all in a sleek format that reflects its brand tone perfectly.

Infographics and data visualisations are your best friends. Jubel’s latest Impact Report stays true to their bold branding and energetic tone which radiates through their graphs and supply chain graphics easily showing all necessary information without overwhelming the reader. Similarly, NEOM Wellbeing’s 2023/2024 report shows effortlessly their greenhouse gas inventory in a visually pleasing format.

Vivobarefoot’s 2023/24 report, a firm favourite, is a great example of integrating financial and non-financial performance in a format that’s bold, honest, and visually engaging. Likewise, Tony’s Chocolonely blends storytelling, actually in the form of an online flipbook, and transparency in their annual Fair Report, using playful visuals to break down serious topics like ethical sourcing.

Meanwhile, Dr. Bronner’s "All-One Report" is a masterclass in turning values into action, covering everything from regenerative agriculture to fair trade to activism - with transparency at every step.

Most importantly, keep your brand voice consistent throughout. Whether it's playful and candid like Tony’s or purpose-driven like Dr. Bronner’s, consistency strengthens authenticity.

So, what was the last impact report you read that made you want to keep reading?

A well-crafted impact report is more than a sustainability checkbox - it’s your chance to share everything else your business does besides just keep running. Use it to bring people along for the journey. Chances are, they’ll care more than you think.

> Follow up with…

1. Article: What to do with your impact report, Seismic’s article on best practices recommends making the report interactive post-publishing - through events, videos, or campaigns - to extend its shelf life.

2. Article: 8 Tips For Writing An Impactful Impact Report, Ecollective underscores the importance of storytelling and providing context: numbers matter, but narrative sticks.

> The Good(s) News

🎯 Pip & Nut | B Corp announced their 2024 impact report, highlighting key achievements of cutting out the middleman and having total end-to-end traceability with their growers, commitment to paying a premium to ensure cocoa farmers can earn a liveable income and meeting record levels of their team's engagement.

🎯 Evolve Organic Beauty announced their new refill products in Pulpex's fibre-based bottles that are FSC-certified and PEFC-accredited wood pulp, as part of their journey toward eliminating plastic.

🎯 Syre, a textile recycler company, announced it has signed an MoU with Vietnam's Binh Dinh Province to develop a Gigascale textile recycling facility, backed by H&M. This partnership will address key investment requirements, including recyclable materials availability and waste import approvals.

🎯 Reskinned announced they are now officially B Corp certified, where their Impact Business Model score of 23.1 recognises how their business is built to create positive change and uses fashion as a force for good.

🎯 MENDED announced their partnership with Tom Tailor, as part of their loyalty programme and in response to the increasing demand for repair services, working to make clothing repair the new standard.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

I do know I’m not the only one who dropped everything to get my head into the fine print, fellow B Corp expert, Ellie, also delved into the standards and took some time to get us up to speed on one of the new requirements - collective action.

Let’s dive in…

> A message from this week’s sponsor…

They’ve supported brands like MOTH, JUBEL, and MOJU on their climate journey — and now they’ve launched a new ESG reporting tool to simplify disclosures, including for frameworks like B Corp.

Zevero's ESG Reporting Tool

Explore the tool to streamline certification and make reporting easier than ever.

> In Focus…

No Business is an Island: How B Corps are Collaborating for Climate Impact

The bar for what it means to be a responsible business just got higher. The new B Corp standards were published last week, and they are a game-changer.

In the biggest update to the certification in nearly two decades, the new standards move beyond scoring points and box-ticking, and focus instead on raising the bar across seven new impact topics.

While there are plenty of changes to unpack, one of the most interesting (and misunderstood) new topic areas is ‘Government Affairs & Collective Action’.

Errr… collective what?

While ‘collective action’ feels jargon-y, it’s about big ideas and influencing systems change. It’s a bold shift that recognises in the face of the climate crisis - and a wider polycrisis - no business can afford to act alone. Brands must take action beyond their own operations and collaborate for systemic change.

What is collective action, really?

B Lab defines collective action as:

“A collaborative and sustained process of cooperation between stakeholders to bring about systemic change... increasing the impact and credibility of individual action.”

While that may sound abstract, in practice it’s about brands supporting and learning from each other, co-investing in solutions, influencing public policy, and helping shape a fairer and greener economy.

The new B Corp standards require businesses of any size to take at least one collective action, and this builds up to require four actions by the biggest companies. You can take collective action on any social, ethical or environmental topic. There are also additional requirements for bigger brands on responsible lobbying, tax and public policy transparency.

The good news? You don’t have to go it alone, and many B Corps are already leading the way.

Below, we’ve rounded up how leading B Corp brands are taking collective action. We’ve chosen to focus on actions related to the climate crisis across five key pathways highlighted by B Lab.

5 key pathways

🌿 1. Supporting external research

Climate solutions require investment and collaboration. Charlie Bigham’s is working with suppliers on regenerative agriculture, including a 600-hectare parsley farm in Kent and Essex. They’re supporting trials to reduce chemical inputs, cut carbon, and boost biodiversity in farming - investing in solutions that benefit the whole supply chain, not just their own footprint. Read more in their impact report here.

🤝 2. Multi-stakeholder collaboration

Working with others is a much more effective way to accelerate progress. Over 60 certified B Corps, including Natura & Co, Beauty Kitchen, UpCircle, and Rituals, have joined forces through the B Corp Beauty Coalition. Their goal? To improve the sustainability standards of the beauty industry. The coalition’s free and open-source ‘B Beauty Navigator’ tool helps beauty companies and shoppers make more informed decisions around ingredient sourcing, responsible packaging, and greener logistics. By sharing knowledge, championing best practices, and engaging upstream suppliers, the coalition shows how collective action can create more positive impact.

🗳 3. Promoting public policy change

To drive change, we need new laws, and businesses can play a key role in calling on governments to act. Toast Ale brew beer using waste bread, and they’ve used their products for climate advocacy. Past advocacy campaigns include Rise Up, where they partnered with fellow B Corps to brew limited-edition beers to raise awareness of the climate crisis and call for policy change. They encouraged thousands of people to contact MPs about food system reform, ahead of UN COP climate negotiations. This shows how small businesses can influence national policy.

🌊 4. Thought leadership

Some brands are finding powerful ways to activate and engage their customers to take environmental action. Finisterre’s Sea7 Ocean Activist Masterclasses have reached thousands, connecting climate and ocean health in people’s minds. The masterclasses help those who love the ocean to understand it’s one of our planet’s most powerful climate regulators, soaking up over 90% of excess heat and around a quarter of all CO₂ emissions. By spotlighting climate activists’ voices and providing free resources, Finisterre is linking ocean and climate narratives. This shifts the focus from abstract climate targets to the tangible places we love and want to protect, like our oceans.

💬 5. Mentoring

Sharing insights and learnings with others is a way to drive faster progress overall. B Corps including Ella’s Kitchen are paying it forward by mentoring fellow ethical brands like Cook, and Lily’s Kitchen, as well as suppliers - sharing insights, offering guidance, and helping others raise the bar on environmental and social impact. This coalition of businesses offering staff mentoring is in its fourth year now.

So, what can you do next?

To meet the new B Corp standards, now’s the time to get ahead and embed collective action into your strategy.

Start by asking:

• Where do we already collaborate - and how could we go further?

• Which peers, suppliers, or competitors share our challenges?

• How can we use our voice, platform, or expertise to create wider change?

Whether it’s co-funding research projects, joining advocacy campaigns, or hosting workshops with some of your industry peers, collective action doesn’t need to be huge or high-budget. It just needs to be intentional and aimed at playing your part in fixing the wider systems beyond your day-to-day operations.

> Follow up with…

1. Resource: The new B Corp standards (2025) – explore what’s required across 7 new impact topics

2. Advocacy: Better Business Act – a multi-stakeholder campaign to change UK law to ensure every company aligns their interests with those of wider society and the environment

3. Collective: B Corp Beauty Coalition – a global community of B Corps in the beauty sector

> The Good(s) News

🎯 Finisterre launched its first product made from recycled wetsuits - a durable changing mat bag - created in collaboration with Circular Flow. The initial collection repurposed over 300 wetsuits, and the bags are designed to be recycled many times before their end-of-life.

🎯FATSO BRANDS announced it’s switched to carbon-negative, kelp-based black ink and vegetable-based inks for all other colours for all its packaging.

🎯Ocean Bottle have partnered with gomi to launch a limited-edition range of power banks and speakers made from recycled plastic waste and repurposed e-bike batteries. Coinciding with the product launch, they are also funding the collection of ocean-bound plastic equivalent to 130,000 bottles.

🎯Smush Materials have secured €1 million in pre-seed funding to scale its mycelium-based, compostable packaging designed to replace single-use plastics in industrial applications. The funds will partially go toward scaling their technology, using agricultural by-products to produce their packaging.

🎯Vegan Food Group have partnered with Eat Just, Inc. to bring the plant-based JUST Egg to Europe, securing exclusive manufacturing and distribution rights. Backed by a £11.25 million investment, VFG is building a fully automated production line in Germany and upgrading its UK and EU sites ahead of commercial production beginning in late 2025.

🎯Frugalpac launched its paper wine bottles in over 100 Target stores across the US, marking the brand’s largest retail rollout to date. The bottles are five times lighter than glass, made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade liner, and are designed to significantly reduce carbon emissions and support easier recycling.

🎯 Clearpoint Recycling have partnered with Enviroo to supply over 30,000 tonnes of recyclable PET annually for a new recycling plant opening in Ellesmere Port in 2027. The facility will be one of just three in the UK producing certified food-grade rPET, supporting the upcoming Deposit Return Scheme.

⭐️ Interface has integrated captured carbon into its carpet tiles, as a way to sequester the carbon and reduce the footprint of their tiles. This move compliments their other recycled and bio-based materials.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

We’re thrilled to have Joey Yip jumping into the writing seat today. If you joined our Black Friday collaboration event with Nudie Jeans in November, you may have met her - she was the one walking home with the best dressed prize (sorry everyone else). Having previously worked everywhere from Grazia to celebrity stylists to Real Zero, today Joey is both Bauer Media Group’s project coordinator AND FTF’s impact-of-tariffs-on-sustainable-fashion expert. Thanks Joey!

Let’s dig in…

They’ve supported brands like MOTH, JUBEL, and MOJU on their climate journey — and now they’ve launched a new ESG reporting tool to simplify disclosures, including for frameworks like B Corp.

Zevero's ESG Reporting Tool

Explore the tool to streamline certification and make reporting easier than ever.

> In Focus…

Trump’s Tariffs: What Do They Mean For Sustainable Fashion?

Trump’s tariffs are rattling the global stock market and leaving the world’s economy hanging in the balance, and sustainable fashion is looking to be caught squarely in the crosshairs.

For an industry already grappling with economic challenges and shifting consumer behaviours, the outlook isn’t entirely black and white. While many fear that rising costs will squeeze already tight margins and stall progress, there could be a potential silver lining - that these geopolitical shocks could nudge the industry towards much-needed transformation.

For many brands, the immediate, short-term impact is clear: higher operational costs.

Brands are faced with absorbing these increases or passing them onto the consumer, within the context of an overall decline in consumer spending on both luxury and fast fashion apparel.

Leading luxury fashion groups have reported a slump in demand and revenue declines in the wake of the pandemic, with LVMH’s sales dropping 5% and Kering’s by 16% in Q3 2024. Elsewhere, leading fast fashion retailer Boohoo Group reported a 17% decline in revenue for 2023. And so, brands are now more hard-pressed than ever to adjust profit forecasts and re-evaluate strategies to maintain market positions, in the face of reduced consumer spending driven by the cost of living crisis. With the added economic pressures of Trump’s tariffs, sustainable fashion, notorious already for its price premium, stands particularly exposed.

Sourcing sustainable materials - such as organic cotton, TENCEL™, and recycled textiles - already costs brands an average premium of around 20-30% over conventional options. As Elizabeth L. Cline, author of The Conscious Closet, notes: ‘If tariffs inflate the cost of sustainable raw materials, some brands may revert to environmentally harmful fabrics to protect their bottom line’.

It’s not just raw materials under threat.

Ethical certifications like Fair Trade and B Corp, supply chain audits, and the technology that enables transparent sourcing, all come at a cost. Eco-friendly logistics and operation methods, such as biodegradable packaging and carbon-neutral shipping methods, are likely to be deprioritised or shoved aside as brands focus instead on short-term survival.

‘Sustainability has always had a price premium - tariffs just make it steeper,’ notes Ayesha Barenblat, founder of ethical fashion advocacy platform Remake.

Consumers seeking ethical choices may increasingly find themselves priced out as brands pass on tariff costs to their customers, inadvertently pushing them back towards fast fashion’s affordability, and widening the accessibility gap.

And yet - could Trump’s tariffs be the nudge sustainable fashion needs?

Paradoxically, these tariffs could catalyse the exact shifts the industry needs - a forced re-evaluation of global supply chains could drive brands to shorten production cycles, localise manufacturing and reduce transport emissions.

Last year, more than 60% of textile imports into the US came from China, Vietnam and Bangladesh. As an escalating trade war unfolds between the US and China, with retaliatory tariffs currently in place at 125% for Chinese imports to the US, as well as 46% and 37% earmarked for Vietnam and Bangladesh respectively, could this be the beginning of an overhaul of well-established industry practices? This could be the fashion industry’s impetus to shift away from a globalised supply chain and over-reliance on Asian suppliers, towards local manufacturing and/or the diversification of textile sources.

On a surface-level, this could drastically reduce fashion’s carbon footprint - no small feat, considering the industry as a whole is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions - more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

As the US attempts a return to domestic manufacturing, it’s important to note the deeper challenges that accompany this structural shift. Rapid domestic production would face significant barriers - from labour shortages to lack of materials and infrastructure - especially at the scale of which Western consumers are numb to. Regardless of whether brands pivot to domestic manufacturing or remain tied to global supply chains, the outcome is largely the same: higher costs for producing apparel.

One thing is certain - a shift is on the horizon.

Amidst all the noise - the impacts on supply chains, rising consumer costs, volatile market conditions, and the BBC’s ‘Breaking News’ notifications - one thing remains unchanged: the need for a collective shift in mindset.

Faced with these inevitable price increases, consumers may begin to reassess their approach to fashion altogether. Second-hand shopping platforms, upcycling, wardrobe rental and repair services could see accelerated growth into mainstream consumer habits, as shoppers begin to prioritise value and longevity in their purchases. While the fashion industry wrestles with rising costs and environmental imperatives, consumers can trigger this shift - through small, considered choices.

The age-old mantra of ‘buy less, buy better’ has never felt more relevant. Real change will come from systemic transformation, but it starts with the simple question - do we really need to buy so much, so often?

> The Good(s) News

🎯 City to Sea announced their partnership with Culligan UK and Network Rail to celebrate the partnership that has saved 69,000+ plastic bottles and 4 tonnes of CO2e. They are on a mission to help more hubs embed refill culture and cut single-use plastic.

🎯 Bemari announced their partnership with Unibloom, helping companies navigate Scope 3 complexity and climate action, to support their decarbonisation transition and alignment with the Science-Based Targets initiative and other climate goals.

🎯 Xampla announced that Just Eat Takeaway.com is using their plastic-free Morro™ Coating on their packaging, alongside partnership with Huhtamaki, to provide a range of packaging that is suitable for a wide range of dishes, fully recyclable and SUPD exempt.

🎯 Better Nature announced their expansion of their Organic and Smokey Tempeh, launching to 200 more REWE stores across central Germany, making their Tempeh products are now available in 1,300+ stores.

⭐ Polytag Limited announced that Waitrose & Partners has just become the latest retailer to join their Ecotrace Programme, to improve the recyclability of its packaging. This initiative was launched to transform the tracking and recycling of single-use plastic packaging in the UK.

⭐ Aldi UK announced their own-label wine bottle made from aluminium, offering a more sustainable packaging option. This launch aligns with their ongoing efforts to reduce environmental footprint, as the aluminium bottle is significantly lighter than a typical glass wine bottle.

⭐ Sodexo announced that they are rolling out more plants to its U.S hospital menus with the help of nonprofit Greener by Default. They have been working together since 2022, and the program has effectively cut the health system’s carbon emissions by over one-third in its first year.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

This week we’re all about those next career steps…

• Social Media & Community Manager @ BRiMM.

• Senior Brand Manager @ Fearne & Rosie (B Corp).

• Sustainability Business Development Manager @ Dunelm.

• Principal Carbon Consultant @ Seismic.

In the midst of sending your resumes out, go see ‘Fixing Our Broken Planet’ - the new gallery that’s opened at the Natural History Museum, too!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

What makes us trust a brand? Is it reviews? Is it testing the quality? Is it their PR? Is it their promises and targets? I think we as humans want to trust what we hear because it’s easier on the soul than walking through life with our most cynical foot forward. At the same time, we are not massively surprised when we hear our favourite brand has been sold to Massive Corp…of course they want a slice of that action, it hasn’t become our favourite brand for nothing! But some brands accept that trust should be paired with some protective measures. Not even just protecting the mission from future owners, but also from their own future selves. The future them that’s so busy with business that they could get greedy or lose sight of the founding vision.

Aurore writes today about protective measures that help lock those founding missions down.

> In Focus…

Steward Ownership

What happens when a for-profit corporate tries to behave responsibly?

In 2021, Danone’s board of investors ousted CEO Emmanuel Faber, his main fault: trying to make the corporation more environmentally conscious. His climate focused initiatives had started to impact the company’s bottom line, and some shareholders weren’t happy about it.

Faber believes (and he’s not alone here!) environmental and economic objectives can go hand in hand and that businesses have a key role to play in the fight against climate change.

However, as we keep witnessing, the balance between economic and environmental objectives is hard to achieve and even harder to protect. How many of us have had to defend a specific sustainability initiative to a commercially minded team, meetings in which the words “because it’s the right thing to do” too often feel futile? When the same people who are in charge of decision-making reap the economic benefits of those decisions, conflicts of interest often arise.

This is why more and more businesses are turning towards alternative ownership models as a way to create and strengthen this fragile equilibrium.

With the rise of the B Corp movement, we saw more and more businesses change their articles of incorporation to include a clause that states the company will consider their stakeholders when making decisions (a requirement to be a certified B Corp in most countries) as a mechanism to protect them through capital raises and leadership changes, something Danone also did under Faber’s governance.

We’re now seeing an increasing number of companies going one step further and exploring steward-ownership models.

Steward ownership: what is it, and how does it actually work?

First, let’s define ownership.

In broad terms, ownership of a company can be seen as:

1. Having control over the company (voting rights),

2. Having the right to extract economic value (dividend rights)

3. Having the right to sell or terminate the company.

In most companies, the same group of people tend to hold all three, but not in steward-owned companies.

Different models exist, but in a nutshell in steward-owned companies, economic rights are handed over to a foundation or trust to safeguard, while founders and operators retain decision-making power. Investors can be brought in and earn a return on investment, but they’ll have to accept that these will be capped, as most of the profits are either reinvested in the company or redistributed to a charity. Additionally, in most cases, steward-owned companies can not be bought or sold.

Governance rights remain with the people who are directly involved in the business, close to its values and mission, making decisions with environmental and social impact in mind.

This structure is crucial because it creates an independent decision-making power, which is separate from the financial gain. Crudely speaking, they don’t make more money when the company makes more money, giving them more incentives to do the right thing for the planet. The purpose of the company is no longer about maximising profit for shareholders. Furthermore those profits can become a tool to further the company’s impact.

How it might look like for your business

Within that structure, it’s up to each company to understand what models are available to them (which might be dictated by national legislation) and decide which would work best. Taking inspiration from other businesses who have already gone down that route is recommended, so here are some examples of businesses who are ensuring they bring a wide range of voices to the table, (including nature’s!):

• One of the most famous examples in recent years remains Patagonia. Its founder Yvon Chouinard and his family, wary of what the consequences of seeing the company go public might be, decided to not only donate their economic rights to a foundation but also give their voting rights to a newly established trust to ensure their commitment to run the business responsibly would be upheld.

• The Library of Things, appointed ‘Mission Guardians’ on their board. They don’t hold profit-making shares, but bring a collection of stakeholder perspectives to big strategic decisions. The guardians also have hard veto powers.

• The John Lewis Partnership is famously owned by its employees, where the shares are held by a trust on behalf of the employees.

• Faith in Nature gave nature a voice by “appointing nature” as a Director on its Board of Directors.

Steward-owned companies address the very root of the problem, creating a space where the principle of “do no harm” can be applied from the get-go should the decision-makers choose to. It’s no longer about redistributing a portion of the profits once the damage is done.

Need one more reason to look into it? Seventy-two per cent of employees in the US felt that purpose should come before profits.

NB: In all fairness, it’s also worth noting that steward-owned companies struggle to attract as much capital as traditionally owned companies.

> Follow up with…

1. Advocacy: Join the Better Business Act Coalition

2. Resources & Advice: The Purpose Foundation helps businesses transition to purpose-led models

3. FAQ: Faith in Nature’s questions answered

> The Good(s) News

🎯 Hoxton Farms announced their partnership with Sumitomo Corporation to bring Hoxton Fat to Asia. This collaboration marks their major step in making cultivated pork fat as a healthier, scalable and sustainable ingredient available for food manufacturers across Japan and wider Asia-Pacific region.

🎯 Ella's Kitchen announced their B Corp recertification for the third time, continuing their effort in supporting vulnerable children and families through Action for Children partnership and working with the RSPB to protect homes for birds, bees and bugs.

🎯 Lomond Fine Foods announced they are B Corp certified, becoming the first Scottish food wholesaler to achieve the recognition. They collaborate with local farmers and suppliers to reduce environmental footprint and contribute growth to local economies.

🎯 Tallow + Ash announced that they are accepted into the Tesco Accelerator programme. More information will be launched soon on what non-toxic laundry products will go on shelfs and the full store list.

⭐ Amcor announced the launch of its new AmFiber Performance Paper stand-up pouch, a paper-based refill pack for instant coffee and dry beverage products. The refill pack offers kerbside recyclability in several European countries, due to its 85% fibre content.

⭐ GoodMills Innovation, part of GoodMills Group, announced its new plant-based protein ingredient for use in meat analogue applications requiring layered, fibrous textures. The product, called VITATEX® Wheat Fava Flakes SVP Pro, combines wheat gluten and fava bean protein through a co-texturisation process.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

Following the Footprints is looking for a new steward!

On March 27th we launched an ‘open call for submissions’ for someone else to step in, take ownership and build Following the Footprints. Our goal is to pass Following the Footprints to whoever has the best vision for its next era, and whoever we believe will have the biggest impact. We have acquisition offers and a few proposals on the table, but we want to hear from you too. SO - If you have ideas, please reach out, we’d love to discuss them with you!

READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

Why? Because the work is hard, but very necessary, and significantly accelerated when sustainability knowledge between brands is open-sourced. I felt this acutely in 2019 as the first Sustainability Lead at a growing UK drinks brand, and many of the Following the Footprints team have too. It’s why, every week for 4 years, we have poured thousands of hours of our spare time into publishing newsletters, sharing Good News, tracking partnerships, and generally building whatever might help.

Now - we’re launching an ‘open call for submissions’ for someone else to step in, take ownership and build Following the Footprints from here.

Inspired by TED’s recent open call, we’d love to hear from anyone - independent or part of an organisation - who has; excitement for where Following the Footprints can go next, the energy to drive it there and (importantly) the passion to keep working towards our core mission of helping consumer brands improve their environmental impact. Our mission has never been more important.

Why an open call?

Our goal now is to pass Following the Footprints to whoever has the best vision for its next era, and whoever we believe will have the biggest impact. We have acquisition offers and a few proposals on the table, but we want to hear from you too.

Our motto is ‘by sustainability professionals, for sustainability professionals’, and as the only independent and volunteer-led platform in this space, it feels right to open up the chance to take ownership to our community (that’s you). It’s how we’ve always done things, and it will give us the best chance of finding the most exciting set of hands to pass it to next.

The right person or organisation will…

The right partners will get excited about the potential for community. The wrong partners will be focused on clicks and subscriber metrics.

We’ve seen time and time again that the businesses who genuinely build trust, build community. We think that this is the perfect opportunity for a person or organisation who is looking to build deep, trusted roots within the consumer goods and climate space.

Could it be an independent consultant who has always dreamed of setting up training courses? A carbon accounting company keen to build deep and authentic relationships with brands? A journalist looking to go independent and hone their voice in this space? A collection of FMCG professionals looking to scratch a sustainability itch with this new side project? An established publication looking to expand? An event series with content aspirations and a desire to jumpstart their plans?

Here’s what our community think of us:

What’s on the table?

• A 4 year content archive - we’ve hit publish 256 times and have 2400+ subscribers - most of whom work in or with consumer brands, or are passionate consumers themselves. 40% are in the UK, 26% are in the US, and our writing has been read over 300k+ times.

• 5 databases - 2 released, 3 unreleased. We’ve tracked measurement and mitigation partners, then open-sourced that information and even developed cool search tools. We also have less-complete databases for ‘management’ and ‘communication’ partners. They all connect to ~700 brands we’ve tracked.

• The website!

• Our LinkedIn - 4.8k followers on the page, and close to 1k subscribers to our new newsletter there.

• The brand - including the name and logo.

• Events playbook - we’ve run some really exciting Open Mic events, and would support you if you wanted to continue them.

• Our support - as much as you’d want it, you’d have the support and consultation of the current team and leadership (myself and Laura) as you get set up.

What’s the cost of taking ownership?

It’s never been about ownership, or money, and it won’t be now.

Advice has been to quietly sell Following the Footprints to an organisation with deep pockets, drive demand by keeping the process secretive, aim to roll away with a significant amount of cash in our pockets and retain some level of ownership. I don’t want to do that. It’s never been about that. Acquisition cost is just one factor we’ll take into account - we want to hear inspiring proposals, regardless of how well funded they are.

Truthfully, Following the Footprints has already made me richer than I could’ve imagined. The past 4 years have given me lifelong friends, buckets of inspiration, the confidence to write, a vehicle to help people I respect use their voice, and a deep sense of purpose. It’s also given us space as a team to influence brands, get creative with our careers and platform the people working really really hard with often little recognition. If we’d wanted to make money we’d have spent 4 years very differently.

Here’s what we’d love to hear from you:

Email me - leone@followingthefootprints.com - before Thursday 10th April sharing:

1. Your vision

2. Your rough plan to achieve this vision - a starting point for a discussion, not an exact step by step (unless you have one already!). Give me something to chew on.

3. Your reason - why you? Why now?

4. Your pledge - how will you continue to make sure that Following the Footprints helps folks doing hard sustainability work within brands? What kind of energy can you put behind it?

5. Your price - are you able to pay for it? If so, how much would you? As we mentioned - we want to hear from everyone, don’t let this question stop you from reaching out.

Email Me!

Running costs currently total ~£400 / year, and include website hosting, our g-suite, notion and Airtable. A few of our volunteer team can freelance, however, in your proposal please don’t assume their participation.

Here’s what won’t happen:

• We won’t sell the platform for it to become a ruthless top of funnel for a large business.

• We won’t pass the platform onto someone who doesn’t have a deep understanding of the core audience - the people working on sustainability within consumer brands. This has been consistent for 4 years, and we don’t plan for it to change.

• We won’t pick a route just because we feel we have to continue Following the Footprints. If there are no suitable next steps, we’ll stop. There’s no merit in continuing forever - we’re buoyed by the impact we’ve had so far, and we’ll be picky about who continues to drive it.

We’ve spent 4 years building up the trust of our readers, and that’s not something we take lightly.

👋 SO - If you have ideas, please reach out, I’d love to discuss them with you!

If you don’t have ideas, please spread the word to people who might. It’s been an incredible 4 years, and there’s never been a better time for Following the Footprints to have a fresh set of hands at the helm.

Share

In the meantime, hang tight. Our calendar doesn’t stop - we’ll continue to feature exciting people and brands, and share inspiration to your inbox each week.

Thank you for your support so far. We’re excited for this next step!

Sustainability is hard enough without doing it alone. Your company needs to reduce its environmental impact and you’ll probably need a bit of help to do that. That’s why we’ve created a match-making service for you to help you find a partner to scratch your environmental itch.

Well…it’s not really a match-making service, but it’s a damn good search tool built with your needs in mind!

Without further ado, let us introduce you to the new MITIGATE AI Search tool…

FTF exists because you do… thanks for enjoying our content and sharing your expertise with us as well! If you would like to support us and help us make an even bigger impact, please share our newsletter far and wide (and if you haven’t yet, subscribe!)

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> Big Update…

Launching: MITIGATE AI Search

Last year we launched MITIGATE, our sister database to MEASURE, helping connect companies with partners who can help them reduce their impact. Since then the importance of reducing your brand's impact is ever more present, with increasing impacts of climate change, consumer demand and regulation.

MITIGATE has had a (AI) makeover with our new generative AI search bar thanks to the pro bono work of Steve Isley, making it easier than ever for your brand to find the help it needs to take action on its impact. No more filtering tables (we think sustainability professionals spend enough time in front of spreadsheets) just searching for exactly the partner you’re looking for.

SEARCH MITIGATE

Reintroducing Mitigate (speed dating style)

In case you need a refresher, MITIGATE is our FTF produced industry guide to 200 partners, all who work with consumer brands to reduce their negative environmental impact, from packaging and logistics, to web design, employee engagement and beyond.

What’s the aim of MITIGATE? To help reduce the barriers to your brand mitigating its impact, so your brand and the industry as a whole can collectively reach your/their sustainability targets in time for the planet.

What sets Mitigate apart? With an overwhelming number of companies dedicated to helping brands reduce their impact we exclusively focus on companies that have previously worked with consumer goods brands. Meaning their services are more likely to be applicable and impactful to your company. As well as this focus, for each partner we have painstakingly documented and categorised their:

• Type of Partner (Whether they offer a product, tool, consultancy service etc.)

• Your Product Type (That the partners have previously worked with)

• Target Area of Operations (What aspect of your company’s operations can they support you with?)

• Primary Mitigation Goal (What effect can this partner have on a brand’s environmental impact?)

• Other Consumer Goods Brands They’ve Worked With

Alongside company details so you can get in touch and start mitigating your brands impact. More information on the MITIGATE parameters can be found in our guide here.

NEW AI Search Feature

Previously you could manually filter MITIGATE parameters to find the partner that could help a consumer brand of your type meet your specific mitigation requirements and area of operations.

But we knew we could do better. With the help of our friends generative AI and Steve Isley. Steve is a generative AI and sustainability consultant with an impressive multi-disciplinary background ranging from startup entrepreneurship, software development, qualitative and quantitative research methods, a PhD in policy analysis, and an MS & BS in engineering.

Now you can search for the perfect partner by asking a question or stating what outcome you want to achieve. Specifically the search will return the top 20 match partners one liners, contact details (website and LinkedIn links), sustainability focus, consumer brands they’ve worked with as well as the AI generated quality of match ranging from good (green) to ok (orange).

What should I search for?

Anything you want but some example searches we based our prompt engineering around include:

👉 Know the outcome you want to achieve?

• “Who can help me engage my employees on sustainability?”

• “I want to explore using regenerative agriculture in my bread company's supply chain.”

👉 Have a specific target area of operations your business wants help in addressing?

• “Show me sustainable packaging options for my peanut butter brand”

• “I’m looking to explore the options for resale for my fashion brand”

👉 Looking for inspiration of who other brands in your industry are working with?

• What partners have fashion brands with >1000 employees worked with?

The AI Solution

What is the AI search trying to achieve?

The search bar has two aims, both feeding into the overall aim of mitigating the impact of brands in the consumer goods industry:

1. Help make it easier for brands to navigate the MITIGATE database to find the partner they’re looking for to reduce barriers to action.

2. Increase use of MITIGATE databases that took years to create by volunteer sustainability professionals.

Things to Note

• As with any generative AI, it can make mistakes.

• Partner responses are limited to 20 but the full database can still be accessed here.

• AI search is slower than regular search, and the speed depends on the underlying AI service, which can vary by time of day and day of week.

Environmental Impact of AI

We understand that generative AI, like all technologies, comes with an environmental impact, and it's something we take seriously. At Following the Footprints, we've thoughtfully chosen to use AI because we believe it can do genuine good - like helping brands quickly find sustainable suppliers and make choices that significantly lower their environmental footprint. Our goal is simple: leverage technology thoughtfully and transparently to make positive changes for our planet. We'll keep working to minimize impacts and maximize benefits every step of the way.

Next Steps to Impact

Find your perfect Mitigation partner and take your brand to the next stage of its sustainability journey. Happy searching!

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have we left you with more questions? Drop us a comment below and we’ll get back to you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

If ‘aquaculture’ is as new to you as it is to us, you’re in for a treat. If aquaculture is the soapbox (shrimpbox? come back to this pun post-article for it’s full effect…please) you regularly stand on, you’re ALSO in for a treat. We wouldn’t dare leave you out.

Today you’re fortunate to have an expertly crafted tour of the environmental impact of Shrimp, seafood supply chains and how Atarraya is designing a really cool solution. Our tour guide is Cecilia, who leads on all things sustainability reporting and certifications. It’s rare for us to get a list of references alongside interview answers - Atarraya’s shrimp save miles, but Cecilia has really gone the extra one with this interview. We’ll stop.

As usual - a chunky roundup of this week’s Good(s) News and a smattering of events and open roles are at the end.

Let’s dig in…

Do you enjoy reading FTF? We would love your support! Please subscribe, share this newsletter with your colleagues and let us know what you think!

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6 questions with Cecilia Lopez, Sustainability Reporting and Certifications Lead at Atarraya

Hello! We’d love the non-LinkedIn lowdown on who you are, what Atarraya focused on, your role to make that happen and what you were doing before you were making the planet cooler (both meanings intended)?

Hello! My name is Cecilia López, and I lead sustainability reporting and certifications at Atarraya Inc., where we are rethinking shrimp farming through biotechnology and innovation. Our goal is to make shrimp locally accessible and environmentally responsible, eliminating the need for ocean trawling and habitat destruction.

Our core innovation, Shrimpbox, is a land-based, self-contained aquaculture system that uses Biofloc Technology (BFT) to recreate the natural conditions where shrimp thrive. In the wild, beneficial microorganisms maintain water quality and provide extra nutrition — Shrimpbox mimics this balance, reducing water use by 99%, eliminating harmful waste discharge, and enabling antibiotic-free, low-impact shrimp production anywhere in the world. By decentralizing shrimp farming, we also reduce emissions from long-distance seafood supply chains. Through our brand, Agua Blanca Shrimp, we bring high-quality, responsibly farmed shrimp to local markets, ensuring a transparent, sustainable alternative to conventionally farmed and imported seafood.

At Atarraya, I ensure our sustainability initiatives are measurable and impactful, from assessing our environmental footprint to leading certifications and compliance efforts. I also work on projects about the circular economy, such as transforming biofloc waste into biofertilizer for regenerative agriculture, aligning with our vision of closing waste loops and integrating food systems with nature.

My passion for sustainability started early—I grew up surrounded by animals, which shaped my understanding of ecosystem conservation. I studied Sustainable Development Engineering at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico, focusing on circular economy models and environmental solutions. In Monterrey, I worked on community-led conservation projects, including composting initiatives, biodiversity monitoring, and the development of an environmental unit at HOGA, an equine therapy center, where I evaluated solutions for waste management and energy consumption.

Later, in Jalisco, I helped build a restaurant from recycled materials at Hoja de Pluma, a permaculture center, designed to integrate food production with regenerative practices. In Austria, I engaged in sustainable livestock management and organic farming, where I learned how regenerative agriculture can align food production with ecological balance.

These experiences reinforced my belief that sustainability isn’t just about minimizing harm—it’s about redesigning food systems to restore and regenerate the environment.

At Atarraya, we are proving that aquaculture can be part of the solution, offering a responsible, scalable way to meet global seafood demand while working with nature, not against it.

How have you calculated Atarraya’s climate impact?

At Atarraya, we use a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach, aligned with ISO 14040/14044 standards, to measure our environmental footprint. As part of Google's Startups for Sustainable Development program, we are committed to leveraging technology and innovation to drive sustainable food production. Our impact is measured through the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that our efforts contribute to global priorities such as climate action, responsible consumption, and life below water. This comprehensive approach allows us to evaluate the full impact of our shrimp production, from feed sourcing to farm operations and product distribution.

Key findings from our carbon footprint assessment:

1. Significantly Lower Carbon Emissions – Traditional shrimp farming emits between 5-15 kg CO₂e per kg of shrimp, with extreme cases reaching 1,603 kg CO₂e/kg when mangrove deforestation is involved​. Shrimpbox operates at approximately 4.5 kg CO₂e/kg, on par with the most efficient recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).

2. Elimination of Land-Use Change Emissions – Unlike conventional shrimp farms that contribute to mangrove deforestation, Shrimpbox is a land-based system, preventing up to 500 tons of CO₂ emissions per hectare of conserved mangrove per year​.

3. Drastic Reduction in Water Usage – Traditional shrimp farming consumes around 60 m³ of water per kg of shrimp. Shrimpbox reduces this to just 1 m³ per kg, a 98% decrease, lowering both water consumption and the energy required for water treatment​.

4. Lower Energy Consumption & Feed Optimization – Shrimpbox is designed for energy efficiency, consuming less electricity per kg of shrimp compared to open-pond systems. Additionally, its biofloc technology improves feed conversion ratios (FCR), reducing feed waste and associated emissions​.

5. Logistics & Distribution Emissions Reduction – Shrimpbox enables local production, avoiding long-distance transportation and air-freight emissions typically associated with imported seafood​.

Our assessments show that Shrimpbox significantly reduces the environmental impact of shrimp farming while creating a scalable, sustainable alternative to traditional production. Moving forward, we continue to refine our LCA model, incorporate renewable energy sources, and optimize waste valorization strategies to further reduce emissions and resource use.

Educate us - why do you think aquaculture is the way forward? Why are you focused on shrimp specifically?

As someone deeply invested in food production systems and environmental conservation, I see aquaculture as a crucial solution to the growing demand for seafood. Today, over 90% of global fish stocks are either overfished or fully exploited, meaning that relying on wild-caught seafood is no longer sustainable. If we want to continue enjoying seafood without collapsing marine ecosystems, we need responsible, scalable alternatives—and aquaculture is the most viable path forward.

Shrimp, in particular, stands out as both one of the most consumed and most problematic seafoods. Globally, shrimp ranks among the top seafood choices, with over 6 million metric tons produced annually. However, conventional shrimp farming has been linked to mangrove deforestation, pollution, and labor rights violations, making it one of the most environmentally and socially challenging industries.

My personal commitment to biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection is what led me to focus on mangrove preservation. These ecosystems are not only extraordinary carbon sinks, capturing and storing up to four times more carbon per hectare than rainforests, but they also serve as critical habitats for marine and terrestrial species, supporting the rich biodiversity that Mexico is known for. Since moving to Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, I’ve experienced firsthand the deep connection that coastal communities have with the ocean and its resources. Here, the sea is not just a source of food—it is a way of life, culture, and economic survival. The health of mangrove ecosystems directly impacts local livelihoods, as these habitats serve as nurseries for fish and crustaceans, protect coastlines from erosion, and regulate water quality. Many coastal communities rely on marine resources for economic stability, making ecosystem conservation essential for both biodiversity and sustainable development.

Coming from a city in the desert of Northern Mexico, where nature often feels distant and most people have little awareness of where their food comes from or its environmental impact, this perspective has been eye-opening. It has reinforced my belief that conservation isn't just about protecting nature—it’s about safeguarding the ecosystems that sustain both biodiversity and the people who depend on them.

At Atarraya, we are demonstrating that shrimp farming can contribute to, rather than harm, the environment. By eliminating the need for trawling and deforestation, while reducing resource consumption, we are proving that aquaculture can be an essential part of a sustainable food future.

Ok, magic wand time; if we could grant you three wishes for the alternative protein industry, what would they be?

1. A truly level playing field – The global food system is designed to favor conventional meat and seafood, with massive subsidies making unsustainable products artificially cheap. Meanwhile, alternative proteins often struggle with higher production costs and regulatory hurdles that slow down their adoption. If we want real change, we need policy shifts that account for environmental externalities, incentivizing regenerative, low-impact food systems rather than continuing to prop up industries that degrade ecosystems.

2. Investment in localized, resilient food production – Scaling alternative proteins shouldn’t mean replicating the problems of industrialized agriculture with centralized mega-factories. We need decentralized food production models that cut emissions, support local economies, and increase food security. Having lived in different regions across Mexico and abroad, I’ve seen firsthand how consumer awareness of food sources varies greatly. In urban areas, many people are disconnected from how their food is produced and its environmental impact, while coastal and rural communities often rely directly on local ecosystems for sustenance and economic stability. Strengthening regional food systems could help bridge this gap, fostering greater transparency, resilience, and equitable access to sustainable nutrition.

3. Rethinking how we perceive alternative proteins – The industry often focuses on mimicking conventional meat, but what if we embraced the unique qualities of alternative proteins instead of treating them as “substitutes”? Many sustainable foods—whether biofloc-grown shrimp, plant-based proteins, or cultivated seafood—offer distinct flavors, nutritional benefits, and production advantages. If we shift the conversation to innovation rather than replication, we can move beyond comparisons and position sustainable food as the smarter, more responsible choice—delicious in its own right.

Finally - We’d love some climate-related recommendations; one resource, one person to follow online and one consumer brand that’s killing it!

• 🌊 Resource: Ocean Conservancy → Works to protect the ocean through policy advocacy, marine conservation, and solutions for plastic pollution and sustainable fisheries.

• 🌎 Person to Follow: Enric Sala → National Geographic Explorer and founder of Pristine Seas, dedicated to creating and expanding marine protected areas worldwide.

• 🍄 Consumer Brand: Ecovative → Develops sustainable, mycelium-based alternatives to plastic and leather, reducing waste and promoting regenerative materials.

Connect with Cecilia

🎯 Hayman Distillers published its latest impact report, highlighting its B Corp and EcoVadis certifications, packaging improvements - including lighter glass bottles, increased recycled content, and 5L box formats - and operating its distillery on 100% green energy.

🎯 Lily's Kitchen recertified as a B Corp, achieving its highest score to date at 102!

🎯 NEOM Wellbeing released its latest impact report, showcasing key sustainability initiatives such as moving to offices with a greater focus on sustainability, with aims of employing 100% renewable energy and enhancing waste management. They also worked on improving the accuracy of their Scope 3 distribution data while reducing Scope 1 natural gas consumption by 59%.

⭐️ the LEGO Group have created a new material for their tires made from recycled fishing nets, ropes, and engine oil. These new tires, incorporating at least 30% recycled content, have already been integrated into select LEGO sets and aim to include these eco-friendly tires in approximately 120 different sets by the end of 2025.

⭐️ Lidl GB have partnered with Swiss Pack Europe and Algramo who have developed a refillable FORMIL spout pouch, providing an alternative to traditional detergent packaging. This innovation won the Innovation Gallery award at the recent Packaging Innovations & Empack event.

⚡️ FixFirst launched the UK’s first repair voucher program via its Fix1.today platform, in partnership with The Restart Project and ReLondon, with funding from the North London Waste Authority. The initiative, which uses AI to improve repairs and support local businesses, aims to expand nationwide to promote the right to repair and circular economy solutions.

⚡️The Ellen MacArthur Foundation released a new report, Reuse in the Global South, in collaboration with WWF, showcasing 12 case studies of successful reuse models across key product categories. The report highlights how businesses in the Global South are already driving circular economy solutions, emphasising the need for coordinated action to scale their impact.

⚡️ DuoUK and EMERGE Recycling have partnered to collect and recycle Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) from 30 Greater Manchester businesses, aiming to improve recycling rates for this commonly used but under-recycled plastic.

Follow us on LinkedIn for a fresh digest of Good News every Friday. Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

• Copenhagen or Paris - Social Impact Manager - GANNI

• Manchester, UK - Sustainability Manager - Co-op (£58,000 - £66,000)

Events

• 📆 13th March - Unlocking Business Value with Product Carbon Footprints - Virtual

• 📆 19th March - State of Sustainability: Food & Bev Summit - Chicago, USA

• 📆 20th March - Fireside chat - learning from how pioneering businesses approach impact - Virtual

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

Today Abi is bringing our England-based readers some of that much needed clarity as we prepare for new regulations.

Keep scrolling to discover:

• In Focus: Guest writer Abi helps us wrap our heads around the new recycling regulations in England

• Our Weekly Good(s) News roundup!

• Bulletin Board: One event featuring yours truly and more events and jobs to keep an eye on.

• In case you missed it: Biodegradable vs compostable - know the difference

Do you enjoy reading FTF? We would love your support! Please subscribe, share this newsletter with your colleagues and let us know what you think!

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> In Focus…

Simpler Recycling Initiative

by Abigail Sharp

It’s hard to believe that the English government has put together an initiative involving the words ‘Simpler’ and ‘Recycling’ in the same sentence! 👀

For years, as individuals and businesses we have (hopefully) been recycling both at work and at home. It’s become second nature—inspecting food packets, containers, and packaging, hoping that what’s left can be recycled and turned into something new.

However, waste management in the UK is a devolved matter. What that means is each country - England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - is responsible for its own strategy. In England, responsibility is further fragmented among local councils, leading to inconsistencies between councils regarding what can or can’t be recycled. This lack of clarity has often left consumers guessing—and ‘wishcycling’— the act of placing non-recyclable items in recycling bins in the hope that they will be processed.

Research has found that 84% of households unintentionally contaminate their recycling through well-intended ‘wishcycling’—a challenge that clearer guidance and policy reform need to help address.

Step in: the ‘Simpler Recycling initiative’ (SRI) which is set to come into effect on March 31^st 2025. This mandatory legislation aims to transform how businesses and households in England segregate recyclable waste from general waste, boosting recycling rates across the country.

The goal? To standardise and simplify what is collected for recycling across England, reduce confusion and contamination in recycling bins, and remove recyclable materials from general waste streams so they can be properly recovered.

An ambitious target has been set for England: to recycle 65% of municipal waste by 2035 and deliver greenhouse gas emissions savings equivalent to £11.8 billion. Current household recycling rates in England have stagnated at around 44%-45% since 2015.

Simpler recycling in England will form an essential part of the plan on how they are going to achieve their targets, alongside other initiatives such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging and the Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers.

So, what is the Regulation?

The ‘Simpler Recycling Initiative’ mandates that all businesses and organisations in England with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees must: separate their core recyclable materials from general waste.

Most workplaces will now be required to use four separate containers for:

• residual (non-recyclable) waste

• food waste

• paper and card

• all other dry recyclable materials (plastic, metal and glass)

The most notable change for a lot of businesses and organisations is the addition of the separate food waste stream. Businesses must separate this stream regardless of how little food waste they generate.

The UK has already seen other administrations introduce similar legislation. In April 2024, Wales implemented its recycling reform for all workplaces, introducing six core recycling streams. This has helped Wales become the second-best country in the world for recycling. The hope is that SRI will bring similar success across the border.

Key Timelines

• March 31, 2025: Large and small businesses as well as non-household municipal premises must have core recycling streams in place, including a separate stream for food waste.

• March 31, 2026: For households’ the local authorities must have implemented standardised core recycling collections, including weekly food waste collections.

• March 31, 2027: Micro-businesses with fewer than 10 employees must be compliant, and plastic film will be included as part of the plastic waste stream.

How can you prepare?

1. Complete a waste audit: Understand what waste you are creating, there might be an opportunity to prevent or recycle materials that you aren’t currently. Recycling can lower waste management costs – good for both the planet and your bottom line!

2. Engage with your current waste provider: Ask how they can support your transition to compliance with the legislation – if they fall short look at switching provider!

3. Understand where your waste ends up: Work with your waste provider to track where your waste goes and how it is processed for better transparency.

4. Talk to your teams and influence behaviours: Make sure everyone is aware of the changes and how they need to act to be compliant to the new legislation.

> Follow up with…

1. Guide: Simpler recycling guide, Greenzone

2. Guide: Business of Recycling, WRAP

> The Good(s) News

🎯 Actual Veggies announced that they raised $7 million in a Series A funding round to support its retail expansion and product development, led by Relentless Consumer Partners. This reflects shifting consumer preferences towards foods made with recognisable, minimally processed ingredients.

🎯 Wildsmith Skin announced their new 100% compostable packaging that biodegrades in a year, using a plant-based biopolymer made from natural microbes in partnership with Shellworks. Additional products will transition this year as existing glass packaging sells through.

⭐️ Lidl Nederland announced that they have improved the range of meat substitutes. Not only in taste and texture, the nutritional values have also been optimised. More than two thirds of meat substitutes now meet the Schijf van Vijf (wheel of five) criteria, which is the official nutritional guideline in the Netherlands.

⭐️ REWE Group announced their protein strategy in favour of plants, aligning with the Planetary Health Diet, a scientifically backed nutrition plan. It was the first German supermarket to pledge a reduction in its Scope 3 forest, land use and agriculture emissions and aims to reach net zero by 2050.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Events

  • 📆 4 March - The Carbon Trust label directory: Leading with transparency on green claims - The Carbon Trust - Virtual

  • 📆 11 March - Make Your Impact Unignorable - Enviral and Laura Matz (me🙋‍♀️) - Virtual

• Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

  • South Burlington, USA - Ice Cream Social Mission Director - Ben & Jerry's ($141,680 to $212,520)

  • Copenhagen or Paris - Social Impact Manager - GANNI

  • Manchester, UK - Sustainability Manager - Co-op (£58,000 - £66,000)

• If you want to feature your event here, get in touch or add it directly to our events calendar ^👇

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

Rumour has it if you missed out on Glastonbury tickets this year, Packaging Innovations 2025 was the next best place to be. FTF team member and our in-house packaging pro Indira spent two days running round taking notes, so if you’re sat in your office sad you missed out - don’t be! Today, we’re running through her key learnings…

Scroll on to discover:

• In Focus: Indira unpacks (we couldn’t resist) her learnings from Packaging Innovations 2025.

• In Case You Missed It: Your Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) refresh, and why Everist are concentrating on waterless products.

• Good(s) News: Finisterre, When In Rome, IKEA and more…

• Bulletin Board: 3 jobs and 3 events that should be on your radar!

Do you enjoy reading Following the Footprints? We’d love your support! Subscribe, and share this with your colleague. They’ll think you’re really really smart (guaranteed).

Subscribe now

> In Focus…

Unpacking the Packaging Innovations 2025 Summit!

If you have come across packaging news in our good news or packaging-section heavy articles in our newsletter, that is probably (most likely) shared by yours truly, Indira. I always try to slip in a little bit of packaging talk, and this time, I finally hit the jackpot!

Two weeks ago, I went to the Packaging Innovations 2025 conference in Birmingham to explore game-changing ideas that are shaping the future of how we package, protect and (hopefully) reuse the things we buy. Think compostables, fiber-based packaging and interesting talks on circular economy.

If you’re even just a little bit curious about the future of packaging or you’re looking for inspiration for your brand - today we’re unpacking it all…

Sessions and Talks:

There were multiple talks spread across three different stages, with each tackling a key aspect of the packaging industry: Manufacturing and Supply Chain, Innovations and Design, as well as Circular Economy. I have scrambled through the topics and selected the juiciest ones to share for you!

1. PackUK Launch

One big announcement at the event was the launch of PackUK, an initiative designed to unify the UK’s packaging industry. Representatives of each nation were present and the main topic was about the government's role in implementing the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme: aiming to hold producers accountable for the entire lifecycle of their packaging. This is where PackUK, as the UK’s administrator, will help coordinate the change of shifting the cost of managing household packaging waste from taxpayers to businesses, applying the ‘polluter pays’ principle, with the hope to incentivise innovation and boost investment into recycling services and infrastructure.

2. Paperisation in Practice, can paper actually replace plastic?

This session explored the surge in fiber-based packaging as companies are looking for alternative materials to plastic. With panelists including industry representatives like Reckitt, Interflex Group, and material innovation start-up one.five, dig into real world challenges of one of the hottest trends in packaging, whether fiber-based packaging can actually perform as well as plastic. The discussion included specific details about barrier performance like moisture, durability, and if consumers are really ready for this shift (customer experience changes when the materials change). The big takeaway? Paper is a promising solution in many cases, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all. There’s still a lot of work to be done to make it viable across the board.

3. The Big Debate on Reuse and Refill

The day wrapped up with a lively, interactive debate on whether reuse and refill will overtake single-use packaging within the next 10 years. The proposer argued that there is huge demand and that younger, eco-conscious consumers will drive that demand for reuse and refill further. The opposer (although the panelists interestingly have to take a stand in the opposite side of what they stand for!) pointed out that our entire global infrastructure is built around single-use, and that convenience still rules. It was a passionate, interactive debate with audience members jumping in too. One thing’s clear: whether it happens in 10 years or not, reuse and refill models are gaining momentum, and brands need to start paying attention.

Innovation Spotlight

Honestly, the exhibition floor was full of very interesting innovations. It was like walking in a candy store and stopping to open every jar, trying to get a flavour. With the packaging industry also trying to move away from hard-to-recycle plastic like films, some of my favourite stands are Futamura with their NatureFlex compostable cellulose films, Innovia Films with their high-barrier fully recyclable BOPP (biaxially oriented polypropylene) films, and paper-based pouches by LEIPA UK. It amazes me how passionate these innovators are, telling me the reasoning behind each meticulously designed change that makes such a difference in improving packaging quality.

There was also a Packaging Innovation Competition where some of the most exciting new packaging solutions battled it out for the top prize. The winners in each category were:

• Alternative materials: Blue Ocean Closures, pioneering cellulose fiber-based closures that are fully recyclable as paper

• Connected packaging: PulpaTronics, advancing electronic functionalities integrated into pulp-based packaging material

• Refill and reuse: Cauli, providing reusable packaging system for takeaway food

• Waste reduction: AeroFlexx, innovating liquid packaging solutions that use significantly less plastic

• Online solutions: Green Evo Ltd, offering a platform that promotes sustainable products to guide eco-purchasing decisions.

So what can your brand learn?

The future of packaging isn’t just about swapping materials—it’s about rethinking the whole system. Brands must embrace circular design, take responsibility for end-of-life disposal, and make sustainable choices easy for consumers. Meanwhile, consumers hold the power to drive change by choosing better packaging and demanding accountability from producers.

With these companies showcasing their innovations and leading the way, a more sustainable packaging future is already in motion!

Have Qs? Connect with Indira!

> In case you missed it…

> The Good(s) News

🎯 Finisterre announced the integration of regenerative organic cotton into its SS25 collection, making it the primary material for over 75% of its t-shirts. While the brand already uses organic cotton throughout their brand with regenerative cotton being the next step.

🎯 When in Rome | B Corp™ revealed they are repurposing discarded wine bottles from competitors into durable, etched wine glasses, crafted in collaboration with SmoothEdge.

🎯 CauliBox won the Refill & Reuse award at the 2025 Startup Packaging Awards by ThePackHub, celebrating their efforts to make reuse more accessible through innovative technology. They also achieved their goal of reducing 1 million disposables and are now aiming for a 10 million reduction by 2025.

🎯 Pulpex secured $78 million in funding, led by the National Wealth Fund and the Scottish National Investment Bank, to build a full-scale packaging facility in Glasgow. The facility will produce 50 million fiber-based, plastic-free bottles annually.

⭐️ Tony’s Chocolonely released their latest FAIR report, showcasing significant progress in ethical cocoa sourcing. In 2023/24, they paid higher prices to 20,296 farmers, helped 1,718 children escape child labor, and ensured that 99.95% of their cocoa farms remained deforestation-free.

⭐️ IKEA updated their emissions goal, now targeting over 90% zero-emission home deliveries by 2028, down from 100% by 2025. Despite challenges like charging infrastructure and vehicle availability, they remain committed to sustainable logistics and see the revised goal as a step toward continued progress.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

  • [Hertfordshire, UK] Sustainability Programme Manager @ Climate 17 (12 month contract)

  • [London, UK] Senior Sustainability & Community Impact Manager @ Heineken

  • [London, UK] Senior Sustainability Manager @ Charlotte Tilbury

• Events

  • 📆 6th March: [Virtual] PCFs: Driving Impactful Supply Chain Engagement Programmes - Altruistiq

  • 📆 25th March: [Cambridge, UK] Nature Action Dialogues 2025 - UNEP, Proteus, Jesus College Cambridge

  • 📆 15th-17th April: [Montreal, Canada] Canadian Circular Economy Summit - Wordly, Recyc-Quebec

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

First, we wanted to say a massive THANK YOU to all of you. It’s been a cool 4 years. We’ve released databases, websites, 100s of brand spotlights, 100s of quick dives into topics that have hopefully helped you, mapped 1000s of partnerships and more importantly - (hopefully) inspired you. Every now and then we hear a juicy story of a brand that re-evaluated a decision based on something we wrote, or reached out to a new partner based on information we shared. We’ve even been told that whole new drink lines have been created, people have found jobs, and people have found the courage to leave jobs (spicy!!) from our content. If you, somewhere along the way, have found yourself inspired over the last 4 years - please let us know. As a totally volunteer-led team, it would mean the world.

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We also want to shout-out the Following the Footprints team - past and present - who have committed countless hours on week-nights and weekends to keep this platform going. No one has to do this, no one is paid. They’re the best of the best and have made the last 4 years a true joy.

Ok, tissues away, let’s recap last week…

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> Event Recap…

11th February 2025: Our ‘Open Mic’ Night with Patagonia

Last Tuesday, the Following the Footprints team descended on Manchester. Well, on the Patagonia Showroom in Manchester specifically. To celebrate our fourth birthday, nod to Patagonia’s long-standing support of grassroots climate action, and pay homage to a looming Valentine’s day, this Open Mic-style mixer was titled ‘A Love Letter To Community’.

In case you’ve missed previous Open Mic events like this one - no one actually sings. Instead, we introduce a question to the group, and let the conversation roll from there. No one can speak for more than a minute, and we encourage attendees to ask questions and share examples alongside their opinions. It gets juicy, fast.

Let’s set the scene.

It’s a cold February night in Manchester. The warm glow of Patagonia’s showroom was exciting for three reasons - first, there’s next seasons’ samples on the shelves and boy are they cool. Second, the sweet sweet sight of The Uncommon’s crisp and sparkling white and rose, Shandy Shack’s Elderflower Lager Top and Raspberry Lager, and Lucky Saint’s no alc nectar catch your eye. Lastly, you look around and it’s 50 of Following the Footprints’ Manchester nearest and dearest bundled together and chatting furiously.

7.30pm comes around - Leone welcomes everyone to the evening, Laura shares more about Following the Footprints, and Lisa and Alex from Patagonia give us a glimpse into how Patagonia thinks about their community. Next, it’s time to Open Mic.

Like all our Open Mic events, there’s one key question that we kick things off with. This time, it’s - Can consumer brands truly prioritise their community, if they’re also trying to sell to them? We’re not holding back round here.

What did we discuss?

We never share exactly what attendees said - it’s Chatham House rules and really, you had to be there. However - here’s a taste of the topics we covered:

• What can we learn from brands directly employing, or economically boosting, their local community? Why don’t more brands focus on right where they are situated, and build deep roots there? Examples we shared included Hiut Denim and industries like local Scottish wool mills.

• People along the supply chain can’t be forgotten when a brand talks about community - it can’t just include customers.

• Timpson’s was raised as an example of a successful company that is truly changing people’s lives, and doing so in a very authentic way. We tried to brainstorm brands that were started to fix problems in their local community, and the list was shamefully short.

• Listen first - Patagonia approaches granting for their 1% for the Planet pledge by first listening to what their grantees (and potential grantees) actually want. We can’t assume we know without asking.

• Is organised fun actually superficial? Or really is the decline of third spaces a call for brands to be a convener and lean into that role, especially if they have space or budget to physically bring people together?

• Is it less authentic when community-engagement is marketed? Can community action be sustained if it’s not, however, making financial sense for that brand?

• Communities are tired of being asked what they need, and the action then not happening. A great example of this was the Black Lives Matter movement, when pressure was put on black colleagues to say what they needed but fast forward to now and many DEI policies are being withdrawn with no resistance.

• Evidence shows that consumers are statistically more likely to buy from brands they trust, than they are from brands they think are doing a great job environmentally.

• Changing human behaviour is really hard! Can we even rely on consumer research which says they would include the environment or how much they trust that brands in their purchasing decisions? Consumers are overwhelmed!

The Consensus

We didn’t come to one united answer - a show of hands at the end about whether consumer brands can truly be community-led if they’re trying to sell to that community showed a very split room. This is good! We wanted discussion, and we need to interrogate our own methods of supporting communities (local and global) in order to do better as an industry.

Thank you to all our partners for this event - Lisa and Alex from Patagonia, Florence from The Uncommon, Will from Shandy Shack, Olivia from Lucky Saint, and of course the brilliant FTF team not already mentioned - Indira and Rosalin.

Want to join future FTF events? Add your name to our invite list here…

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> The Good(s) News

🎯 Meatable and Pelagen announced their partnership to advance sustainable leather technology. This beyond food innovation helps to enhance the production of high-quality, sustainable skin tissue from animal cells.

🎯 allplants shared news that they are being acquired by Plants and Deliciously Ella to create a new, natural, plant-based powerhouse.

🎯 nibs etc. Ltd announced that they have launched their products at 21 Waitrose & Partners stores. They have been part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Big Food Redesign Challenge these last 12 months.

🎯 Harmless Harvest announced that they are now B Corp certified.

⭐️ ARKET announced their partnership with SOJO, launching a UK-wide repairs and alternations service, with celebrations happening in their Regent Street store in Central London.

⭐️ Mondi Group announced their collaboration with Proquimia to launch paper-based stand-up pouches for dishwashing tabs in Spain and Portugal. Mondi’s internal product impact assessment indicates that the new solution has significantly lower CO2 emissions than its previous plastic packaging.

⭐️ Boots UK announced that its Blister pack recycling scheme now extends to 800 Boots stores, in partnership with MYGroup. Customers who take part in the scheme are able to claim Boots Advantage Card loyalty points in exchange for the used blister packs and other products they deposit in-store.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Events

  • 📆 23rd February - The Sustainable Beauty E-Summit - The Eco Well

  • 📆 24th February - The Future of Protein Production - Future-Proof Group Media - Chicago

  • 📆 27th February - Women in Sustainability Breakfast - Altruistiq - London

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

> Finally, in case you missed it…

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

Before we get ahead of ourselves, there’s no time like the present, and today we’re sitting down with Jane Firth, Sustainability Manager at Vegetarian Express and an industry OG with stints at household names like The Body Shop. We’re also running through a couple of job openings that have caught our eye, some Good News that’s lifted our spirits, and events you may just see FTF team members at.

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6 questions with Jane Firth, Sustainability Manager at Vegetarian Express.

We’d love the non-LinkedIn lowdown on who you are, what is Vegetarian Express focused on, and what you were doing before you were making the planet cooler (both meanings intended)?

I’ve always worked for quirky British businesses with heart, I honestly don’t think I’m cut out for anything buttoned down and formally corporate. I started out as a product development chemist at Nikwax waterproofing a long time ago, then I moved to The Body Shop for 20 years, working in Quality, Regulatory and finally spent 6 years in Sustainability. It was a great grounding in what sustainability can be in business. I really feel like I’ve landed on my feet with Vegetarian Express, where the mission is to “fill your plate with plant-based goodness”.

It’s all about providing great ingredients to chefs, providing them with ideas and inspiration to make amazing food – that just happens to be plant-based. We have a recipe portal called Seed-bank, created by chefs for chefs. It currently holds over 600 plant-based recipes; all including method, nutritional and allergen information, plus environmental impact information. What makes this business proposition so powerful is that gaining market share isn’t just good for us—it’s good for the planet. With plant-based food having a lower environmental impact than meat, this is a rare win-win where growth drives positive change.

How does Vegetarian Express think about sustainability? Any impact-related milestones or achievements you’re particularly proud of?

Sustainability has always been at the heart of Vegetarian Express. Certified as a B Corp in 2019, we’ve gone even further, improving our score to an impressive 96.3 points on recertification - a fantastic achievement. Before employing a Sustainability Manager (me) the team had already done so many great operational activities to reduce carbon emissions, the most exciting of which kicked off just before I joined last year where a project was launched to switch all delivery vans from diesel to HVO (Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil). When exploring alternatives to fossil fuels, we found that electric vans weren’t viable - current batteries can’t handle refrigeration and multi-drop delivery mileage. HVO emerged as the best solution. Now, our vans literally run on used cooking oil! It’s a fantastic initiative that not only supports a circular food system but also significantly reduces our operational carbon emissions.

Tell us about Future 50 Foods, I never heard of them until I visited the website and, now I'm intrigued!

Future 50 Foods is a fascinating report put together by WWF and Knorr foods which outlines “50 foods for healthier people and a healthier planet”. The idea is to improve the food system by championing delicious, nutritious foods with a lower environmental impact - foods we could be eating more of but often overlook.

It’s about promoting the diversification of our diets to improve human health and benefit the environment at the same time. The Future 50 foods range from algae and leafy greens to beans, grains, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, and root vegetables.

As we don’t supply fresh fruit and vegetables we are unable to provide the full fifty, but we are proud to be able to offer 19 ingredients from the list - from amaranth to wakame, and all manner of beans and pulses in between, our stock of Future 50 ingredients is continuing to grow. The Future 50 report gives us a good basis for broadening the food horizons of our customers. Knowing that it's better for all of us as well as the planet, we’ve made a conscious effort to include them in more recent recipe inspiration available on Seed-bank.

What kind of projects are you sinking your teeth into right now in your role?

It is an incredibly exciting time at Vegetarian Express. I’m currently developing our new sustainability strategy. My hope is to create a strategy with doughnut economics at its heart, that prioritises appropriately through double materiality assessment and that supports our B Corp recertification while also providing our customers with the carbon reduction targets and emissions data that they are asking for. It's all doable, it's just a lot! Providing our customers with the data and the products that they need is absolutely key for us, so there’s a lot of baselining and validation in my future to make sure our data and our product range is really good. It’s all about getting the foundations right and prioritising properly to ensure we’re serving our customers, our environment, our people and our business to the best of our ability with the resources we have.

Ok, magic wand time; if we could grant you three wishes for the food industry, what would they be?

1. I wish more people knew how to cook delicious, nutritious plant-based meals. Even chefs aren't taught how to cook plant-based meals at college, never mind kids at school or people at home. British cuisine has had meat at its core for so long that most people who learned how to cook from their parents don't generally have plant-based recipes in their repertoire. If I had a magic wand, I'd want everyone to know how to cook well so they weren't restricted to always having meat as the centre of plate, primary protein in a meal. Imagine the overall health improvements if everyone understood nutrition and could cook! It would be revolutionary for the food and the health systems.

2. Farming for regeneration, not for short term efficiency gains. We only have one planet, with finite resources, and yet we treat it as a bottomless pit for consumption at the lowest possible cost. Food is so fundamental to society, not just for fuel and for health but for community and connection too, we should treat it with the value it deserves, and consider the long-term sustainability of our farming systems, the soil health and water availability. I don't know how we'd do that in the current economic system, but this is a magic wand wish after all!

3. Immediate action on carbon reduction throughout the food supply chain. There's a lot of talk around reducing carbon emissions but not enough real action happening. If I could wave a magic wand, I would definitely rebuild the whole system to invest in low carbon solutions to help protect our food supply from the seemingly inevitable disruption that we now face due to climate change. People are so far removed from understanding where their food comes from, they don't realise how at risk their morning cup of tea or coffee is as the crops are under serious pressure from shifting climate patterns.

Finally - We’d love some recommendations; one climate-related resource, one person to follow online and one consumer brand that’s killing it!

• Climate-related resource: A handy free climate updates newsletter comes from Greenspace. It's a useful, regular, climate related newsletter. It's certainly worthwhile having it land in your inbox.

• Person to follow online: Nick Brown, ex-owner of Nikwax waterproofing and Paramo Directional Clothing (he sold both companies to the staff when he retired in 2022) he now runs Green Levers, working in the social and climate space, particularly the protection of forests as carbon reserves in South America. I've known Nick a long time, having worked for him over 20 years ago at Nikwax. It's where I started my career and where I learned that businesses can be run with care for people and planet, and not just for shareholders. I've only ever worked for companies with a similar ethos since then. Nick has always had close personal and professional connections with South America, and he's always been very conscious of the environmental and social impacts of business, so his drive to protect the people and forests of that region is understandable.

• Consumer brand that's killing it: Bird & Blend are one of my current favourite brands, not just because they have an extraordinary range of yummy teas and infusions, but because they put their best foot forward with their regular SustainabiliTEA panels for local businesses in Sussex, and the way they have had people and planet at the core of their business values since they first started. I really get the sense that they walk the walk, not just talk the talk.

Connect with Jane

🎯 Maison SASSY | B Corp and Little Moons announced they are both B Corp certified!

🎯 SOJO have partnered with Paul Smith to bring both online and in-store repair services to consumers.

🎯 neat. released the UK's first refillable foaming body wash in three new scents. One refill can last up to 55 washes, with no single use plastic in sight.

⭐️ MANGO have partnered with Materra, the regenerative cotton and tech company, to produce capsule wardrobe items made from regenerative cotton. Mango’s cotton farmers in India will collect soil and crop data via Materra’s digital platform, called Co:Farm. This will aid transparency and allow Mango to monitor indicators like fertility, soil health, number of nutrients, use of water, machinery and pesticides, size of the plot used and more.

⭐️ Virgin Media O2 announced that they'll be donating 12,000 reused devices collected through their O2 Recycle service in 2025 as part of their commitment to creating a circular economy.

⭐️ Circ, in collaboration with Canopy and Fashion For Good, launched the Fiber Club to facilitate brand access to recycled fibers and promote supply chain integration. This initiative aims to accelerate the adoption of next-generation materials in the fashion industry.

Follow us on LinkedIn for a fresh digest of Good News every Friday. Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

• London, UK - Global Sustainability Assistant Manager - Plastics - Unilever

• London, UK - Head of Sustainability - Huel

• London, UK - Lead Technical Consultant - Foodsteps

Events

• 📆 11th February - Following the Footprints x Patagonia: A Love Letter To Community

• 📆 13th February - From Corporate Carbon footprinting to Life Cycle Analysis - Carbon+Alt+Delete - Virtual

• 📆 4th March - The Carbon Trust label directory: Leading with transparency on green claims

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF 

That’s not the kind of change of direction we are discussing today. Today, Lexi is going to talk about how to withstand the external pressures that can make you question whether to stay true to your sustainability commitments.

Keep fighting the good fight!

Scroll on to discover:

• In Focus: Lexi helps us navigate the post-election sustainability sentiment we are seeing in both businesses and consumers

• Resources to follow up with after the Focus piece

• Our Weekly Good(s) News roundup!

• Bulletin Board: jobs and events that should be on your radar

Do you enjoy reading FTF? We would love your support! Please subscribe, share this newsletter with your colleagues and let us know what you think!

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> In Focus…

How to Navigate Anti-Sustainability Consumers (and The Cranky Politicians That Fuel Them)

Lexi here, your resident American FTF’er! Well, I grew up in Canada but live in San Diego, CA now. Let me tell you, January’s been a very very imperfect storm of wildfires, painful inaugurations, and national tragedies. Focusing on the Good News that arises each week and taking time for myself is the only thing keeping me sane.

As a climate communications consultant in the US, I’ve tuned into my fair share of conversations lately about how US companies with a strong emphasis on sustainability plan to operate post-election. I’ve heard a lot of resilience come through, and also a lot of discussion about how to navigate speaking to the consumers who don’t want to see sustainability in your company.

For a long time the fear was that consumers would be upset that brands weren’t focused enough on social and environmental sustainability. In the last few years, something shifted. Many are citing a corporate sustainability recession in the US, also felt by those global companies operating in US market

What’s the state of CPG sustainability in the US?

While corporate commitments to net-zero and circular economy initiatives are still growing, so is greenwashing and the number of companies scaling back on their existing carbon reduction and DEI commitments. There’s also been a strong pushback against ESG of all kinds, especially in political circles.

In 2023 though, an Index for New York University saw sustainable consumer packaged goods (CPG) products increase their market share and deliver about “1/3 of all CPG growth, despite representing less than one-fifth of market share.”

Despite what we’re hearing from major tech players, sustainable brands are still speaking out on what they believe in. Here’s what US brands are saying:

Our guide to navigating criticism and staying confident in your brand

🔒 Define and reinforce your brand values

Almost all brands have a set of values somewhere on their website or deep in their Google Drive. However, how many are considering them in their everyday communications on socials, through newsletters, and in the way they speak to partners and customers?

When values are well-defined and consistently communicated, it becomes easier to determine when to address and potential adapt to consumer pushback and when standing firm is the right choice.

Some strong examples:

• Veja’s uber-transparent supplier Code of Conduct that details their commitment to fair wages, sustainable sourcing, and environmental impact.

• Patagonia’s Core Values that emphasize their commitment to protect our home planet, the justice they seek to support, and the quality they provide

• And of course, Tony’s Chocolonely, who makes sure their values are the first thing you see, right from your Google search.

Tony’s has even locked their mission statement (using legal mechanisms), so that regardless of shareholder structure it cannot be altered, similar to the B Corp legal requirement.

When values are clearly stated, it’s easier to stand up to customers, and attract the right ones.

👂 Listen to all voices, not just the loudest

Social media outrage, Google reviews, and one-star backlash will always exist. But do instances of anti-ESG backlash reflect the majority of your customer base? Likely not. A survey of 2,000 Americans revealed that 65% still look for environmental claims when making a purchase and 63% state that it’s important to buy eco-friendly products or support eco-friendly causes.

Listen to customers and their needs, but don’t let fear of disapproval alter what your brand believes in. Consider that those who love what your brand is doing are more often than not doing so in silence.

And when hate is spewed, perhaps we can all take a lesson from Oatly, who launched a website summarizing all of the criticism they received over the years.

⌛ Play the long game

It’s tempting to react to immediate pressures—whether political, economic, or consumer-driven—but real sustainability efforts unfold over years, not weeks.

Take renewable energy contracts: Many companies are locked into Power Purchase Agreements that span a decade or more. Similarly, transitioning to sustainable supply chains requires long-term investments in regenerative agriculture, ethical sourcing, and carbon reduction.

Brands that endure the short-term trends and flip-flopping that takes over the media will be the ones that see true results of their strategic efforts that improve their product, brand, commitment to their values, and ultimately the planet.

🌍 Stay loyal to the planet

Navigating anti-sustainability sentiment requires clarity, patience, and commitment. The data shows that most consumers in the US will still support sustainable brands, even if it doesn’t feel like it.

Is your brand feeling political pressure, and what are you doing about it?

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> Follow up with…

1. Webinar: Ok – Now What? Navigating the Shifting Landscape for Corporate Sustainability After the 2024 US Presidential Election, Sustainable Brands

2. Webinar: Post-Election Primer: New Policies and New Prospects for Renewables, Schneider Electric

3. Article: Trump Reverses Climate Policies on the First Day in Office, AIP

> The Good(s) News

🎯 FRANKIE4 announced that since becoming a B Corp they have transitioned to 100% renewable energy, launched a global volunteering program, improved their greenhouse gas emissions measurement, reduced their packaging emissions, and implemented internal integrity programs.

🎯 DePoly, in collaboration with PTI, has successfully created a fully recycled PET bottle using mixed plastic waste. Their advanced recycling process breaks down PET into virgin-grade raw materials, demonstrating a promising closed-loop solution for high-quality plastic packaging.

🎯 Hubbub has launched Borrow Cup, a returnable cup scheme in Glasgow, to cut down on the 388 million disposable cups used in Scotland each year. Partnering with Reposit, Hubbub has made reusable cups available at over 40 locations, including Costa Coffee, Caffè Nero, and Burger King, with a simple borrow-and-return system that rewards users with discounts or loyalty points.

⭐️Ganni A/S has partnered with Ambercycle for a four-year offtake agreement to use Cycora, a next-gen recycled polyester, replacing 20% of its virgin and bottle-recycled polyester use. This partnership supports textile-to-textile recycling at scale, helping Ganni achieve its goal of halving its carbon footprint by 2027.

⭐️ Ingka Investments, part of Ingka Group (which includes IKEA), announced they will be investing over $1 billion to expand recycling infrastructure. To date through their investments they’ve helped recycle 2.7 million tonnes of materials, avoiding 9.4 million tonnes of CO2e.

Have good news? Share it with us - info@followingthefootprints.com!

> Bulletin Board

• Jobs in CPG x Sustainability

  • London, UK - Senior Sustainability Manager - Charlotte Tilbury

  • Remote, UK - Ethical Trade Project & Membership Manager - Food Network for Ethical Trade

  • This job doesn’t strictly meet the criteria but we make the rules so we can break them 💁‍♀️ London, UK - Retailer Partnerships Lead - Provenance

• Events

  • 📆 Feb 5 - 5 things you need to know about the new B Corp Standards - Twelve - Virtual

  • 📆 Feb 11 - A Love Letter To Community - Following the Footprints x Patagonia - Manchester

  • 📆 Feb 13 - From Corporate Carbon footprinting to Life Cycle Analysis - Carbon+Alt+Delete - Virtual

Check Out Our Events Calendar!

Want more? Check out our Website! You can find more about the team behind this newsletter, dig through our content archive AND check out our handy databases there too.

I WANT MORE

Have ideas for what we should write about next? Reply to this email! We’re always looking for inspiration from folks like you.

Until next time!

Team FTF