In the final quarter of 2022, COP26 brought together 200 nations in the bustling heart of Glasgow. During the summit, plans were devised to reduce the effects of global warming. It was decided, for example, that 45 per cent of global greenhouse emissions must be reduced by 2030, and that net zero will need to be accomplished by 2050.
Following on from COP26, businesses around the nation have decided to adopt zero waste into their corporate goals. The zero waste ideology involves minimising the number of wasted materials and resources.
This encompasses the whole production process, from manufacturing to consumption. It also encourages reusing and recycling instead of landfills and incineration or recovery, which is often referred to as energy from waste.
Here, we will list three British businesses leading the way and incorporating zero waste strategies. This includes corporations that favour sustainable waste management over zero-waste-to-landfill and waste-to-energy solutions.
LUSH Cosmetics
LUSH Cosmetics is leading the way for sustainability in Britain. The company produces a number of zero-waste cosmetic goods, from sparkling bath bombs to naked shampoo bars. Each year, 66 per cent of its products are sold without packaging, which has helped save 4,275 tonnes of plastic and counting.
In recent years, LUSH has created its first piece of carbon-positive packaging. Perfect for a shampoo bar, cork pots are reusable, biodegradable, and replace any need for plastic containers. The process of making these cork pots retains 33 times its own weight in carbon dioxide.
To further encourage recycling across the nation, LUSH has created the Bring it Back scheme. This allows customers to return used containers in exchange for new products. The Fresh Face Mask scheme, for example, gifts customers a free facemask for every five pieces of packaging recycled in store.
Taylor’s of Harrogate
Taylor’s of Harrogate is an established business based in Yorkshire. The company, which manufactures a selection of teas and coffees, is completely carbon neutral. To reduce its carbon footprint, Taylor’s utilises carbon offsetting programmes, compensating for necessary greenhouse gas emissions during manufacturing.
In recent months, Taylor’s Yorkshire Tea has become a zero-waste product. The teabags are now made from plant-based plastic (PLA), a renewable replacement to the traditional oil-based alternative. Everything in this product is recyclable, such as the cardboard boxes, and the company is working towards using only recyclable goods to manufacture this product.
There are other products, however, that are not zero waste. Taylor’s ground coffee currently uses flexible plastic packaging, but the company is exploring mono-polymer alternatives that can be recycled. For now, Taylor’s is collaborating with the Flexible Packaging Consortium, which will ensure flexible plastics can be recycled in households from 2023.
UpCircle Beaut
Last but not least, UpCircle is another British business adopting a zero-waste strategy. The company, which produces beauty products, is kind to animals and the planet. The coffee face scrub, for example, is made out of recycled coffee grinds and sold in a recyclable glass jar.
In addition to this, the innovative beauty brand has created the Return, Refill, Reuse scheme. This allows customers to return used packaging. The materials will then be cleaned, refilled, and returned back to an eagerly awaiting customer.
UpCircle is also certified as plastic negative. In partnership with rePurpose Global, UpCircle combats plastic waste around the world. This has ensured the business removes more plastic than its production line creates.
Overall, businesses across Britain are continuing to adopt zero-waste strategies. This does not mean that the company itself is completely zero waste. At this moment in time, we can only expect a corporation to work within its means, choosing sustainable waste management wherever possible.
With the pressures of the climate crisis becoming ever more apparent, companies adopting and thriving using environmentally friendly strategies defies the notion that sustainability is a stumbling block for profits.
By Mark Adair, Correspondent, Bdaily
