Australia’s peak egg body, the Australian Egg Corporation Limited (AECL), today launched a marketing campaign to promote caged egg production as having the lowest carbon footprint of all the main protein foods. AECL Managing Director, James Kellaway, said the findings of a study undertaken by the AECL suggested that caged eggs are the “highest quality protein food with the lowest emissions”. The AECL study, based on the green house gas emissions from three egg farms over one year, found that... ...Read more »

The UK’s Food and Drink Federation has called on the food industry to take a holistic approach to reducing waste and improving efficiency. Speaking today at the Westminster Food and Nutrition Forum, FDF director of sustainability and competitiveness Andrew Kuyk said that, to date, food manufacturers have taken an approach to sustainability that focuses on reducing waste and improving resource efficiency within their own operations. “This has been an easy sell,” he suggested. “Resource... ...Read more »

UK supermarket chain Tesco has sent a letter to its major suppliers asking them to reduce their carbon footprint by 30% before 2020. Speaking at the IGD’s annual convention on Tuesday, Tesco’s commercial and marketing director Richard Brasher said that the retailer would not enforce the reductions. However, he added: “Those who produce green products will be rewarded”. On collaboration in the grocery sector, Brasher, who will become the chief executive of Tesco’s UK... ...Read more »

European drinks trade publication the drinks business has awarded Tesco their Green Retailer of the Year award, for demonstrated business practices in improving environmental credentials in the drinks retailing industry. Tesco reports that their efforts in packaging reduction, efficient distribution and customer education have had a tangible positive effect on retailing alcoholic drinks. Initiatives such as Tetra Pak wine packaging, made from 75% low-carbon paperboard, have been extremely successful,... ...Read more »

UK groery chain Waitrose is trying a novel approach to reducing their carbon footprint by adding a Bakewell tart smell to its refrigeration gases. The cherry Bakewell scent – cherry and almond – is used in the HFC (hydro fluorocarbon) gases in fridges, which have a high global warming potential if leaked. The distinctive smell means any leaks would be immediately ‘sniffed out’, helping to cut the retailer’s environmental impact. Waitrose hopes the new initiative will... ...Read more »

UK food and drink manufacturers have reduced their carbon emissions by 19% since 1990 – the equivalent of one million tonnes of CO2 – according to a new report published by the Food and Drink Federation. FDF members have committed to reducing their CO2 emissions by 20% by 2010 against a 1990 baseline. The new figures – the latest available under the Climate Change Agreement with Government – show they are well on track to achieving that goal. The data also suggests that FDF... ...Read more »

The carbon and water footprints of Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing industry are being reduced to safeguard the nation’s long-term food supply, a new report by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has indicated. Released today to coincide with World Food Day, AFGC’s Towards Sustainability report highlights that leading food and grocery companies are committed to more sustainable production while maintaining the high quality of Australia’s food supply in... ...Read more »

Tesco, the UK’s largest retailer, has begun displaying a carbon footprint label on their full fat, semi-skimmed and skimmed milk ranges as part of the company’s groundbreaking work to include carbon labels on all their private label goods. The retailer hopes to have the carbon footprint label on 500 products by the end of the year. The move to carbon footprint comes on the back of new independent consumer research which found that 50 per cent of customers surveyed now understand the correct... ...Read more »

Your daily cup of coffee might just be costing you more than you think. New research from the Carbon Reduction Institute shows each latté consumed has the same environmental impact as leaving a 60 watt bathroom light globe on for 3 hours. Times that by 2 lattés a day, 5 times a week and, over a year, you just left that light globe on for 2 months. By calculating the footprint from their packaging, airflights, power, water and vehicles among all else, Jasper Coffee has now determined the real cost... ...Read more »

Planet Ark and the Carbon Trust recently announced the launch of the Carbon Reduction Label in Australia, inviting CPG businesses to join the scheme. The label is coming to Australia two and a half years after its launch in the UK by the Carbon Trust. The Carbon Trust’s Carbon Reduction Label has successfully operated since March 2007 on more than 2,500 individual product lines. The list of internationally recognised companies that have used the scheme include PepsiCo, Tesco, Coca Cola, Danone... ...Read more »