My Viewpoint

Analysis: Stay a step ahead of the green pressure groups

Analysis: Stay a step ahead of the green pressure groups
Environment campaigners will focus on deforestation, emissions from meat production, packaging and waste next year. Foodservice and hospitality companies should be prepared, says Robert Blood of Sigwatch. Plastics (again) We’re already seeing intense pressure from activists for commitments to reduce plastic use in general and single-use plastics in particular, with campaigning rocketing six-fold since 2015…
Read more

Pret A Manger tragedies should not provoke a rush to legislate

Pret A Manger tragedies should not provoke a rush to legislate
Two deaths from allergic reactions will rightly raise questions – but laws targeting bigger businesses are not the answer. By Dominic Watkins. It will have been difficult to have missed the tragic story of Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, the teenager who died of an allergic reaction on a flight after eating a baguette from Pret A Manger.…
Read more

The race to zero

The race to zero
Environmental communications expert and Waste2Zero Awards judge John Twitchen analyses the key trends emerging from the second annual Waste2Zero awards held at the In & Out Club, London, on 4 October 2018. A particularly strong theme at the Footprint-hosted second annual Waste2Zero awards was, well, less. Less waste, less plastic, less single use. Less unnecessary…
Read more

Let’s plant the seeds of a revolution in eating

Let’s plant the seeds of a revolution in eating
The government’s public procurement plans for food ignore the importance of plant-based diets. Now’s the perfect time to change that, says Mark Driscoll. We have all heard or seen the overwhelming volume of evidence relating to the significant environmental and health footprints of livestock production. We know that in order to meet the ambitions and…
Read more

Why you need to meet your suppliers in the flesh

Why you need to meet your suppliers in the flesh
Buyers need to satisfy themselves that the meat they are buying is what they think it is. By David Read, chairman of Prestige Purchasing. Benjamin Franklin once wrote: “Nothing in this world is certain, except death and taxes.” Food scandals might be an obvious addition to this statement. Whether it’s horsemeat in the lasagne, bribes…
Read more

Coffee cup crackdown can’t wait any longer

Coffee cup crackdown can’t wait any longer
A combination of carrot and stick is needed to tackle single-use cup waste, argues Ecoffee Cup founder David McLagan.  The waste created by single-use items is a significant global issue and takeaway coffee cups contribute more than their fair share: 100 billion end up in landfill globally each year – more than 270 million cups every single…
Read more

Ten things I hate about PRNs

Ten things I hate about PRNs
Foodservice businesses are among those calling for changes to the producer responsibility scheme for packaging waste. But reform needs to be bold, says Libby Peake. Hatred is quite a strong emotion to feel for inanimate evidence notes intended to show that a company has paid towards recycling its packaging, but bear with me and I’ll…
Read more

As Brexit looms it’s time for industry to seize the day

As Brexit looms it’s time for industry to seize the day
Leaving the EU is an enormous risk for the food sector – but also an unprecedented chance to rethink the way we do business. By David Read. The farming minister George Eustice said on BBC radio this week: “The food and farming sector will be OK if there is no trade deal with the EU and…
Read more